The Juror Essay, Research Paper

I have sustained some of the most appalling trials of this century.

Over me I have felt distress, bleakness, sorrow. However none of

them were as smashing as Annie’s. Have you ever heard about

Annie? Oh yes Annie Laird, one of the most kind jurors I have ever

met. In George Dawes Greens The Juror, He sumarized the events

and, thoroughly explained the pain and anguish Annie had to go

through. The woe in which her life revolved after mentioning those

lousy words ?I need a little excitement in my life ?1, well, if Annie

needed to add a touch of excitement to her life she should have tried

Disneyland not jury duty. What I am about to air is what happened in

our little run with the mob. Truly that has a bit of foul humor because I

can’t run. If you keep on reading you will understand the risks of

serving for jury duty ?Who will protect you??2

Before I met her, Annie was an unadorned artiste who had just

transferred out of Manhattan and into the country. To a small cottage

by a lake. Her child, Oliver, who loved to ride his bike, moved in as

well. I have to say that when I met Annie for the first time it was as

Juror N? 224. She was a sparkling maid. Who would have thought a

rotten soul such as the teacher would try to harm her? I confess that

her recoil in the following days impressed me. This time the trial was

against Louie Boffano. He was the head of the mob. He and his right

hand The Teacher were as bad as they come. The case was the

murders of Salvadore Riggio and his grandson. Mr. Boffano was

being accused of ordering them. By this time Annie and I already

knew the teacher, but we acknowledged him as Zach Lyde. He had a

very piquant approach toward Annie; he bought three of her artworks

for twelve thousand dollars each. Nevertheless, how were we to

imagine that he was part of the mob? By the time that night had

come, Zach Lyde was having dinner at Annie’s house. Oliver stayed

at a friend’s house; Juliet’s house. Then came those frightful words

from the teacher ?Annie, listen to me now, you’re in danger and

your son is in danger?3 After this, disaster struck Annie’s life. From

this moment on Annie would feel disquietude and distress. Her

house was bugged, her friend’s house was bugged, and she could

not tell anyone. All she had to do was to induce the other jurors to say

just two words: ?not guilty?4

Annie’s life was miserable; whomever she told would be put in

grievous peril. The teacher was listening in, on everything they were

saying. During the trial Annie tried everything to drop out of it.

However who could she talk to? Even the judge could be on their

side. The teacher often made his point clear to Annie. He would

usually kill someone to show her she would be next if she slipped.

Annie implemented all her swaying powers to manipulate the jury. At

the end, and I heard it clearly, came these exact words:

?As to count one in the indictment, murder in the second degree,

do you find the defendant guilty or not Guilty?

Not Guilty ?5

Well now the trial was over, but Zach wasn’t altogether ready to

let Annie go. After Slavko Czernyk, the detective engaged in the

follow-up of the teacher, had died, it came to the authorities that

something wrong was going on. This became Annie’s opportunity.

She spoke to Zach and during their conversation she taped him

saying ?I might discard old Louie?6 She subsequently took it to

Boffano, who was bloody mad about the subject and wanted the

teacher killed. Wrong idea Annie; what were you thinking? The

teacher got word of Annie’s betrayal and blew up Boffano’s car, killing

him and his associates. He also murdered Juliet and made it look like

suicide. Annie just then understood where he was going next; he was

after Oliver. But how could he get to Oliver if he was in Guatemala,

where she took him for his own safety. Then a call; told her that the

teacher knew her son was in Guatemala; she had to save him. The

chase was on…

It was a long chase involving planes, cars and about ten dead

people. At last the teacher had done it; he had found Oliver. Though

Annie strived to get there first, it was he who had done it. At least that

was what he thought. As intelligent as he was, he never imagined that

Annie would be there, waiting for him. When the teacher was about to

shoot Oliver, Annie ?came out of the dark, like she was made of it

?7 and shot him to death.

I must go now. It is time to start a new trial, meet a new juror, and

live a new adventure. I must say before I go that I am very happy to

have met Annie, and to have carried her on top of me. For those of

you who don’t know who I am, you just might be sitting on me right

now.

?Isn’t it ironic??8