Waiting

217.8 (woo-hoo!)

My trial is nearly over: we finished closing arguments a little after 3:00 yesterday, and the jury is coming back to resume deliberations at 8:00 this morning. It's such a relief to have my part finished!

Don't get me wrong: I love being in trial. There are so many challenges to it: managing witnesses & witness scheduling; formulating your questions in such a way that the witness gives the information you need--and doesn't give out information that would not be admissible; relating to 12 strangers on your jury and attempting to persuade them that the defendant is guilty; and being on constant watch for defense strategies and shenanigans. I really love the mental challenge of it.

At the same time, it is stressful, for all the reasons I also love it. So much work goes into preparing a case for trial that there is a big build-up. . . then my stress level is up throughout the presentation of the case. . . and then the waiting starts.

Some prosecutors say that waiting for a verdict is the hardest part. On some levels, I'd agree: when the trial gets to this stage, the outcome is now out of your hands. Many lawyers are control freaks. . . probably not surpising, considering what we all have to go through to get to this point.

I will confess to being a big of a control freak myself (though mild compared to most of my colleagues). I will also say that, while waiting on a verdict is hard, it's also a relief. At least I have gotten to this point without royally f#$&ing something up! lol

Happy to see the scale down this morning, especially in light of the fact that I've indulged in some stress eating over the past 3 days. I've been keeping consistent with my workouts (walking in the mornings and lifting weights in the evenings 3 nights a week), so maybe that's what's made the difference.