Jury Duty

[CaliforniaChief]

I just finished serving on a jury on a case that took a week to complete. I have to say that while it throws a definite curve at the schedule, it was an honor to serve and be a part of a really thoughtful group of people who took our job very seriously.

What experiences have you all had on a jury?

[TribalElder]

It sucks and pays shit

Luckily work still paid me

It was like
http://i.imgur.com/PYVlHwm.gif

[DaFace]

I've only had to report once, and the defendant didn't show up. So my experience was sitting in a room for an hour, watching a video about how awesome it is to serve, and going home.

Cool that you got on a "real" case. I'll never say that I want that to happen to me, but I'm sure it's an enlightening experience.

[CaliforniaChief]

No lives were lost fortunately, it was a meth sales case. It took the group about 7 hours to reach a unanimous verdict. I thought it was pretty straight forward, but people process things differently.

[GloryDayz]

I told them I was more the, "If he wasn't guilty they wouldn't have arrested him" type instead of the "innocent until proven guilty" type, and was told I could be held in contempt.

The good news is, I wasn't selected for some reason...

The funny thing is, I was mostly telling the truth! I was in downtown Jackson county, so there's a 90+% chance they're all guilty..

[TribalElder]

I told them I was more the, "If he wasn't guilty they wouldn't have arrested him" type instead of the "innocent until proven guilty" type, and was told I could be held in contempt.

The good news is, I wasn't selected for some reason...

The funny thing is, I was mostly telling the truth! I was in downtown Jackson county, so there's a 90+% chance they're all guilty..

Winner. I know to do that now. At the time I didn't know to do shit like this to skew your chance of being selected from the pool.

[Saulbadguy]

Murder, 20 year old cold case. It was pretty interesting.

[The Franchise]

I sat on a murder case where a 21 year old city councilman was shot in the back of the head.

[Rain Man]

I posted about it, but I was on a child neglect jury where three kids were left alone and two of them wandered into traffic. They ended up taking the kids away from the parents, and they had four more kids. Those kids were then taken away because they were up to six years old and had never been toilet-trained or taught to speak. The second case made the national news.

[bevischief]

I have posted my Federal jury experience. It lasted a week.

[Big Chief Homer]

I was on a Murder case this past summer. Man shot his wife. After we broke for lunch on the first day, he changed his plea to guilty and we were sent home shortly after.

[MOhillbilly]

You know the deal.

[CaliforniaChief]

Yeah I've heard of cases where the jury's deliberated for a day or two or even more and the bailiff walks in and tells the jurors that it's over and thanks them for their work.

The craziest one I ever heard was from a friend of mine who had served on a murder case where the jury was absolutely deadlocked. The judge had sent them back repeatedly to deliberate and finally the foreman gave up and was literally on his way to hit the buzzer to surrender when the bailiff walked in and told them that the defendant had pleaded guilty and they could go home. Dumb bastard caved just 5 minutes too quickly.

[notorious]

Yeah I've heard of cases where the jury's deliberated for a day or two or even more and the bailiff walks in and tells the jurors that it's over and thanks them for their work.

The craziest one I ever heard was from a friend of mine who had served on a murder case where the jury was absolutely deadlocked. The judge had sent them back repeatedly to deliberate and finally the foreman gave up and was literally on his way to hit the buzzer to surrender when the bailiff walked in and told them that the defendant had pleaded guilty and they could go home. Dumb bastard caved just 5 minutes too quickly.

If I was voting guilty I would have slapped the not-guilty dumbasses upside the head.

[Donger]

I came close to making the jury once on a child rapist case. I really wanted to be on the jury, but I got into an argument with the idiot court-appointed defense attorney during the selection/question phase and the bitch kicked me out.

[J Diddy]

I came close to making the jury once on a child rapist case. I really wanted to be on the jury, but I got into an argument with the idiot court-appointed defense attorney during the selection/question phase and the bitch kicked me out.

I find it very difficult to believe that you could possibly ever rub a person the wrong way.

[cookster50]

I came close to making the jury once on a child rapist case. I really wanted to be on the jury, but I got into an argument with the idiot court-appointed defense attorney during the selection/question phase and the bitch kicked me out.

"Honestly, my name is Donger, I'm not asking you to take a look at my Donger, but just to 'Look at Donger'"

[Donger]

I find it very difficult to believe that you could possibly ever rub a person the wrong way.

It was probably when I began questioning her and she said, "Wow, you're going to make me work for my pay today aren't you..." And I replied, "If it's more than $20.00, the tax payers are getting screwed."

Juror 21. Dismissed.

I read that the guy got convicted anyway. He showed up at court with manicured, 5 inch long sharpened finger nails. I couldn't believe it.

[J Diddy]

"Honestly, my name is Donger, I'm not asking you to take a look at my Donger, but just to 'Look at Donger'"

I think it went more like this: "So, what do you think you know? Why do you think you know that? Do you feel that you're doing a better job than I could do? How do you feel about anal? Btw, if you give me head, I have no underlying rule that states that it is necessary for you to swallow my sea men."

[J Diddy]

It was probably when I began questioning her and she said, "Wow, you're going to make me work for my pay today aren't you..." And I replied, "If it's more than $20.00, the tax payers are getting screwed."

Juror 21. Dismissed.

I read that the guy got convicted anyway. He showed up at court with manicured, 5 inch long sharpened finger nails. I couldn't believe it.

When was this?

I have this vision of Freddy Krueger hands on Flock of Seagulls bodies.

[Donger]

When was this?

I have this vision of Freddy Krueger hands on Flock of Seagulls bodies.

About three years ago.

[J Diddy]

About three years ago.

Hmm. That's hard to picture.

Funny thing is that I've never been called or even mentioned and I've got friends who've been requested multiple times and are half my age.

[Donger]

Hmm. That's hard to picture.

Funny thing is that I've never been called or even mentioned and I've got friends who've been requested multiple times and are half my age.

What's hard to picture?

I've received about four notices since moving to Colorado, and only had to go to the courts once. Pretty much the same for the wife.

[J Diddy]

What's hard to picture?

I've received about four notices since moving to Colorado, and only had to go to the courts once. Pretty much the same for the wife.

Your statement of it being only 3 years ago blew up my preconceived notion of flock of seagulls bodies with Freddy Kruegers hands. The image of the perpetrator is what is hard to picture.

[bevischief]

When you end up in front of the judge you are screwed when you are called.

[BlackHelicopters]

I always tell them I contributed to the district attorneys election campaign. Funny, I have never been chosen.

[GloryDayz]

Yeah, if you're the "too busy for jury duty" type, and I think it should be OK to say that by the way, just go with the "he has to be guilty, or they wouldn't have arrested him" route. Either that or let them know how many cops and lawyers sit at your Thanks Giving table.

And if none of that looks like it'll work, just make sure you play the part of a person who has been mugged a few times ----- they'll make sure you're not selected.

Then again, if you're looking to get out of work, it's an awesome way to do that! If you're a govvie, all you usually have to do is turn-in the money and you get all your back-pay. So it's great if you're looking for a little time off...

[kepp]

No lives were lost fortunately, it was a meth sales case. It took the group about 7 hours to reach a unanimous verdict. I thought it was pretty straight forward, but people process things differently.
I was on a jury a few years back, and it really is interesting how everyone interpreted the evidence & testimony a little differently.
Posted via Mobile Device

[CaliforniaChief]

I was on a jury a few years back, and it really is interesting how everyone interpreted the evidence & testimony a little differently.
Posted via Mobile Device

Absolutely true.

In my case, possession wasn't in question. It was whether there was an intent to sell.

First, the defense tried to paint their guy as a heavy user, that having such a large amount of meth (32.5 grams and a scale and security cameras) was normal for him. But when the prosecutor pointed out that the guy still had his teeth, skin intact, and was a fairly athletic-looking guy, the defense pivoted and tried to say that the big bag (27 grams) was planted and he just had 6. In my book, that was it. Obviously he was lying and I thought it was pretty straight forward. But there were people who thought he was sharing with his friends, etc.

After the trial, the prosecutor told us more about how they got a warrant and the holdouts realized how clear it really was.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Reporting December 9th. First time.

[Stewie]

I've been called twice but have not served on a jury.

Case 1 was a sexual assault case and the defendant plea bargained at the last minute.

Case 2 was a business deal gone bad, but I had worked with one of the companies that was a defendant. I was dismissed.

[notorious]

I always wondered what would happen if I was called and explained to them that being on a Jury would literally cost me thousands of dollars.

Self-Employment should exempt people from serving.

[CaliforniaChief]

There are hardship exemptions, but you'd better bring paperwork. A lot of people go in saying it and frequently they're told "BFD" and told to go in.

Just bring documentation.

[TambaBerry]

I got called once, told them I was away at school, they said they would take me off the list. This was 6 years ago and I've never been called again.

[digger]

One was a drug possession, One was a robbery (12 years later) He had been on the run but we were not told, and one was Eminent domain.

The drug case they open this can the held the drugs, the smell was crazy bad. Jury found him guilty, but the Judge sends him to rehab camp(what ever the hell that was).

The robbery, every one thought he did it, but at the same time it wasn't proved. He was going to do more time for flight,the Judge talked to us after.

The main problem with the ED case was people(the Jury) not understanding how to damages work. And how the determination of the damages would be calculated. Before appraisal-After appraisal = damages to be paid.

And 3 or 4 times I got called but didn't get picked. This year had been the every other year that I've normally gotten my summons. But no letter, yet.

I guessing most people with a job do there best to get out it, but my work pays.

[notorious]

Wow, I have not been called nor do I know anyone who has.


Small county population FTW!

[GloucesterChief]

I would probably never serve on a jury for this statement:

"I fully believe that jury nullification is an important part of the justice system"

Basically pisses off the judges and prosecutors.