But I’m pleased with, and amused by, the results. Here are the three videos I produced, in glorious standard def.

First, the RED CARPET, oooooh.

The other two are audience reaction pieces. The first night’s main presentation was ReGeneration, about political apathy among youngsters.

How Weed Won the West screened on the second night. It is, of course, about medicinal marijuana, so there were some interesting comments.

Joe Lamattina directed, shot, and edited the segment for Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC-Universal).

I was basically B-camera, tight. As usual, we shot on the Canon 7D.

And here’s a little background on the project.  It was an assignment for Daniel Weintraub’s California policy website, HealthyCal.org.  It’s part of his larger series on areas that lack a political voice.

Pete Alton and I were on the two Canon 7Ds. Dee Nichols and Field Producer Mike Hammer Hammeke were on the other cameras, which I think were an HVX and a DVX. And Joe Lamattina was the editor!! Directed by Rich Bond. Parks and Rec is on NBC Thursday nights. Last Call with Carson Daly is on weeknights at 1:35, after Jimmy Fallon.

The MY WORST Video Podcast brings you short, true stories. It’s what people are willing to share about their worst jobs, decisions, embarrassments, etc. No mud, no lotus.

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When the paramedics arrived, Sean (white dude) left the pickup, which then drove away. Henriquez didn’t contact the police or anyone else. The only reason he got caught was a witness’s iPhone picture of the license plate.

Superior Court Judge Renee Korn dismissed us this afternoon after we each answered “yes” to whether we thought the jury was hopelessly deadlocked. Two of the five of us that eventually voted guilty were adamant that there was no legal justification for the sympathy votes he was getting. They had a point, and for me, I had to say guilty because the People did prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he willfully failed to provide his information to anyone, at the scene or ever.

The foreman, an Irish immigrant, argued that the system failed the defendant, and that did seem to be the case. In the second-to-last vote, I pleaded agnostic, because there was brief confusion over whether the People had to prove he intended to gain an advantage by leaving, which they did not. Knowing that it wasn’t the final vote, I also wanted to encourage non-attachment to opinions. I saw people clinging to what they had said already, on both sides, although less so today, the second day of debate. One guy, who works in insurance, switched from guilty to not, but admitted after that he believed Henriquez broke the law.

In a deliberation room, your government asks for your reasoning as an official part of justice being served. Some feel that it’s their duty to rebel against what they see as an unjust law or aren’t willing to ignore what has been deemed irrelevant. Some care much more about whether they’ll still have to go to work that day if we decide this way or that. Some say as little as possible. In the end it was 7-5, not guilty. For all the time squandered, I walk away satisfied that I did what I could for rational dialogue with respect to the law. And as a group, we didn’t have to convict the old man who made a bad driving decision, was intimidated, and then made a bad legal decision.

Now another group of 35 will enter that courtroom, or already have, and 12 will have the honor of arguing whether they can convict an old man who says he was scared. I feel bad for the two others, who will have to wait out the whole process as alternate jurors, and never be asked for their opinions.

The MY WORST Video Podcast brings you short, true stories. It’s what people are willing to share about their worst jobs, decisions, embarrassments, etc. No mud, no lotus.

This podcast wants to be one of your iTunes subscriptions.

Subscribe to The MY WORST Video Podcast