I got a flat tire this morning on my way to jury duty. It could have been a terrible, no good, very bad day, but instead I found my hour and a half at the Harris County Justice of the Peace Court rather enjoyable.

The Honorable Dale Gorczynski long ago discovered that pretrial fussing takes several hours, so he doesn't have his jurors report to the courtroom until 10 a.m. It was a welcome excuse to sleep in, and by the time we all filed into the courtroom, we were informed that all but three of the court's more than 130 cases had already been resolved.

If we held on just a bit longer, we might get to leave without so much as having to fake extremist beliefs to secure our release.

"You mind if I do some weddings while we wait?" Gorczynski asked.

I thought he was joking, but sure enough, I witnessed two weddings this morning. I surprised myself by being rather touched, despite the overhead fluorescent lighting, courtroom chatter and questionable attire. I didn't know fishnets were allowed in a courtroom, and one woman chewed gum throughout her vows. (With a grill in, no less — with braces this was a no no, and I wondered if the same rules applied).

Ever the comedian, Gorczynski told one couple he removed the "obey" bit from the vows because, he "didn't think it was good for a woman to stand before a judge and lie."

It turns out he judges every animal cruelty case for the SPCA, and they're often featured on Animal Cops. (We were also told Gorczynski consequently has a somewhat significant international following).

I might go back. I'm serious. No summons necessary.