In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Options
Jury Duty 1 Time And Never Again
dav1965
Member Posts: 26,543 ✭✭✭
I am 49 and i have been to jury duty 1 time. 2 black people raped and killed a white married mother of 2. I was asked questions for 45 minuets and i was sent out of the room 4 or 5 times.
I was kicked off the panel because i was for the death penalty. I dont think the defense liked me looking at the defendant in the eye and saying i could put him to death.
Each person was saying the other murdered the lady. Both men rapped her from the DNA.
This was about 26 years ago and i have never been called since.
I was kicked off the panel because i was for the death penalty. I dont think the defense liked me looking at the defendant in the eye and saying i could put him to death.
Each person was saying the other murdered the lady. Both men rapped her from the DNA.
This was about 26 years ago and i have never been called since.
Comments
I always answer truthfully, and since I'm on so many lists,(churchgoing, motorcycle owning, conservative) I have never been through a trial.
The ONE TIME is was seated on a jury panel, a long time ago, the dude took one look at us and plead guilty on the spot.
Last time was 6 weeks ago and it took all day before they sent me home. But the judge, she was cool, joked a bit, and was not bad looking!
There were a few idiot potential jurors there. One put his feet up on the banister, and kicked back during the questioning. The judge put a stop to that disrespect IMMEDIATELY and made him apologize to all of us, or he would be held in contempt. I can't even imagine doing that in a court of law! Some people!
Retired now so can serve if needed.
..I filled out a written questionnaire for the county and I guess they didn't like the answers. They don't ever call me. Being retired, I wouldn't mind sitting on a jury but not if it drags out for weeks or months. It is a duty, living in a free country.
Jury trials are fairly rare, a high percentage plead guilty or work out plea deals in advance. Threat of a jury trial is effective because most defense attorneys know that a jury will give a harsher sentence than the judge. These days, atleast in this area the Prosecutors don't bring cases into court that aren't practically a slam dunk, and most criminal cases are simple. Is not like you see Perry Mason cases very often, unlike the media would lead you to believe.
I got a notice last year, filled it out, sent it in and got another note two weeks later..... "We'll call you if we need you."
I have not heard from them since.
On another note, some lady during the selection phase was asked what she did for a living, she said she was a physic card reader. They didn't want her.
FYI my new side business: M88 Physic Card Reading.com
The last one I sat on was for a 67 year old man that was accused of workers comp fraud. Five days of pure hell all for only 6k worth of non fraud. We on the jury felt sorry for the guy because the prosecutor was a complete *.
On another note, some lady during the selection phase was asked what she did for a living, she said she was a physic card reader. They didn't want her.
FYI my new side business: M88 Physic Card Reading.com
..Reminds me of my Pops. He was a farmer and it was harvest season. During selection, Dad said: "Whatever he did, he's guilty as all hell." They never called him back...[:D]
Since I was working for the Post Office I wanted to be on the juries.
The one I really wanted was for five counts of murder, rape & so on.
They said that trial could last as much as five months. I was passed over so many times I thought for sure I was in until I finally got kicked off. I've never been on a jury where they had so many challenges but it was a death penalty case. (He got four death sentences & died of natural causes a few years later.) One juror was on my postal route & gave me a lot of the details after the trial was over.
I have been on two civil trials, one Federal trial, three criminal trials plus one murder trial. Since I have retired & don't want any more trials I can't get kicked off.
The next time I get asked if I can be "fair" I will truthfully say, No, I am having a hard time staying awake that early in the morning & I can't be fair to either side if I am sleeping.
The last time I was put in the jury pool was for a federal grand jury but they did not call me.
The first time they called me was for a murder trial but I was not selected, I'm sure because I knew the prosecutor.
The little crap stain sat there and gave us all the tough homey stink eye the whole time. We also got to have his mother, girlfriend, GF's mother, etc. all sit in the witness box and lie through their teeth. We knew they were lying, they knew we knew, and they just played Screw-You-Whitey-What-You-Gonna-Do-About-It?
What we did was find him guilty on all counts, and the judge sentenced him to 37 years total, with the sentences to run consecutively. When his attorney explained to him what they meant, he looked over at us with this funny angry look, and we all waved at him. He is still in the pen 22 years later.
He got $36 in the two robberies. But he used a gun to commit them. Bad idea.
They Canceled me the Night before I had to Show Settled Out of Court
Haven't been notified since, but I'd be happy to do it as my civic responsibility.
Im 64 and been called once...told them i had to work to pay bills...
that was 30 years ago,,,,,,thats all..no more since
Have been selected couple of times, but there always settled out of court.
Don't really mind doing my civic duty.
There must be a better way![:)]
I received a Jury Questionaire last week. I get to check the exempt box! [:D] Wife got one a few days later, she doesn't get to check the exempt box, though she'll never get to sit on a jury. She'll just waste a few hours waiting and will then be excused once they find out she's married to a cop.
Jury trials are fairly rare, a high percentage plead guilty or work out plea deals in advance. Threat of a jury trial is effective because most defense attorneys know that a jury will give a harsher sentence than the judge. These days, atleast in this area the Prosecutors don't bring cases into court that aren't practically a slam dunk, and most criminal cases are simple. Is not like you see Perry Mason cases very often, unlike the media would lead you to believe.
I get called up about every two years and always go. As I marked in Red, I think every tax payer, regardless of your employment, should have to serve. It is your civic duty and a privilege to serve. I also think that you are a fair and open minded person, and would do justice to anyone being tried. If you are not open minded, then ignore this remark. I would rather have someone that actually knows the law somewhat, sitting on a jury, then some knucklehead that is sleeping. This is a compliment towards you and most law enforcement officers.
When Chris had his trial, We had two black guys and two young white guys, that actually slept through most of the trial. Our lawyer pointed this out to the judge and he said he always has a few that do this and shrugged it off.[:(!][:(!][:(!]
Having said all this, do I trust the judicial system? HELL NO.Oakie
I know people who have jury duty every 2 years like clock work and they never pick me in over 20 years. I wonder why?
You must be on the ''do not mail list''
They know you'll see through their BS.
Never got past the coral.
Neal
Second time the defense grilled me for about 20 minutes while the judge rolled his eyes. They knew I was an LEO, and this attorney was just using up time. He never would have seated me. And he didn't.
Last time was a year ago. My wife and I were both called for the same week. Couldn't believe it. After my doctor sent the clerk a letter, I was given a permanent release from any jury duty, due to health conditions. My wife went on but never was seated. Only had to be there a couple days.
Our court system is ridiculously slow and plodding, it's a wonder anything ever gets done. I guess it's just the way it is with a system that is the result of what freedoms we have left. But it seems so slanted to the suspects and against victims it confounds those who have to work in the system.
As I was sitting in the "pool" I noticed a "gentleman" (for the lack of a better term) walking down the center aisle. A rather large unkempt man. I tagged him as an interesting character at minimum and within a few minutes found that he was the defendant. Charges against him were child porn and general sexual misconduct via his use of the Internet and heaven knows what else.
When called to the "box" to answer questions put forth by the judge I was totally honest. My entire career has been in the computer and communications industry. I know how the Internet works and I had already made up my mind about this dirtbag even before I knew he was the defendant. At this stage of life I'm a fair judge of character.
Once the judge was informed about my career he asked how many years I'd been involved in IT. When I answered (49 years) he laughed and commented that I was a dinosaur. He then asked if I could be objective about the defendant. I shared with him that I could not and was immediately dismissed.
Fair enough, I guess. But I worry about the jury members selected. Fair and open-minded is one thing. Ignorant is another. It would seem that the ignorant were prime choices. If there was a saving grace it was that the lawyer for the defendant was a total waste of air and a birdbrain to boot.
my FIL ( now deceased ) told me he was called one time in the early 1960's , he was ask questions about his feelings , he told them if the fellows hair is not too long or if there not black he could be impartial ,, he never got called again .
I was walking home from the Bowling alley that I used to hangout in and saw a head pop up from a window inside a boat shop that was closed for the night. I stopped and started watching and it turned out that it was two kids that I knew from the Bowling Ally.
I started throwing small pebbles at the window from across the street just to mess with them.
Two younger girls were walking down the street, (I had went to School with both of their brothers) and they stopped and asked what I was doing?About that time both Kids popped their heads up, the girls saw them and walked away.
Later on in the evening, the Police showed up at my door and arrested me for Burglary! I pled not guilty and it went to trial. With both girls testimony I thought for sure that I was going to be locked up for 3 years but I had a Jury that seen through their lies. They found me Not Guilty in a matter of minutes after leaving to debate!
I think that if I would have gotten a half assed Jury, they would have just found me guilty.
The time that I sat as a Juror, I tried to be * fair and Impartial as I could, but that Guilty SOB was just there to waste everyone's time and we all knew it!