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15x for the first round where I am on call. Never made the lottery so never had to go in.
Last year, I declined. I live about 15 minutes from a county court house. Instead, I was called to serve at a county court that would have required me to make a 3 hour each way commute on public transportation, drive or walk a mile to the train, train to Chicago and 2 buses to the court house. Sorry, that's not going to happen.
LOL. What I always heard was that no one wants a journalist on a jury. Well, I was a journalist the single time i was called and I told them, but they took me anyway. So I kinda doubt a lot of these urban myths about what lawyers want and don't want.
DC residents get summoned every year it seems. I sat on a jury once for an assault and theft case. Took about a month and I would go into work after hours 3 times a week to keep that ship afloat.
The day of the final deliberations, I was told I was an alternate so I was dismissed. I felt: WTF, after all this I don't get to "vote."
Funny thing, as I was leaving the courthouse, both the prosecuting and defense attorneys (acting like buddies) called me and asked what I thought about the case. I said: "can I even talk to you guys? this seems weird" they said, sure it was standard practice. So I told them: "I thought it was a mistake to put the defendant on the stand, he seemed like he was struggling to read a script and sounded like a guilty man; and the defense's case seemed like a dog n pony show."
They, seemingly in cahoots, looked baffled as I walked away. Our legal system could be worse, but...
DC residents get summoned every year it seems. I sat on a jury once for an assault and theft case. Took about a month and I would go into work after hours 3 times a week to keep that ship afloat.
The day of the final deliberations, I was told I was an alternate so I was dismissed. I felt: WTF, after all this I don't get to "vote."
Funny thing, as I was leaving the courthouse, both the prosecuting and defense attorneys (acting like buddies) called me and asked what I thought about the case. I said: "can I even talk to you guys? this seems weird" they said, sure it was standard practice. So I told them: "I thought it was a mistake to put the defendant on the stand, he seemed like he was struggling to read a script and sounded like a guilty man; and the defense's case seemed like a dog n pony show."
They, seemingly in cahoots, looked baffled as I walked away. Our legal system could be worse, but...
some cases they will empanel a few alternate jurors so that if there is a problem with a juror or two, they dont have to call a mistrial and start all over again. when the case goes to the jury, the alternates are dismissed.
as for the attorneys, both sides pretty much know each other because they see each other a lot on a professional basis, and some will see each other socially as well. and it is common practice for the attorneys to speak to the jurors after the case, especially in civil cases, to get the jurors opinions of the case, and why they voted the way they did. it helps the lawyers the next time they are in court. like any good professional they are always looking for ways to improve their game.
Well, I am educated and served on a medical malpractice jury. The rest of the jurors were employed, self-employed or educated as well, so that blows hawkeyes opinion out of the water.
I enjoyed it, but I have to admit that I needed a break from my job at the time. I found the whole process interesting.
We found in favor of the doctors.
In criminal cases it is the prosecutions that wants gullible jurors to follow along with with story of the prosecution, while the defense wants critical thinking jurors to find reasonable doubt.
Being unemployed is not a prerequisite to serving on a jury.
Those lawyers ask all sorts of questions for varying reasons.
What if the case was about a professionally unemployed on welfare person ?
Having a job might bias you.
Being unemployed is not a prerequisite to serving on a jury.
Its why I wasn't picked though. Some time later one of the defense lawyers came in to where I worked. I asked him about it. He said it was because I held a job and if the case drug out they were afraid I would get antsy and blame the defendant for my lost wages.
In criminal cases it is the prosecutions that wants gullible jurors to follow along with with story of the prosecution, while the defense wants critical thinking jurors to find reasonable doubt.
a fairly true general statement, however there are exceptions. for instance one of the first cases i was called for was a drug case, the prosecutor asked us if anyone had any background that might affect our decision. in my case my mother was a registered nurse, so i understood something about drugs that are used in the medical field. but at the time i was also racing in the AHRA, and they had a strict no drugs allowed policy. when these facts were made known by me, both lawyers dismissed me.
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