It's Almost Like Having a Coach on the Playing Field

Contrary to my expectations, I have been chosen to serve as an alternate juror in a criminal case. My theory for why this has occurred is as follows: The jury selection process had been dragging on for three days, it was getting near the end of the work day when I was finally called to be interviewed, the case is not expected to go longer than a week and a half, the 12 member jury had just been set, and alternate jurors don't get to vote. Taken all together, I guess the attorneys in the case just didn't really care that I'm a lawyer. Nevertheless, once the trial is over, I think I'm going to ask the attorneys why they decided to leave me in as an alternate at the risk of my having to become a voting juror and influencing how other jurors vote.