Jury Duty

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Got a summons for Monday

 

I don't care what they did or even if they did it. The fact I have to go there means I'm gonna vote to give them the chair

[Chef Jim]

I've actually been on two cases both of which were dismissed after one or two full days of testimony. One was civil which was fascinating. It has something to do with a shipping company deliverying cargo through the Black Sea. The criminal one not so fascinating. It was a indecent exposure case. A guy caught masturbating in his car.

 

I think the whole process is pretty cool. I've served twice in Oakland and they don't call in a ton of people so almost everyone makes it into the courtroom. It's the sitting in the jury room for hours that sucks. In Long Beach years ago you were in the jury room everyday for a week. Now that sucked.

[LeviF]

I had jury duty a couple of weeks ago. Showed up to the courthouse at 8am, handed them my summons, and was promptly told that the defendant took a plea that morning. Golfed and day-drank without having to use my PTO.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I would love to be called. Never once have received a summons though.

[plenzmd1]

I would love to be called. Never once have received a summons though.

i have been called in 4 times, but have never actually been on a jury. The waiting sucks,,especially pre-cell phone days.

[BringBackFergy]

I would love to be called. Never once have received a summons though.

God help us if you get selected.

[Just Jack]

Bring a pen and a book.

 

First time I got called, the defendant did not show so they dismissed us all. Turns out he was in jail for another incident that previous weekend.

 

Second time I was called, I made it all the way to the judge questioning each of us. I was scheduled to give a training session in Rochester that week, so he dismissed me before either lawyer could object. Interesting thing with that case was it was a drug sale/possession case. Listening to the prosecutor opening statement, it sounded like he was trying to defend the perp.

[mead107]

Sat on jury few years ago. Guy trying to blame town for him getting hurt driving one of the ice machine on the ice. Found town not responsible for his stupidity

[frostbitmic]

I've been called in for jury service 4 times and have yet to get selected for a jury.

 

1st time - Was questioned for two different trials. On the first one the very first question they asked was "does anybody have a problem with police entrapment ?" ... My hand went up and I was told to go back to the jury pool. The next one was a murder but the guy claims he didn't know what he was doing when he killed a guy with the guys own tire iron while stealing his truck because he was drunk. I told them i've been drunk but never thought about killing anyone. The defense attorney told me to go.

 

2nd time - When calling in the night before I was told there were no cases that week and I was dismissed.

 

3rd time - I had to go to the courthouse but they only had one trial about to go on and they filled the jury with the first group they brought in so the rest of us could leave.

 

4th time - The judge asked if any potential jurors had been victim to a crime and when I started rattling off a few the judge asked about the outcomes and I gave a rather negative answer for the DA's office in which the judge laughed and asked the DA's atty if he wanted me to stick around. The DA laughed and said no judge, so I was sent packing lol.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

God help us if you get selected.

It will be like a replay of 12 Angry Men in there!!

[ExiledInIllinois]

My wife got called for Federal Grand Jury. Grand Jury meets once a week, I think. She was 32nd alternate or something. That is one lottery she loved being last in! Never got called and the term expired. She said most people were trying to get out of the Grand Jury duty. The judge, had a phone on the bench and was calling their employers, checking their stories out! She said, one "money man" looking dude came in... Dressed in the finest suit, etc... Had a douchebag personality like some big shot... Judge went into a tirade telling him "he didn't like his attitude... Judge then dismissed him. Next guy comes up and is telling the judge that he cares for an older handicapped child and it would be a real burden to serve. Judge makes him stay. I guess it pays to be a douchebag Chicago Merc Jerk guy than the poor slob on Main Street that has to care for his handicapped child. Wife said, slick banker douche was smirking all the way out of the Chicago Dirksen Building... He got what he wanted! Berated, but got what he wanted!

 

I never get called for this stuff, I wonder if it is because I am a Federal employee. I think I would get my normal pay, put me on day shift. All I would have to do is send whatever slave labor change the court pays me, back to my agency?

[Nanker]

It's your civic duty to serve on a jury.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

In my entire adult life, I've received three summons. the first two were while I was enlisted and deployed, and one a year ago canceled due to a foot-plus of snow.

[The Poojer]

i'm 53 years old and have never been called for jury duty....of course now that i just typed this, I am sure I will be called.

[Just Jack]

The two times I've been called were within just a couple of months of changing my address with the local Board Of Elections

[shrader]

I'm not so sure I believe that the selection process is random at this point. I have lived in three different states and in all three I have been summoned within 6 months of becoming eligible. Each time I wound up on a jury too. That part's just dumb luck, but the rest makes me wonder. I'll never understand those stories from 50 or 60 somethings about never being called once seeing as how they're practically beating down my door to get me to come in.

 

The first time (Buffalo), I was 19 years old and wound up on a 2 week long trial, which also just happened to be the last two weeks of my summer before heading back to college. I figured there was no way they'd want a 19 year old on a jury, but was so wrong. During the selection process, they sat everyone in alphabetical order, started with the As, and asked all their questions. The kid sitting directly in front of me was dismissed the second he said he was heading back to college at the end of the next week. But since they were running low on people by the time they got to me, that same exact reason didn't fly for me and I was kept. It was a civil trial about wrongful dismissal and a battle over stock options. Two weeks of that and it was the most boring time ever. Even worse, once it was done and it went into deliberation, they immediately dismissed me since I was going back to school. Talk about a huge slap in the face. To this day, I still have no idea how it ended (I assume the sleezeball who was suing lost). So I've been a bit poisoned by the process since that one.

 

The second was a better experience. This one was in Boston. There was no selection process here. They took 10 or 11 people out of the room randomly and put us on a criminal trial. Once the prosecutor finished the opening statements, there was a brief discussion with the judge and the lawyers. We were then immediately dismissed because the prosecutor had said something he wasn't supposed to. So that 4 or so hour day was so much better than the first one.

 

My third was just a few months ago here in Raleigh. They randomly picked 40 or so people for the selection process. They wound up with their full group of 10 and I thought I was clear. But then they said they had to randomly select an alternate and I knew I was screwed. This one was a civil trial where the ex-wife was suing the current wife for "alienation of affection", which apparently NC is one of very few states where that complaint can even be made anymore (judge told us as much after it was done). It was a really screwy situation where the guy wound up marrying his secretary. I'm convinced they were screwing around long before the divorce, but there was no proof. Really, it was a case where both sides seemed like scum and I didn't want to see either get anything. This one went on 4 or 5 days. Even after it went to deliberation, I couldn't leave yet because apparently, had they decided in the favor of the plaintiff, there would have been a second level of damages that we would have had to go over. It was quick though and they chose to dismiss the charges.

 

That last one was kind of a crazy case where the lawyers didn't ask me any questions at all before keeping me. If they had, I'm sure I would have been dismissed. As the trial got underway and they got into the current wife's background, it all hit close to home for me. She had moved to NC from Boston just like I had. Then they mentioned her maiden name and where she grew up. My sister-in-law had the same last name and was from the same town. It wound up being pure coincidence, but I couldn't help but wonder about it for that first day.

[ExiledInIllinois]

It's your civic duty to serve on a jury.

That is what the Fed Judge on the Grand Jury was going off on. Especially, the Grand Jury... How it was the cornerstone of the judicial system, etc...

 

The problem is, they don't pay anywhere close to what some people make. Serving can cause financial strain. Doing your civic duty doesn't pay the rent on time, especially if you have a d*ck employer.

 

All fine and dandy that the poor slob that is asked to serve gets 15 bucks and parking validated for his troubles while the guy on the bench is pulling in 6 figures and golden patachute serving the system.

 

Something is out of joint here. Civic duty only goes so far before people realize what it is asking...

 

...Sorry for being jaded, you are right, it just costs some people more.

Edited August 8, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois

[BuffaloBud]

I've only been called to federal court here in Columbus. Was really looking forward to it, but both cases were resolved out of court.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

This one was a civil trial where the ex-wife was suing the current wife for "alienation of affection", which apparently NC is one of very few states where that complaint can even be made anymore (judge told us as much after it was done).

 

Was she hot?

 

It was a really screwy situation where the guy wound up marrying his secretary.

 

In more ways than one.

[ExiledInIllinois]

At least technology and automated phone systems, computers have made it somewhat more bearable for the jury pool. You call in the night before to see if you have to even show up for the day, week...

Edited August 8, 2016 by ExiledInIllinois