Jury Duty - Page 2

pwd72s · 01-20-2008, 08:29 AM

Last time I was called? I was "excused"...you see, I knew & socialized with the defense attorney. Told the judge so.

legion · 01-20-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

"Trial by a jury of your peers" (?)

Interesting concept, but it usually falls apart in practice.

The individuals that are too busy, too wealthy, too smart, etc. usually attempt to opt out. More is the pity for the entire system.

That is why 'good' judges draw a hard line and do their best to get a balanced 'cross-section' of the community in their jury box.

If you ever find yourself (falsely) accused of a crime and have to stand trial ...you will pray that the judge has done his/her best, to not have a jury pool of those NOT smart enough to evade their civic duty!

This is exactly why I want to serve.

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

If you ever find yourself (falsely) accused of a crime and have to stand trial ...you will pray that the judge has done his/her best, to not have a jury pool of those NOT smart enough to evade their civic duty!

If that ain't the truth! Had my Attorney tell me that the jury can do what ever they want, "well what about the facts I say?" irrelevant, he says, thats why a good attorney will size you up to see how you would present yourself in front of a jury first, and the other side will too. I would never want a jury trial because its not based on facts, ala OJ

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

I can't really afford the lost income to close a few weeks like that, neither can the people who work for me.

legion · 02-11-2008, 08:34 AM

Today's the day.

Last night I got to call a phone number to find out when to come in. The recorded message told me to call again today at 11:00 a.m. to find out if I needed to report at 1:00 p.m.. That's got to be pretty convenient for the people out in the county that are 45 minutes (or more) away from town...

Oh, and it did mention that the 12th, 18th, and 22nd are court holidays. Yep, they take Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, AND President's Day off.

kimlangley7 · 02-12-2008, 06:46 PM

In faiffax Count, VA > you pull jury duty for a couple of weeks.. I was selected for two trials..
#1: Drug case > scank of a woman selling PCP > guilty/we recommended 10 years....

#2: two roach-coach operators got into a fight. One guy bit the other guys ear off. Guy #1 was encroatching on guy#2 territory.... we found the biter guilty of a lesser charge... lessson > you encrach on a roach coach territory > you gonna get bit...

was a very worthwhile experience.

legion · 02-12-2008, 07:17 PM

So far I haven't had to report. I keep calling only to have a message to call the next day after 5 p.m. I'm up to Thursday being the earliest day that I might have to report.

pwd72s · 02-12-2008, 07:34 PM

My pledge? If the A-holes EVER call me again? I'd be the A-hole voting that Charlie Manson was innocent.

Joeaksa · 02-12-2008, 10:07 PM

Been called three times. Let off twice due to work constraints (out of the country) and one time got so far as to be waiting in the courthouse when the perp made a deal with the DA and we all got to go home.

Its your duty... do it.

pbflyz · 02-12-2008, 10:42 PM

I've been called 2 times over the last three years. I was never selected to sit on a jury, but both times I sat and watched the voir dire process unfold. It was amazing to see the lengths people would go to to avoid sitting on a jury. Even after the judge explained that the trial would take no more than a day or so, these people whined, lied and did anything that they could think of to make themselves seem unfit for their civic duty. It took more than 60 people to sit a jury of 12. All of them were qualified, of course, but almost 50 of them wormed out of it.

Examples: The clown who wore the NRA T-shirt (nothing against the NRA, but he wore it for a reason), the handful who pleaded in very broken english that "I no speak English so well.." (though I heard several of them conversing in pretty good English out in the hallways) And then there were plenty of middle-class white folks who just shuffled their feet and gave a lame condemnation of the justice system or, my favorite: Most just told a half-baked story about a loved one or relative who had been a victim of the same exact crime. (If this were truly the case then life in the OC would look a lot a Tombstone episode...)

The Judge, prosecuting attorney and DA were used to this nonsense, and waved them off disgustedly and proceeded to the next liar.
Unbelievable!

Here's a thought: If you're found unfit to serve on a jury more than, say, two times, on your third reject you put on an orange jumpsuit and go pick up trash alongside the freeway. Either way, you perform your "civic duty."

Joeaksa · 02-12-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbflyz

Here's a thought: If you're found unfit to serve on a jury more than, say, two times, on your third reject you put on an orange jumpsuit and go pick up trash alongside the freeway. Either way, you perform your "civic duty."

Totally agree.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Neither I nor my employees can very well afford to take a few weeks off work, which is what it would be for me. I could not very well schedule any patients not knowing if I would be there or not. If I do jury duty it puts too many people out of work.

I would get booted during voir dire quicker than you can say "Jackie Robinson" anyway so what would be the point, the prosecutor might like me I suppose.

I think I would enjoy the experience of being a juror