As a judge for nearly 20 years, I have had several situations where a defendant’s constitutional right to a trial by a jury of his peers has been frustrated because not enough people showed up for jury selection. That’s not okay. This judge was being a tyrant, but trying to get out of jury duty is thoughtless and selfish.
The CJ System is a horror and a shame. No one wants anything to do with it.
Rightfully.
I don’t blame them. When the elite can cash out of serving it leaves a very lopsided ‘peers group.
Jury duty can be quite an hardship on a person, especially a high profile case. I don’t blame anyone who would want to avoid that.
When I lived in Florida I got called for jury duty seven times while most of the people in my neighborhood were never called. I won’t go into the details here because it’s long and convoluted, but Florida’s method of going through potential jury pools is absolutely lunatic. And after talking to the state and the county I’m convinced none of those idiots even know how it works.
When we sold our home and moved to another state we had to transfer our driver’s licenses and car titles. Well over a year after we moved my wife got a jury notice sent to our Kentucky address, NOT forwarded. It demanded that she come to Florida for jury duty.
After being called seven times I had my belly full of the whole damn system. I have other complaints about the system that I will not go into here. In Kentucky I can decline jury duty because I am over 70. And that’s just what I’m going to do if called.
I did a three week stint doing jury duty a few years back. There was not enough parking, so I had to park in a sketchy dangerous neighborhood. They had us stay in a room for hours sitting in chairs. I was mainly angry about the parking situation. If you are going to force me to be there, provide safe parking. After that, I ignore summons for jury duty. When summons are sent via postcard by regular mail, they cannot prove you have received it, so it goes in the trash. Currently, the area where the court is has gotten really bad. I have $1000 deductible on my auto insurance, and would have to pay a lot of money if my catalytic converter is stolen.I will not go there.
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God." - Thomas Jefferson
Judge Winston Charles Gilchrist belongs in a cell himself. He abused the legal system to violate a man's rights.
Your personal frustration as a judge about not enough people showing up for jury selection should make you one of the largest supporters of having Judge Gilchrist disbarred and thrown in prison. - Who would ever show up as a juror for such a delusional, ignorant, egotistical, and petty little man ever again?
The word is now out; if you're summoned for jury duty in that court, you need to hire a lawyer.
Who would ever show up for jury duty in that court ever again? Judge Gilchrist is only part of the problem. The entire court that allowed his behavior is complicit in his crime against an innocent juror.