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Jury Duty - Care to Share Your Experience?

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VegasGroove

VegasGroove

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A couple weeks ago, I sat on a trial. It. Was. Awful.

I thought for sure I wasn't going to get picked because it was so late in the afternoon before my "panel" number was called. Dangit if they didn't call my number and I lined up with 25 others and we filed in the hallway, we filed into the elevator, we filed into the courtroom. Got interviewed by the judge, he let 12 go and the 14 of us were picked and stayed. Ugh.

What was interesting was during the interview process, the judge made an example of one prospective juror because she feigned not understanding the judge's questions and at one point she screamed "I'm scared!" She spoke like she didn't know what the word justice and fairness meant. Eventually the judge told her she was faking and she can prepare to sit for the week on this jury. Turns out, she didn't sit, but she was removed from the courtroom by the bailiff because the judge wanted to speak to her in private.

I served on a jury about 10 years ago - a simple DUI that lasted one day. But this one was a doozy. I guess it was my punishment for blowing off two summons. Well, I wrote a letter for the first one citing heavy workload at my job. But I really did not respond to the second one. The last summons I received had large, bold letters - YOU MUST REPORT.

Report I did. And I hope I don't get another summons for 10 years. This trial was emotionally draining. Gah!
 
Up here in Canada we get summoned too! I've only been asked once and it was supposed to last 3-4 weeks. (I think they do pay you $75.00 for each week.) I would have found it interesting (and I'm sure emotionally draining) to do and would have if it din't entail 4 weeks...I wrote my letter to get out of it citing hardship of losing pay for a month, as well as my Mom had just passed in the couple weeks before that so explained I had to take a lot of time off work already, sent the "certificate"...and I actually had a Vegas 4 nights over a weekend trip booked during the trial dates and thought about sending that in as well,,,HOWEVER, that prob wouldn't have sat well with the HARDSHIP ploy. I'd like to get summoned again, but for a much shorter trial. (a girlfriend of mine just got summoned last week for an expected 55 day trial,,,,that would be ugly with no pay)..
 
I got peremptory challenged off a murder case jury a couple years ago.

The selection process was a real gong show of moving people between rooms. Took most of my day to not become a juror.

That's the only time I've been called in. I was pulled back in forth by being fascinated by the process, and worried/annoyed at the prospect of falling six weeks behind on work.
 
Like Nevyn posted. It's a real gong show.


This past summer I was summoned. It was a case involving sexual conduct. guy /young girl.
while all the interrogations, etc going on, I kept watching the guy.
Maybe it's my years of playing poker, but I was sure as shit he was guilty. I kept watching his eyes.
I was one of the last the didn't get picked, but 5 days later the judge declared a mistrial
due to some technicality. .
a month later a second trial was held. GUILTY!

"Eyes, always eyes." Mr Myagi
 
The one time I was called I was dismissed by the defense lawyer after initial questioning. Maybe it was my "Kill them All" shirt.(jk!) I was actually surprised, and called the prosecuting attorney who said he had no idea why I was dismissed and told me it was not he who requested the dismissal. I figured I'd let it go at that point, but I sure was mystified!
 
Served on one for a drunk driver years ago, he said the reason he could not recite the alphabet was because he never made it past 8th grade.

Now I should never have to serve again, both sons are in law enforcement. I do not see that getting past any defense attorney.
 
Med-Mal case. If a few of the other jurors were indicative of what constitutes a jury of our "peers," plaintiff or defendant, hope like hell you never find yourself relying on such folks' abilities to reason and think.
 
I have 4 places to serve within a 15 minute drive yet all mine have been as far away as I can go, an hour drive with no traffic and there's always traffic. Don't get it.
 
I was selected for jury-duty about 25 years ago and it was interesting as hell. The trial lasted for about a week and was for a guy who was already incarcerated. I don't recall a lot of the details, but he'd somehow managed to run some kind of fraudulent activity from inside state prison, using his visitors as runners. There was a lot of back and forth at the start of the trial because, his attorney protested that the defendant was being brought into the courtroom in his orange prison-jumper, stating that it made him already look guilty to the jury, which frankly it did. He was allowed to wear a suit after that. Then there was a lot of time spent on trying to suppress the reason he was incarcerated in the first place, which ended up being surprisingly just like what he was alleged to have done now!

I found the whole week pretty fun actually and enjoyed the $9/day I think we earned. I think it took all of 5 minutes for us to reach a verdict in the jury room... guilty! There was one person who agreed he was guilty, but she thought we should spend more time going over each of the facets of the case. The rest of us totally disagreed and felt it was a slam dunk!
 
I've been summoned 4 times and been chosen twice. These were all back when you actually had to report to the courthouse, no phone-ins to see if you had to report. Anyway, the first was a woman suing the city because of faulty snow removal at a bus stop. She fell and broke an ankle. City not guilty. 5 hours.

The second we heard testimony for two days over a DUI with injuries. We went to the jury room and as we began deliberations, the bailiff brings us back to the courtroom. The parties reached an agreement and the judge thanked us and we were dismissed.

I think it is now about 15 years since I've been summoned.
 
Murder, 3rd degree, I was last not picked. Guy was scary. His suit looked like it was bought that morning.

Federal jury, Greenbelt, MD. Federal gun charges against the leader of Hell's Angels in neighboring Calvert County. I was picked. "Associates" of the accused were in the hallway, eyeballing everyone. Suddenly, we were taken back to the "bullpen" and informed the accused copped to a plea bargain, 4 years versus 20, and we were sent packing. Never got recalled.

County Grand Jury - Holy shit! Who knew there was so much crime in tiny St. Mary's County? Spent 6 months, every Wednesday on this one. Heard some incredible stories. Saw some gruesome evidence photos. All in all, an experience I'm glad I had. Very educational. A great study of humanity while we were in deliberation. One woman was dismissed for shooting spit balls at another juror. Her arguments were incredible examples of twisted logic. We dubbed her "The Crazy Lady". Great donuts!!
 
I expect to get a jury duty notice within the next few months. I seem to get called every four years or so. The last time was four years ago. Now that I am on dialysis, I hope to be able to be excused. I do not know how that works, but I am hoping.
 
Out here you simply apply for a permanent dismissal. I'd look into that for your jurisdiction.
 
I feel that I have put in "my time" on a jury.

I was selected for an 8 week (yeah, that's right, 8 week) civil litigation trial 3 weeks after I started a new job. It was a "slip and fall" case and I learned more about the construction of the spine and back that I'd ever wanted to know.

It showed me how "flawed" the jury system is and how it can be manipulated. It was in Sacramento, CA, and all State workers are obligated to attend jury duty. I had an employee from the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) who was doing ANYTHING to extend the trial in order that he didn't have to go back to work. Most of the people voted against the plaintiff because they were "afraid" of how much money she could be awarded. I voted for the plaintiff, but stipulated that it was only a percentage of damages.

I was torn between fascination and disgust at the whole process.
 
I've been fortunate/unfortunate to never serve on a jury trial. I've been called for jury duty a number of times but there always seems to be some kind of thing that disqualifies me. Once they asked if we had any relative convicted of something. I had a cousin convicted of some kind of drug thing so I was let go. Another time was some condo lawsuit and they asked if we lived/owned a condo unit so I was again let go. The other times guess I wasn't they type of juror the defense lawyers wanted so again I didn't make the final cut.

Working for local government I still get paid my regular salary so I don't mind being off of work to be in a jury trial. I kind of wish that I could be on one for a few weeks, just to get away from work but I've never been "lucky" enough to serve on one.
 
I'd say most of quip about finding ways to avoid service, but in the end, jury service is one of the few ways most are ever asked to tangibly serve our republic. Collectively, we take most everything for granted it seems, and looking at turnout numbers, voting appears to be a burden upon most, and we feel put upon when the jury summons comes and we are asked to take our turn on the oars of representative democracy ... unless it is embraced as a paid vacation.
 
WichitaMuskie said:
Why would you apply for this? And why would they grant it?
Click to expand...

Don't ask me why. I've never applied for it. Nor would I qualify. But age, certain disabilities, other factors are taken into account. Check with your county registrar of voters or state elections department.
 
ken2v said:
Out here you simply apply for a permanent dismissal. I'd look into that for your jurisdiction.
Click to expand...

WichitaMuskie said:
Why would you apply for this? And why would they grant it?
Click to expand...

ken2v said:
I'd say most of quip about finding ways to avoid service, but in the end, jury service is one of the few ways most are ever asked to tangibly serve our republic. Collectively, we take most everything for granted it seems, and looking at turnout numbers, voting appears to be a burden upon most, and we feel put upon when the jury summons comes and we are asked to take our turn on the oars of representative democracy ... unless it is embraced as a paid vacation.
Click to expand...
You really didn't answer the question.
 
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