After 30 years, Amati excuses self from DuPage jury duty

Bo may know baseball. Bo may know football.

But Daniel Amati knows jury duty.

He's played host to nearly 1 million potential jurors, mostly regular folks, but not even the famous, such as slugger Bo Jackson, escaped his summons.

Amati retires today to embark on a new life in Israel after nearly 30 years working in Illinois' second-largest court system, the last 18 of which as DuPage County's deputy court administrator.

His duties included overseeing the jury commission, law library, court weddings, media and community programs, such as student field trips and mock trials.

Amati, 51, has no shortage of stories, especially when asked to retell the excuses people come up with to wimp, wheedle and weasel their way out of jury duty.

"The most common one that people will use is that they think everyone is automatically guilty," said Amati, who has been a juror, too. "My response to that is the jury pool needs to be a cross section of the community and your opinion -- even if I don't agree with it -- needs to be represented in that pool."

Of course, others with legitimate hardships are excused.

Take the lady whose diabetic cat needed an insulin shot every two hours. Amati let her go after she provided documentation from her veterinarian and an employer. He also excused a potential juror whose house burned down after he received back the charred court summons.

For the most part, though, Amati said the public understands it's important. Very few ignore their civic duty. He's summoned 841,138 potential jurors, of which 268,821 were tapped in 5,249 trials ranging from murder to traffic tickets to complex malpractice suits.

On the lighter side, it's also Amati who oversaw the 1,400 couples who each year visit the courthouse to say, "I do."

He's watched young couples who wed just before one is shipped off to Iraq. In fact, that's become common. Others aren't. One Halloween, a woman dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein. And then there was the biker wedding.

"The groom looked like a member of ZZ Top," Amati recalled. "They had at least 20 people come in. Afterward, they all got on their Harleys and road off into the sunset."

He's had a heck of a ride, too. Amati grew up in Bensenville, the youngest of four. After college, while contemplating law school, Amati began working for the circuit in June 1979 to familiarize himself with the system.

He never left. For the first year, he labored in the youth home as a juvenile detention officer and contractual placement specialist who helped adult offenders in probation with job readiness.

Amati was an adult probation officer for the next nine years. Not too long ago, he recognized a juror as a former client who once struggled with alcoholism.

"Things really turned around in his life," Amati said. "He was really thankful and said what we had done helped him see things more clearly back then."

But, in January 1989, former Chief Judge Carl F.J. Henninger hired Amati to fill the role he's made his own for 18 years. The deputy court administrator is one of the most recognized faces to the public and court employees.

"He is a man of sterling character and superlative work ethic," Chief Judge Ann Jorgensen said. "Dan Amati is the epitome of professionalism. Quite simply, he is one of the finest men I have known in public service."

Added Public Defender Robert Miller: "I can't recall seeing Dan without a beaming smile on his face. I respected his opinion and relied on him for administrative advice. He was the perfect person to have interacting with the public, or to have involved in employee disputes."

One unforgettable time came in 1991. The county just moved into its new $53 million courthouse and soon had to evacuate it for six months after it was deemed a "sick building" due to poor ventilation. Court continued, though, anywhere folks like Amati could find an open space, including animal stalls at the county fairgrounds.

Today marks his last official day, but Amati will be around a bit to help his friend and replacement, Robin Partin, with the transition.

He moves to Tel Aviv, Israel, in June. Amati, an avid traveler who visited every continent but Antarctica and partook in skydiving to white water rafting, has a lot of friends in the Middle East.

He isn't sure of his next career, though, it won't be in the court field. Still, Amati said he's never wanted to look back at his life and say, "I wish I had."

He'll miss the people, but Amati said he leaves without regret.

"It's been wonderful," he said.

So, similar to the biker wedding, Amati plans to ride off into the sunset.

Sans the Harley.