Another reason to avoid jury duty.

[edporch]

I've been called for Jury duty three times in my life.
The second and third times I ended up not even needing to go to the courthouse.

The FIRST time was in the mid 1970's in Rensselaer, IN.
I was about 20 years old or so, and home from IU Bloomington to do my jury duty.
My name was third on the list of the jury list, I actually looked forward to serving, so I got called for the first jury trial.

The case was about a college student from the local college, St. Joseph College, who'd sold one hit of microdot to each of two girls who were BIG TIME druggies in the Rensselaer drug scene.
This while the Rensselaer police waited outside.

I knew of these girls enough to know they HAD to have been busted by the local police, and were simply trying to get somebody else in trouble to get themselves out of trouble.
So they set this college student up.
He wasn't some drug dealer, but a kid doing a favor for a couple friends.

The judge told us that we could only judge the guilt or innocence of the Defendant.
We had NO SAY in the sentence.
This kid could be sentenced for up to 20 YEARS in prison at the discretion of the Judge.

I survived the rounds of questioning, and it was clear to me I'd be on the jury to try this case.
It ate at me that this guy about my age could go to prison for 20 years for simply selling a hit of microdot to two druggies from town.

As they were getting ready to end the selection, I stood up and raised my hand and said.
"Your Honor, I don't think I can be fair and impartial in this case."
"I don't believe the punishment fits the crime, and I could never give this guy a guilty verdict and live with myself".

Both of the lawyers went up and spoke to the Judge in private, and I was dismissed.

A FEW days later, I found out they'd Plea Bargained for a sentence of 6 Months on the Indiana State Farm.
A MUCH more reasonable sentence in this case.

I don't know if I had an influence in this, but I think justice was served.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

The last time I received a jury-duty questionnaire, I had indicated that Pharmacy was our family business and that myself and my dad had both been held up at gun-point more than once. One occasion had me and several others held hostage in a back-room when the police showed up while the robber was in the store, and another had my dad and his cashier taken to the back room blind-folded and duct-taped and left laying on the floor (he suffered PTSD for years after that one). I indicated my significant lack of empathy for anyone who would commit those kind of acts.

Not sure if that's what has kept them from calling me up again.

 

[JettaKnight]

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[will fill in later when if I ever get called to jury duty.]

 

[spencer rifle]

Twice for me.
I was kind of surprised I got on any. A lawyer friend told me that since I had a beard they would consider me an anarchist and cut me.

First was a capital murder case - drug ripoff gone bad. They started off with 60 potential jurors, and when selection was over there were two left. I was originally slotted as an alternate - never a more thankless job. Be there every day, pay attention, and when deliberations start, you go home. Then some high-powered executive type convinced the judge that his company could not live without him. He was cut loose and I moved up to the jury. Murder weapon was a Cobray 9mm that we got to pass around (carefully). Drug dealer died of hypovolemic shock. Learned what that is on jury duty. Trial took most of a week, and we were sequestered overnight for deliberations. The only thing we had in common was the trail. The only thing we weren't allowed to talk about was the trial.

A week later we were at the sentencing hearing and were sequestered again. It was that day that a letter arrived at our house from the Red Cross saying I had a positive syphilis test from my last blood donation. My wife couldn't contact me as we were incommunicado, and my homecoming afterward was less that warm. A follow-up letter stated it was a false positive.

The judge congratulated us after it was over on our good work and sensible conclusions.

Second was a civil car accident case, where we had the opportunity to assign percentage of blame. Once the jury was selected (I was on it) there were still a lot of folks left. The judge asked who had work commitments they must attend to. She cut them loose. Then she asked who had family they needed to care for. She cut them loose. Then she asked who just did not want to be there (everyone else raised their hands) She cut them loose.

I had issues with evidence admission on that one. During the trial we saw some photos that helped me decide due to damage that wasn't where it was supposed to be. Problem is, those were not admitted as evidence before deliberations. Never got to see them again.

The last time I was called in fell on a Muslim holiday, and the court closed for the day.

 

[Kutnupe14]

From the article:

"I know that he has been totally rehabilitated," the judge wrote.

"Rehabilitated" from what? The kid didn't even have a criminal record.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

From the article:



"Rehabilitated" from what? The kid didn't even have a criminal record.

Why did "Alice's Restaurant" suddenly pop into my head?

 

[KellyinAvon]

Why did "Alice's Restaurant" suddenly pop into my head?

Do you mean, "You want to make sure I'm moral enough to burn women, kids, homes, and villages after being a litterbug." ?

 

[Trigger Time]

He didnt keep his oath and take his most important civic duty seriously and so he was punished? Oh, heres the worlds smallest violin playing a song for him ><
GOOD!!! Bravo to the judge for doing what was right.
People who lie to get out of jury duty, im sure some who will read this post even, should be jailed for a day too and shamed imo.
Its a crime against every citizen when someone disgraces the jury process. Dislike the government all you want. Being on a jury is your only real way to stick it to the man

 

[Trigger Time]

I served on a jury trial in Crown Point about 10 years ago. The prosecution was inept, in more ways than one. They over-charged the crime, and could not prove the crime charged, even though the facts were not in dispute. We ended up a hung jury, because one little old white granny type couldn't get over her racism. It had to do with a black man and a white women, and 11 of us (both black and white) knew the prosecution had over-charged the young man. He was innocent of the crime they charged him with, but the little granny type was having none of that. Wasted about 4 days of my life (and earnings), but I have to say it was worth it, in the sense we made sure a young man didn't lose 20 years of his life on a bogus charge. On the first vote, we were about evenly split, so it could have gone either way. I don't know if they ever re-tried the young man or not; I hope not, in this case.

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So what you're saying is the jury process worked.
Thats good IMO.
Yeah her views aren't mine or yours, but they are her right to have. This is why it is so important that we all show for jury duty when called. "A jury of their peers".
What if the ones who bucked jury duty were the votes to overide hers? The picks they would have taken instead of her. We will never know.
But the other votes still kept her vote from winning. So the process worked

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Do you mean, "You want to make sure I'm moral enough to burn women, kids, homes, and villages after being a litterbug." ?

Exactly! And "Kid, we don't like your kind, and we're gonna send your fingerprints
off to Washington."

 

[mmpsteve]

So what you're saying is the jury process worked.
Thats good IMO.
Yeah her views aren't mine or yours, but they are her right to have. This is why it is so important that we all show for jury duty when called. "A jury of their peers".
What if the ones who bucked jury duty were the votes to overide hers? The picks they would have taken instead of her. We will never know.
But the other votes still kept her vote from winning. So the process worked

Yes, the system worked in this case, but it was very frustrating that one irrational person could prevent us from reaching the right conclusion, which was innocent (of the crime charged). Very much felt like a "To Kill a Mockingbird" scene, and we jurors took it just as serious as in the movie. It's very sobering to know you have another person's future balancing on your decision. I was very impressed with my fellow jurors, except for the one.

.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Be the type of juror that you would like to have on your trial.

 

[Trigger Time]

Be the type of juror that you would like to have on your trial.

And this sums it up perfectly.

 

[rob63]

Be the type of juror that you would like to have on your trial.

I would want someone that would find me NOT guilty, regardless of the evidence.

 

[Somemedic]

I cant tell you how many candle power I have when I'm illuminating the quint that I drive and pull onto US Rt 6. I can tell you the scene lights alone make it look like I'm driving a stadium but for the love of god you would think it was a stealth bomber... asshats pulling out, not pulling over, trying to crowd me. And somehow the freaking banker was looking for a payday? F him

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I've been called a few times in Delaware county. Never chosen. Evidently Randolph county knows I'm a political scientist, and wants no part of that kind of smartassery.... I'm cool with that.

 

[JettaKnight]

I cant tell you how many candle power I have when I'm illuminating the quint that I drive and pull onto US Rt 6. I can tell you the scene lights alone make it look like I'm driving a stadium but for the love of god you would think it was a stealth bomber... asshats pulling out, not pulling over, trying to crowd me. And somehow the freaking banker was looking for a payday? F him

Can someone translate this? Or explain it's relation to the topic?

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I believe he's stating that ambulances and fire trucks are extremely well lit, and anyone should be able to see one coming.

Read the thread.

 

[JettaKnight]

I believe he's stating that ambulances and fire trucks are extremely well lit, and anyone should be able to see one coming.

Read the thread.

Ah, I see post #20 mentions emergency vehicles. What's a "quint"?






My wife and I were dining on a sidewalk cafe along a busy street in Bulgaria and along came an ambulance. The siren was this almost pleasant tone - not disruptive, but still effective, as drivers readily yielded to it. We could maintain our conversation and no PTSD was induced.


A far cry different from the sirens around here that can break wine glasses, and massive air horns blasting at every intersection they cross.



No critique (well, maybe against obvilious American drivers), just noting the difference.

 

[jagee]

Most recent jury duty experience was federal criminal case. People from all over the Southern District of Indiana had to come to Indy to serve on the jury. I was one of the closest from Lawrence, we had someone from Kokomo, Richmond, Columbus all having to come to indy for an estimated 10 day trial, ended up being only 7 days but still...


This was my case back in April:
https://fox59.com/2019/09/19/founde...y-pharmakon-sentenced-to-33-months-in-prison/