A recent article about Madonna caught my eye. She appeared at the Supreme Court building in New York City in response to a jury summons she received. She was dismissed, however, within two hours, was not questioned for any case, and spent the wait in a clerk's office instead of in the sprawling juror waiting room.

A spokesman for the state court system said she was dismissed because there were sufficient prospective jurors for the summer day's needs, and they did not want her presence to create a distraction in the jury selection process. "The greater good here is that her appearance really goes to show that everyone gets called," the representative said. "The intent here was not to create a distraction to other jurors or the business of the court."

Having sat through two days of jury duty last year, I am not sure I agree. I was not chosen for a jury nor, given my profession, did I expect to be. But, it was still important for me to be available for a jury because our availability is what the system relies upon. By treating Madonna differently than other prospective jurors again the message was sent that celebrities are different and do not have to abide by the same rules as the rest of us.

We all have jury duty stories. What's yours?