As a local state court judge in North Carolina, before becoming a U.S. Senator, the late Sam Ervin was empaneling a jury for a case he was about to try. Reportedly, a potential juror approached the bench to ask that he be excused from jury duty, saying he was hard of hearing in one ear. Judge Ervin excused the juror, but asked him to remain at the courthouse: "I'm selecting a grand jury this afternoon, and they only hear one side of the story anyway."