dhp123166 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 ...for jury duty on Monday. I am looking forward to participating in our great nations' legal process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 i was summoned two weeks ago.. annnddd i forgot cause ive been so busy lol. so I rescheduled for tuesday.. what a joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skittle Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I have yet to be summoned and I have been wanting to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 They'll never summon me, Since I'm deaf, both prosecution and defence would worry about my missing testimony, so NZ law on the selection of jurors, exempts deaf people from jury duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 If called, they'll never take me. I have such utter contempt for the system, and it's participants, everyone will exclude me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM73240Z Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I have always wanted to serve on a "interesting" trial. The $12 a day pretty much kills the ability to keep my house if that ever happens though. I was selected for one. Had an owner of a local bowling alley get in a "discussion" with one of his employees over his relationship with Sammy "The Bull" Gravano of the mafia. Owner got locked out of his alley and then shot the door lock out with his revolver. The bullet missed his employee by a few feet inside the alley. It was starting to get interesting when they plead out. Oh well. Cough Cough guilty cough. Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeZ Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I was called on a panel for a criminal case long time ago. I was rejected because I was previously a crime victim (robbed twice at gun point) and believed in the death penalty. The defendant was found guilty twice before and was on his 3rd trial. He was found guilty of raping and murdering his niece. The interview process took 3 days and I had to call a relief pharmacist to cover my pharmacy while I did my duty. The whole process cost me $500 and I got $18.00 for my troubles. That was an experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 I'm on a case! Cool beans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I suspect my wife conceals my summons so a bench warrant is issued, under they guise that it will keep in the country for a while. Last duty was January 2009, I'm due... I take the initial questions as a cat-and-mouse game. I no longer say 'Engineer', I say 'compressor mechanic'. When they say what kind of compressors, I say 'air compressors, like, you know, that you put air in your tires with and stuff'... I've been getting better at it, I've gotten empaneled the last couple of times. Time before last I was wearing the 'I want all burgulars dead, no trial, no parole, they try to hurt you---you shoot em dead!' Ted Nugent T-Shirt. Defense Attorney had me read the front of my shirt in to the Record! Then we go on break. Everybody in the panel (for the two alternates on the jury) laughed as we left the room saying "Oh you're out!" Came back from lunch, they seated the blonde girl who couldn't make up her mind if she was comfortable putting down a judgement on someone else. And then the people thanked Juror #248, Mr. Dighera who will be alternate #3. I mean, I was dumped every time I showed any intelligence, but this time I was pretty P.O. about getting called in as I had other things to do and was for sure this process was a total waste of time as I always got booted (and had been that way for close to 20 years at that point!) So I get on the jury, and a couple days in someone gets sick or something and drops out---has to be replaced. A day or so later someone has someone in their family die. They consider replacing him with blondie, juror alternate #2. I made the comment if she gets seated, and someone else has an infarction or something in the jury box, we're going to be in for the sex-crazed bozo show. Fellow jurors all looked at me and I said 'Right now the Defense Attorney is sweating bullets because he put me on this panel with the 'what the hell, what's the chances' attitude. But right now mr "Shoot the Burgular" is perched to get on this panel. If anybody so much as sneezes, that guy will go through hell to get a mistrial. I expect after a break he'll come back in with a Bozo the Clown suit and shoes, red hair and clown makeup, jump up on the defense table and start wanking at the judge to get a mistrial called... Thank goodness he didn't need to do that. I was ready to fry his client, but didn't get to cast a vote. Though the rest of the jury took five days in deliberations before they came up to that decision anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 I thought no one liked jury duty, or is this all sarcasm? If I lost money because I couldn't go to work due to jury duty, I'd be pissed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I get upset at the process of selection. they systematically weed out people with rational thought. Some countries you get a term for a year as a juror. You get paid your normal salary, and simply go to the courthouse every day. They pick you by random lot. You get seated, hear the trial and pass judgement. I think there is some merit in that. Too much shennanagins go on that jurors never see. I got seated the first time (after being called THREE TIMES IN A YEAR! Orange County: 30 days service requirement) after not shaving, using my 'compressor mechanic' thing for the first time, and dressing in dirty jeans, a denim shirt, and wearing 'mork from ork' suspenders... Got seated, and the next day showed up shaved and wearing my suit (I only have one...) Defense Attorney visibly was shaken by this turn of events. Ended up in a mistrail when Defense Attorney said something he shouldn't have regarding sentencing. Afterwards the prosecutor (not the sharpest knife in the drawer as you will see why soon) told us he'd been convicted of drunk driving three times before and was looking at hard time for a conviction on this one. I happened to ask why the HELL she didn't ask the defense expert on blood absorption rates what his BAC would have been using his calculated rate. She didn't get it. She simply didn't ever listen to the claim and didn't do the math. I was in the jury box, I did the math. The defense expert claimed the guy had a different BAC than the brethalyzer showed. That his weight was X, his absorption rate was Y and that it was not what the Brethalyzer claimed (.15 BAC). I waited for the defense attorney to ask the next logical question: and by those figures doctor what SHOULD my client's BAC been (0.07 or less, and he's home free, I HAVE to acquit on the charges, right---open and shut no debate) But this was not the question asked. It bugged me. The longer it went, and when the PROSECUTOR didnt' ask what the BAC SHOULD have been, I quickly did the math and sure enough the guy was right: It WASN'T .15, BUT IT WAS 0.08, SILL DRUNK BY STATUTE! I tell the prosecutor this and her eyes get REALL BIG and she say 'WHAT'? I repeat it, then draw her the calculations on her ledger so she can follow the math. I say, didn't this guy just put on the record the proof that the guy was STILL DRUNK? But I guess you're not open to pleas at this point? She just got a big smile and said "Thank you, thank you VERY MUCH! What did you do again? Compressor Mechanic on those little compressors in garages" Oh yeah, I work on them from time to time when I have to, normally the smallest thing I touch is 350HP, but generally it's 600HP to 1250HP. They can air up a lot of tires with one of those....QUICKLY! I saw the conviction of the guy listed in the paper later that next year (another 8 months had gone by before he went before the judge again!) I would love to be on more cases, I get paid to be there. It's just the waste of time to go and be honest and truthful . You say "Engineer" and you're bumped. Especially in Murder/Assault/Drug cases in my experience. And if they can't keep you off, VERY early in the trial the defense attorney will say something improper like 'Your honor my client is looking at 7 years here!' and that's all she wrote for your term of service (unless you're in Orange County, then it's back to the jury room till your 30 days is served...) I have come in the last few times with a "Seat or Release" demand. Either put me in a pool to get selected the first day, or release me. In Riverside county it's a one-day, one-trial service committment. This way I either get seated on Monday, or I go back to work/home and can do productive stuff for the economy. I do have the thought that they should jsut go to 'Jedge Dredd' justice for most offenses. If they let people participate in that, it would probably get more people interested. Maybe allow jurors to bring in rotten fruit and throw it as they saw fit during the trial... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 they canceled mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I've been on a couple juries, its pretty boring because there's a lot of trial process stuff going on that the jury doesn't need to hear. During the jury selection process be sure to be respectful to everyone in the courtroom. I saw one potential juror get hit with a $500 fine a 3 days in county jail for telling the judge, "You can't make me serve if I don't want to, *******." The judge said, "You're right. $500 fine and three days in jail - contempt of court [bANG]. Bailiff! Please take this man downstairs and book him." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 The trial is done. Guilty as charged. It was a child endangerment case and was a free win for the state. I knew in the 1st 5 minutes of the prosecution that all the attorney had to do was prove the timeline in the case and it would be an easy victory. He was assisted unwittingly by the defense whom corroborated the timeline. Her defense was full of holes and limp at best. I love rhetoric and argument so it was fun to take part in it. It was also interesting to see where peoples heads are when it comes to important matters as opposed to the regurgitation of blather which falls from celebrities mouths that we pass along as communication and knowledge. I am glad it only took 2 days once the trial got underway. A grand jury would be a massive undertaking but I would not be averse to participating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 Jury duty also reinforced in my mind to remain on the straight and narrow. I certainly do not want my fate decided by people whom do not want to be present for that responsibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM73240Z Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Here is the state of Arizona, jurors can ask questions. I'm not sure if that is the case anywhere else, but it was nice to be able to ask a couple of questions. JImbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 I would have RELISHED the opportunity to ask that expert in the drunk driving case "then how drunk WAS he according to your calculations?" It really bugged me nobody asked it...especially the prosecutor! I think jurors should be allowed to do that. I believe they can in some Grand Juries. I would have LOVED to see that down in the Santa Ana Courthouse! "Glad to meet you, Senor Dover!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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