Jury Duty

[pilgrim6a]

I have jury duty in the morning. I have a plan.
The local DA is a friend. Hunting, fishing, cigars. He's also up for re-election.
I'm going to wear one of his T-shirts to court.
" Re-elect RXX MXXXX, DA" (didn't want to put his name on line)
If you don't hear from me, the Judge didn't think it was funny.
Before you start screaming CIVIC DUTY, I will have another shirt with me. I may be crazy, but I'm not that stupid.

 

[gjamison]

thats funny, i think you'll be there about 10 min...

 

[cowboy117]

Would you want to be judged by 12 people who couldn't think of a way to get out of jury duty?

 

[bitstream]

Or just get a t-shirt made up that says "HANG 'EM HIGH" in huge block letters.

 

[jimmyj]

My Wife likes jury duty. However she keeps getting excused? ( her husband and five sons are LEOs and only daughter is married to a LEO)

 

[66TAS]

I simply dont understand why people try to duck jury duty. I hope they never find themselves needing a fair and impartial jury to judge them....but karma can be a tricky thing.

 

[raveneap]

My Wife likes jury duty. However she keeps getting excused? ( her husband and five sons are LEOs and only daughter is married to a LEO)

My wife gets called quite often for jury duty. The fact that I'm a retired LEO seems to make no difference. She even got called when I was active.

 

[mg357]

i was recently called up for jury duty but because of my disability i had to write a letter asking to be excused to be honest it really upset me to do that because i wanted so badly to go to jury duty

 

[bitstream]

I simply dont understand why people try to duck jury duty. I hope they never find themselves needing a fair and impartial jury to judge them....but karma can be a tricky thing.

I got called once and served; I was the foreman in an auto accident case. It was pretty interesting and I think we did a good job. But... It takes you out of your "life" for at least a few days and you loose a bunch of money for missing work (what they pay you is a joke). The people on the jury I served with were mostly students (like myself at the time) or teachers (nothing to do during the summer). There weren't any daily workers. It's a giant PITA to do it and they don't do anything to mitigate the pain for jurors. We actually had made our ruling and were ready just before noon, but told them we weren't ready so they'd have to feed us. Got a nice lunch at a local Italian place.

 

[walnutred]

Last time I was called for jury duty I checked the docket to see what cases were coming up. There was one trial for improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and one trial for 57 counts of gross sexual imposition on a minor. Guess which trial I wanted, guess which trial I got.

The jury was an interesting mix, about half retirees (professional) a couple housewives, a horse trainer, a couple salaried employees like me. All in All it was not a bad mix for our rural county though the jury members were probably somewhat better educated than the average resident. Trial took 15 days.

Now a friend once got out of jury duty because one of the Lawyers asked "Do you consider the testimony of a police officer more reliable than that of the average citizen?". My friend raided his hand and asked "What about the opposite?". "I have friends and relatives who are LOEs and I suspect some would lie through their teeth if they thought a questionable bust was going south at the trial.".

 

[feralmerril]

I wouldnt mind actualy being on a trial. However I have been called for jury duty a number of times and every time was just sitting in a boreing, hot, crowded waiting room for days on end when I would have rather been working or playing! This was in california and it looked to me that the world stops for about 60 people to put their lives on hold when some idiot gets a speeding ticket he wants to fight! I know I sat for days to always be sent home at the last minuet when someone would cave in. I really think the system is a overkill to the power of 10!

 

[Wyo]

Just explain how fair and impartial you are and that you think everyone deserves a fair trial before hanging.
Bob

Yeah, we had a guy who did something like that a while back. He spent the next few days in jail.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I hope that God forbid you find yourseld in need of a Jury for whatever reason you get a room full of people from which to choose that think exactly like you think. . Jury duty is perhaps the most important thing a citizen can do outside of serving in the armed services. It is a duty. Duties are sometimes unpleasant, and take out of both out time and pocket, but it's part of the price you pay to be an American. I am constantly amazed at people who shirk this duty. How many of you would want to be on the policy writing board of the ATF???? How many of you would want to be in Congress writing poicy & laws??? How many would want to have the power to say "This is how it should be done" "You are guilty" "You are not Guilty-what the state did was wrong", You have been wronged by the government-you are to be recompensed" "The government has no right to do........" or any other grievance that comes into the Courts?
Everyone rails at government-but when given the chance to participate-they whine because it's not convenient for them.
I hope you wear that shirt and I hope the Judge throws you in jail

 

[gunlovingirl]

I'm one who would enjoy jury duty. I guess that's why I've never been called.

 

[feralmerril]

This guy got arrested for horse stealing. The judge asked him if he wanted a jury trial, or just take his chances with him. The guy wanted to know what happened in a jury trial. The judge told him his fate would be up to 12 of his peers. He wanted to know what peers are. Judge told him they were people just like him. The guy said I want just you judge. You dont think I would want a bunch of horse thiefs judgeing me, do ya?

 

[Evil Dog]

I've been called several times but have as of yet to serve.

 

[DRYHEAT]

I just served on my first jury in my 63 years. Called many times but never made it to the stage where I had to go to the court house. Our trial covered 4 weeks. The 2 defendants were were part of a Mexican drug cartel (they were not Mexicans) that was bringing/selling marijuana from Mexico to Phoenix. 60 people had been rounded up by DEA and local LEOs in the bust. The 2 we were concerned with had 132 pounds and $70K found with them. Guilty on all charges with aggravating circumstances. I don't know what their sentence will be.

After this experience, I fully agree with CAJUNLAWYER regarding jury DUTY!.

 

[mwtdvm]

Called and served...

Once in Tampa, Personal injury case..
Once in Illinois, two cases there.. For some reason I was tapped as foreman in all three. It was interesting to work through the process of guilty or innocent and reasonable doubt, etc. Two were cut and dried. One we decided so fast that we hardly got the seats warmed, but we waited because it was lunch time and we thought a "free meal" was worth a slight wait.

 

[feralmerril]

I will say that sitting in court is always cheap entertainment.

 

[66TAS]

I got called once and served; I was the foreman in an auto accident case. It was pretty interesting and I think we did a good job. But... It takes you out of your "life" for at least a few days and you loose a bunch of money for missing work (what they pay you is a joke). The people on the jury I served with were mostly students (like myself at the time) or teachers (nothing to do during the summer). There weren't any daily workers. It's a giant PITA to do it and they don't do anything to mitigate the pain for jurors. We actually had made our ruling and were ready just before noon, but told them we weren't ready so they'd have to feed us. Got a nice lunch at a local Italian place.

I agree with you, it is a PITA. I was once called for jury duty and put in a group to be selected for a capital murder case that was to be sequestered for the trial in a county a couple of hours away. I was an auto mechanic making commission only. No paid vacation and no paid sick leave. You dont work, you dont get paid. I was willing, but not selected. Got called again the next year, got put in a group but never used. Only went 1 day and had to phone in the next 2. Have not been called back since. Did see some warrants issued for folks that just didnt show up. Also saw 1 guy get a contempt charge for making a smart alecky comment about hang em all or something like that.

I dont get it. We fly our flags and beat our chest over how great our country is, but when we need to do something thats a bit inconvenient that makes our system and country great, some of us complain and try to get out of their responsibility. Personally I regret never serving in the military. My generation was one of the first to not have to serve and not be drafted. In retrospect, I think that has been a mistake. I think it would have done me and a bunch of my friends a whole lot of good to serve for 2 or 3 years when we turned 18. The least I can do now is serve my community when needed.

YMMV