Have You Ever Served On A Jury?

[THUNDER HANDS]

I never have.

But I've always wanted to hear stories of people who have. What's it really like?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Boring... Boring

At least the one I was on. Every time we got into the courtroom, one attorney or the other would object and we would be led out again to our little room while they argued about something or other.
Finally after 3 days of this, they called us in and announced that a settlement had been reached.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

2. They wouldn't want me on a jury....

I know way too much about the law. And I know that just because the person is being charged doesn't mean there's automatically a reason they're charging him. I still believe in innocent until PROVEN guilty. I'd wait for all the info.
Duckie

[Redneck Socialist]

3. I found it pretty interesting...

... and a lot more like tv then I expected. Unfortunately, just like everywhere else one blowhard can screw the whole deal up. People will go along with him/her just to get the thing finished.

[Blue-Jay]

4. Evryone should have me on a jury.

I know if someone's guilty just by lookin' at em!

Seriously: Never yet been called for jury duty, but I think it would be an educational experience. I look forward to it.

I did, however, testify in a murder trial a few years ago. That was interesting.

[EV1Ltimm]

5. it wasn't too bad, i guess.

you start of sitting in a box with 20 other people. some guy asks you a question, you answer. another guy asks you a question, you answer. if they like your answers, they send you to a room with 12 other people. you go back in shortly afterwards, sit in a box, listen to people talk and then you go home. you go back the next day, sit in a box, listen to people talk and go home. stay up late at night wondering about a person's fate, return the next day, sit in the box all alone, the judge thanks you for your time and attentiveness and then you get sent home early because you were an alternate.

and you can't tell ANYONE about what happened in the courtroom. whenever i was dismissed, i was getting on an elevator and someone followed me in and asked how i felt about the case. I imagined it was someone for the defense trying to get a mistrial in order to buy their client some more time. so i did what any proud american would do... i said "no speak english" in my thickest ukrainian accent. it seemed to work. or did it?

but I've never seen so much graffiti in my entire life than what was scrawled on the back side of the juror box, inside of the elevators and carved into the table in the jury room. The magazines in the jury room are from 1997 so you get to read up on the latest clinton scandals... oddly enough, the coffee was about that old too.

[Kat45]

6. I've been called to jury duty three times, served on a jury once

Fortunately, it was just a one-day trial, but it was a looooong day. It was somewhat interesting, though inconvenient. I was on a DWI trial and we found the guy not guilty because what was presented as evidence (from the cop's testimony) did not prove anything.

[never cry wolf]

7. Intense, would be the first thought.

I got called and interviewed for a murder trial. A coke head on a three day binge held up a speedway gas station and blew away the attendant, first degree murder.

At first it was kind of interesting and kind of boring. The guy was dead to rights, they had him on a surveillance camera. The prosecutors spent 3 1/2 days building their case and it really got into the minutia such as the clothes worn by the assailant. Cop to testify he found the clothes at the defendant's house and tagged them. Another cop to testify he transported the clothes and tagged them. Another cop from the station in the evidence room to testify he received them and tagged them, etc., etc., etc.

So after 3 1/2 days it is the defenses turn (public defender's office) and they get up and say we have nothing to present your honor. I was kind of shocked but it was pretty clear. We deliberated about 30 minutes and reached a guilty verdict. I thought that would be it. After we announced the verdict the judge said, "see you all tomorrow for the sentencing phase."

Well, murder one commited in the act of another crime (armed robbery) in Illinois is eligible for the death penalty and this phase is what the defense had held out for. Two more weeks of testimony, every day thinking a man's life was in the balance. Psychologists for both sides, The victim's dad, the killers wife and 3 year old daughter, friends, priest. (FWIW: Suburban Chicago, the guy was white, maybe 25 years old.)

Jury deliberations started and it was clear the majority wanted him to fry as opposed to life without parole, the only two options. Our instruction from the judge was to consider if there was a reasonable chance the guy could be reformed. I was out of step Charlie. He had a three year old daughter, he had testified that he found God, he was going somewhere where he would not hurt anyone again. I felt that maybe there was a chance he could have a change of heart and somehow make a contribution to his daughter or other inmates.

Eventually I was able to sway two others to my way of thinking, no one wanted to be stuck there for days or even overnight. After 10 hours the foreman called it a hung jury and the guy got life.

It was maybe the most adult thing I have ever done. When I was first selected I worried about my business and all of the other every day seemingly important duties but once it started it was serious as shit. Intense because I held the murder weapon, saw the crime scene pix (thank God it was a clean shot), had all the diagrams and chronology, because it was all I could think about in and out of the courtroom but was not able to speak about it to anyone, even other jurors, or read about it in the papers. For some reason during those three weeks on my 40 minute drive to court I would only play Santana's Abraxas and Caravansarai, blasting. 15 years later, the same emotions stir when I hear those songs.

[Bombero1956]

9. I did one in March

it was a simple assault case with a twist, the assault occurred in a high school science class. Basically this 15 year old boy was accused of kicking this 14 year old girl in what she referred to as her "susie". Afterwards we reviewed the testimony and the pictures of the classroom and concluded that it couldn't have happened the way she discribed it because she was wearing an ankle length skirt with a 6 inch slit in front and they were sitting at where 2 corners of the desk met with a table leg in the way making it impossible for his foot to come anywhere near her "susie". Verdict, not guilty.

[dofus]

8. I almost got to serve on a jury

about a year and a half ago. I spent all day listening to the description of the case (a woman was accused of burning her car for the insurance money) and watching other jurors being selected and dismissed. Finally, at the end of the day they were starting to select the alternates, and since I was going to be leaving town (had already bought the plane tickets) in two more days, and the trial was expected to last about three days, I was dismissed.

I've always wanted to serve on a jury, and in all these years I've only been called once!

[mitchtv]

10. I was on a jury in SF, it was great

I got off work a the telephone Co, I helped 2 older black women cause a hung jury. the state's case was absurd. It was a burgulary case, them picked up a guy up near the restaurant"Squids" and he started sweating. that was their case, a black man started sweating when picked up. also he had sneakers on, and a bag of spilled flour in the restaurant had sneaker tracks on the floor. They brought in an expert to say they were sneaker tracks, but he wouldn't say they matched or were even consistant with the accused's shoes- hence not guilty. the jurors were idiots, all for conviction but 3 of us. The defense later asked me about it, and i told here that I was a CWA steward, and found myself saying (to Myself), you can't prove that. She had almost rejected me cause I had 2 policeman in my family, but thought better, since I had driven a cab.

[ironflange]

11. I got called once

Canadian system. About 400 of us sat in a big courtroom and watched a film about how important jury duty is yada yada yada. Then they paraded the perps through. One chose judge alone, one decided to change his plea to guilty, and one had jumped bail and buggered off. So everybody went home.

[jburton]

12. almost

I got called and spent the day there but never served. It was pretty silly. I went to the main courthouse (downtown Dallas) and waited for my name. After they called me, they took me and 8 or so other people in a van and drove us to another courthouse where the juvenile cases are held.

Eventually the official said a plea-bargain was made, so they didn't need us anymore and drove us back downtown.

Two good points:
*I got lots of reading done in my book
*The van was one of those official looking vans with blacked out windows and lots of antennas on it. Other drivers prolly thought we were somebody important or something.

[starroute]

13. I was on a mistrial once

It was some sort of auto accident case, and about twenty minutes in, when the plaintiff was describing her continuing medical problems, she said something about the insurance company telling her to see another doctor. Bam -- mistrial. (Even though everyone assumes you have insurance, you're not allowed to say so, because that might make a jury less likely to award damages.)

As it happened, I had a spasm in a back muscle that week and was finding it hard to sit in the jury box, so I was just as glad for it to be over. Under other circumstances, I would have been disappointed. That, and being on standby call-in once, are my only jury experiences.

Several years ago, my husband spent a week taking the train down to Philly for a federal case involving someone with lung disease suing an asbestos company. As he told it, it sounded pretty interesting. But the little county cases are mostly pretty routine.

[forgethell]

14. I was on

a murder trial jury once. We let the defendant go. The victim looked like he deserved to die, frankly, and besides, it was a pretty clear cut case of self defense. Why they actually brought the man to trial remains a mystery.

But it was very interesting, and intense. And it is a very awesome thing to literally hold a man's life in your hands. You don't want to screw it up and make the wrong decesion, either way.

[Mz Pip]

15. Wrongful death lawsuit

filed by the family of a woman who was killed by a Highway Patrolman during a traffic stop. She was higher than a kite and pulled a gun on him. It was interesting in an intense sort of way.

MzPip
:dem:

[Cheswick2.0]

16. Murder trial, 17 year old defendent

This was in Ft Lauderdale. The young man lived in a rather seedy section of downtown. He confessed and we found him quilty.

What happened was that he and a friend got on their bycycles with thier masks and peddled to the gas station where they tried to rob some guy who was just getting back into his truck. He told them he had no money and the one kid shot him in the back. Then they went to a local man mad lake and threw the gun away.

Here is the catch, the confession tape was stopped and when it started again he started confessing. If I knew then what I know now, I would have pushed for the lowest sentence we could give. You see this was a young black man and goodness knows what they said or did during the time that tape was off.

Saddest thing (besides the victim who did not deserve to die that way) was that the defendent didn't have a single person in the court room with him during the trial.

[maveric]

17. No, but I've been judged by a couple.

[Rowdyboy]

18. Served once about 10 years ago

possession with intent to sell. Eye witnesses to the crime. 8 women, 4 man jury. Our foreperson was a professional black woman who eft everyone proud...

[NaMeaHou]

19. Just today, I had a patient frantic to get out of jury duty

She has a problem with anxiety even with medication, and I had to concur that she would not be able to assist with rendering a reasonable decision.

She took my letter to the courthouse and was able to be released from duty.

[Solly Mack]

20. Nope and was told I never would

that I wasn't what "they" looked for in a jury.
Reasons given:
1- educated female
2- teaching profession
3- democrat

I shit you not. That's what they told me...and I've never been called.
This was in Georgia.

My sister, however, has been on several...but she, too, is educated, female, and a democrat...so it must be that profession thing.
:shrug:

[Awsi Dooger]

21. Yesterday I was dismissed by the prosecution

My first call to jury duty. There were about 700 of us called to report at 8 AM. I got there a few minutes late and was seated in an auxiliary overflow lounge, with one TV. The FOX News Channel brainwashed us for the next 2 1/2 hours.

Absolute agony! I had never tolerated FOX for more than a few minutes straight. Alert! Tom McClintock has voted! Alert! There's Arnie voting! An "independent" voice who was farther right than Tom DeLay. An audience participation show without a threat of even a single moderate. At this point I was begging for even a sequestered murder case.

They finally separated us by badge number, about 65 in my group. The judge was black and very impressive. He was looking to seat 14 jurors (12 + 2 alternates) for a projected 4-day burglary/domestic abuse case with two young hispanic male defendants, 15 total felony counts. The DA woman read the charges and listed the possible witnesses, including at least 15 California and Nevada police officers.

I was seated in the jury box to be guardiered (?) along with 11 others. The judge asked about out background, marital status, occupation, time as a resident, plus whether we had any prejudice against hispanics. Also whether any of us, or in our family, had experienced robbery or domestic abuse.

I knew I would be a focal point when another question involved our opinions and experiences with law enforcement, or anyone in a position of authority. Everyone else was being docile and full of praise. Then I detailed my experiences and the courtroom was abuzz: in '92 a Miami police officer, several days after Hurricane Andrew, tried to intimidate an elderly 80ish woman witness who had seen him smash into our Toyota Cressida after running a stop sign. He claimed it was our fault, and was blatantly lying about every detail. Luckily, she literally threw him aside and testified in our behalf. The officer was disciplined.

Then I reported about more recent episodes, in which Las Vegas casino security guards and local police have conspired to evict and trespass gamblers simply based on what slot machines they choose to play. They are called bonus machines and the casinos are paranoid about anyone winning with selective play, even if the net to the casino is not effected. There was a lengthy article in the Las Vegas Review Journal recently about ACLU lawsuits regarding these incidents, and how even the casino lawyers are telling their clients the actions have been illegal.

I detailed a couple of my experiences in this area within the last few years, including police involvement, with other jurors mumbling noticeably. Even the locals were not aware of the mean spiritedness of the casinos, and how metro went along. Keep in mind, there were three burly police bailiffs seated in the back of the courtroom, glaring at me. It was certainly uncomfortable during breaks.

There was one break point during my testimony in which the two DAs requested a sidebar with the judge. To his credit, I was never cut off or warned about my responses. During prosecution questioning, they focused on whether I could accept testimony from police officers. I mentioned the FOX News treatment from the lounge. "Will the officers who sit in that chair be completely and properly horizontal (arm gesture) in their testimony, or will it be fair and balanced al la FOX News?" I was happy when a large chunk of the other potential jurors roared. Every question she asked, I simply expanded on some of the flagrant misdeeds by metro or security personnel.

The defense then used me as a tool to try to influence or soften other jurors. I was clearly doomed, as one of the defense lawyers stated matter-of-factly. "As a betting man, I'm sure you know you won't be here." The defense counsel used my examples to suggest to the other jurors that testimony may not be reliable, that if the officers had bad info to begin with their conclusions could be false.

I stared at the DA table when the judge announced that it was time for challenges, as many as 8 jurists exluded by either side without need for explanation. The woman DA stood up and announced only one dismissal. I walked toward the exit, with many of the non-seated jurors smiling at me. A bailiff directed me downstairs, where many of the original 700 were still planted after 7 hours. The woman at the counter ran my number through the computer, took the badge, and thanked me for my participation. Supposedly I will receive $9 compensation.

[Missy Vixen]

22. Me and jury duty

I must have some kind of flag in the local system. I have been called for jury duty eight times in the past ten years. I have served on a jury once about ten years ago. The case in question was mistaken identity; the defendant was accused of flashing two youngish women on a Metro bus. If he had been convicted, he would have had to register as a sex offender. The defense attorney initially looked like she couldn't lawyer her way out of a paper bag, but managed to catch the police officer testifying in a whopping misstatement.

It was just like TV -- the prosecutor launched herself out of her seat and hissed, "Your Honor! Sidebar! NOW!"

The jury got the case fifteen minutes later. We voted the minute we reached the jury room; it was unanimously not guilty. Since it was lunchtime, the foreperson decided that we should all eat lunch and "make it look good" instead of returning an immediate verdict. It was a Friday afternoon. I chuckle a bit when I see news reports of jury verdicts coming back on Fridays; I'll bet those folks wanted to wrap things up, too.

As a result of getting called to jury duty so many times, I have managed to get myself bounced out of "voir dire" at a rapid rate. (FIL is retired state patrol, DH is a long-term volunteer at a local police department, we know numerous attorneys, etcetera.) I was selected for a voir dire on a truly sad case last summer. It seems a young man, 17, and his young lady friend of 15 had consensual sex at a local church camp. When her parents discovered what she had done, they called the prosecutor's office and demanded filing of statutory rape charges against the young man. I am very, very thankful I wasn't chosen for the case, and was amazed at how many potential jurors managed to get themselves excused before a jury was finally seated.

Julie

[Piperay]

23. I have, I HATED it...

it was a total waste of time and boring as all hell. I fought sleep continually and gained about 10 pounds cause there was nothing to do but eat. The case I was on was stupid to begin with and never should have been brought to court, the city wanted to make an example of this young Mexican American who they claimed was walking down the street drunk. Fer crissake he was WALKING and they never proved he was drunk anyway, the policeman who arrested him said he was drunk because he "could always smell a drunken Mexican". :wtf: Anyway the jury ended up being "hung" by me and two other people and then the DA said he was going to try the case AGAIN. Well, anyway that was in 1980 and I was so pissed off I have refused to ever serve on Jury Duty again. :mad: :mad: :mad: