Have you ever been called for jury duty?

Yes, once about 20 years ago, and once in 2016.

The 2016 occurrence, I was never chosen and they sent us home after about 4 hours of sitting.

The one 20 years ago was a drunk driver who was trying to get off, or get the charges reduced. His lawyer made up all sorts of excuses, but we weren’t having it. We convicted him of the charges. (He looked like a smug college kid whose daddy was paying for the lawyer.)

By the way, at that point for that sort of offense in Georgia, these weren’t 12-person juries – this was an 6-person jury. We heard the evidence on day one, and they did their final arguments the morning of day 2. We deliberated for a couple of hours that afternoon – we all pretty much agreed – and then went back into court. The forewoman announced our verdict.

Did you find it interesting @elbanditoroso?

@Dutchess_III fascinating. When they called me in 2016, I really hoped I would get chosen for a jury. I find the process really interesting.

Me too. Especially a murder trial. I don’t really know if I could do that though…..

I served on a jury about 25 years ago. It was a domestic dispute where the woman was accused of assaulting her partner with a bottle. We saw photographs of the scene, and while there was a lot of blood no one was seriously injured.

There was a humorous moment when the victim showed his injuries to the jury. Peer as we might there was not a trace of a scar to be seen. We also heard recordings of the calls the woman made to the emergency services. In the first call she sounded very worried and said she thought she had murdered her partner. In a follow up call she complained that the police had still not turned up and that she could have had a pizza delivered more quickly.

It was a stupid drunken argument which ironically enough took place on St Valentine’s Day. After two days of this the guy withdrew all charges, the jury was dismissed and, for all I know, they all lived happily ever after.

Yes, In 2007. It was a murder trial. It involved a doctor in a small town whose office manager and her son were stealing prescription pads from him to get drugs. He fired the office manager so her son broke in his house and set him on fire in bed. The doctor was paralyzed at the time and couldn’t even try to fight back or even get out of bed. So sad.

I would get summoned every other year like clockwork. until I turned 70. No Summons in 3 years now. I served once as a juror in a murder trial and it was one of the great lessons of my life about “justice”. Four years following the trial, I was back and filtered into a courtroom where the judge asked if anyone had served previously as a juror. There were 7 of us and he had us sit in the jury box, where he proceeded to ask us individually how far back the trial had occurred, the nature of the trial, and the outcome. The final question was something like “what did you learn from the experience?”. My answer: “I learned that a fair trial is a very iffy proposition, and I’m not at all sure a fair trial is the norm”, whereupon I was thanked and sent home on the spot. In the 34 years since, I never made it once as far as that assembly room. From then on when ordered to report, I would drag myself to either city hall or the hall of justice, or a funny building on McAllister where some clerk would first take the roll of those reporting, then read off the names of folks who should stay. At the end, he/she would announce: “If your name wasn’t called, you have performed your jury service and are excused.” And that’s how it went for 34 years.

Oh my god @chyna! Was it traumatizing for you?

@stanleybmanly Crazy! Who do some people get called often, and others, like me almost never? I’ve been registered to vote since I was 18.

It was traumatic. The worst part was within 10 seconds of the verdict which was guilty, the lights went out. We were in a room with no windows so it was pitch black. What I didn’t know then but found out later is that everyone that had a gun in the building, cops, security, other courthouse workers all drew their guns and ran to the court room but stayed outside. The lights came back on within 5 minutes. They escorted us out a back door because his friends were outside protesting.

Ohhh…

I served on a grand jury, but never on a trial jury.

Can you give us the particulars @Darth_Algar?

Well a grand jury isn’t really tasked with deciding guilt of innocence, only with determining if the state has a case to take to trial. I’m not sure if it’s the same everywhere, but in my case we served for a period of 12 months. Not everyday or anything like that. Basically we just came in for one day each month to hear a slate of upcoming cases. It was a small county, and most of the cases they had were drug offenses. A few domestic abuse cases. The biggest case during my time was this case where a couple of teenage girls (aged 15/16) decided to go for a ride on the top of this dude’s (aged 18) car. The guy, evidently, thought it would be a fun idea too. One girl ends up hospitalized and the other ends up dead. The state wanted to try him on involuntary manslaughter charges. I had no issue with that.

I’ve been called but my number never came up and I didn’t have to report.

@Darth_Algar Oh man…..so did they convict him?

Rick made the cut, BTW.

I used to be called least at twice a year when we were living
in Williamson County but not once in Coryell County. I always got excused anyway as I have always had young grand children to help with. Most Judges are pretty understanding on things like that.

I worked a 12 hour night shift, got off at 0630 and had to be at the court house at 0800. By about 0930 they were getting around to addressing the jury pool. It appeared they were going to pick a jury and hold the trial that afternoon. They asked if anyone had any reason they couldn’t serve. I raised my hand and told them that while I was willing to serve, I would not promise to stay awake through the trial, having been up for almost 20 hours by this point. I was excused.

@Dutchess_III “so did they convict him?”

To be honest, I have no idea. By the time it should have gone to trial I was already preparing to move to Chicagoland and had stopped paying much attention to local goings-on. If I had to take a guess I’d guess that they offered a plea deal. The prosecutor there tended to try to avoid potentially lengthy or costly trials if possible.

Been called but never picked. I think its because Im in media, maybe too eaged, too.

I’ve been called three or four times and I sat in a room for a day and then they sent us home.

One time made it to the court room. A murder trial with two defendants. When they put me in the box and asked about my background I was dismissed.

I was 48th out of 50 people interviewed, I assumed they HAD to keep me because they did not have 12 jurors. But later I learned they brought in 50 more the next day and kept on weeding them out.

They anticipated a two week trial. I REALLY would have liked to serve, except for the financial hit of two weeks with no work.

Only when I was away at university.

I served on a grand jury also. You learn to avoid certain parts of town once you know what goes on.

I’ve been called almost every other year. One time I almost got into the jury. There were about 30 of us and they needed 18 (included some spares). They went through almost 24. I was among the last half dozen. Last time I also got into the jury pool, but the two sides settled just before we got seated. The judge called us into the courtroom to tell us that we were excused.

I see it as a pain in the butt, but a necessary part of living and contributing to a functioning democracy. I go when they need me, I leave when they decide that they don’t. No guilt.

Many times but rarely chosen. I guess I have one of “those” attitudes.

I was called once years ago in the state I was born but I was living in another state. So I had to send proof that I lived in another state. So I was excused. That was well over 30 years ago and never got called again. No matter where I moved. I wondered if you needed to be a resident of a place for a certain amount of time but then about 2 years upon my brother moving to the same state and county as myself, he was called for jury duty, or I should say grand jury like Darth described above. For 8 weeks he had to go in every Monday to deliberate if certain cases should go to court. But it seem no matter where I go, I never get asked. I wonder if it has anything to do with my husband having been military?

I figured maybe that may be the reason because we were not permanent residents but he’s been out for 17 years and still nothing. Oh, I think my husband was asked once but it had to be canceled because of snow and he would be advised when he would be needed once the court resumed, but they never sent him a new notice.

It’s weird when you hear people being asked over and over. If the system is suppose to be blind than why does the blind system call the same people and some never get called?

It is very weird @Pandora.

It’s a pain but it’s also an honor, and the judge treats it as such. Rick said that when they stand to leave the room the judge instructs every one to stand until the last juror goes out.
He said they also give them metal buttons to wear outside of the courtroom that signifies they are a juror. The theory is so hopefully noone will talk to them. They’re under a gag order until the trial is over.

One memorable time I was called for a case involving a shooting. It was presented as a group of drug buyers shot up a group of drug sellers who also shot back. I was not chosen for this trial but another person I knew, someone who we had fired several times in the past for drug use on company time (he was a high ranking union official and they kept bringing him back) was. Kind of pissed me off until I realized they were looking for a jury of peers.

Probably for the best because as far as I know, WTFCares is not one of the conclusions you can reach in a jury trial.

At a place where I worked – maybe 25 years ago – there was this nice grey haired older woman who worked as our bookkeeper.

She was called for a jury and was assigned to a murder case – it had been in the papers in <the city where I lived> for months – it was really nasty, bloody, lots of intrigue. Someone famous was the victim.

Anyway, she was off of work for probably 6–7 weeks to be at the trial. She couldn’t tell us anything at all – she made sure of that – on the days that the jury didn’t meet (and she still had to pay the bills!).

When the trial ended (the guy was found guilty) she came back to work, of course. And she told us about looking at the weapons still caked with blood, and the trip that the jurors made to the scene of the crime, and so on and so forth. She had such a good time telling us about it, aftwerwards..

Many times. I’ve been picked for a jury twice. Mostly they kick me off because they don’t like doctors.

@Rarebear Are you joking or do you believe that?

@KNOWITALL Not a joke. I always make the cut to sit on the jury. I get seated. The prosecution asks me their questions and is satisfied. Then the defense establishes I’m a doctor and they dismiss me. It happens every time. The same thing happens to every other doctor I know (and lawyers).

Seems to happen to engineers too. I have known several that get dismissed at the same point every time when called.

Hmm maybe they expect some of us to be less emotionally involved due to the nature of the professions? In media we hear it all so that could be true to a degree.

@Rarebear @KNOWITALL My theory on why doctors, lawyers, and people with advanced degrees are generally stricken from juries: They are too smart and too analytical, and are less likely to buy the simplistic arguments offered by the lawyers.

People who think for themselves are dangerous.

Right @elbanditoroso. They can smell bullshit from a mile away.

Here is a picture of the guy.

They’re supposed to give closing arguments today.

Now the guy is pleading PTSD from his military service, but he’s also a hard core drug addict. He was wasted the night it happened.

Well, Rick is home on a break.They’re all done. He has to be back at 12:30 for the judge to give them instructions. I’m getting dressed. I’m going to go hang out in the court room for that much, at least.

I went and sat in on closing arguments. You know, you have to stand when the jury comes in, out of respect. So we did. As Rick passed me he locked eyes with me ever so briefly and a very subtle change came over his face and I could tell HE WAS SMIRKING AT ME BECAUSE I HAD TO STAND FOR HIM!
I ever so subtly said, with my eyes, “Just wait till you get home!”
It’s 5:30 and he’s not home so I think I’ll head back to the court house, see what’s shakin’.

Maybe he’s afraid to come home.

LOL! Naw. He’s home. The guy was convicted of 2nd degree murder, with reckless disregard of human life.

The guy is an absolute mess, mentally.

which guy?

The guy who was charged with murder.. @stanleybmanly

They came back with “Guilty second degree, reckless murder.” That means reckless disregard of human life. Don’t know the sentence yet, but from my research it should be 25-life.

God. I don’t know what kind of up bringing he had, but he was in Iraq and had 3 IED’s blow up on him (I almost said “IUDs!” I sort of wanted to leave it just to give everyone something to crow about, but I didn’t.) The last one blew his foot off. He suffers from severe PTSD. After they released him, an honorable discharge, he came home to his wife and 3 small children. One night he woke up to find himself choking out his five year old son.
They lost custody of the kids after that. They live with her sister.
They both do a LOT of drugs. I mean, daily, shooting up meth, cocaine.
He’s been arrested multiple times for domestic violence. Thanksgiving of 2016 his wife showed up for Thanksgiving dinner with a split lip and a black eye.
In December of 2016 he was again arrested. He was wasted, fighting the cops, screaming he was going to “kill that f****** b****!!!”
The following month, January of 2017, he did kill her. They were partying with two other guys, and he began to feel uncomfortable and paranoid, so he went to bed…leaving his wife alone with those two men he felt uncomfortable with.
He laid down on the bed, on his stomach, with his head on his crossed arms, facing the hallway to the living room where everyone else was, and with his gun in his hand, safety off, and one hollow point bullet in the chamber.
At some point later he heard a noise that caused him to wake up, panic, and fire his gun. And hit his wife.
No one knows whether it was his wife screaming that triggered him, or his gun going off.

So, he tried to give her CPR, but was unsuccessful because she was flat dead. He had hit her femoral artery and she bled out.
So, he covered her up with a blanket and went back to bed.
He hung out at home, all the next day, with his wife’s dead body under a blanket on the floor. The defense tried to sell that as a way to show that he cared about her. He didn’t run. Well….OK. It was enough to evade murder 1, I guess.
His sister in law had been trying to get ahold of her sister all day, but the guy would field the calls and texts, and say she was sleeping, or whatever.
She finally showed up at the house. At first he wouldn’t let her in, but then he did. She walked past the blankets on the floor and accidentally kicked her sister’s foot. She looked under the blanket…and ran screaming out of the house and called 911.
When the police showed up, the first thing he said, as if he was genuinely confused, was “Why are you here?”

Rick said when the guy took the stand he was spacing in and out of reality. They often had to repeat the question. He just wasn’t all there.

Well, I think the jury made the right call, but it has had a profound effect on Rick. He can be surprisingly insightful and sensitive at times. He still surprises me, after 16 years.

Oh, and Rick told me he was super glad to look over and see me. It made him feel good. Didn’t stop him from smirking at me because I had to stand for the jury, which included him. :D

That is one depressing tale.

It is. Very. And there is just too much of it.

the prisons are the principal mental institutions now in the land of the free.

@stanleybmanly Exactly. This never should have happened in the first place if he was getting proper mental healthcare.

@gorillapaws I asked a question here, and on facebook, and some vets answered. They said the help is there, but the person need to ask for it.