The folks who run D.C. Superior Court’s jury-duty office do more than just wreak havoc with the schedules of workaday city residents. They’re also market movers. On Monday, clerk Patty McDonald advised a room filled with hundreds of prospective jurors to steer clear of the courthouse’s own cafeteria, which she called “quite expensive.” Better deals are to be had at nearby lunch joints, said McDonald. The verdict from the jury office rankled the manager of the building’s cafeteria, which is run by Aramark Corp. “That’s up to them,” said the manager, who asked not to be identified. After fiddling with the day’s special—liver and onions with two sides and a roll for $5.75—he proclaimed, “We do competitive analysis.” Said juror Gordon Wood: “The prices seem to be right in line with what I’d find outside. And the quality seemed good.” —Erik Wemple