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Jury duty

mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
edited April 2003 in General Discussion
Well it seems like i have been called again. I am 51 and this is the second time i have been called.

The first time they kicked me off the panel.

2 black men rapped and killed a white woman and i was for the death penalty so they dismissed me.[V]
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Comments

  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Just checked and my number came up. So have to go in tomorrow.

    But today I checked the area to see where the designated parking and how to get to the Court house from there.

    Found the Area is Covered in the Sleeps Protesters. If it Flat and has grass or Concrete there are protestors. At least Sidewalks are free.

    Not sure if I want to go Since you cannot take any weapons with you to the Court house. Its 2 blocks from Parking to the Court House. Eugene is one big joke. Cause there are a lot of these protestors. They even are all around the Federal courthouse too.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    [:0][V][:(!]
    Third quarter
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    I have never been called to jury duty before and now, on Monday, I have to report to a district court for jury duty. No local county stuff for me, I go right up there with the big boys. I probably won't last long though. Two cases I know of that might be coming up are, one, a gun dealer's case. He was arrested by the ATF on firearms charges. I used to buy stuff at his pawn shop. Two, a case about the ten commandments in a local high school. I'm a church member. They'll probably think I'm prejudiced(I am). Any of you serve on juries? By the way, I've beeb told if I want off in a hurry all I have to do is wear a NRA tee shirt to the courthouse.

    Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    So far this jury duty thing is a piece of cake. The first day I had to report for duty was Monday, 20 September. On Friday 17 September that was cancelled and my next date to report was Thursday, 30 September. Today they cancelled that and my next report date is 19 October.

    If this keeps up, and if this counts against my two month tour of jury duty, I could be finished with my jury duty before I have to go to the courthouse. [:D]
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    My wife is sitting on a jury today hearing a murder case.

    The weapon a knife, I don't know if it was registered or bought at a gun show.



    Steel is for guns Tupperware is for leftovers

    happy_fc.gif
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    [xx(]They misspelled my name on the notice.Can I return it,"No one here by that name"? 2nd time in about a year[:(!]
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    The daughter had to call in today. She wasn't needed this mourning but ended up having to be there at 1:30 this afternoon. She pulled up to the house while I was unloading groceries. She told me to look at the back of her car. Yep she bounced off some hunkin piece of concrete and scratched up the back of her 2014 Honda pretty good.
    Now she says she has to go back tomorrow, lucky her.
    I have to go there Wednesday & Thursday. 6th. time I've had to go. $15 a day you get and it costs you $20 to park. I just fricken hate it. If the courthouse wasn't down town I could live with it. They used to have a jury parking lot where the jurors could park for free, but that went away with the Freeway reconstruction. I also took a ride down there on Sunday to show my daughter where to go. I also wanted to check on some street parking that I remember not having meters, well there are meters there now. Just sucks[:(][:(][:(][:(]
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Starts Tuesday morning. I filled out the form about two months ago, and received the letter last week stating that I had been selected. I really can't afford to do it, but it is my civic duty. I have no idea what sort of case it is. I do trust myself to be fair and take into consideration all the facts and evidence presented, so I guess I'm a good choice. I will also be praying for wisdom and for justice to be served. Never done it before so I really don't know what to expect.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Got a notice the same time last year.[:(!]
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Tuesday morning I am off to the Superior Court in Santa Ana for at least two days of "civic duty". I have gotten as far as the first selection for criminal cases, but once the court learns that I am a firearms dealer I am dismissed with a "thank you for your service Mr. Chrisitan, but we won't be needing you" and out I go. You'd think I could at least serve on a civil suit, but I never land on one of these cases and the entire jury duty service is just a huge waste of my time. Has anyone here ever sat on a jury of a serious case...say murder? How long did the trial last and what was your verdict?

    Mark T. Christian
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Michael Vick's worst nightmare...

    vick.jpg
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Here I go again.

    Gotta show up for jury duty tomorrow. Seems about every 6 months. Way too often.

    There doesn't seem to be enough folks that qualify as jurors available in this county.

    What do I have to do, commit a crime?

    How about ya? How do you get out of it?
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Received my notice yesterday that I was picked for jury duty for the Federal Court in Des Moines. This could be interesting.

    Would be great to sit on jury for someone who is being tried for a firearm violation, such as having a class III weapon or sawed off shotgun. NOT GUILTY![:D]
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    I didnt want to highjack torosapo's thread....I know an issue with serving jury duty comes down to the pay....some employers will pay you your daily wage while you serve....and some cant/won't....if you were to get your daily wage each day you served as a juror would you be more willing to serve....serious question.....reloader44mag
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    I am on call all this week. Today I didnt have it. 4 days left....I have never been on a jury before.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Kid at school just missed two days of Class and he was behind before that.

    I was just on jury Duty and they let students off all you have to do is say you are a student.

    What was funny was one of the guys who is a Mexican was saying how his Dad gets out of it. He just claims he is an illegal. And they let him go every time. His dad was born here.
  • kingjoeykingjoey Member Posts: 8,636
    edited November -1
    I ought to get an FFL just to get out of jury duty, what an idea!

    Love them Beavers
    orst-title-1.gif

    SUPPORT THE I.N.S. , THE COUNTRY THEY SAVE COULD BE YOUR OWN
  • rldowns3rldowns3 Member Posts: 6,096
    edited November -1
    Nope, I have yet to ever get a letter selecting me for Jury Duty. Thank god, I'm sure I'll get one sooner or later, though.
  • dakotashooter2dakotashooter2 Member Posts: 6,186
    edited November -1
    You are NOT a firearms dealer. You ARE a personal protection service or a sporting goods dealer.
  • j2k22j2k22 Member Posts: 329 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was selected for a civil case, FFL and all. The defence attorney asked me " and what does a firearms dealer do?". Answer- " I sell guns." Got selected and went the distance- 2 1/2 weeks.
    Good fun, mostly. Some very sharp and well-rounded people in that jury. Had a couple other guys who owned guns, and a few ladie who were at least OK with gun ownership, even though they didn't have any personally. Hard to stay awake after lunch sometimes.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I sat on a Drug trial for three days and then a mis-trial was declared. Also sat on a tax evasion case and we convicted. That took two days (both of these were in federal court). I usually don't get selected either, but have sometimes answered questions with answeres I think will likely get me challanged. In one assault case on a rez, I was sitting in the panal looking at the prosecution table where there was a peice of broom handle about 18" long mostly wrapped with three layers of number 9 wire. The defense was going to be that the defendant was drunk at the time and not responsible for his actions. They asked if anyone had a problem with that defense and I raised my hand. When the judge recognized me, I asked if I might approach the bench. The lawyers and I went up and I thanked the judge and told him I did not want what I had to say to affect anyone else on the panel. I then said as far as I was concerned that a drunk defense did not abide because at some point in time the person had choosen to take a drink and was therefore responsible for his actions. I stated that further, I was looking at the assault weapon on the presecution table, and that I considered the mere possession of such a weapon to be evidence of intent. The judge thanked me politely and told me I was excused. He then reamed the prosecution, the club was moved out of sight and they proceeded. Convicted him too I heard.
  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    quote:I was looking at the assault weapon on the presecution table, and that I considered the mere possession of such a weapon to be evidence of intent
    So....the mere possession of a firearm would also be evidence of intent??

    Good thing you were excused... me thinks[B)]

    NRA ENdowment, CRPA Life, NRA ILA EVC, Past President NRA Members Council
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem. Semper Fidelis
    militarybest_1732_9663365
  • rldowns3rldowns3 Member Posts: 6,096
    edited November -1
    Shootist, I would consider it the same as taking a Glock 9mm into a bar and getting wasted then pulling out the glock and waving it around and shooting somebody, saying I was drunk and it was not my intent to hurt somebody with the gun I don't think would fly with any jury in the country, therefore, it shouldn't fly with a broomhandle wrapped with wire.

    Both weapons, the club and a glock 9mm, specifically having a purpose of causing injury or death in the hands of somebody who obviously can't control their alcoholism and behavior, their intentions to me are secondary to their actions.
  • drobsdrobs Member Posts: 22,527 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mark,

    You do realize that Jury Duty is your final personal check & ballance on unjust laws?

    I posted on this topic once before which I'll paste here.
    quote:Originally posted by drobs
    It sickens me that you would try to skip out on your duty as an American Citizen! Jury duty is the final check and ballance on the government before we take up arms!

    Do your duty or shut up about gun rights.

    Jurors should acquit, even against the judge's instruction...
    if exercising their judgement with discretion and honesty
    they have a clear conviction the charge of the court is wrong.
    -- Alexander Hamilton, 1804

    http://nowscape.com/fija/fija_us.htm
    Regards,
    ************************
    We are the knights that say NEEP!


    Ok I was a little strong in my opinion back then but I still think you should try your best to get sellected. Especially Mark you being a Kalifornian and all. If I were you I'd tell them I was in sporting goods retail. You might get sellected for a self defense case. We need more gun owners who have some common sense on juries.

    Regards,

    FREE IRAQ
  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    quote:their intentions to me are secondary to their actions
    So why would possession be evidence of intent?

    quote:waving it around and shooting somebodyis evidence of intent as we all know that you NEVER cover a target that you don't intend to shoot, just as you would never swing a wire-wrapped club at somebody that you didn't intend to harm; BUT, having such a club isn't evidence of intent! Brandishing it and saying "I'm gonna bust yo head" would be but possession?????

    NRA ENdowment, CRPA Life, NRA ILA EVC, Past President NRA Members Council
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem. Semper Fidelis
    militarybest_1732_9663365
  • rldowns3rldowns3 Member Posts: 6,096
    edited November -1
    Just having the weapon in your posession when you are plastered and looking for a fight, to me, would be intent. If somebody walks up to you and they are drunk and beligerant and they have a weapon on their belt, does it not make you question their intent?

    "their intentions to me are secondary to their actions"

    with this statement I was referring to his defense of "innocent because I was drunk". Fact of the matter is even though he was drunk and may not have intended to assault somebody that night/day/whenever, he still did it. His intentions were secondary to his actions.
  • pikeal1pikeal1 Member Posts: 2,707
    edited November -1
    as far as Hairy's post...a broom handle wrapped in wire does show intent. Someone sat there and wrapped the wire around the broom handle for a reason...they don't sell them like that at wal-mart. Now if it were a baseball bat...I would say it doesnt make sense.

    "The only way American citizens can adequately be protected from terror and violence is when" those in authority protect us from those who would harm us, instead of protecting us from ourselves.
  • jjmitchell60jjmitchell60 Member Posts: 3,887
    edited November -1
    Bad thing about living in a county with a population 2 to 3 thousand is that you get called for jury duty every other time. I used to get called every other 6 months but Ky. passed leg. last year that states now you can only be called once every 2 years I think. Always hated going for a trial because the jurors always knew the defendents or are kin to them![:D]
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Shootist3006 as is often the case you are precisely right. I should not have been on that jury and my statement to the judge was made for the purpose of getting excused. Not that I mind jury duty, I am as civic minded as anyone and have served several times. But in this case, guilty was all I could see and knew I should not be there. You certainly get no argument from me on your gun analogy, I think you are right on with it, and stated it well. I had stated I sometimes answered in ways calculated to get me off a jury, and this was a case where I knew I could not be objective. I guess no one else was either.
  • EOD GuyEOD Guy Member Posts: 931
    edited November -1
    I've been called several times and finally served about a year ago. It was a child molestation case and the jury selection took 2 days and the trial another 4 days. We deliberated about 30 minutes and found the SOB guilty on all counts.
    The prosecutor had the courtesy to call me after sentencing and let me know the guy got 13 years.
  • jkksjkks Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Got called for Jury Duty in 1990 Kidnap/Rape Trial lasted 2 1/2 weeks
    20 min to covict sentenced to life. And now the kicker-Paid $10 a day + parking and had to pay tax/Lost over $1200 in wages![:(!]
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've done jury duty numerous times. Mostly for car accidents. Last case was for a school board member who was DWI.State Highway Patrol caught him driving his Mercedes thru the town ( 35MPH ) doing 100 on radar. The city police took him to another town to process him instead of doing it local. No breath test or field test was done. He plea bargained down after the jury was set. Jury was dismissed . Judge explained everything. I stayed for the sentencing along with the Trooper. Guy got a 100 dollar fine and walked. Trooper smiled and leaned over and told me the guy was blistered drunk.
  • searcher5searcher5 Member Posts: 13,511
    edited November -1
    Been called for jury duty 4 times in the last 4 years. I managed to get out of it each time. I actually would love to sit on a jury, but between family and job, there is literally not enough time. That and the fact that I showed up each time with a " Kill 'em all. Let God sort 'em out" T-shirt.

    Proud member of the NRA

    If it ain't broke-it ain't ours!!!
  • GotdeereGotdeere Member Posts: 293 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Been called once but I got out of it and still have yet to serve since I am still a college student.
  • madmarc0madmarc0 Member Posts: 862 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Been called three times and have yet to serve, they put me on standby and I had to call the night before to go in but got excused.

    One time I got to actually go into the courtroom for preliminary questions by the attorneys. They picked the jury before I got up there but one lady was funny I will never forget, The attorney asked what she thought of the proceedings and if she could be impartial and she said the police who arrested this man went through a lot of time and trouble to get to this point so he must be guilty! She was excused.
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Gentlemen, I appreciate your insight and experiences on jury duty. I seldom post a topic of my own so I was curious to see if anyone would even bother to reply, I thank you all very much. It is now 0545 here in So. Cal. and I'll be leaving to do my duty in Santa Ana soon. I REFUSE to drive my own car into that area so I'll be taking the bus (ouch!). I'll let you all know how the jury duty and bus ride turn out when I return home this evening.

    Mark T. Christian
  • gunnut505gunnut505 Member Posts: 10,290
    edited November -1
    Hey Mark (& all you "gotta think about this... guys!), I am currently impaneled on a petit jury in the 2nd Judicial District (Federal Court), and selection was yesterday. Got thru the voire dire-only question to qualify was," Do you, Mr.
    , feel you could reach an impartial verdict in this case?" I stated I could, and the case started up with a presentation by the defense.
    Seems this gal shot her (abusive) husband twice in the head, once in the groin, and then stabbed him with a garden trowel. He was allegedly in the process of hammering her into an early grave (DAMN SHE LOOKED BEAT!!!), when she liberated his semi-auto(a 1911) and let fly. Can't really say more; case goes into second day at 10am today.
    I'll let you know how it turns out.
    BTW; one of the attorneys for the defense is a sitting State Rep!

    If you know it all; you must have been listening.WEAR EAR PROTECTION!
  • chunkstylechunkstyle Member Posts: 2,463 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My (female) shooting buddy just did her jury duty last week. Murder case. Guy walked up to the vic, who was sitting in his car, put a .25 throwaway (never recovered) against the skull, and splattered him. It was a revenge killing, both vic and perp were members of urban street gangs. (Read: African-American) The vic had shot and wounded the brother of the perp before, but had been aquitted. There turned out to be one of those preachy black guys on the jury who feels that a black man cannot possibly get a fair deal in the courtroom, and therefore the perp must go free. All 11 of the other jurors (some black) voted guilty, and the deliberations lasted 3 days, with no change. Very frustrating for my friend, who herself went through law school, but never took the bar. After the testamony, but while deliberations were still under way, the perps brother (who was the previous vic), with 2 of his homies, assaulted one of the witnesses, and have now been charged with witness tampering and assault, and are now being held in jail. A bit scary for the jurors, but my friend owns a nice Vertec 92, and shoots well.

    Iraqi: "Is it true that only 13% of American kids can find Iraq on a map?"
    American reporter: "Yes, but all 13% are Marines"

    "I think life should be more like TV. All of life's problems ought to be solved within 30 minutes with simple homilies. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothes, and men should carry powerful handguns. Of course, if life was really like that, what would we watch on TV?"

    - Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)
  • elect1mikeelect1mike Member Posts: 4,585 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I am 46 years old almost 47 and from the time I was 18 until 20 I was called 6 times for jury duty since then I have not been called at all.
    And when I was called I was in college studying law enforcement and
    was never on a regular jury but I was on the grand jury twice.

    bull.txt
    col elect1mike Illinois
    volinters RRG
    O give me a home where no democrats roam
  • familyguyfamilyguy Member Posts: 1,349 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Got called to duty the first month I lived in Phoenix. Spent four weeks on child abuse/murder trial mulling over autopsy photos of a 10 month old baby that had been beaten to death. The mother was on trial, even though she didn't actually commit the abuse. In Arizona, if you are the primary care-giver, you are responsible if you knowingly put a child in an unsafe situation. She was covering up the boyfriend/father's abuse of the kid. We convicted her on 1st degree murder and four counts of child abuse with special circumstances (more serious circumstances, don't remember if it was called "aggravated" or what).

    We didn't get some of the info until after - this was the second death attributed to the father (who was convicted for both), the mother had another child after the first one died, and was pregnant with a third.

    The whole process in the courtroom was very interesting. All the formalities, rules....it seemed almost choreographed. I was very surprised at how well everyone was treated. Breaks whenever we needed it, we could submit questions in writing, they even offered counseling for anyone that felt they needed it when the trial was over.


    Got a new gun for my ex-wife.....pretty good trade, huh?
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