The last thing judges want people to realize is that the judge is little more than a glorified mediator in a jury trial.
Yes, I’d have to say that he had a harder time mediating me. As I recall, this occurred a number of years ago, the judge being really mad said something along the lines of reprimanding me if I based my decision on whether or not a defendant testified or not.
But I was being as honest as I possibly could. I really wasn’t even trying to get out of the duty as this was my first ever call. To me, an attorney asking me to judge the guilt or innocence of a person without actually ever hearing a single word form that person is impossible, at least for me.
Essentially, if I was on trial, and I didn’t get on the stand to state in open court in front of my accuser that I am in fact innocent, then I would know that I was guilty.