Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 11:45:32 GMT -5
Well, I completed my civic duty yesterday and I am clear for another 7 years. I have been called for Jury Duty 3 times and I have yet to sit on a jury! The first time, I sat in the "cattle call room" until about 2 pm and then I was told I could go home. The 2nd time I had 2 kids under 3, so they gave me an exemption. I was called upstairs yesterday, but they apparently settled the case before jury selection because the bailiff came out of courtroom and told us we had all "won the Jury Duty lottery and we could go home". We had dinner at my BIL/SIL's house on Sunday to celebrate my in-laws Anniversary & when I told them I had jury duty the next day they all had stories to tell about their time sitting on a jury. And I still don't have one (not that I am complaining! ). So, do any of you have jury duty stories to tell? Either about serving or the case you sat in on? I am sure this is old hat for the Attorneys around here.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 11:50:23 GMT -5
I was called last year. Before I went my wife said, you are going to get on a jury.
So I got called and was questioned by the lawyers, and I got on the jury.
A few weeks later I got a letter that the case had settled and I had done my civic duty.
My question is, how do most people answer the questions from the jury.
They asked if I could be fair. I said I thought I could.
They asked if I thought the fact that the defendant had been arrested already proved that he had done something wrong. I said I did not.
They asked if I could work with other people. I said I had to at work.
They asked if I was the only one holding out on the jury would I feel pressure to change my verdict or would I stick to my guns. I said that I am sure I would feel pressure, but hoped I would stick with what I felt was right, but I couldn't be sure because I was never in that situation.
What else was I supposed to answer?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 11:51:52 GMT -5
Maybe you shouldn't have dressed up like Pricess Leia?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 11:53:27 GMT -5
By the way, you get 7 years! we only get 3 years in CT.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jul 30, 2013 11:58:09 GMT -5
Right after I registered to vote I was called, so the summer after my eighteenth birthday. The hit and run I mentioned on another post. Kid hit someone, panicked, went home and told his father who took him to police station. Brand new driver. Fortunately the other party was not hurt badly and the kid got probation and community service. I think I was picked because I was young and could empathize.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:00:05 GMT -5
There's a bigger pool to choose from NY State, I guess. My SIL told me her latest story. Her's was a case of an Attorney being arrested for his 3rd DWI. She is not a quiet one by any means, so when the judge asked her if she "thought the fact that the defendant had been arrested already proved that he had done something wrong", she said "no, but his prior two convictions do!" Apparently, the judge was not amused and proceeded to tell her that it was "disgraceful" of her to condemn him without all of the facts. So she shot back with "as a taxpayer I think it's disgraceful that we are wasting taxpayer time and money on this case!" He screamed at her to get out of his courtroom after that.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:01:57 GMT -5
There's a bigger pool to choose from NY State, I guess. My SIL told me her latest story. Her's was a case of an Attorney being arrested for his 3rd DWI. She is not a quiet one by any means, so when the judge asked her if she "thought the fact that the defendant had been arrested already proved that he had done something wrong", she said "no, but his prior two convictions do!" Apparently, the judge was not amused and proceeded to tell her that it was "disgraceful" of her to condemn him without all of the facts. So she shot back with "as a taxpayer I think it's disgraceful that we are wasting taxpayer time and money on this case!" He screamed at her to get out of his courtroom after that. Yeah, I guess it is different if you already know some background about the defendant and the case.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:02:08 GMT -5
There's a bigger pool to choose from NY State, I guess. My SIL told me her latest story. Her's was a case of an Attorney being arrested for his 3rd DWI. She is not a quiet one by any means, so when the judge asked her if she "thought the fact that the defendant had been arrested already proved that he had done something wrong", she said "no, but his prior two convictions do!" Apparently, the judge was not amused and proceeded to tell her that it was "disgraceful" of her to condemn him without all of the facts. So she shot back with "as a taxpayer I think it's disgraceful that we are wasting taxpayer time and money on this case!" He screamed at her to get out of his courtroom after that. Yeah, I guess it is different if you already know some background about the defendant and the case.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:04:23 GMT -5
There's a bigger pool to choose from NY State, I guess. My SIL told me her latest story. Her's was a case of an Attorney being arrested for his 3rd DWI. She is not a quiet one by any means, so when the judge asked her if she "thought the fact that the defendant had been arrested already proved that he had done something wrong", she said "no, but his prior two convictions do!" Apparently, the judge was not amused and proceeded to tell her that it was "disgraceful" of her to condemn him without all of the facts. So she shot back with "as a taxpayer I think it's disgraceful that we are wasting taxpayer time and money on this case!" He screamed at her to get out of his courtroom after that. Yeah, I guess it is different if you already know some background about the defendant and the case.
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jul 30, 2013 12:06:22 GMT -5
I've never been called. DH calls all the time. The last time he was called it was a malpractice suit and he made it all the way to the final selection. They asked him if he had any medical background. He said yes. They asked if the could read charts and he answered yes. Then they kicked him out for knowing too much.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:14:25 GMT -5
<<< makes mental note to play up her chart reading skillz next time >>>
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jul 30, 2013 12:15:10 GMT -5
They do. A lawyer I worked one summer for told me to say my boyfriend was an attorney or that I was a paralegal or some such stuff and I'd be instantly off. Lawyers want morons easily swayed for the jury.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:19:54 GMT -5
Husband was just assigned to three cases. People have said he'll be lucky to sit one, they usually settle... Guess we'll see... I've never been called.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jul 30, 2013 12:20:10 GMT -5
Lucky. We're only off the hook for a year here, and I had to sit through a week and a half long trial.
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justme
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Post by justme on Jul 30, 2013 12:27:13 GMT -5
No fun stories. I was called once but got exempted because I was a full time student at a school out of the county. The second time I got called for my old county but they sent the jury duty to my new address in a different county. You'd think the address would have been a clue to them. Got exempted because I didn't live there anymore. The third time I was ready to go because my work makes up the pay difference, but my county apparently sends out a crap ton and then you call the night before you day and they say only numbers 1 through X need to come. I was like 20 numbers above the cut off so I had to go to work the next day.
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jul 30, 2013 12:28:37 GMT -5
<<< makes mental note to play up her chart reading skillz next time >>> I should have said medical charts.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:30:10 GMT -5
I look at medical charts all day for my job.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:34:21 GMT -5
There's a bigger pool to choose from NY State, I guess. My SIL told me her latest story. Her's was a case of an Attorney being arrested for his 3rd DWI. She is not a quiet one by any means, so when the judge asked her if she "thought the fact that the defendant had been arrested already proved that he had done something wrong", she said "no, but his prior two convictions do!" Apparently, the judge was not amused and proceeded to tell her that it was "disgraceful" of her to condemn him without all of the facts. So she shot back with "as a taxpayer I think it's disgraceful that we are wasting taxpayer time and money on this case!" He screamed at her to get out of his courtroom after that. Beer- are you buying a pool in NY?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:36:56 GMT -5
Not this year, anyway!
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heartvolunteer
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Post by heartvolunteer on Jul 30, 2013 12:37:25 GMT -5
I've been summoned for Petit Jury duty tomorrow (as opposed to Grand Jury). What timing for this post!! This'll be my first time in Maryland. The only time I was summoned in NY was for an attempted murder case. Dumba$$ hid in his GF's car trunk, when she got to work, popped out with several rifles, shotguns, and handguns (yes, he went overboard with the firepower), started taking potshots at her AND at the 2 Niagara Falls police officers who responded. They shot HIM in the kneecap. I was not selected for the jury - they were picking jurors 8-12 with the 2 alternates in the box/day I was in...I was #15. No jury duty for me, just 3 days of jury selection. I tracked the case afterwards - He got life. Wish me luck tomorrow - I'm sure it won't be anywhere near as interesting.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:39:48 GMT -5
Oh my! No wonder Shredd & Ragan read the NF police blotter on air every week! Good luck tomorrow heartvolunteer!
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midwestlily
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Post by midwestlily on Jul 30, 2013 12:44:04 GMT -5
My mother used to get kicked off of civil cases as soon as she told them that she worked for an insurance company. Apparently they thought she'd be biased in favor of the company. Or maybe against...
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Jul 30, 2013 12:45:10 GMT -5
Got a summons for May of this year after not getting one for probably 7+ years. When I moved I updated my address for voting and had a feeling they'd get me. The only other time I went I sat in the jury selection room most the day, the last of us got called to a courtroom where we stood outside and they eventually told us to go back as they had settled and we were eventually let go. This time it ends up being a 3 day process spread out over 4 days because they're closed on Friday due to cutbacks. Out of 70 of us they called into the room for the selection process 1/3 claimed they didn't speak English well enough, some had issues with the fact that the defendant was a sex offender and others were either idiots or really didn't want to be there so they .
The defendant was a transient who wasn't right in the head and had been homeless for at least 20 years. If we had to decide I can't imagine how it wouldn't have been a 5 minute deliberation resulting in guilty but who knows. The defendant started talking during the prosecutors closing arguement, he decides to testify which was just a spectacle and that resulted in day 2 spilling into day 3. Day 3 had us back on Monday and we sit in the hall for I think 2 hours. They finally call us in and they ended up settling. Between all 3 days I spent more time sitting in that hallway than I did that court room because of evidentiary hearings, lawyer talk, eventually settling and so on.
Conclusion - I'm considering committing a felony so I can no longer be called for jury duty.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 12:49:56 GMT -5
List of Felonies:
Murder RapeArmed RobberyArsonIllegal Drug SalesKidnappingTreasonIncome Tax EvasionI'd say Tax Evasion is the least distasteful on the list, followed by Arson.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Jul 30, 2013 12:54:55 GMT -5
Agreed. Unfortunately though any felony would result in me losing my CPA license so it probably isn't the best move on my part.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jul 30, 2013 13:04:45 GMT -5
I managed to stay ahead of the jury selection with my multiple moves in the few years right after college, by the time I got called for jury duty, I was no longer living in that county. worked pretty well there for awhile. the one time I actually had to go in, I got called in for the first case on the agenda. I was in the first group to be seated in the jury box, where they told us the basics of the case - it was a child rape case where the defendant was the victim's father. thankfully, the defense turned down all women in the jury box that looked to be under about 35 or so. I don't think I could have sat through that case without going crazy, and I don't even have kids. I got called in for the second case on the agenda, and ended up hearing it. it was a civil case involving a car accident that ended up being decided by the impossible physics of what the plaintiff was arguing. there was physically no way his version of events was even possible on the road in question. the deliberation process was interesting, and I'm floored that the jury ended up being composed of what it was - more than half of us were engineers, architects, and there was even a physicist. did the lawyer think we weren't going to make sure his version of events was even possible before looking at the hospital bills? at the end of the day, the judge came in to see if we had any questions. one of my fellow jurors wanted to know why this particular case was in the Superior Court where we were serving, as there was a base $ amount to be involved before the case would land there. we hadn't seen any major $ amounts in anything we looked at, but because we immediately determined that the plaintiff's case was BS, we didn't even look at the folders of hospital bills - which totalled a couple hundred thousand dollars.
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genericname
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Post by genericname on Jul 30, 2013 13:18:26 GMT -5
I've been called a couple of times, but I never get to sit on a jury. Something about 10 years in law enforcement gets me struck every time!
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kittensaver
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We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
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Post by kittensaver on Jul 30, 2013 13:19:50 GMT -5
By the way, you get 7 years! we only get 3 years in CT. We only get ONE in California . . . We don't in reality get called every year, but the potential is there (you can be called to serve up to once per year).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 13:25:33 GMT -5
<< scratches California off the list of possible moves >>
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jul 30, 2013 13:28:41 GMT -5
I've only been called twice, the first time I sat through the child sex abuse case, and the second one came 14 months later. I was getting nervous there for a bit that it was going to be a yearly thing in our new county.
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