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Jury Duty
susie
Member Posts: 7,304 ✭✭✭✭
Got the notice that I have been selected to be a potential juror for the next six months. I assumed it was only a matter of time. Been back home since the fall of 2016. Small population in the county meant it would happen.
I'm retired. I have the time. I will do my civic duty. Our court system is something in which I am proud to serve. Many have fought long and hard to ensure that we have at least a semblance of a fair and balanced trial by "your peers". Not sure if I'm anyone's peer but I will do my best. 🤓
Comments
Been called dozens of times and I've never been seated on a jury. Like most folks, I am willing to serve, but I don't like having my time wasted.
I've been notified of my 'next up' status several times but have never actually been a juror. A few times this was due to my 'prior knowledge' of the case or other relationship with the case. Other times, the case was settled out of court or plea bargained(?) out of a jury trial.
Susie.
Just look at the big money you will receive for sitting on the jury.
We have civil and criminal courts, civil most always gets settled out of court.
Got questioned for a case once, attorney asked me if I knew the sheriff, "no sir I do not".
He kinda shrugged and said "you mean to tell me you don't know the sheriff".
I said I do know who the sheriff is but I really don't know him personally. Judge got a grin out of that.
Been seated 3 times in my life. Interesting all the times. Now in my current county I am finished.
Did my turn at 23 yrs for 2 weeks on a major trial. It was very interesting & worth it.
been called even showed up once all were canceled the night before or the day of
Been selected to juries in 2 different counties (what luck). Twice as an alternate. That's the best job, as you get to hear the case, but don't get hung up in the deliberations. Third case pled out once the defendant saw the jury being seated. DA said that happens often in that county.
I've lived here 36 years and have only gotten the letter once - for the time we had booked a non-refundable cruise. I was released.
I would serve, but they don't tend to pick educated former military officers for juries. Defense usually blocks people like me.
" they don't tend to pick educated former military officers for juries. Defense usually blocks people like me."
Being the spouse of a police officer has gotten me released from serving twice. I don't know why they think someone that's married to the arresting officer in the case can't be objective... LOL!
I served on the Grand Jury back in the 80's. I only had to go on 3 separate occasions. There weren't any really interesting cases, but I still enjoyed being a part of it.
Joe
I found everyone guilty even the judge😱
I wouldn't make a good juror as I would vote my gut/morals and not the letter of the law.
Right hillbille - like "He had it coming". 😄
Now I am to old to be on juries. Before that being a Deputy Sheriff I never served on a jury. Imagine that!
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
Have been on two juries with one a bar room brawl where the bar owner was stabbed and nearly died bit didn't. Spent 2 weeks on that one back in 1982. We found the defendant guilty after 2 full days of deliberation and the judge sent him to Jackson Prison with a 10 year sentence.
Now days, an actual murderer would probably get less time!
I will share this though. I remember having a couple nightmares around 1992 or so about that guy I helped send to prison. Somewhere in the back of my mind I had the time frame he would get out and ........?? I admit to watching too many episodes of Perry Mason growing up! 😶
I was called once but never had to listen to any case, they all ended up making a plea. Here is what I do not under stand though. Let’s say your on a jury that is trying a murder case, and then you find them guilty, from that point on it is I feel the judges call as to weather or not that person would receive the death penalty or life in prison, not the jury decision.
I was called for jury duty. I was looking forward to it. At the time I was an over the road truck driver making big bucks. I took 3 days off of work which cost me a lot of money. It was an interesting case, 40 year old guy accused of repeated child rape with his 14 year old niece, by repeatedly banging her over a 15 month stretch. Imagine that, here in the North Carolina mountains.
My brother laughed in my face. He said I would never be chosen, as I have a college degree, and am articulate and outspoken.
I sat through 6 hours of hearings that first day, the DA asked me two questions, and I was the first prospective juror dumped.
I guess brother was right. I did get paid, two days times $15 per day.
I would like to do my civic duty but if called again for jury duty, I would just skip it. I would make an excellent juror but the Liars, oops I mean, the lawyers don't like me.
Well if the jury can find him guilty why wouldn't they be qualified to decide his fate?
"In for a penny, in for a pound"
I have been called 4 times since 1974, in a county of 7000 people. Sat on one case, a car/ pedestrian incident where it was obvious the walker was hoping for a big payout. It didn't work. We took a poll when we first sat down, and we were all in agreement. We sat around and visited until lunch, though. Got called to Des Moines for a Federal jury but was not selected. It was a murder case, and I was hoping to be selected.
Got Called in back in the late 1990's. As soon as I walked in the room and saw the Defendant I knew him.
And was sure what the case was about , I was dismissed be cause I had knowledge of the defendant.
I tried to let the Prosecutor know that I might be a witness for the case, I never heard back. Was for breaking and entering and stolen firearms. I was working at the Gun Store when he tried to sell one of the pistols., I remembered the pistol well.
No idea what happened to the case.
Called 3 times and dismissed 3 times🤔
Been called three times and served on two occasions. Drunk driving and a man suing ex girlfriend for return of an engagement ring . We let the drunk go , not guilty because of screw-up by the cop.
Found in favor of the man wanting his ring back. Became apparent the ex was a gold digger with no intention of remarriage. Getting married would end her alimony ,about 1/4 million a year . This was in 1986 or so . She had strung him along for about 5 years .
I am old enough not to serve - but I still do. Seems like every 3-4 years I am on 6 months of Grand Jury Duty. If you don't think there is a drug problem in your town/city - you haven't been paying attention. Guess where it is coming from!!!
Best Regards - AQH
AQH, drugs in my area are controlled by gangs . Most prominent are the Mexican mafia , MS13 and the bloods and crips . Mexicans have control of 75% of drugs and near 100 % of human trafficking for prostitution .
They sent me a letter for jury duty right at the time when June was at her worse battling that damn cancer which was just about anytime during a 19 month period and I had to get an excuse me letter from her cancer doctor in order to not show up. Ever try calling a doctor's office and explaining to a receptionist what you need while your wife is throwing her guts up and crying out in pain? It's friggin' impossible.
I had been on earth for over 70 years and never heard from them and then I get the call at the worse damn time as if it's an emergency that I be there for jury duty. My day started out taking June in for chemo every morning for weeks on end then I go to the pharmacy in the mornings she wasn't going in for chemo or radiation for some other type of medicine. Then give her blood thinner shots twice a day, and give her 3 different types of pain meds every 2 hours 24 hours a day along with a dozen other medications every few hours and keep a record of it so I didn't kill her with an overdose and then try to get her on and off the porta john at least 2 dozen times a day all the while getting her bathed and ready to go to the hospital for another radiation or chemo treatment the next morning. Sleep? Who the hell needs sleep? A person can go without sleep for up to 19 months I found out.
And then they ask why can't you just get someone to do it for you while you go in for jury duty? Then I ask why don't you tell me just who do you get to do that because the damn insurance company won't pay for anyone to stand by her side 24 hours a day and besides that this is not a babysitter job we're talking about here we're talking about hiring somebody that can lift an adult out of bed and put her on the john and hold her so she don't fall off and then clean her up. Can you do that while keeping track of her meds so you don't kill her?? We won't even get into the conversation of the constipation thing where it requires rubber gloves and doing it manually.
My day is just getting started at the hospital chemo dept. and I have to be hooked up to the phone that's on her table at her bed at home while I rush to a pharmacy just incase I hear her choking so I might possibly rush back home in time to save her life before she dies from another stroke or chokes to death.
What the hell I guess I could work all this in while I search around for a doctor that'll actually answers the phone so I can explain to him just what kind of letter I need since the stupid office receptionist can't do it. She most likely got fired from the Burger King yesterday because she couldn't take an order for a burger and fries without screwing up the order. Pisses me off everytime I think of it..
I have decided to refuse to serve on a criminal case. If the jury finds the perp guilty and he is sentenced to 10 years, the state will let him go after 2-3 years! Don't waste my time if you're not going to do what the jury said to do! Guilty of murder, sentenced to death, they will spend 10-20 years on death row and hundreds of thousands of dollars of public funds trying to do away with the sentence. To hell with our justice system!
My departed FIL RIP Glen we miss you
He got the call once years ago and they never ask again
I can not post what he told them with out getting booted off the site i will just say today they would have hauled his butt off but back then he was just rejected as a a juror
There are a few advantages of being old in my state. When you are 70 or older you can be excused. If and when I get called I will be using my exemption.
Funny, is it not? They think if you are 70 years old you are too far gone to think straight - but install an even older phardt as President.
The jury can make a recommendation for sentencing, but the judge can either accept it or come up with his own punishment.
Joe
I was call for jury duty at the Federal Court House in Orlando back in the mid 70's. They seated 18 of us for 12 months to hear Federal crimes. Very interesting. When our year was almost up, the Federal Judge told us she would have to extend our time. One Indictment for Mutiny had not been presented to the Court. Six more months. Yea!
Were I guilty of a capital crime, I would opt for a jury trial; were I innocent, I would opt for a trial by judge.
Nice to see you back, DWS!
Thank you. Hope you are happy and well. Sad to read of some of the old timer passings, but inevitable, as I, myself, finally realize.
I've been excused due to my lack of hearing.
I am curious. The money they pay you to sit on a jury, is that money taxable? I would think it should be tax exempt.
Yes, it is taxable and requires you to report all jury duty payments as “other income” on Form 1040, Line 21.
We have a CPA among our members, so he is free to correct me.
Might you expand on this? Also, nice to see you.
I've been contacted four times.
Once just had to call in regularly, never had to actually go in. Once had to go in but they had enough people. Another I needed to go in, was questioned in the court room, became an alternate but was not required to serve. Another time I served as foreman on a four day trial to determine damages from an auto accident.
No big deal, I considered it community service. My hearing is now poor enough that even with hearing aids I think I'll have to pass if contacted again.
Never been called............but I am sure most of my personal beliefs and convictions would disqualify me from sitting