9, a little info., if you care. Some times prospective jurors appreciate it.
You were drawn as #1 on what is called the venire panel. You were actually prospective juror #1. You're not a juror until all voir dire (the questioning) and challenges are completed. Each side gets to challenge prospective jurors for cause, and those challenges are usually unlimited, but the prospective juror must demonstrate some sort of bias to be dismissed for cause. Then each side usually gets a set number of peremptory challenges, where they can remove a number of prospective jurors without having to give any reason (although they are not supposed to be based on improper motive, such as removing all persons of a specific race from the panel).
If you had been challenged and removed for cause, you'd have likely known. The attorneys would have to either argue it in your presence or outside of your presence, and you would have been the center of discussion immediately before and during that argument. It's usually pretty obvious (which is why I never make a challenge for cause in front of a jury unless I'm sure I'm going to win it...you end up looking like a real **** if you lose that challenge).
Either side may have bumped you. Could be the grafitti tagging made one side concerned you're hostile towards gang members. Could be the way you answered a question (although a little humor usually helps to lighten the process, and I tend to keep such folks around, as they tend to actively participate in deliberations, rather than just follow like a sheep). Could just be a simple hunch or gut feeling.
That doesn't mean you would have done badly as a juror. Some folks hold themselves out as jury "experts" which makes me laugh. I've gone by questioning and gut instinct for years and have a good track record. In the end, you never know until the jury comes back how you did. It's a giant pass-fail test for the attorneys, and one of them may have removed a good candidate.
Then again, one may have dodged a bullet.
:)P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
