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I sat in a jury pool of 207 people last week. Watched group after group be questioned by counsel. I listened to their thoughts and answers. 

My take away was a promise to never commit a crime. I made my kids promise to never commit a crime. Because I never want my fate or my families fate decided by what I witnessed. 

Its amazing how much stupitidy is closer than you could possibly imagine. 

ChilliJon posted:

I sat in a jury pool of 207 people last week. Watched group after group be questioned by counsel. I listened to their thoughts and answers. 

My take away was a promise to never commit a crime. I made my kids promise to never commit a crime. Because I never want my fate or my families fate decided by what I witnessed. 

Its amazing how much stupitidy is closer than you could possibly imagine. 

Amen.

I was the foreman on a cut and dried (guilty as Hell) drunk  driving case. Case took all afternoon and we were close to wrapping it up just before 5:00 P.M....except one meat-headed construction worker (who was of course on paid time off) said he couldn't "make up his mind"----douche bag was more than happy to have the other 11 of us come back the next day so he could get another day off.....

Defense attorney asked the same opening question to every prospective juror. "If you went into the deliberation room right now. This second. What would your verdict be?" 

For two days it was a mash up of "I'd vote guilty", "I'd need more information", "How is everyone else voting?", "Not guilty???" 

Fortunately there were prospective jurors that answered we all fall under the protection of innocent until proven guilty. 

My answer when she posed this question to me. "Why are 207 people sitting here answering a question like this? You give me 15 minutes and I'll run outside and find 12 people off the street to rule on your hypothetical question" 

She made sure to remind me that it was completely on the prosecution to prove guilt. (Hey, thanks!) That the defendant (charged with a lewd act on a child) wasn't going to testify and asked if I'd hold it against the defense if he didn't testify or they produced no witnesses or even said a word during the trial.

"Based on your first question I'd advise you say as little as possible" 

I was dismissed 20 minutes later. The guy pleaded no contest Friday afternoon. Plea deal. His lawyer wasn't doing him any favors. He's going to jail for a while. So it's a win. 

George Carlin said it best when what one should do when called for Jury Duty.

"Your Honor. I'd make a perfect juror. I can tell if their guilty just by looking at them"

 

Once got a courtroom cleared with my response to a question while in the jury box. I merely mentioned that I had read a book called "Mean Justice," written by a New York Times reporter, about a prosecutorial misconduct in a murder case right there in Bakersfield. Judge sent out all the jurors so I could be questioned privately, defendant was on trial for murder in a drug deal gone bad, and I looked at him, detailing the events of the book and the weak rebuttal written by the DA's office to the book and the defendent was practically jumping out of his chair to make sure I was on the jury. Judge dismissed me, guy was found guilty and when quoted afterward in the paper basically stole all the "this is the truth" details from me that I outlined when I was questioned. Someone emailed me who got stuck on the jury and said I was so lucky to get dismissed.

It's a good book, by the way. Prosecutors are not supposed to be "win at all costs" guys. They are to be agents of justice.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Mean-Ju...eywords=Mean+Justice

 

Not quite the same but in a similar vein....
Earlier this year, they had a trial for this guy that left his kid in a hot car. Among other things, he was 'sexting' with an underage girl while at work while his son slowly baked to death in the car outside.

When the defense submitted their list of questions to ask prospective jurors, one was "have you ever looked at a pornographic website?"  

Ghost of Lambeau posted:

I never get to be a juror.  Once they ask about my education and find out I have 3 degrees I am immediately dismissed.  

I have been summoned probably 5 times over the years for jury duty.  Like you when they find out I have a degree and I am a vet they dismiss me immediately.  Funny thing is I am one of the few people who WANT to be on a jury and those things wouldn't have swayed me at all.   

The Heckler posted:
Ghost of Lambeau posted:

I never get to be a juror.  Once they ask about my education and find out I have 3 degrees I am immediately dismissed.  

I have been summoned probably 5 times over the years for jury duty.  Like you when they find out I have a degree and I am a vet they dismiss me immediately.  Funny thing is I am one of the few people who WANT to be on a jury and those things wouldn't have swayed me at all.   

For me it happened twice.  After the second time I talked with the guy who had a hand getting jury participants, and asked if he would take me off the list.  No use wasting my time if I don't stand a chance.  Vince Biegle (spell) has a better chance of being DROY than I do of getting on a jury. 

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