jury duty

[naive]

i've been selected for jury service. never done it before. i can understand why people try to get out of it because it uses up annual leave but i wanna do it. i can't say that i love my work so i think it will be a nice change and hopefully i get to watch an interesting case.

any thoughts/opinions/stories?

[Skater Boy]

I've been selected for it twice. Did it the first time, and got out of it the second time. Its no big deal... quite fun actually. But remember to pay attention whilst in the court-room... I had a tendancy to let my mind wander.

[naive]

i remember there was a study (sorry no reference) where they found that attractive criminals are more likely to be found innocent by the jury than ones that "look guilty". let's hope i can be impartial :bigrin:

[MarieDelta]

Ive been on Jury duty once. I went, got selected to be in a jury pool.

They brought the deffendant in , and he settled for a plea. Guess we looked pretty scary. LOL

My Co. doesn't charge the time to your vacation and they pay you your normal wage for it, so it was like a break.

[jem_is_bi]

I was selected to be on a jury. Trial was suppose to last 3 days but took 10 days. Then, after 3 days of deliberations, including shouting matches and threats of violence between jury members, the judge accepted the fact that we had a “hung jury”.
Also, deciding if someone is going to go to prison for many years based on thin evidence is stressful.

I do not remember the fun part.

JEM

[Skater Boy]

I was selected to be on a jury. Trial was suppose to last 3 days but took 10 days. Then, after 3 days of deliberations, including shouting matches and threats of violence between jury members, the judge accepted the fact that we had a “hung jury”.
Also, deciding if someone is going to go to prison for many years based on thin evidence is stressful.

I do not remember the fun part.

JEM

Same here. We had a "hung jury" outcome too. But the "fun part" is getting time off work, or whatever it is you're "supposed" to be doing. And meeting some new and interesting people in the process.

Its one of the few times that "my opinion" has had a DIRECT influence on the democratic process.

[jem_is_bi]

Same here. We had a "hung jury" outcome too. But the "fun part" is getting time off work, or whatever it is you're "supposed" to be doing. And meeting some new and interesting people in the process.

Its one of the few times that "my opinion" has had a DIRECT influence on the democratic process.

I was definitely aware of how important my vote was.

JEM

[midtnbi8669]

On my one and only call to jury duty (so far anyway), I was released the first day. I wore a tee shirt that said "Kill em All and Let God Sort em Out". When ask if I was in favor of the death penalty, I said Hell Yes. Thats all it took!

GOOD LUCK!

P.S. - most companies will pay you your normal wages for jury duty as long as you surrender the check from the court that thay pay....I believe mine was for $7.50 per day.....Hows that for public service pay?????? Check with your HR dept. on their policies!

[jem_is_bi]

On my one and only call to jury duty (so far anyway), I was released the first day. I wore a tee shirt that said "Kill em All and Let God Sort em Out". When ask if I was in favor of the death penalty, I said Hell Yes. Thats all it took!

GOOD LUCK!

P.S. - most companies will pay you your normal wages for jury duty as long as you surrender the check from the court that thay pay....I believe mine was for $7.50 per day.....Hows that for public service pay?????? Check with your HR dept. on their policies!


Before being selected to a jury, during the jury selection process, some people took similar tactics.
The judge excused them from serving on the jury.
It was obvious they were not acceptable for jury duty.

JEM

[Skater Boy]

Before being selected to a jury, during the jury selection process, some people took similar tactics.
The judge excused them from serving on the jury.
It was obvious they were not acceptable for jury duty.

JEM

Hmm, thats funny... over here in the UK its all done automatically. I assume a computer selects the individuals at random (assuming that they have no criminal records, mental health problems or associations with extremist groups) and then a letter just turns up out of the blue on your door-mat telling you that you've been selected. And, I just came along and was sworn in... no real "screening" that I can remember...

[Emma7669]

My one and only time I was called for jury duty was for a headline case...a hunter had shot 7 people. I made it all the way to the jury box during the selection process and was ultimately excluded...I think it had something to do with the fact my house is full of guns.

[jem_is_bi]

Hmm, thats funny... over here in the UK its all done automatically. I assume a computer selects the individuals at random (assuming that they have no criminal records, mental health problems or associations with extremist groups) and then a letter just turns up out of the blue on your door-mat telling you that you've been selected. And, I just came along and was sworn in... no real "screening" that I can remember...

In my county, Wayne, MI, USA, people are selected at random from those registered to vote and ordered to assemble at the courthouse. For each trial, the judge, prosecuting attorney and defendant’s attorney interviews approximately 30 or more if necessary people of those assembled at the courthouse. Each attorney can reject a set number of people for any reason and the judge can reject anybody he deems to be unfit for jury service. So, if you make an ass of yourself, the judge will reject you.

JEM

[wanderingrichard]

My one and only time I was called for jury duty was for a headline case...a hunter had shot 7 people. I made it all the way to the jury box during the selection process and was ultimately excluded...I think it had something to do with the fact my house is full of guns.

LMAO.. now, what pray tell would that have to do with the outcome.HHHHHHHMMMMMM????:rolleyes:

i think i remember the national publicity over that one.....

[12voltman59]

I find jury duty interesting---to begin the year 2006-I sat the better part of four months as an alternate on my county's Grand Jury--that was most interesting--but sometimes it made ya sad and depressed and other times so damn mad at the things we human beings do to our fellow human beings!!!!!

[naive]

i actually wanna get onto the jury. i think that i'm pretty impartial to most issues (boring is another word i guess). i have my opinions, but am rarely fanatical about anything and can listen to the other side of the coin as long as it's not just nonsensical ranting.

but with my luck, it'll be some minor offence like driving under the influence. or does that not go to courts? see i have no idea, and that's why i wanna do it :rolleyes:

[zyzygy]

In my county, Wayne, MI, USA, people are selected at random from those registered to vote and ordered to assemble at the courthouse. For each trial, the judge, prosecuting attorney and defendant’s attorney interviews approximately 30 or more if necessary people of those assembled at the courthouse. Each attorney can reject a set number of people for any reason and the judge can reject anybody he deems to be unfit for jury service. So, if you make an ass of yourself, the judge will reject you.

JEM

Sounds like a prime reason not to register to vote! Unfortunately here in Australia voting is compulsory so that dodge is out.

[gfofbiguy]

From what I've heard of here in Nevada, they don't pull from the registered voter list any more, as when people die, they are not expunged from the list. They pull from the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) records/driver's licenses.

[brunette]

i think it's federal law (in America) to pull from social security numbers and not just registered voters. i know several non-voters that have been called. and i'm pretty sure it's not just the dmv lists either...

it's kinda sad how much we don't know about this, eh?

[jedinudist]

I've been selected 5 times so far. The method that had never let me down is to glare at the defendant. The defense attorneys will almost certainly single you out for questioning and strike you because it's obvious you don't like the defendant.

I was actually honest each time though, every single one of them was either someone I had met in real life (usually through my jobs) or bore a remarkable resemblance to someone I couldn't stand. Defense attorneys get nervous when they see that you took an immediate dislike to their client.

[DiamondDog]

Don't do what Sarah Silverman did to get out of it! ;)

[jem_is_bi]

Don't do what Sarah Silverman did to get out of it! ;)

Jury duty is taken seriously by judges and lawyers. They do not want those unfit to serve such as people that make asses of themself or degrade others, even if it is their job.

JEM

[jedinudist]

i think it's federal law (in America) to pull from social security numbers and not just registered voters. i know several non-voters that have been called. and i'm pretty sure it's not just the dmv lists either...

it's kinda sad how much we don't know about this, eh?

In Mississippi, they pull from the Registered Voter Rolls. If you want to be excluded from potentially being called for Jury Duty, you have to surrender your right to vote, so sayeth the court clerk in the county we live in.