Tough jury duty this week (child shot)
Warbirds
Member Posts: 16,922 ✭✭✭✭
Monday morning I had to report for Jury duty.
I first learned jury selection is really about who they are not going to select.
This was a crime involving a child. In fact, a 4 year old was shot. As a result the defendant is facing several felony charges.
The jury pool gets really small with many people stating they are unable to be unbiased in a shooting involving a child.
Brief synopsis of the case:
Gun is left out unsecured, 1 year old shoots 4 year old brother.
The prosecution:
Dad owned the gun, was responsible for the kids & the gun.
The defense:
Their “grandmother” (not their grandmother) who is also a prostitute was also in the house and maybe, it was her gun and her fault.
The lawyers were really going at it across all the witnesses. During the many witnesses called.
The witness list included:
The “Grandmother”/prostitute
several responding police officers
Orlando PD lead Homicide detective
Pediatric Trauma surgeon
Orlando PD CSI
Orlando PD Special Victims Unit Detective
At the end of the day, the defense attorneys set off the Special Victims detective and the judge declared a mistrial.
What the hell Justice.
The Special Victim detective repeatedly attacked the defendant while testifying.
The judge explained, that would taint us as a jury and they would restart the trial.
However the prosecution essentially cannot charge the strategy and the defense can now adjust to everything that the prosecution witnesses previously testified too.
By the end of the first day I had decided I was going to use every ounce of influence and negotiation skill I have to lock this guy up. It just never got there.
Comments
I would not have wanted to be part of it
Posting this will get you kicked off the jury. Definitely.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
WOW! This should be taken down.
It ended in a mistrial. I am no longer part of the trial & the judge said we were free to discuss it.
I guess it’s too much to expect someone to read the whole post before accusing me of misconduct.
1 year old pulled the trigger? I wonder what kind a gun a has such a light trigger? I'm sure it wasn't no Hi-Point.
I hope there are more folks like you on the next jury, @Warbirds
I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around the 'grandmother/prostitute' description... I'm really not sure that's something that I even want to comprehend!
Granny wasn't always a "granny". Then again gramps needs love too and since the '80s where teens were pushing out babies. Those babies having babies would make some "grannies" 40? I'd love me a 40 year old grannies but I'll have to wait for her social security to kick in or her senior discount.
I served in my early 20's on a rape & robbery case with 3 offenders in the late 70's. We agreed that they were guilty as heck but still had to negotiate with liberals regarding sentences. 5 -10 & 20 years and I'm sure they didn't serve half.
I work in the courts and it's funny to hear the excuses people come up with in their attempts to get out of being picked for a jury. Grand Jury Voir Dire is even worse because you are stuck serving every two weeks for a year and some folks have to drive 1.5 hour each way to get there. I've seen folks claim spastic colon, inability to hold their urine and even gyno related issues as their excuse why they can't be on a jury. I can't say I blame them, jury duty sucks.
Really good to see you back @shilowar !! Hope all is well with you sir!
Thanks...a day above ground isa good day!
I just wish everyone felt the same about holding public office.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I had to get out of Jury duty as I was in Africa at the time. Emailing a copy of my passport with visa did the trick.
However, I wouldn't mind serving on a jury now that I'm back in the USA.
I'm scheduled to serve next Tuesday if they don't plead out by Monday..
I was called a month ago on a murder trial. The parties met that morning and agreed on a deal. Turns out, I knew of the lady on trial. She and my deceased step daughter were once married to brothers. I don't know if that would have disqualified me.
I got called a year ago for a child molestation case.............i didn't get selected. The one and only time in 55 years I got a summons for duty.
Never bothered to follow up on the trial.