Jury Duty

[+ Charlie]

I probably was summoned for jury duty about a dozen times in PA and CA, but only was chosen for a trial about half the time. I generally felt good about the experience. However, one of the hardest tasks I ever had was serving as foreman on an assault trial that lasted for several days. It was obvious to all of us that the defendant was guilty of stabbing the victim; however, one woman felt sorry for the young man who committed the crime, a small and somewhat pathetic creature who claimed he felt threatened by the victim, and she was reluctant to find him guilty of the charges, because she felt it would be her fault if he were sent to prison and was bullied there. It took all my group management skills to keep the other jurors from attacking her for prolonging the deliberations, and my counseling skills to persuade her that her obligation to the victim and to society was more important than her sympathy for the defendant. When I explained in writing to the judge what was taking us so long in arriving at a verdict, he was patient and willing to wait until I had her ready to agree to a unanimous verdict when the jury was polled. I was exhausted by the time it was all over.

Several years later, in a different jurisdiction, I was part of the jury pool for a murder case. When the judge announced that the trial was expected to take up to six months, because of the complexities of the case--two defendants and multiple victims--and asked us if anyone had problems with that, almost everyone in the room, including me, quickly raised our hands. We were questioned individually about our reasons for not wanting to be chosen, and luckily mine was a good one that day.

The most frustrating experience was a civil trial in which we sat through two days of complicated testimony, only to return on the third morning and be told that the parties had settled overnight, and we were dismissed. That was the last time I was summoned for jury duty. In CA, if one is over 70, one can ask to be excused without having to supply evidence for a claimed hardship, such as a medical condition. I wouldn't mind serving again, except that my situation is too difficult now.

[+ WilliamM]

5 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

 I hope you're never on a Jury... Chauvin might still be free if it was for you...

Come on. That is unfair.

Edited May 26, 2021 by WilliamM
Spelling error

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I find that serving on a jury is important.  In 1996 my pastor and his wife were murdered.  When the trial came, there were a total of eleven charges, including burlgary, theft,  battery, criminal confinement, murder, arson and felony murder (the crime of someone dying during the act of another felony, in this case the arson.)  I sat in during the entire trial to observe the ongoings.  After nearly two weeks of trial, and nearly 12 hours of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on the the lesser charges of burlgary, theft, adn criminal confinement.  The jury was deadlocked on an 11-1 vote on the remaining charges.  We learned that the one jury member that held out easily agreed that the defendant had been at the scene, bulgared, thieved, and confined the pastor and his wife, but just couldn't vote to convict on the murder and arson charges because the potential sentence of being convicted on all of the counts was simply too long.  

12 hours ago, Lucky said:

If intelligent people avoid jury duty, who is left to decide some very important cases?

Although I had previously been on a jury and called for two more, I changed my mind right there.  I have since been called and willingly served on one jury.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

20 hours ago, Kippy said:

There is no bigger pain in the ass than jury duty.  I've worked verbal magic to get out of selection in the past and have thanked COVID for the one benefit that it seems to have-- eliminated jury call up in the past year in my life.  Time will tell...

I have to ask, if a loved one was murdered, who would you want on the jury?  Capable jurists who were too busy to serve and worked the verbal magic, or lesser qualified individuals that remained in the jury pool?

[marylander1940]

7 hours ago, RJD said:

I’ve been called several times and sat through multiple voire dire sessions, but never been chosen.  My guess is because I have family in LE.  
 

On one occasion,  I was called in as part of a jury pool for a first-degree murder case.  We waited in the deliberation room and each person called in individually.  We were told the only people in the courtroom would be the judge, bailiff, court reporter, prosecutor, defense attorney, and the defendant.  They were there, along with the defendant’s whole family in the gallery staring daggers at each juror during the session.  It was intimidating, and civic duty be damned, I supplied answers I knew would get me dismissed.  I wanted no part of that trial.  

Jurors must be able to remain private, their names and faces shouldn't be known to the public/press in most cases. 

“the accustomed and inestimable privilege of trial by jury, in cases of both life and property.”

Declaration of Independence

[marylander1940]

2 hours ago, sam.fitzpatrick said:

I have to ask, if a loved one was murdered, who would you want on the jury?  Capable jurists who were too busy to serve and worked the verbal magic, or lesser qualified individuals that remained in the jury pool?

If you're guilty ask to be judged by a Jury and if you're innocent by a Judge, or so they say. 

Convincing 12 folks of anything is tricky

Edited May 26, 2021 by marylander1940
misspelling

[+ WilliamM]

1 hour ago, marylander1940 said:

Jurors must be able to remain private, their names and faces shouldn't be known to the public/press in most cases. 

“the accustomed and inestimable privilege of trial by jury, in cases of both life and property.”

Declaration of Independence

My mother's brother was on the jury for murder trial in Boston when my dad died suddenly of a heart attack.

 

He (my uncle) was able to attend the wake  but with a guard from the court. And he could only talk to my mother and nobody else even though his wife and son were there 

 

The next day the Boston Globe covered the story (it was a murder trial). I didn't remember if the paper included my uncle's name, probably not 

[realeasymoney]

Everybody should be on a jury at least once.  It's a great experience.