significant as the regular jury panel, because there's a very high likelihood and probability in this case that one or more of those alternates are going to end up on the journey. the alternate juror is there to take over a spot on the 12 member regular jury. if one of the regulars has to drop out of the trial one of the reasons could be illness they could have a family emergency or something else could happen like they can't follow the court's instruction not to post things on social media. >> court veterans say the life in limbo of an alternate juror can be strange, unsatisfying, and tougher than it may see. >> let's difficult to to be very present and to really focus as much as jurors might need to with the idea in the back of their mind that they might not really need to deliberate at the end of it. all but as one alternate juror in police officer derek chauvin is murder trial said being an alternate doesn't mean the case weighs on you any less heavily every night when i would come home i felt