Replies

Thanks for the humorous observations about being called for jury duty.

I actually served jury duty, and was on three different juries for two separate call-ups, a number of years ago. I was the foreman (should be fore-person??) for two of the three cases.

I found it to be a fascinating experience. I came away from it feeling that it is VERY IMPORTANT, and that, if I should ever need a jury of my peers, I would hope most of them would be more like me, and less motivated to just collect the $50/day or whatever.

Way back in the day I got called for Petit Jury duty and actually served on 2 trials. Nothing major, just minor crimes that went to trial for whatever reason.

True story: one of the trials I was on was so bad that I hung the jury (the person got a retrial) so I could just get away from the jury foreman.

The individual on trial was driving while impaired, in possession of illegal drugs, and caused some property damage when she crashed. Why this even went to trial I don’t know. God as my witness, during closing argument, her defense attorney said “we don’t deny anything that has been said in this trial, we just ask for mercy for my client”.

So we go back to the jury room and one guy steps up and says he wants to be the foreman. Everybody says OK fine as we figure we’ll be there an hour tops. Oh no, this guy sits everyone down and pulls a copy of the Constitution out of his shirt pocket and starts reading. He says how do we know the cops didn’t plant the stuff? How do we know the cops aren’t lying? I say, “would it be the part where her attorney says they don’t deny any of this?”

8 HOURS LATER, after going back into the courtroom TWICE to have testimony read back, I knock on the door and ask the bailiff how I can get the hell out of here because the foreman is a lunatic. He says you can say the jury is hung, so I did.

I came away with a different take: I determined that I NEVER want to be on trial because the phrase “jury of your peers” is a myth. :-)