Jury duty tomorrow...

“So, I'm wondering, with my, er, "interesting" past, what are the odds I'll be chosen to sit on a jury....”

“depends on the type of trial you are being selected for. I know when I had to serve on a jury no questions were ever asked about my past. I ended up being on a murder case. Had to be sequestered for almost 2 weeks”

“I wonder what the chances are I will ever wind up on a jury?”

“Every time I've been summonsed I then get told I don't need to report.”

“I doubt that they will dig into your past.”

“If I ever have to be judged by a jury of my peers, I hope someone like mata is on it.”

“A TrailTalk jury, now there's a notion.”

“Ha, at TT one is guilty until proven innocent beyond a doubt.”

“They always kick me off the panel:

1. Professor
2. Engineer
3. Teach statistics
4. Jewish last name”

“I was once on a jury for a 2 week murder trial also. The last few times I've gone for jury duty, they let me go without questions. I can only assume that they don't want shaved head, long goatee guys on a jury. And that sucks. The system sucks.”

“goat - I think the system would work better if they put people on the jury more at random, but then convicted with 11 out of 12 so no one could be the "stopper". Also, don't allow the judge to give the jury any instructions. Let them decide if the law has been broken using more of a "common law" approach.

Then again, maybe having so many lawyers involved is part of the problem (sorry Chili!)”

“Seems like the more you want off the jury, the greater your chances of being picked & vice versa.

I used to be exempt. Now, as a peace officer,I have to sit in the courthouse multiple day(s) only to be excluded after being picked. I "might" get picked for a civil trial, but highly unlikely for a criminal trial.”

“I used to get bumped off the panel because I lived too far away and they did not want to pay the mileage.

Now, I get bumped because I actually answer their panel questions honestly and that means my hand is in the air too often.

When the individual lawyers get to interviewing they always ask something like... Even though you had a bad experience with xyz will you be able to impartially make a judgement regarding this defendent?
I have to answer, to the best of my ability.
Often that is considered prejudicial to the case.
No intent to sneak out of jury duty, but if they ask, I tell them and often they do not want my opinion on their case.”

“hiking - They don't want to take a chance with people who can think for themselves and question...that'w where the reasonable doubt comes in. Professors rarely get picked for a jury.”

“I have no problems answering any kind of question honestly as many who have met me know;)..in fact, I believe I have startled many who ask, what they think, is a casual question. I agree that we have a fairly decent judicial system but am suspicious of presentations of "facts" as "truth" can be, and often is, distorted...do I believe one and one equals two...yes and no..it does in base 10 but not in other bases...you see, I do not believe there is anything called "truth"..now, that'll getcha all goin', I'll bet...”

“Catskhiker, I have had an occassion where a defense attorney allowed a police officer to sit on a jury. Being familiar with the criminal justice system, they make BS proof jurors.

Phil, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled as a matter of Constitutional law that jurors are required to receive legal instructions as to things like burden of proof, the elements of the the crime, and the limited nature of certain types of evidence.

Chili, one defense attorney allowed her friend, a former prosecutor to sit on a jury trial where the crime was stalking. She later told us she though her past very close friendship would make him inclined to award her a Not Guilty. He was the forman, and they returned a Guilty verdict within two hours. Attorneys make great jurors.”

“I think the best jurors would be those who work with, if not in, the judicial system...they would know how things really work...the rest of us are at the mercy of professional manipulaters without knowing the groundrules...”

“"Ooooooh, jury duty!!! I'll make sure someone fries for this"

--Homer Simpson”

“that's great quote, thriftyhiker!”

“Every time I'm a potential juror, it's for some big murder trial. My dad is a retired cop. Judges don't care about that, but the defense always kicks me off. Too bad they don't realize what a bleeding heart I am - heh heh....


Our county is really good to potential jurors. We have a one day or one trial length of service, so you don't have to keep calling in for a whole week or whatever. If you do have to show up, they have a really comfortable place for you to hang out, with TVs, a quiet room, kitchen, etc., and they're good at keeping you informed on what's going on.”

“I spend more time fighting with our comm of juries then anything. ALWAYS sending me threatening mail to show up when I was there the month before. She always claims it isn't HER fault. I always have to get a RECEIPT of proof-of-jury duty for her, and I always do.

The ONLY time I got picked for a (civil) jury trial is because I "played" with the defense attorney. I think that was punishment. I did end up on a grand jury for a serial killer though.”

“I showed up, of course. The judge explained they settled so we would not be needed...he wasn't happy as he said for one year he's been trying to get them to do this; only last week they told him they would NEVER settle only to do just that at the last moment...so, my name won't go into the lottery for another 4 years...funny thing, I almost regreted not having to be a jurer..go figure...especially when you consider the only thing I needed to do today was the laundry, a task I truly hate....”

“I've been bumped out of the jury pool when council finds out I do expert witness testimony. That saved me from a six-month chemical pollution liability case. The judge was being a hard ass when I explained that my employer couldn't do without me for six months and my family needed my income. I don't know who they sit for those cases.

I have sat on a few juries where there was expert testimony and have found it interesting to observe from the other side of the witness stand.

Phil - I've testified in front of several teachers, I don't know about professors though. Maybe they think you're really a secret agent?”

“Was in a jury pool for two days,never got picked and yes they did question Me about My past”

“Lucky lucky HPM...he's been chosen for jury for a murder case.”

“GUILTY!”

“There goes the annual Ocala NF Hike. Oh well, it was delayed a week and moved to a different forest, anyway. Maybe he can have some fun, if they have to elect a jury foreman, by getting a filibuster started.”

“It starts tomorrow, and they say "will only last about 3 days." Yeah, right.”

“I tried a murder case in a small county in Tennessee once and the judge told the jury it would only take two days "guaranteed". He was right but they sat in the jury box about 12 hours each day.”

“A sizable number of the potential jurors were flaming idiots ignorant of the most basic concepts of our laws. How do people not know these things? And yet the cornerstone of our legal systen is trial by a jury of ones peers.

Democracy is in danger and it sure isn't from terrorism.”

“A sizable number of the potential jurors were flaming idiots ignorant of the most basic concepts of our laws. How do people not know these things? And yet the cornerstone of our legal systen is trial by a jury of ones peers.

The jury isn't supposed to play "lawyer". They're supposed to answer very specific questions based on the evidence presented. It would be a bad thing if they took into consideration their own views of laws.”

“Mmm, sounds fun. So do you get to be the foreperson??

I hope it's at least obvious whether the person did it or not! That's a lot of responsibility...”

“

"A sizable number of the potential jurors were flaming idiots"
humanpackmule

What a thing to call your peers! But you felt right at home, huh?

LOL.”

“At what point did I say or infer that the jury was supposed to play lawyer? That some of these lummoxes will do that through ignorance is part of my concern.

Many were unfamiliar with the presumption of innocence, proof beyond a resonable doubt, or even the difference between a civil or criminal case.”

“There were very few people there I would call a peer.”

“..and it's getting worse, HPM.”

“It sounds like justice being served. You keep saying how bored you are at work!”

“Probably so NS. Probably so.”

“Many were unfamiliar with the presumption of innocence, proof beyond a resonable doubt, or even the difference between a civil or criminal case

is it possible that they were playing dumb to get out of it?”

“Anything is possible but wow. If that was the case then some these folks were really good actors.”

“you are in the south (j/k)”

“LOL
peer
n.
1. A person who has equal standing with another or others, as in rank, class, or age

humanpackmule, meet your peers. All have equal standing as jury members.

LOL.

---

Surely you know I jest. However, welcome to the real world. It can be shocking.
last edited: 1/23/06 2:30:35 PM”

“My jury summons even had a insert explaining the Dress Code.

ie, no Tshirts with rude slogans, no backwards ball caps, etc.
Men: Shirt with a collar required
Women: No revealing clothing.
LOL”

“Many were unfamiliar with the presumption of innocence, proof beyond a resonable doubt, or even the difference between a civil or criminal case.

Let's be civil and not accuse these peers of a crime before hearing proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Maybe they just know how to get out of jury duty?”

“Paul, while I agree with you in theory, I disagree in practice. lol.”

“

Women:"No revealing clothing.
LOL"
StoveStomper

Does this mean that they have to keep their faces covered?”

“No Paul, I think it means keep your tits and a$$ covered. LOL”

“ie, no Tshirts with rude slogans

LOL, would phuck the court system be considered rude?”

“At least this is almost as much fun as jury duty!

BTW, have fun with it. Keep smiling and maybe they'll let you go home early. LOL.
last edited: 1/23/06 2:36:54 PM”

“All the local politicans make a point to glad hand all the jury pools before we are set loose to serve or go. They know we all VOTE, or otherwise we would not have been summoned.
Bugs the crap out of me. I want to get on with the show or else leave.
My congressman Gene Taylor was shaking hands with everyone last time.”