I got dismissed from Jury Duty today. Ask me anything!

[devilgrrl]

I didn't even wear this t-shirt...

[jono]

1. So you weren't the one

who got dismissed for bringing weed into the courtroom, either? (I heard that one on the radio this morning.)

[pruner]

3. I got dismissed last year after…

the defense attorney asked me what I'd think if she didn't ask any questions of a witness. my reply was that I've watched enough episodes of Law & Order to know that she's not a very good attorney. she didn't have any more questions for me. nobody did.

[LoZoccolo]

2. Was it during the vour dire?

Or was it just a matter of they had enough?

[devilgrrl]

4. It was a drug case...

and the D.A. asked if any of us were for the legalization of drugs and I said Yes - the Big 3 - Mary Jane, H & coke should be legal and that drug laws were silly and wasted everyone's time and money and on and on.... The DA nor defense asked me to leave immediately, so I was afraid that I'd be stuck being an alternate. Then they called in more candidates and the DA asked that I be bounced. Phew!

[7th_Sephiroth]

5. shoulda lied man

instead of holding up a protest sign, you could have been working a verdict slip

[Nikia]

6. Do you think jury selection is really right?

My husband and I were talking about this the other day. The attornys ask perspective jurors questions to prevent bias and disqualify jurors who they think might have bias. Is this a really fair representation of a jury of one's peers? I'm all for disqualifying jurors who might know the defendent or the victim(s). That makes sense. I don't think anyone should be disqualified for having an opinion about a particuliar law or the appropriateness if a certain sentence. I think that it is rather unfair to the defendent, for example, that jurors are disqualified if they don't believe in the death penalty in a murder case. I don't think past victimhood should be a disqualifier either. For example, while some rape victims may be rather biased against an accused rapist, others might use their additional insight to compare the case before them with their previous case. Of course, victims could be asked to be excused if they feel that a similiar case would cause them trauma. My point is that we all have our own biases and experiences anyway. Some may be favorable or unfavorable to the defendent even before the case begins. I don't think that it should be up to the lawyers to decide that. A jury of one's peers should be a jury of one's peers.

[Rashind]

7. I wholeheartedly agree.

I especially don't like weeding out everyone who's ever heard of Jury Nullification. Fucking fascists. :grr:

[joeybee12]

8. I got dismissed after replying to the Prosecutor that prostition does not

equal murder.

He said both were equally serious.

Give me a fucking break.

[rbnyc]

9. Where'd you get that shirt?

I want to buy it for my dad.

;-)

[Rhiannon12866]

10. I got dismissed from jury duty the week before last

However, I was never called for an interview, though the suspense was killing me. It seemed like they called up everyone around me and I was just sure I would be next. I finally just wanted them to call my name and get it over with! What did you do during all the interminable waiting? I went to the ladies' room, went out for a cigarette and brought a copy of Will Pitt's latest book!:-)