Jail term won't alter juror's defiant attitude [amazing stupidity]

Grand Rapids Press ^ | Friday, April 25, 2003 | Barton Deiters and Doug Guthrie

[FourPeas]

Jail term won't alter juror's defiant attitude

Friday, April 25, 2003By Barton Deiters and Doug Guthrie
The Grand Rapids Press

Every day, defendants leave the downtown court building to head to jail, but Thursday, it was a juror who went to the county lockup.

Brian Scott Lett, a 23-year-old Alto resident who failed to show up for jury duty earlier this month, was hauled before Kent County Circuit Judge Donald Johnston Thursday and found in contempt of court.

Lett was handcuffed and taken to Kent County Jail, where he remains today.

Lett failed to show up for three consecutive days of jury duty starting April 7, then left an obscenity-laced response on the court's answering machine, using the F-word to indicate that he had no intention of serving on a jury.

Johnston said when Lett came to court Thursday, he was abrasive and unrepentant.

"Basically, he said he was too busy to be bothered with jury duty, and he just had a terrible attitude," said Johnston, who said this was the first time he could remember locking up a potential juror for contempt in his 24 years on the bench. "This was the most egregious example of the complete reverse of a sense of civic responsibility."

Johnston said the three-day sentence is largely symbolic -- he could have sentenced Lett to 30 days -- but he hopes the Lowell High School graduate gets the message after his anger passes.

But at least as of Thursday night, Lett had not cooled down.

"I brought money expecting to pay a fine. I never thought I'd end up in jail," Lett said from jail. "It's unfair that they are locking someone up and keeping them from their work because the judge had a bad day."

He said he could not show up because he had no car and it would have cost him $40 to take a cab. He also had to care for his 1-year-old daughter and did not want to miss time at his maintenance job.

Lett's name was called, along with about 100 other Kent County residents, to report for duty at the Kent County Courthouse April 7-9.

When jurors fail to show up for court-appointed duty and court workers cannot reach them by phone to discover the reason for their absence, an order is issued for them to appear before a judge. The judge then is the one asking the questions at a show-cause hearing.

"Typically, the judge makes arrangements at the show cause for the person to serve and it's over," Circuit Court Administrator Kim Foster said. "There may be a fine here and there, but jail time is rare."

Johnston said he has chewed people out from the bench who did not show up and also given out fines.

Lett responded to written and telephone inquiries with two calls to the court, according to Circuit Court Jury Clerk Gail VanTimmeren.

Lett originally responded by leaving an obscenity-laced message on VanTimmeren's voice-mail. "We are willing to consider some reasonable requests for exclusion from jury duty, but we don't consider, '(Expletive) jury duty, bitch,' a statement we can work with," VanTimmeren said.

"We always try to be very solicitous," VanTimmeren added. "His responses were rather nasty. He was reached at his job and he said, 'I'm not coming in.'"

Lett claims he had no idea that his statement was being taped and he did not mean to direct the comment at anyone in particular.

VanTimmeren, who has served as jury clerk for eight years, said most people are hesitant about jury service at first.

"I've had so many tell me there weren't interested in duty until they did it," she said. "At the very least, they say it was interesting. They get a taste of government they haven't had since high school civics class. There's usually a sense of pride when they finish."

Johnston said he hoped Lett would learn the importance of jury duty -- a civic responsibility people have fought and died for.

"I hope next time he is called, he'll show up 15 minutes early," he said.

But Lett is not making the honor roll in this particular civics lesson. He said he would refuse to eat the "nasty" food in jail while he is there through Saturday.

He also said he had no intention of serving on a jury.

"Next time, I'm going to tell them I'm a racist mother------ and get out of it that way," Lett said.

[John Lenin]

The guy voted in an election, thats how they get your name for jury duty, if he's going to vote he should expect something to asked in retun.

[Iris7]

Perhaps you wish to reconsider your earlier remark, "Perhaps you'd be happier somewhere where not so many folks understod (sic) the principles of liberty."

That shoe must be one of yours, because it certainly does not fit me.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"The guy had obviously had piss poor parenting and was an extremely poor judge of limits and boundaries of reasonable behavior. He was over due for being slapped down hard."

Of course! By his contempt for being called in for his government slavery, his anger at the attempted enslavement is perfect proof of his unfitness to be a parent. You and Janet Reno would be in agreement here! Burn down his house for holding more powerful views of human liberty than you do!

"Better now than after he knocks the head off of his child or significant other. I'm just not sure this will be a sufficient lesson from the sounds of things."

When you have no case, the government thug calls the the "accused" an abuser or molester. Anyone who questions government thugs is a wife beater, right?

[Cultural Jihad]

I'm amazed at the number of folks on this board who think jury service is tantamount to slavery. I hope you folks never need a jury to decide on you when its your day in court.

Undoubtedly it's the same professional malcontents who try to claim that speeding tickets constitute a 'Constitutional crisis.'

[1rudeboy]

As an aside, you are not gaining many potential clients here.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"The guards and prisoners experiments of Zimbardo are illustrative."

Powerful stuff. Give a mediocre high-school grad mirrored sunglasses and a ticket book, and he will be goose-stepping over the peons within days.

[pave palestine]

Is April 15th already such a distant memory that you have already forgotten it?

[Atlas Sneezed]

"The guy voted in an election, thats how they get your name for jury duty, if he's going to vote he should expect something to asked in retun."

The poll tax went out years ago.

[John Lenin]

There is a real simple out to being called for jury duty, don't vote.

[neutrino]

I was called once - funny how they didn't select me. I don't suppose it could have had anything to do with the fact that I scowled at the plaintiff and nodded and smiled at the defendent.

Or that I pointedly ignored the proceedings and looked out the window until the lawyers asked their questions. (Grin!)

[Atlas Sneezed]

"There is a real simple out to being called for jury duty, don't vote."

Nice name! Since when is forced labor (on threat of imprisonment) a requirement for civic self-determination?

[Quix]

For sure.

Zimbardo is a quality person.

I wrote asking for copyright release on some net posting and he wrote back very charitably and warmly HIMSELF--not some secretary.

I also liked a sentence or so in a preface to his first rate Psych text.

He talked about how the Nazi war criminals went through extensive testing and were found to be

NOT A BIG DIFFERENT

from the rest of us.

that it's one thing when there are some monsters

OUT THERE.

We can track them down and kill them one by one no matter how big and awful.

But when the monster is within all of us . . .

That's a different order of problem

and a different order of scary

. . . .

as her unroyal lowness,
her hideous heinous--
Bwitch Shrillery illustrates so fully and horribly.

But then,

this is the description of man that
The Bible affirms as reality, too.

[John Lenin]

You do get paid to serve on a jury so the slave labor is a lie. Most big companies even pay your regular salary if you are called for jury duty.

[Cultural Jihad]

Jurors shirkers in chains!

[Steel Wolf]

Wow! You really persuaded me of the righteousness of your position. The fact that cops have the power to make me physically suffer for expressing my principles of liberty is powerful evidenc that their power is rightful! /sarcasm> I'm sure the Warsaw Ghetto Jews would have been equally persuaded.

Well, if the Jews didn't skip jury duty, then they wouldn't have wound up in the Warsaw Ghetto in the first place.

Seriously, are you posting from your militia compound? Do the black helicopters buzzing overhead keep you up at night? Are you writing out a manifesto against Western civilization, capitalism and technology?

Don't you hate the fact that you can't yell 'fire' in a crowded theater? Those statist bastards, infringing on your rights. Perhaps a glorious People's revolution, where the power is consolodated into the hands of the proletariat, where all men are free from jury duty exploitation, would be more to your liking?

No one here is saying that we should have unquestioned obedience to the State, but how on Earth can we function as a society if the law doesn't mean anything?

[judgeandjury]

Lett originally responded by leaving an obscenity-laced message on VanTimmeren's voice-mail.

Lett claims he had no idea that his statement was being taped...

Oh, really?

[Quix]

Not at all.

His language and behavior demonstrate a very low degree of impulse control.

AND,

there's no slavery to a reasonable duty to live in a largely free society.

I didn't consider military service slavery either.

You don't like jury duty--go live in a culture without it.

It's part of the package of BEING AN AMERICAN--especially being an AMERICAN CARRYING YOUR SHARE OF THE LOAD

REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHER JOKERS DO.

I stand by my psychological assessment of the joker even from this distance and this amount of info.

Even though violent acting out is by research findings very hard to predict . . .

I will predict . . .

unless this guy alters his underlying attitudes and ways of being in the world--someone close to him or a store clerk or co-worker or boss down the road is going to be hurting much more than from just the emotional hurts he likely flings right and left with abandon.

My record on such predictions is not flawless but is evidently much above the average of my peers according to them.

[Cultural Jihad]

"Da judge didn't lika our accents! An' dat's why we'sa being hung!"

[patton]

I got called for jury duty twice - when I was a private in the army, serving overseas. I was excused.

Now that I serve on the Selective Service Board, and have degrees in engineering and maths, they don't want me.

[dighton]

As an aside, you are not gaining many potential clients here.

Mbogo, Mbogo, and Mbogo, Attorneys at Law.