Juries are notoriously comprised of dolts and clods, especially selected by opposing attorneys. Every effort is made to exclude anyone with strong beliefs or anyone who is well educated. Community business leaders are particularly verboten.
I was in a jury pool one time the Defense counsel was being a real Richard weed. anyone with an IQ over 65 he was disqualifying. when it came my turn to be questioned I asked him if he was going to DQ me because I had a Masters degree, carried a legal firearm, or was Catholic? He got seriously POed and asked the Judge to hold me in contempt. Judge said the only thing being held in contempt was his attitude.
So true. I once had the experience of being called to sit on a federal jury. It was a medical malpractice case being heard by the "Rocket Docket" US District Court in Alexandria and I was looking forward to the experience. But the Voir Dire was eye-opening. The questions seemed to be designed to eliminate anyone with even the faintest modicum of professional expertise in any field. The final jury was composed of young housewives, younger students and feeble elderly folks. One woman who was ultimately selected was prone to disruptive outbursts and gave inappropriate and confrontational answers to the judge. Excepting the latter I don't think these people were dolts and clods, but they seemed ill-chosen for a case that was obviously going to hinge on complex medical and scientific evidence. The group that was struck were almost to a man highly-educated professionals.
Yes...I was struck. But I will humbly admit that I was the last strike, lest my previous comment seem boastful. ;-) Maybe I should have called the judge "Mister Judge"...that seemed to work for one girl.
I've not had the opportunity to do this, but I've been told that to avoid jury duty, just tell 'em I'm an engineer (the truth, in my case).
This is because the last thing anyone wants in a courtroom is a smart person who's used to figuring things out for themselves.