[yarddog]

I was forced to be sedentary for a couple of months back around 1995 and watched a lot of Court TV.

I really was surprised at just how awful some of the jury verdicts seemed to me.

I frankly would love to go before an American Jury if I were guilty and would be scared to death if innocent.

[A. Pole]

I frankly would love to go before an American Jury if I were guilty and would be scared to death if innocent.

Guilty will tend to chose the tactics which are the most advantageous. The innocent will stick to the truth at their peril.

But sometimes the innocent lie to win. I knew one cynical guy who when faced with the prosecution based on the false witness, instead of trying to prove the truth, he just produced another false counter-witness. And it worked!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I got my first jury duty letter this past summer. I immediately called a lawyer friend and asked how I might avoid this burden.
"But you're the kind of guy we need on a jury..." my lawyer said. "If you really want to ditch this, just be a half hour late on the day they pick the jury. They'll have everyone they need and you can go home."
Even though I was on the jury list, I didn't have to show up (another jury pool provided enough jurors). I don't know how I'll react if I get another invitation.

[wildcatf4f3]

thats why I plead tp something I didn't do. The sheriff said that he was going to testify that I had confessed. I hadn't and approached him about it. I said that it wasn't true, that it was a lie. He hooked his thumb in his belt, puffed out his chest and IN THE COURTROOM, in front of the prosecuting att and defending att said, " I don't care". They all looked at me and sain take the plea or you'll go to jail. I swear to God that this is true.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I frankly would love to go before an American Jury if I were guilty and would be scared to death if innocent.

Robert Bork, iirc, made a similar observation about Military courts. He said he would prefer a court-martial if he were innocent and jury if he were guilty.

Despite the article, the OJ jury just shows that juries often decide based on their passions, not the evidence and the law.