I had jury duty yesterday...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

Fortunately I was rejected as a juror. :-)

I felt I couldn't give the defendent a fair trial. He was filthy and smelled like he hadn't bathed in at least a week. And at one point he turned to the courtroom cop and said, "This is better than Court TV"!

I can understand that people sometimes do not have clothing that's really suitable for a courtroom appearance; but the guy could surely have gotten a shower before he came, and refrained from wise-ass comments.

[Suich]

1. When I had jury duty a year ago

the public defender told us later that she had bought a new shirt for the defendant. She told him to wear it tucked in but he wanted to wear it out!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. That was one thick-headed guy.

He needed someone to smack him upside the head and say, "Shut up and do what your lawyer says!"

[Suich]

3. His lawyer also advised him not to testify, but he wanted to

tell his story. He'd been offered a plea bargain of 3 yrs. which he declined. We found him guilty and he got 7-10 years!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. I guess you can't expect someone with no respect for the law

to have any respect for their lawyer...

[Clintmax]

5. Self Delete

Self Delete

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Floogeldy]

7. Nothing you say has ANYTHING to do with whether he committed a crime.

Disgusting.

So, to you, guilty means "smells bad."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. Of course it has nothing to do with it.

That's why I felt I couldn't give him a fair trial.

That's why I told the judge that. The guy deserves an impartial jury, and having observed his obvious disdain for the court, I didn't feel I could be completely impartial. I did the right thing.

[Floogeldy]

10. Oh.

:)

[SoCalDem]

9. I get called every year, and my panel never gets selected

I would probably be excused anyway, but it sucks to never get picked to even go to the courtroom and be asked questions..
(I was the victim of a violent crime, so they would probably excuse me if it was a gun-related crime)..and I know the DA too.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. It seems like you should be able to get excused permanently

Especially since you know the DA. Sounds like a waste of your time and theirs...

[SoCalDem]

12. My husband was called and actually had trouble getting excused.

The jury they wanted him for was one for the scumbag who murdered the son of a friend of ours.. He told them he knew the parents of the deceased, and the judge just asked him if he "could put that aside and be fair and impartial".. He said HELL NO..Then they excused him..

Our friends were so upset to have to sit in the courtroom with the slug who killed their son, that they were barred from the courtroom.:cry:

That was a horrible ordeal

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. That must have been miserable for all of you...

including your husband. Good for him for having the honesty to declare that he couldn't be impartial. There are people who wouldn't display that kind of integrity.

[pitohui]

21. well that technique doesn't always work

i was observing a jury selection & when a prospective juror stated he could not put his bias aside, the judge yelled at him that he had damn well put it aside or go to jail himself for contempt of court :shrug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. That sounds like grounds for a mistrial to me...

[maveric]

13. Things to say to get out of jury duty.

http://www.chiprowe.com/articles/jury.html

# I can tell if people are guilty by looking at them.
# I'm attracted to you, your honor.
# If a police officer told me I was a bug, I would believe him.
# Is it murder if I haven't been caught?
# My religion prohibits me from sitting near other people.
# Would I have to bathe?
# Can each of my personalities vote in deliberations?
# Laws are for sissies.
# Your marshall's handcuffs are turning me on.
# I'm allergic to justice.
# I'm deaf. (Answer questions thereafter by cupping hand and shouting "What?")
# A pit bull named just killed my baby.
# I have Tourette's Syndrome, you fucking asshole.
# I get dizzy if I try to weigh evidence.
# Have you ever done this, your honor? (Chop off your ear with a razor).
# An eye for an eye? I say we take his head for an eye! (Point at defendant)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Those are good! But...

What if you say you're attracted to the judge and the judge calls your bluff?

[maveric]

16. A knew a guy who said "I'll do my best to put black people behind bars"...

just to be excused.
It worked.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. I'm glad to hear that!

I'm not so sure it would work in some places... :(

[CBGLuthier]

17. My one jury duty experience was bad

Got on a rape case.

14 year old girl.

After having to listen to all of her testimony, but fortunately before the defense crossed, the guy pled out. He got 20 years. It was his birthday too.

And then, since the case ended on a Wednesday they made us wait around and told us we might have to go on another jury. We all told them very politely, but in no uncertain words that we had done our duty and were damned if we would serve on another case at that time.

They let us go at the end of the day.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. I was hoping and praying I wouldn't have to hear a case like that...

I feel very fortunate.

[pitohui]

18. i doubt he could have taken a shower

many jails do not give prisoners access to the shower facility more than once a week

he may have come directly from jail and been given "whatever" clothing to wear instead of the jail uniform, as bringing them in the jail jumpsuit is considered prejudicial

don't assume any prisoner could have showered, he may have wanted the shower as badly as you wanted it for him

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. It's possible; but combined with his courtroom attitude

I found it too offensive to not feel a reaction. If I hadn't been right in front of him, I might not have been affected by it.

Also, the charges against him were relatively minor; and I doubt that he couldn't have gotten bond or bail since he wasn't using a public defender as counsel. I may be wrong, however.

If prison jumpsuits are considered prejudicial, then they should be allowed and encouraged to shower before entering the courtroom. When I served years ago, the defendent, who was on trial for armed robbery and attempted murder, was neatly dressed and well-groomed. I still thought he was guilty, but his respectful demeanor was appreciated.

I am going to look into the local rules about this, as decent personal hygiene should be a basic right of all prisoners.

[seemunkee]

24. I had to go in as a witness

Waste of time. While waiting for the case the judge sent the parties out with a mediator. After about an hour they came back and had settled and my afternoon was shot.