The Joys of JURY DUTY!

[Dutch McCoy]

I was called in and interviewed but rejected because I was in college. It would have been a doozey of a case, too. Jealous boyfriend suspected of killing his girlfriend.

 

[Tommy Fedora]

Here in northern NJ I was placed in a large auditorium with many other prospective jurors until my name was called to go to a court room to be picked for a jury. I was not chosen so I was instructed to return to the auditorium. After sitting there for a while the loud speaker started blaring that if you were not chosen for a jury you had to register at the desk to be chosen again. Why ? Because they were still on a manual system. They knew the names of who was sent to a courtroom but the only way they know that you were not chosen for a jury is if you register at the desk to be recalled.
So...I sat for a while longer, skipped and enjoyed the day.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I've done it three times so far.... The day before jury selection my first time I had had a bike accident and showed up to court with a huge black eye. The first lawyer came up to question. He rested his arm on the jury box rail, looked at me, hesitated and then said, 'I'm going to ask you a question that everyelse in the room wants to ask....what happened to your eye?' I probably should have told him I had been the victim of an armed robbery and would have been dismissed, but I didn't.

What was sort of ironic about that case (a man charged with making a bomb threat) was that I was working for the local paper at the time and had been at the scene that day. I told the lawyer that, but was still kept on the jury.

 

[MagistrateChris]

I've never even made it to the interview; rejected on the merits of my bio. I've been told by those in the know that lawyers don't want educated people on jury. [huh]

Don't count on it. When I was prosecuting, I wanted college educated people in my jury. I wanted people to listen to the testimony, and not make decisions bassed upon what Grissom and company would have done on CSI.

When I was preping a case for trial, I tried to decide what my ideal juror would be, and then look to the pool to find people as close to that ideal as possible. Like, in one case, a man broke into a home while the wife was home, working in the office in the basement. She found him carrying a television, got a good look at him, ID'd him. So, I looked for educated women and husbands. In drug cases, especially some of the big transporting cases where guys were hauling large amounts of methamphtamine and such into my county, I looked for educated parents.

Although, I must admit, I bucked the trend and preferred women on my juries. Conventional wisdom in my county was that men were more prosecution oriented, but I tended to favor women jurors. One hung jury and no acquittals meant I did something right.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I would assume that a law degree wouldn't be wanted on a jury because juries decide issues of fact, not law, and a legally educated person could skew the factfinding.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Hi Folks,

This happened to a friend of mine who was picking a jury in a capital case:

My friend: Ladies and gentlemen, at the end of all of the evidence, if the jury returns a verdict of guilty of first degree murder, we will then move on to the second part of this trial called the sentencing phase. During the sentencing phase the state will present evidence of aggravating factors and will attempt to show why you should impose the death penalty.

Mr. Smith, the law of North Carolina says that in a capital case, the death penalty may be imposed by the jury. As a member of this jury could you impose the death penalty if you find the defendant guilty of first degree murder?

Mr. Smith: They still execute prisoners up there in Raleigh, don't they?

My Friend (a little confused): Yes, sir---at Central Prison.

Mr. Smith (after a short pause): Yeah, I guess I could take a half day off and go do it.

Atticus

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Hi Folks,

This happened to a friend of mine who was picking a jury in a capital case:

My friend: Ladies and gentlemen, at the end of all of the evidence, if the jury returns a verdict of guilty of first degree murder, we will then move on to the second part of this trial called the sentencing phase. During the sentencing phase the state will present evidence of aggravating factors and will attempt to show why you should impose the death penalty.

Mr. Smith, the law of North Carolina says that in a capital case, the death penalty may be imposed by the jury. As a member of this jury could you vote to impose the death penalty if you find the defendant guilty of first degree murder?

Mr. Smith: They still execute prisoners up in Raleigh, don't they?

My Friend (a little confused): Yes, sir. At Central Prison.

Mr. Smith (after a short pause): Yeah, I guess I could take a half day off and go do it.

Atticus

lol
Mr. Smith : Do they use the electric chair, or should I bring my hunting rifle?

 

[Martinis at 8]

"I'm pro-death penalty."

"This is not a capital case."

"That's what's wrong with this country."

-Viola

Great minds think like mine!

M8

 

[Miss Brill]

I've been a registered voter for 12 years & have never been called to serve, but I know people who have served 2-3 times.

 

[carebear]

I would assume that a law degree wouldn't be wanted on a jury because juries decide issues of fact, not law, and a legally educated person could skew the factfinding.

Not exactly correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

Bear in mind, though, that my view of civil liberties was labeled as "extremist and terroristic" by the State of Alabama (until they edited their web page after protest).

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Not exactly correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

Bear in mind, though, that my view of civil liberties was labeled as "extremist and terroristic" by the State of Alabama (until they edited their web page after protest).

Well, they're SUPPOSED to only make findings of fact...TERRORIST! lol

 

[carebear]

Well, they're SUPPOSED to only make findings of fact...TERRORIST! lol

I've never even made it to voir dire. But with my Crim. background and extremist political views, I don't see me making it onto a panel anytime soon.

 

[Undertow]

I was on duty about a month ago in a civil trial.

I was selected as foreman by the others on the panel because...*drumroll*

I was the only one wearing a suit throughout the 4 day trial.

I really enjoyed my time...

And I got paid by my regular job as if I were on vacation. It was great!

 

[Babydoll]

*knock on wood*

I've been a registered voter for over 15 years, and haven't been called to serve jury duty. Luck o' the Irish, I guess.

 

[Rafter]

*knock on wood*

I've been a registered voter for over 15 years, and haven't been called to serve jury duty. Luck o' the Irish, I guess.

Hi Babydoll
You don't know what you're missing. I've been a registered voter since 1993, and I've been called "four times" to serve jury duty. The first time I served a had to stay 5 days for interviews. The second time I was put on a jury, but the case was dismissed. The third time was a two day deal. The fourth time I was dismissed after one day.
I got the "Luck o' the Scottish", I guess!

 

[Miss Brill]

I've been a registered voter since 1993, and I've been called "four times" to serve jury duty.

Ha ha!

 

[GeniusInTheLamp]

I was called twice in my 24 years as a registered voter. In the first instance, the case was settled before it came to trial.

The second time happened earlier this year. In that case, they only took prospective jurors 1-80; I was 125.

 

[Rosie]

I've been called for jury duty next Wednesday, I'm not looking forward to it since Wed. is the graduation day of some of the 8th graders enrolled in my programs and I was really looking forward to attending their big day.

 

[Lincsong]

Last week I got called. I showed up at 9 a.m. and they announced that at 10:30 they would let us know if they needed a jury. At 10:30 the parties settled so they sent us home.

Last year it was some guy representing himself. He apparently was riding his bike, some lady from Connecticutt was pulling out of a gas station and they met. So he was suing her. I really wanted to be on this jury just to watch him represent himself, but they selected the jury before I was interviewed.

Back in 1999 I was called and interviewed. The judge looked at my bio and said; "oh, you were in law school for one year. I guess you decided the law wasn't for you" To which I replied; "Not really, it was the professors who decided that they didn't like my interpretation of the law in torts and constitutional law who failed me". She dismissed me.

 

[Lincsong]

I do have a law degree, though I've never been admitted to the bar. I recall one of my uncles, who was a judge, telling his brother, who was a scientist, that he had a snowball's chance of making a jury. [huh]

Former governor and then Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown was selected for a jury.