BS: Jury Duty

Subject: BS: Jury Duty
From: Wesley S
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:41 AM

I was called for jury duty last week. I was picked for a jury but when the final selection was made - it was a DWI case - I didn't make the cut for the jury. I was fine with that. I was back at work by 1:00 in the afternoon. But I appalled by the grumbling from all the other folks in the jury pool. Almost everyone hated the idea of being there. I saw it as part of my civic duty - but I was one of the few that felt that way.

Did anyone else have a better experience that they would like to share? Anyone get picked for a jury and want to tell us what happened? Was it that much of an imposition?

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: GUEST,Sock Puppet
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:02 AM

When I was first called on I didn't want to go. When I got there I found it interesting. I was involved in five case (one murder). My number was called out it seemed for every case !

That was three years ago,I would be more than willing to go back again.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: GUEST,Guest, the worker
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:15 AM

Got called years and years ago, hilarious! It was a brothel which was raided by the police. The bloke who ran it said it was a youth club for older people, and all the girls resembled Kat and Stacey Slater from EastEnders. Brilliant, three weeks of sniggering - from the Judge!

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Irene M
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 02:29 PM

I have to attend court from time to time as part of my job, but have never been called for jury duty. I'd love the chance just once before I am deemed to be too old and knackered.
I understand that in the UK we are prohibited from discussing a case on which we have been jury members.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Emma B
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 02:50 PM

I was required to attend court many times before recently retiring.

I was called for Jury Service a couple of months ago but had already booked a holiday so was allowed one deferment.
Fortunately I missed the harrowing case of a woman charged with murdering her young physically and mentally handicapped daughter.

I have now been recalled for a fortnight (or longer, depending on the case) in the middle of the holiday 'season' next year:(

I would appreciate any useful information from other folks experiences.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: PoppaGator
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 03:21 PM

Criminal-court jury duty in New Orleans requires showing up at 8:30 am, four mornings a week, for a full calendar month. You hang out with a large group of other dutiful citizens, waiting to be called, in groups of 36, to individual courtrooms. In each courtroom, a jury of 12 plus two alternates is eventually chosen out of the group of 36.

By about 10:30, all the jury-pools for the individual courts have been called, and anyone remaining can go home (or to work) for the rest of the day. If you've been taken as part of one of the groups of 36, but are not selected as a juror or alternate, you're dismissed just before noon.

If you do serve on a jury, they feed you lunch right away, and then start the trial. The trial is almost always over that same day, sometimes quite quickly, sometimes as late into the early evening as 7-7:30.

My wife Peggy has been called several times over the past 30 years; I've only been called once, and that was very recently, just about a year ago.

After Peggy's first stint, she was told she'd never be called back again. It took several years, but she eventually was called again ~ they had had to change the rules, not enough potential jurors. (At this point, I had still never been called). She got chosen for a murder trial ~ a cop-killing ~ and wound up being sequestered for several days and nights, living in a motel with her fellow jurors.

The trial took 2 or 3 days, and then the sentencing decision required yet another day, because it was a death-penalty case. I attended that final day so I could bring her home immediately afterward, and also (of course) out of curiosity.

The case was interesting, and something we had read about in the papers and seen on TV months earlier. A Mexican citizen living in Seguin, TX, had left home in his pickup truck with his 10-year-old son, and was clearly out of his mind, ranting (in Spanish; he did not speak English) that aliens from outer space were taking over his brain. He wound up in New Orleans and somehow found his way into the horse stables at the Fair Grounds racetrack. It was not during racing season (and also not during Jazz Festival, which is held at the Fair Ground), but a few employees were there; when they spotted the man and his son and began to ask question, they fled, jumping over a fence into the back yard of an adjacent home.

The lady living in that home saw strangers in her yard and called 911. When a policeman arrived and confronted the pair, he was shot and killed by the father. More cops arrived soon thereafter and took the shooter into custody.

When the trial finally came around, the Mexican consulate in New Orleans sent a representative to sit at the defense table with the lawyer. (They did not spring for a lawyer, however; the defendant was represented by a court-appointed public defender.)

I was surprised that the jury was not persuaded to find a verdict of not-guilty by reason of mental defect ~ I certainly would have done so. Apparently, the judge had instructed them in such a way that they thought they were forced to render a guilty verdict.

The final day, when I attended the sentencing phase of the trial, the guilty verdict had already been decided and the only remaining question was whether to impose the death penalty. The pubic defenders office sent a new lawyer, a capital-case specialist, to argue for a life sentence rather than death.

While the jury was out, I struck up a conversation with the first defense lawyer, who had handled the initial portion of the trial, and the guy from the Mexican consulate. They complained that the judge had improperly instructed the jury and thereby prevented a not-guilty verdict, and from what they told me, I agreed.

The jury came back and had decided on a life sentence, not death. And then we could go home. A couple of Peggy's fellow jurors continued to be friends of ours, one woman in particular; the experience of spending several 24-hour days together for such a dramatic purpose certainly had an impact.

This was several years ago, I'm not even sure how long. Much more recently, years after the fact, I read that the guilty verdict was overturned on appeal, because of the judge's improper instructions to the jury. Also, interestingly enough, that judge has since been removed from the bench and disbarred, over other completely unrelated issues.

After completing that month of jury duty, she was told that she'd be exempt from further jury duty for a couple of years. Almost as soon as that grace period was over, she got called yet again, while I had still never been called, and once again wound up on the jury for a murder trial requiring her to be sequestered (albeit for only one night this time.) Dang!

My own more recent experience is much less interesting. Maybe I'll come back later and write about that.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 03:22 PM

I have been called twice for jury duty. Each time, I spent a week as part of a "jury pool" but I never actually served on a jury. I never even got as far as voir dire. I was a bit disappointed.

My wife was called for jury duty, and got selected for a trial on the first day (Monday). The trial started right away, and was finished by the end of the week. It was a civil case, a wrongful-death lawsuit. The defendant, a driver, didn't dispute that he was responsible for a pedestrian's death. The only question was: How much should the widow be paid? The jury had to estimate, if the victim hadn't been struck, how long would he have lived, what would he have earned, and how much of that would he have contributed to his wife's upkeep? Although the man was in his 60s, he was self-employed and had no plans to retire. However, he was in very poor health, with heart disease, so he would not have been able to work much longer. So the jury ended up giving the widow much less than she had asked for.

My wife told me all about it after the trial was over, and it was a fascinating story. (She was prohibited to discuss it while the trial was going on, and she stuck to that, with my full support.)

This kind of trial is usually not reported in the newspapers—they aren't considered newsworthy—yet the legal issues can be quite intricate and interesting.

Maybe I should have been a lawyer.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Becca72
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 03:42 PM

I've never been called and have always wanted to. I think it would be interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 03:44 PM

The last time I was on jury duty was in NYC on September 11. They turned off the TVs when the plane hit the Pentagon, locked the doors and would not let us leave. Some tense moments. We were told that we were required to remain or be arrested if we tried to leave. I thought we were at war and couldn't imagine why we were locked in. A nightmare.

Once I was on a jury - really hysterical. It was a civil case regarding a young boy hurt in a car accident. His attorney may have been a Thalidomide baby. He was missing one arm and part of the other.
His hand was deformed and couldn't hold a pencil. His legs were also deformed so he walked with crutches.
Every time the other attorney tried to make a point, he dropped his pen, scrambled around floor (refusing help), picked up the pen with his partial hand and put it in his mouth. Then scrambled back up to his chair.
He took notes with the pen in his mouth. His point was well made - disability is bad.

Three days of testimony and they settled out of court. It was a complete waste of all our time. I have been on several juries and have never produced a verdict. All the cases settled after I sat there for days listening to ridiculous posturing and droning. IMHO, once a case has a jury, they should not be allowed to settle without a huge penalty and dinner certificates for the poor bastards on the jury.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: lady penelope
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:12 PM

I got called for jury duty oooh...twenty years ago(UK). I was lucky, although I was called for two cases it didn't over run my two week stint. Apart from the actually case time, it was incredibly boring.

I would recommend a good supply of books to read,or something like knitting to keep you occupied while you're waiting to be called.

Whatever you do, if you're on a jury, don't be late. One of the blokes that was on a jury with me lived down in Kent (the court was in Wood Green - North London - a long way away for a morning commute). It was February and it snowed heavily over night. Fine in London, but half of Kent was snowed in including the bloke from the jury. Although he'd phoned the minute he realised he was snowed in and he only turned up twenty minute late (bloody good going if you ask me) the judge fined him £50. Because the bloke, understandably, objected, the judge then threw him in jail for the day for "contempt of court". It purely depends on the judge but...

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Gurney
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:37 PM

Never been, myself, but when my wife was picked, her car was broken into in the recommended (public) carpark. The police said it was very common, criminals knowing well who parked there.
If you get picked, park somewhere unobvious.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: john f weldon
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:23 PM

If you're curious about this seemingly irrelevant link, send me a PM. Otherwise ignore.

http://www.weldonalley.ca/photos/JPmix.mp3

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Alan Day
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 06:24 PM

If you enjoy jury service then inform them and they will be delighted to ask you again.
I found the fortnight incredibly boring, but in the second week finished up on the jury and was elected as foreman.I was appalled at the poor quality of the two barristers the one for defence and for prosecution.
Most of the important questions asked to the Judge came from the jury.
We spent ages discussing the case in the Jury room and got praised by the Judge for our verdict on this very poorly presented case,When the defendants past crime was read out by the Judge, after our verdict, we all knew we had made the right decision.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 07:05 PM

I was called several times! Only got on one jury from start to finish though. A trucker was going after a tire manufacturer for making a defective product after being hurt when a front tire blew causing an accident. That proved very hard to establish, but I learned a ton about tire manufacturing. --- the end result was that the company showed that the truck was improperly loaded and the fifth wheel was in the wrong position. That put too much weight onto the front tire of the tractor. We, the jury, agreed, and found in favor of the tire maker.---- Also, during the trial it was improperly brought up that there was a clause in the trucker's contract saying he couldn't sue his employer; so he was going after the only entity left to go after---the tire company. We were instructed by the judge to IGNORE that info. But, after hearing it, many of us were not able to really do that very easily. Along those same lines, we were told by the lawyers that the driver had been fully covered by the company's health insurance, and he had been compensated more than adequately. The judge told the jury to disregard that too---but the damage was done.

Another time, In Chicago---at the Criminal Courts Building next to Cook County Jail, I was picked for a jury on a case where 5 guys had broken into an apartment, robbed and beat a fellow and raped his girlfriend while he watched. Amazingly, when that day's session ended we were sent home BUT all 5 defendants were let out too---and all 5 were on the bus I had to take to get home. They were verbally abusive and indicated that I'd better find them innocent or else. Well, I wrote a letter to the judge that night---a rather scathing indictment of a system that let that scene go down. (I also said I was already leaning toward the death penalty, so I figured the judge ought to get me off that damn jury. He agreed---and I was excused. But I had to sit in that jury room all week the duration of that jury call.

Now, I'm called every year or so, but because of disability, I need not show up. But they still put me through the paces, and I'm getting sick of jumping through their hoops. Such is life. Quite an adventure and it all gives me tales to tell.

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Beer
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 08:00 PM

I was called last summer but told them I had a Festival to run so they pitied me and let me off.

Just kidding. Was asked and was delighted but when I found out it was a French case so I explained that my French was very limited (even though my name is very French)they said they would place me on a list if and when an English case comes up. I would also look forward to it if it doesn't interfere with the festival.
Beer (adrien)

P.S. Great stuff John.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Joe_F
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 09:05 PM

I've been called three times -- once in New York, twice in Massachusetts -- but never empaneled. The last time, when they saw me coming, the criminal pleaded guilty, the litigants settled out of court, and the juvenile-court judge decided he didn't want a jury that day. The whole lot of us were sent home. In Massachusetts, it's "one day/one trial": if you aren't seated on a jury the first day, you are thru.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 09:46 PM

I was called three years ago and I'm eligible once again. IF I have been empaneled it would have been a child sexual abuse case. It's just as well that I was excused...and the guy was found guilty without me.

I wore a navy blue blazer, khaki pants, shirt, tie -- out of respect for the Court. I was the only one so dressed.

What really pissed me off was those who were dismissed on "religious" grounds. One man said, and I believe his was sincere, that his religious beliefs would not permit him to judge another, that that was reserved only to God. He was dismissed, and immediately at least a half dozen others copped the same plea. I felt and feel that the judge knew that they were faking it, but he had to let them go.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:00 PM

I had to spend 6 months on The Pool. Drove 170 miles round trip at least 4 times. Was actually 'questioned' during voir dire 3 times. Never actually got empaneled. The Judge and I got pretty friendly, LOL!

I'm a cops wife...NO WAY was any defense attorney going to let that pass.

I didn't mind the whole thing, and at least it was spring/summer in Wyoming so the roads were good. The day money and mileage they paid me was actually more than my day job makes, but my boss was pretty unhappy! LOL. No, I didn't have any sympathy for her.

Every time I was 'called' for the voir dire, I did take all my stuff to be prepared to spend the night. Never had to, never expect to, the 'cops wife' thing.

I'd do it again.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Beer
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:07 PM

There was a story told to me when I was a wee tot that for some reason has just came back to mind.

This fellow does not want to go to war so before a judge (that was the story.)he pleads that he cannot hear hoping to be able to go home. The judge agrees that a man that cannot hear cannot serve. The fellow smiling while leaving court hears the judge saying please close the door on the way out. He begins to close the door and is called back.
That is the way I remember it.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:14 PM

I doubt that I'd ever be empaneled -- my wife's an (inactive) lawyer.

She tells me that in Ohio lawyers are statutorily exempt from jury duty -- along with the "mentally deficient." Not that any lawyer in their right mind would want another lawyer on a jury....

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: JennieG
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:26 PM

I received my letter many years ago but was able to "plead the care and concern of young children" - I think our sons were about 8 and 10 at the time. Have never heard since, even though I was under the impression that my name would be held in a 'pending' file and would be placed back on the list when our boys were deemed old enough not to need a SAHM. The sons are now 29 and 32 - it was quite a while ago!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:26 PM

I was called last year & sent in a certificate from my physio as I have chronic lower back pain & can't sit for extended periods, & have to be very careful what I sit on as many sofas/chairs/benches aggravate my back.

Art, if I hadn't sent in the certificate in time I would have had to waste my time & the Court's time by attending with a new certificate every time I was called over the 3 or 4 year period. Even tho my physio said chronic & will get worse, I'm sure I'll get another notice sometime after this call-up period expires.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Leadfingers
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:22 PM

Done my bit too - Called once , sat through two cases - a Cocaine Mule and a couple of Baggage Mis Handlers -ALL As Guilty as Hell !
Now I qualify as a Pensioner , it will probably never happen again .

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:41 PM

Never been called.
Never won on the Premium Bonds or National Lottery either.
Ho hum!

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:50 PM

When I was called, my number was called for a case about a defendant's mental ability to stand trial. The defense attorney's asked if I had any experience with people with mental illness. I said we had a bipolar aunt live with us for several years when I was growing up. They asked if I had seen any odd behavior. I said yes, and they moved to excuse me. I think I could have been impartial, but that's the way it goes.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Escapee
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 02:45 PM

I've been called three times. First was an open- and- shut prostitution case, second time, they copped a plea at lunch time. I hit the jackpot the third time. It was a cult murder and kept me away from work for seven weeks (at full pay, God bless the UAW ) There were disgusting videos and photos and pathetic, depressing testimony. How did the fire department get stuck with digging those bodies up?
A seriously scary person had assembled a group of disaffected Mormons, and was planning some terrible violence that would initiate the reign of God on Earth. He controlled these people to the extent that they could not communicate with the outside world, and even believed that they could only pray through him, because only he knew the secret language of prayer. The leader, Jeff Lundgren, is on Death Row in Ohio, and I have granted him an exception to my usual anti-capital punishment policy.
His second-in-command was on trial in Toledo, Ohio because of publicity in the Cleveland area where the murders took place. The man on trial in Toledo worked outside the farm where the group lived and provided most if not all of their income, apart from the members credit cards which were surrendered to Lundgren.
Eventually, despite skilled application of classic brainwashing techniques, one man started to doubt and decided to leave the farm with his family. They knew Lundgren's plans, and to keep everything secret, and to prevent the spirit of doubt from spreading, the man, his wife and their three daughters were killed and buried in a barn on the farm. The Toledo defendant brought the victims out one by one and patrolled the area to see that the gunshots didn't alert anyone.
The plea was not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury didn't go for it and after all the minimum kidnapping and unlawful restraint and other sentences are served, Ron Luft will be eligible for parole. He'll be about 160 years old
A fascinating experience, but harrowing. Luft's family broke my heart,and when Lundgren was brought in, I felt myself in the presence
of an honest-to-god evil person.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Irene M
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 03:43 PM

Voir dire.

Vot is?

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 04:22 PM

Voir dire is the section where the lawyers ask you questions to ensure that they want you on their jury.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: john f weldon
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 04:28 PM

"voir dire" - "to see what can be said", is used in several contexts in law. It can also be the moment when the jurors are sent away while the lawyers argue over what questions will be allowable; for example, what constitutes "hearsay", etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: GUEST,Grab
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 05:01 PM

Only once, for your basic pub carpark scuffle. The presentation by the prosecution was that the defendant had started the fight, and when the other guy went down, he'd stamped on the other guy's leg to break it, and then kicked him in the head.

Trouble was that the prosecution solicitor was a waste of space. Facts that came out from all witnesses (mostly the injured guy's friends) and importantly a doctor were that:-

1) Yes, the defendant had shouted across the carpark, but the other guy then came over to him and took a swing at him.

2) The defendant was losing the fight until the other guy slipped and fell. The broken leg was a twisting fracture, and couldn't have been caused by stamping. And all the other guy's friends said that the defendant hadn't ever stamped on his leg.

3) No-one could show that the defendant would have known the other guy's leg was broken, or that he couldn't get up.

General opinion on the jury was that the defendant was a nasty little toe-rag. But also that had anyone from the CPS done their jobs properly and looked at the defence case, it should never have gone as far as a jury trial. Opinion was divided on whether he was justified in putting the boot in, and that made it a mistrial because the required majority (10:2) wasn't happening. I never saw anything in the papers afterwards, so I guess the CPS dropped it.

As the main person speaking up in favour of him putting the boot in (because I know damn well I'd have done it myself if some big bloke was beating up on me and then happened to fall over), I'm glad I was present. Still, it did show that the standard of CPS solicitors is pretty damn poor.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 05:02 PM

Many years ago (1970) just after I had married my first husband and moved to eastern Massachusetts (I'm not sure we had found an apartment yet, or were still living temporarily with his parents), I was called for jury duty. Had to beg off -- I didn't have a driver's license, let alone use of a car, there was no public transportation and my husband was working in another town (about the only time in our ten year marriage he was actually working) and couldn't drive me. Have no idea how they drew my name -- I don't think I had even registered to vote yet.

Two states later (Maine for 8 years, the past 28 in New Hampshire), I have yet to be called again.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Schantieman
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 05:05 PM

I did this at Liverpool Crown Court a few years ago.

First, they wanted me to go in the summer holidays so I applied for (and got) a deferment as I was already booked to be running a course for a load of kids. I managed to get it in term time - far better than teaching!

There were about 200 of us in a big room with cafeteria etc. After an introduction on the first Monday we sat around and waited to be called. I got two cases: The first was a dangerous driving case - he was clearly guilty but we only found him guilty of careless driving. he was lucky.

Even luckier was the bloke accused of affray who got off because the police coked up the investigation. Again, there was no doubt he'd done it.

So much for British justice!

S

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Oct 08 - 07:54 PM

The case I was dismissed from wasn't messed up. The dude (who looked to me like a red-faced real estate promoter of the worst type) was found guilty of child sexual abuse and is currently in prison, and will be for some time to come.

I understand that pedophiles have a truly bad time of it in US prisons. Seems like prisoners have kids too....

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 08:04 AM

Maybe some of those prisoners were abused themselves, Rap. Payback time!

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 08:53 AM

Likely. And you know what they say about payback.

I don't like child abusers of any sort. Yeah, I was spanked, but I wasn't whipped with a car aerial, left over a weekend in a shed when the temperature was below 0F, branded with an electric iron, raped, thrown down stairs or against the ceiling or walls, tied in my crib and forced to lay for days in my own feces without food or water, smothered because I cried, kept in a dog crate, beaten into unconsciousness, slashed on the calves with a razor blade, tied up with wire...I won't go on.

Abused children need help and love, and the abusers need (at least in my opinion) never to see the light of day again.

I can understand a simple murder. I can even understand (in a really vague and unfocused sense and not very well) rape. I cannot understand child abuse, now or in the past.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: Escapee
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 12:09 PM

I concur, Rapaire. Into a cage with them, and weld the door shut.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: CupOfTea
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 07:21 PM

After 30some years of being a registered voter, I had my first turn at being called for jury duty this past February & found it interesting enough to write a detailed Blog Entry about my adventures. I was amused to find that the blog entry was showing up in google searches on "jury duty" near the top for awhile.

Subject: RE: BS: Jury Duty
From: EBarnacle
Date: 03 Oct 08 - 08:35 PM

I have served several times. The most interesting was a month on a grand jury.

In New York, prosecutors brag that they could indict a ham sandwich for the death of the pig. We did not let them get away with that sort of thing and clearly annoyed them for not doing their bidding.

The judge, on the other hand, felt we were doing the right thing.

We were able to stop several blatant miscarriages of justice.