more privacy issues

Expect me to become more and more paranoid until I finally erase all records of myself and start a library using only paper card files on a tropical island somewhere.

It occurred to me that I know very little about how the legal system actually works.

Judges are voted, or appointed or something. All judges work for some sort of government. And the government has unlimited rights to keep, demand, and misuse your personal information for any purpose they see fit. This, I’m not exactly cool with, but understand.

And I suppose the same goes for court reporters. They work for the government.

Lawyers, however, do not all work for the government. Most (correct me if I’m wrong) don’t. They work for private companies that I’ve never been given the opportunity to vote about. Yet when I’m called into jury duty I have to reveal any bit of private information to any given lawyer because they’ve passed some nebulous test called a bar exam? I don’t understand why I’m required to tell these people my thoughts on gun control, if I’ve ever been a victim of violence, if I believe in the death penalty, and my favorite TV shows or anything at all.

The courts, and their propaganda say they go through great lengths to protect the privacy of jurors. But from who? Not the random sleazy lawyers who can demand my secrets and personal habits.

Also, will a crazy rant like this get me out of jury duty? If not, what will?