Yesterday my mother received, at my address, a summons to jury duty
from the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. This despite that fact that
my address is not in Baltimore City and my mother never lived
anywhere close to Baltimore. The nice lady at the Jury Commissioner's
office, who could not wait to get me off the phone, advised that they
got the address from the MVA. Not that I or my mother ever sent a change
of address request to the MVA for her. She was quickly excused from service
for being over 70 and dead. I am expecting a Motor Voter Registration
card for Mom from Baltimore City any day now.
I would have ignored the
summons, but was afraid they would send out the Sheriff with a Bench
Warrant and carry off my wife in a case of mistaken identity. She would
then be lost for days at Central Booking, and I would never hear the end
of it.
Out of town friends always ask me if Baltimore is as dysfunctional as it is portrayed in The Wire. I think that question is answered.
