Jury duty?

Frank Browne

Frank Browne

Final Approach
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I got my annual summons last week to appear on Monday for jury duty. :hairraise: The very first time I was ever summoned (sp), I was chosen for a jury. But that was about eight years ago, and I have been called every single year since then but never picked for a trial. Very interesting and I would have no problem sitting on a jury as I consider it a civic duty, but what I don't like is to be called then spend the entire day waiting, just to be released at the end of the day. I really wish the process could be streamlined in some manor so that those that are not picked didn't have to waste a whole day just sitting and waiting.
 
Well, Frank maybe if you'd quit pointing at the judge, screaming "He's got guilty eyes!! Hang him!!" you'd get picked now and then :rofl:
 
Joe Williams said:
Well, Frank maybe if you'd quit pointing at the judge, screaming "He's got guilty eyes!! Hang him!!" you'd get picked now and then :rofl:
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LMAO! Ya think that's what I'm doing wrong?!?! :rofl:
 
Joe Williams said:
Well, Frank maybe if you'd quit pointing at the judge, screaming "He's got guilty eyes!! Hang him!!" you'd get picked now and then :rofl:
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Joe, I prefer, "Of course he's guilty! Why else would they have arrested him?".
 
Frank Browne said:
I got my annual summons last week to appear on Monday for jury duty. :hairraise: The very first time I was ever summoned (sp), I was chosen for a jury. But that was about eight years ago, and I have been called every single year since then but never picked for a trial. Very interesting and I would have no problem sitting on a jury as I consider it a civic duty, but what I don't like is to be called then spend the entire day waiting, just to be released at the end of the day. I really wish the process could be streamlined in some manor so that those that are not picked didn't have to waste a whole day just sitting and waiting.
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Pay the lawyers and judges the same amount as the jurors and things would move right along.
 
Ask about Jury Nullification and you will never be asked to serve on a Jury again.
:yes:

Judges used to tell juries about this, but knowledge of this power the juries have has ceased to be told to juries.
 
NC Pilot said:
Ask about Jury Nullification and you will never be asked to serve on a Jury again.
:yes:

Judges used to tell juries about this, but knowledge of this power the juries have has ceased to be told to juries.
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Wow. Just spent some time researching Jury Nullification. Thanks Mark. Definitely food for thought.
 
NC Pilot said:
Ask about Jury Nullification and you will never be asked to serve on a Jury again.
:yes:

Judges used to tell juries about this, but knowledge of this power the juries have has ceased to be told to juries.
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Fascinating. I did some research as well. Thanks for posting that!
 
Frank Browne said:
Wow. Just spent some time researching Jury Nullification. Thanks Mark. Definitely food for thought.
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Yep, it was news to me as well when I learned about it. Apparently Jury Nullification was used quite often during prohibition and a lot of folks went free because many people disagreed with the law.
 
I just got my Notice of Excusal in the mail today. I served in Feb 2006, so I don't have to serve again for 3 years. Your state may have the same law. Worth checking.
 
It means you can decide based on what you think is 'right'?
And when a judge instructs you to only pass judgement on whether the law was broken or not.......you can ignore him/her?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
It means you can decide based on what you think is 'right'?
And when a judge instructs you to only pass judgement on whether the law was broken or not.......you can ignore him/her?
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Yes. for instance, if you lived in the mid 1800's and you thought slavery is wrong and a slave is brought to court and you were part of the jury you could decide that it would be wrong to send the slave back to his master where he would certainly be punished for escaping.

You are allowed to not punish people for laws you think are unjust. This has been around for a long time. It is just recently that judges have not been telling jurors about Jury Nullification.
 
Frank Browne said:
LMAO! Ya think that's what I'm doing wrong?!?!
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Oh, absolutely. Curiously they also don't pick you if while you're waiting, you're casually trying hangman noose knots with your shoe strings while checking out the trees across the street through the window.
 
My own experience with jury duty was being impanelled on a capital case which lasted about a month. It was an experience I wouldn't trade. I just wish I could volunteer to do it again. It just hasn't happened again (in 28 years).
One of the things I've done since, though, is act on a jury in moot court. Not quite the same, but still interesting.
 
In OKlahoma county OK they can only select you once every 24 months.
I've been selected three times and I checked, 28 months apart. The first time was sent home 1st day. The second time I sat in for 6 days while they went through 150 people for a murder kidnapping trial. (there were only 7 of us left that didn't go through the interview process. The last time I sat for three days and never got selected for a jury. Now supposedly this is a random selection, but I still can't figure out how it's picked me randomly 28 months apart.:confused:
 
Well I've been selected for Federal court for the next two weeks. I've been selected once before, but was never even questioned, much less empanelled. It's actually something I want to do (as long as I'm not sequestered!:no:)
 
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I always wanted to be picked for a Jury... but the minute they find out my profession, I'm struck and sent home. :( Never lasted more than a half a day.
 
ausrere said:
I always wanted to be picked for a Jury... but the minute they find out my profession, I'm struck and sent home. :( Never lasted more than a half a day.
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Amazingly enough being an engineer hasn't kept me out. I thought lawyers didn't want jurors who could see through the BS. :D

I do agree, however. If called, serve. It is a civic duty and can be educational as well. I highly recommend it.
 
I've been called 4 times in the last ten years, my mother on the other hand.. not once. How's that for random drawings? Seriously though, I think it's very important to serve when called, if it's not taken seriously, what kind of jury can you expect when your time comes?
 
I did Grand Jury in New Jersey about 10 years ago. 18 consecutive Thursdays.

In NJ all felonies (defined as jail of 18 months or more) must go through the Grand Jury for indictment. I was on a "regular" Grand Jury - meaning that we heard as many as 25 mind-numbing cases per day. Mostly drug busts and welfare cheats. We did have one or two murders, a smattering of child abuse and gun-related offenses.

The fun ones were usually "Eluding" - the act of endangering the public while fleeing the police. We had one of those where a guy on a motorcycle was being chased and he turned onto Municipal Drive. 1/2 of the grand jury (those who lived in town) started chuckling at that point in the testimony. You see, Municipal Drive at the time was a dead-end street with two buildings on it - the library and Police Headquarters.
 
NC Pilot said:
Yep, it was news to me as well when I learned about it. Apparently Jury Nullification was used quite often during prohibition and a lot of folks went free because many people disagreed with the law.
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When I did Grand Jury we used Jury Nullification twice.

In one case, an inmate got into a fight with a guard. They were charging the inmate with aggravated assault. The inmate had broken ribs, internal injuries, and facial injuries. The guard had scraped knuckles.... It didn't help much that the previous case had been a drug bust of a corrections officer.

In the other case, kids from out of state were driving into the state on an interstate. One of them was looking through a rifle scope at the terrain. A speed trap trooper saw them and pulled them over. There was a rifle in the trunk not in a locked case. The kids from "name that Southern state" didn't know that you needed a locked case in NJ. We figured they got close enough to the law having it in the trunk.
 
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I've been called twice and selected once in the 15 years in Colorado, and called and selected twice in 15 years in California. During each of those times I was an employee. However, since doing independent consulting, I dread the possibility of being called and selected for some long, drawn-out case. It's a tough call to me, balancing civil duty with complete loss of income for the duration of the case. One or two days, ok, chalk it up to civil service. Weeks of lost income? Not so cool...
 
MSmith said:
...Municipal Drive at the time was a dead-end street with two buildings on it - the library and Police Headquarters.
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He was going to the library to read up (as fast as he could) on Jury Nullification.
 
In Cook County you call a phone recording to find if you have to go in. They will say, "If your last name begins with A-M..." go or no go. If you get a pass they will sned you a notice again in a few months.

The last time I went we were brought into the courtroom for selection and the guy pleaded right there just based on the sight of us. :D
 
etsisk said:
He was going to the library to read up (as fast as he could) on Jury Nullification.
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Then he didn't do it right. He went into the library parking lot, sped through the connecting road to the police parking lot, lost it in the circular drive and slid across the lawn and out onto the 4-lane street in front of the police station.

My favorite line from the grand jury presentation (we were all laughing silently by now)...

Prosecutor: So did you apprehend Mr. X?
Trooper: Well, the motorcycle pretty much apprehended him.
 
In Cook County you call a phone recording to find if you have to go in.
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I got one of those last spring. Thought it was an outstanding idea. Then, earlier this month I got the old "come down to the Daley center and sit for the day" summons. I guess they haven't gone completely to the call in method.
 
Well...I was chosen as a juror for a criminal case to be tried on Thursday. This will be my second trial.
 
Frank Browne said:
Well...I was chosen as a juror for a criminal case to be tried on Thursday. This will be my second trial.
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We'll be looking forward to seeing your posts here after the trial, and will miss you till then.

Just wanted to be the first to give you well wishes before they sequester you till Christmas :rofl:
 
Joe Williams said:
We'll be looking forward to seeing your posts here after the trial, and will miss you till then.

Just wanted to be the first to give you well wishes before they sequester you till Christmas :rofl:
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Luckily it'll be a one day trial. Or so we were told. Jury Nullification will not be an issue for this case however, as it involves an alledged violation that everyone agrees is serious. At least the seats in the jury box are somewhat more comfortable than the godaweful hard benches I had to sit in for most of yesterday! :eek:
 
Frank:

People joke about jury duty, but it is a vital partof maintaining the best judicial system in the world. Thanks for doing your part.
 
SCCutler said:
Frank:

People joke about jury duty, but it is a vital partof maintaining the best judicial system in the world. Thanks for doing your part.
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Thanks Spike, and I agree completely. I confess to being somewhat dismayed at the number of people whe were belly-aching at having been summoned, and trying everything they could think of to get out of it. As for me, I consider it to by my civic duty to serve when called upon to do so. I know that sounds a little passe to say so, but it how I feel.
 
Frank, used to be lawyers were exempt from jury duty in Texas (bad idea!); now, we are subcject to being called like everyone else. Maybe a little "I'll be there one day..." can help counsel move things along.


Funny story: last year, I was called for jury duty, went down, and was in the first panel on the first trial called that day. Marched in to the courtroom for voir dire (where they ask all the questions to make sure you'll be fair and impartial), and the Defendant's counsel turns out to be a good friend, the guy to whom I send all my criminal referrals (I am civil law only). After jury was impanelled (they had enough before they got to me), the rest were sent home, and I stuck around to watch the beginning of the trial (counsel asked me to move on up to the counsel table and be second chair, but I thought that might be out of line...).

Funny trial, based upon premise that the Defendant, in his Kia, caught up with and rammed the complaining witness from behind on his crotch-rocket motorcycle. At freeway speeds. Felony assault.

Jury walked him, as well they should have.

In my experience, juries are usually wise beyond any expectation, so long as we have reasonable participation by a cross-section.
 
SCCutler said:
Frank, used to be lawyers were exempt from jury duty in Texas (bad idea!); now, we are subcject to being called like everyone else. Maybe a little "I'll be there one day..." can help counsel move things along.
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It's funny you mentioned that because while I was waiting to be impaneled, I was chatting with the lady next to me about that very thing. She asked me if lawyers were exempt from jury duty and I had no idea, so she stopped one of the court officers as he walked by and he said that civil lawyers could serve as a juror in a criminal trial and criminal attys could serve for a cival case.
 
About ten years ago I got a summons for jury duty, I walked in the court room and was dismissed right a way. The was some issue about me being the arresting officer and sitting on the jury that the defense attorney didn't like.:rofl:
 
Frank, did you tell them I didn't get my annual summons because I just got it. so off to court I go. I guess it is better to be sitting with 11 other people then paying the lawyer to sit next to you.
 
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