Jury duty.

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DasBoot

Moderator
As requested, I showed up at 07:45.
After about 2hrs, I was assigned to a judge.
At 10:00, I was told to report to the courtroom at 13:30.
Got there at 13:20, and waited until 14:10 before being called into the courtroom.
There were about 40 jurors.
It was a murder trial.
And it was expected to run into December.
The judge asked us all 3 questions, one of which was "Should a judge over-rule the jurys' verdict if the judge deems it necessary?".
I said "No".
Next question was..."Do you believe in the death penalty?".
I said "Yes".
At this point, all the other jurors were directed out of the room to await private questioning by the lawyers.
Gratefully, I was juror #2, so I went first.
I was politely questioned by both attorneys regarding my stand on the death penalty.
They both wanted to know if, regardless of my feelings on capital punishment, I could still take into consideration mitigating circumstances that may have led up to the commission of the crime ie: drug use, parental abuse, depression, etc.
I told them both that unless it was self defence or blind rage revenge, like walking in on some guy raping your wife/daughter, there are very few excuses for murdering someone, and I would probably be inclined to go with a death sentence.
After a few words from the attorneys, the judge thanked me, said my services would not be needed, and sent me back to the jury pool room.
Once there, I was told I could go home.
And that was that!
So what was accomplished here?
I did my "duty" as a citizen.
Wasted the courts time.
And I'm out $75 bucks because my part-time morning job would'nt pay for my absence.
What a waste of time!
YES!
I believe in the jury system...BUT....
If the courts want you to serve, I think you should be compensated appropriately for your time.
But I'm done now till next time, when I won't get picked again!:rolleyes:
 
state or federal court? you get a daily per diem amd mileage from the feds. double check with the court. it probably won't be the $75 you lost but it could be something
 
If the courts want you to serve, I think you should be compensated appropriately for your time.
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Define appropriately.

Are you agreeable to a tax increase to cover the increased cost?
 
Define appropriately
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I think whatever portion you desire, of the wages you lose, would be fair.
If you want to make it a donation, so be it.
But I don't believe anyone should be forced to incur a financial loss involuntarily.
Besides, the vast majority of people do receive their normal wages from their employer, so a tax would not be needed to cover the relatively few individuals that are not getting reimbursed.
$75 buys a LOT of diapers for my son.
 
the vast majority of people do receive their normal wages from their employer
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That seems like an awfully broad statement - I wonder if that's documented anywhere? Maybe I'll do a search.

so a tax would not be needed to cover the relatively few individuals that are not getting reimbursed.
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No matter how much or how little it costs, the money has to come from somewhere. Either something, somewhere, in the budget gets cut or the taxpayers pay more.
 
If there's enough money around to school and give free medical care to illegals, I'm sure there's a way to pay the few jurors not getting paid by their employer..
Or maybe take the money out of the "New Gym Equipment and Entertainment" budgets for our prisons.
Or give the juror a tax break for the amount decided on.
I take it you think it's acceptable for the gov't to take away a persons wages at any given time, and for an uncertain length of time, every year or so.
How about the person REALLY just getting by financially and they get thrown into a month long trial.
You may think that's right.
I don't.
While I agree with the "jury of one's peers" concept, I also believe a persons' time is worth something.
 
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Is your time worth more than the individual who is on trial for murder? What is he actually IS innocent?

I served on a jury when I was 20 and newly married (read BROKE). I recieved no compensation, because I did not file for it. You know why? Its my duty. Period. Its no different that the NG and Reserve guys in the sandbox right now. Think the majority of those guys are making over there what they were here, not to mention the time away? Most likely not, but they do it because it is their duty.

Reasons such as this is why the United States is in the condition it is currently in. Even Kennedy, the liberal he was, had it right. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
 
You're lucky - you got out without being on the jury. If it does nothing else, the experience of sitting on a jury will make you info a lawful individual. The though of being judged by your "peers" is very sobering, after you've sat in a room and delibertated with them for a day or two. I can tell you from direct experience that some of the people on my jury must have been in a different courtroom than the one I was in - and from all appearances that courtroom was on another planet, possibly in another solar system.
"Peers" aren't entities you want to enage with - and they sure as hell aren't who you want deciding your future.
 
Where's that jury of peers thing in the constitution? Hint: It isn't.

It's an England thing. Rich white lord gets judged only by other rich white lords and to hell with the peasants.
 
Lillysdad hit the nail right on the head! Couldn't have said it any better myself!
 
Sorry, but our government spends money like drunken sailors, and, it's OUR money.

I lost my job this year, thanks to the being called for jury duty. Principal just couldn't see that even though I was never going to be actually called, I couldn't even get to the judge to get out of the situation.

Really, I hated the job, so good for me...

Here's how absurd it was. I used to work, as an intern, in the same court, Martinez, where the trial was called. They brought in about 120 people, for an armed robbery case.
I was a legal intern, prior, in family law, and, knew the judge. I've got a Juris Doctrate Degree. My girlfriend used to intern in the same courts, and, was a very close friend of the judge.

This little judge is famous, as are many of the Martinez judges, for making up their own law. One of the voir dire
questions was something like,

"The defendant used a firearm in a prior felony conviction for armed robbery. Would the use of a firearm prejudice you, and make it impossible for you to render an honest verdict?"

The absurd part is, with this question, she prejudiced the entire jury pool, sitting their watching, against the defendant. Also, the beautiful, but stupid and young public defender let her ask that question, or, perhaps she was brilliant, and intended to bring judicial misconduct as a reason to overturn a guilty verdict, later.

A defendant's priors are usually only admissible if it goes to pattern, serial rapist etc. Here, the judge had allowed the entire jury pool to know of the defendant's prior conviction...:rolleyes:

God took a part, and, the flu that had pretty much flattened me for a month, got the judge.
They had to start a new jury pool, with a different judge, because the judge couldn't talk, or get to court.

S
 
Its no different that the NG and Reserve guys in the sandbox
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Unless I'm mistaken, they volunteer for duty.
When they join, they know exactly what they are getting into.
You did your duty.
So did I.
I just don't think people should FORCIBLY be put in a position to lose wages, or, in Socrates case, lose his job.
As for peers, I know I certainly wouldn't want some guy judging me if he was pissed off about being there.
 
Lillysdad has it correct.

It's called Jury Duty precisely because it is a duty of citizenship in this country.

In a perfect world, one would not suffer a financial hardship because one is exercising a civic duty. We all know this world isn't perfect, however. We live with it and perform our duty, nonetheless.

Heist said:
Where's that jury of peers thing in the constitution? Hint: It isn't.

It's an England thing. Rich white lord gets judged only by other rich white lords and to hell with the peasants.
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You've got it partially correct. A trial by a jury of your peers is from English Common Law. Our Founders took it one step further, when writing the 6th Amendment:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed...

They desired an impartial Jury, instead of simply "one's peers." They knew full well of the injustice of adjudicating crimes committed by the wealthy and the connected by the wealthy and connected would thwart justice. They also knew that the English system was often abused when trials were held in districts other than the one in which the crime was committed.

All in all, our system offers even the common man a better chance for justice than the older common law system. So while we may use the same phrase found in England, it is most definitely not the same.
 
+2 on liliysdad; I think this is one of those times where Freedom isn't Free, yeah a cliche, and being a citizen carries a responsiblity and a duty. Like carrying concealed, (the gun part).

The three times i was summoned there was allways a question of availability, could I do it, not sick, not financially burdened or a good reason why I couldn't serve on a jurry. And if there was a reason why I couldn't, call the court clerk.

I was summoned for the Grand Jury in Fairbanks. That is one $400 round trip to Anchorage and one more $250 round trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks. I called the court clerk and said I couldn't serve at this time.

The other two times, one I wasn't picked by random draw and the other time I knew the defendant, in my collage major and most of my clases. He was cought fishing w/out a license. He saw me in the jury pool, and made a plea, I went home. :D And that was in another galaxy a long time ago.
 
Heist, there was an implication within your post (IMO). I simply clarified that unsaid implication. Nothing else was meant.
 
Maybe you got lucky Dasboot, maybe not.
Only served once, drunk driving case, his 3rd time so it was a felony.

Was in the winter 30 miles of snowy mountain dirt road each way for me, it had been plowed but only had to make 3 trips. I think they paid me 25 or 30 cents a mile and about $10 a day. Money would of been a problem if would have lasted weeks but as it was I am glad for the experience.
 
socrates- if you got canned from being called for jury duty you can go after your employer for damages. No different than a guard guy getting called up. if they can you because you got called away to a federal duty, the feds will go after them.

SW
 
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