View Full Version : How I Got Rejected for Jury Duty!
I was summoned for Jury duty. Case was a kid (tattoos on neck, wearing his best pair of ratty sneaker for his day in court...) suing a cop in civil court for false arrest.
I didn't get all the details of course, but that's what the short summation of the case was. Usual jury selection proceeded. Judge asks if anyone has relatives, friends, etc, etc that are LEO, etc, etc that may make the person bias. I and a few raised our hands. One had a son who was LEO, another an uncle, etc.
At my turn to talk to the judge and attorneys, I simply told them I would look at the evidence with as much objectively as possible, but the bottom line was, that due to my work, friendships, etc with LEO, unless the evidence was unambiguous, I would be very hard pressed to find an LEO at fault.
The judge asked if I would be able to view the evidence on the merits of the evidence, and I said yes, but if there was any question in my mind at all, I would give the benefit of the doubt to the LEO and this I was not a neutral person for such a case.
The attorney for the LEO nodded their heads and grinned, the attorney for the kid, not so much. As expected, I was dismissed.
Guess I could have kept my moth shut, but not my nature. I made a call when I got out to a friend in that town, he knew the cop and the case, and said he'd pass along my good luck wishes for the LEO and his civil case.
Was not my true intent to talk my way out of that civic duty, but that's how it resulted as expected.
Oh well...:cool:
Rmplstlskn
01-11-11, 10:16
My opinion, that is EXACTLY the type of case that needed YOUR understanding and wisdom as a JUROR... One who looks at the FACTS and issues a verdict FAIRLY and impartially, understanding what an LEO has to deal with in today's declining society...
Not really a time for making a point... That LEO would have been better WITH YOU than without you, replaced with some bleeding-heart soccer mom or liberal activist...
Just my opinion...
Rmpl
ForTehNguyen
01-11-11, 10:21
I was summoned to JD one time and it was a possession with intent to distribute case. The prosecution started screening and said so how do you rate this offense on a scale of 1-10. 1 being something minor like jaywalking and 10 being something like murder. Many people were saying 7-8. Myself and others said 2-3. She comes back to us and further asked do you think marijuana and cocaine should be legal. I just said yes. The judge asked for only yes or no answers, no need for explanations. My answers reflect my beliefs, I didnt try to make up fake answers to get out of JD. I guess I'll have to find some other opportunity to practice jury nullification.
I wasnt selected for some reason :confused:
Thomas M-4
01-11-11, 10:28
At least it sounded interesting every time I get called for JD. Its insurance company's not wanting to pay claims for car accidents and they never go to the jury they always end up settling before it goes to the jury. Just big F*cking wast of time tying up the judicial system:mad:
My opinion, that is EXACTLY the type of case that needed YOUR understanding and wisdom as a JUROR... One who looks at the FACTS and issues a verdict FAIRLY and impartially, understanding what an LEO has to deal with in today's declining society...
Not really a time for making a point... That LEO would have been better WITH YOU than without you, replaced with some bleeding-heart soccer mom or liberal activist...
Just my opinion...
Rmpl
I could be wrong, but I think that's the point Will was making. There should be NO bias when conducting your civic duties, regardless of who's involved. Fortunately, he made the decision to release the fact that he had a bias... others do not. That's where the "impartial" part is supposed to keep things on the level.
My opinion, that is EXACTLY the type of case that needed YOUR understanding and wisdom as a JUROR... One who looks at the FACTS and issues a verdict FAIRLY and impartially, understanding what an LEO has to deal with in today's declining society...
Not really a time for making a point... That LEO would have been better WITH YOU than without you, replaced with some bleeding-heart soccer mom or liberal activist...
Just my opinion...
Rmpl
I don't think your wrong per se, but at the same time, I felt I had to be upfront about it. I have this ugly honest streak I can't seem to shake... :D
What does his appearance have to do with whether he was falsely arrested or not? I know several cops who are sleeved in tattoos and have a difficult time dealing with "upper management" wanting them to cover their tattoos due to being judged by their superiors and their customers. The case should be judged on it's merits and not on someone's preconceived notion of what they deem is socially acceptable.
My opinion, that is EXACTLY the type of case that needed YOUR understanding and wisdom as a JUROR... One who looks at the FACTS and issues a verdict FAIRLY and impartially, understanding what an LEO has to deal with in today's declining society...
Not really a time for making a point... That LEO would have been better WITH YOU than without you, replaced with some bleeding-heart soccer mom or liberal activist...
You state impartial and fair judgement and yet your mind's already made up. You also state that the cop would've been better with Will on the jury and yet maybe the citizen would've been better off if he truly was impartial.
As I always refuse to swear to apply the law "as written" thus retaining my right to nullify by jury, I am always dismissed.
You state impartial and fair judgement and yet your mind's already made up. You also state that the cop would've been better with Will on the jury and yet maybe the citizen would've been better off if he truly was impartial.
Bingo.
What does his appearance have to do with whether he was falsely arrested or not?
Nothing, but he looked like a dirt bag. I would have had to sit on the case, heard the evidence, etc, to decide if he his case had merit or not. That does not mean he can't look like a dirt bag.
I know several cops who are sleeved in tattoos and have a difficult time dealing with "upper management" wanting them to cover their tattoos due to being judged by their superiors and their customers. The case should be judged on it's merits and not on someone's preconceived notion of what they deem is socially acceptable.
Thanx for the lecture...he still looked like a dirt bag.
You state impartial and fair judgement and yet your mind's already made up.
I had my self essentially excused because I felt I would not be a neutral person in that case. I do think I would have and could have looked at the evidence objectively, but end of the day, I have a bias toward giving LEO benefit of the doubt, told the judge as much, and was dismissed.
kaiservontexas
01-11-11, 13:45
As I always refuse to swear to apply the law "as written" thus retaining my right to nullify by jury, I am always dismissed.
This ^
i showed up 10 minutes late... BOOT. that was like 5 years ago, no love since.
----
here's my take on it-
will did the right thing, stating his inability to be impartial. the fact that he's not capable of being impartial is sort of retarded, but he at least was upfront about it, and now MAYBE a kid who is a true victim of civil rights infringement might get justice he wouldn't have gotten with will there.
I was dismissed from Jury Duty once on a Criminal Trial when it was brought out that I was at the time enrolled in a local University talking Criminolgy courses. The defense asked me what classes I was taking and dismissed me when I informed them I was taking Police Investigations, Victimology and Death Investigations.
ThirdWatcher
01-11-11, 19:57
I got jury duty about fifteen years ago. The case was a criminal trial that another agency had investigated (and I knew nothing about the case). After driving the 35 miles of two-lane road to the county seat, I really would have liked to have been selected. (It would have been a real learning experience for me.)
I think I can be pretty objective and they spent 20-30 minutes questioning me but in the end the defense used one of their peremptory challenges to exclude me.
Only time I got called we were all in this big room, before any selection had started (just having filled out their generic questionnaire ) and the judge came in, thanked us and said some new developments had happened and the trial would not be starting that day and we could all go home.
ForTehNguyen
01-12-11, 08:45
my mom was chosen a long time ago for a first degree murder case where some guy shot another guy execution style. They had to get police escort everywhere going to lunch etc.
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