Karma is so sweet. Called for United States District Court jury duty

DLam said:
I served on the Grand Jury for Lexington County, SC in 1986... was an alternate juror, and during the seating process one of the jurors was dismissed, so I was called up right off the bat... served on the GJ for a year, 2 days every month... at the end of the year, 6 of the 18 jurors are held over for a second year to maintain continuity of the jury... well, I landed a second year of 2 days a month...
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Dadgum. Not only should you be exempt for the rest of your life, you should be exempt in your next life too.
 
SPST said:
No, you're supposed to be an active participant in our society. But, it seems these days everything and everyone is all about me, me, me.
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It is about MY MY MY, not me me me.

My family.
My income.
My responsibility as a parent, husband, and primary provider.

I don't really care who has a problem with that.
 
Scott Free said:
It is about MY MY MY, not me me me.

My family.
My income.
My responsibility as a parent, husband, and primary provider.

I don't really care who has a problem with that.
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I sat on a jury about 4 years ago during a capital offense case. The defendent was an evil douchebag that had a repetitive violent history.

The defendant was black and so were about 6 or 7 fellow jurors. The victim in the case was also black. When we were handed the case to start jury deliberations, our jury foreman turned to me at the beginning and asked me for the first verdict.

I proudly laid out my position to all of my fellow jurors. It didn't take long. They all agreed with my verdict. Every single one.

I felt, my fellow jurors felt, the victim felt, and the LEO officers involved in the case felt, that the proper justice was served when our verdict was announced in that courtroom that day.

The criminal on trial in my case was a habitual felon, who at one point in the past, had shot a guy in the face at point blank range completely blowing off his lower jaw. The victim survived.

I elected to send that completely useless POS away for the rest of his life with no chance of parole. My fellow jurors agreed with me.

Did I enjoy being there in court for two weeks? The answer is absolutely not. Did I feel proud to have assisted in getting a repeat violent offender off the street for the rest of his life? You bet your ass I did.

I also felt very good when we all reentered the courtroom to deliver our second verdict that was the handing down of the life sentence for this turd on trial. I made eye contact with the victim. The defendant attempted to murder her by shooting up her apartment one night while she was home alone.

When her eyes and mine met, I flashed a quick grin and she smiled. Then we sent him away forever.

Had he got off, he would have killed this young woman. I was determined to not let that happen and I was fully prepared to start a shit storm in that deliberation room had I met resistance. Fortunately, we were all on the same page.

That is why everyone should do their duty and serve on a jury if chosen. Sure, we all feel relieved when we are not chosen for a case. But if you are chosen, you should serve. Not only may you be responsible for rightfully putting a scumbag away, you also may be responsible for saving an innocent person from a wrongful conviction.

That's my take anyway.
 
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My first experience in a court room was during a unit study of the justice system in the 8th grade. We were in the gallery watching a murder trial. A man had killed a woman and threw her body off the side of a mountain.

My second one was when I got caught doing 57 in a 35 mph zone. My lawyer got the judge to drop it to 55 in a 35. I was 18 for that one.

Haven't seen a court room since.

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Picked off the street for jury duty (or Walmart)?
This happened here years ago, and created a big stink, but legal, when a judge sent deputies to the Asheville Mall and forced people to report to the courthouse for jury duty immediately. Couldn't find any coverage for Asheville, but it also has happened in Shelby.
SHELBY, N.C. -- Michael Kanz was pushing a grocery cart toward the checkout lane at the Wal-Mart Supercenter here when a woman wearing a gun walked up and told him to follow her orders -- or face the consequences.

It wasn't a mugging, but a jury summons to report to court within an hour. And it's a perfectly legal way some judges have in recent years been getting jurors at the last minute.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1029790947613016555

Not sure I could be impartial after that, with my ice cream out in the car melting.
 
I got summoned once, when they found out I was self employed and my wife was home schooling five children I was told I wasn't needed.
 
Plott Hound said:
Picked off the street for jury duty (or Walmart)?
This happened here years ago, and created a big stink, but legal, when a judge sent deputies to the Asheville Mall and forced people to report to the courthouse for jury duty immediately. Couldn't find any coverage for Asheville, but it also has happened in Shelby.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1029790947613016555
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I'd HATE to be judged by the average WM shopper!
 
Been summoned a few times for jury duty but only had to report once. Jury selection was going to start after a lunch break but an plea agreement was reached and I was dismissed.
 
I served on a jury for a civil trial for 4 days. Medical malpractice case. All the evidence was presented and we were sent to deliberate. Before we got started I decided to the bathroom. By the time I got back my fellow Jurors had voted me foreman. My advice if you are serving on a jury do not go to the bathroom until a foreman is chosen. LMAO :D
 
I served on two juries last year that actually went to trial. Pretty open and shut cases....nothing worth a blurb on the back page of the paper. But the process was interesting for sure
 
mj1angier said:
No but when the judge, lawyers, cops, and janitor can make a normal wage then, so should a juror!
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Jury duty should pay the same wage one's day job pays. Or better yet, every juror should make at least what I do each day. If that were the case few would be trying to dodge jury duty.
The fact that jury duty pay doesn't even cover the cost of lunch, and that financial hardship is not an acceptable excuse, most people can't afford to serve jury duty.
But if Jury Duty paid wage. They'd show up. I'm an engineer with nearly 30 years experience. So most can guess that range.
 
My wife has jury duty today (your tomorrow). Unfortunately she found out too late that a medical disability waiver must be sent electronically, two weeks minimum prior to service. It is going to be a very painful day for her if she can't keep her feet up. I don't think any judge will keep her on a jury. Neither side wants a person on the jury that can't listen due to the increased pain and swelling caused by sitting with feet down for 8 hours. She'd have to taken to her car in a wheel chair after a day of that.
 
fishgutzy said:
Jury duty should pay the same wage one's day job pays. Or better yet, every juror should make at least what I do each day. If that were the case few would be trying to dodge jury duty.
The fact that jury duty pay doesn't even cover the cost of lunch, and that financial hardship is not an acceptable excuse, most people can't afford to serve jury duty.
But if Jury Duty paid wage. They'd show up. I'm an engineer with nearly 30 years experience. So most can guess that range.
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Yep I got my check last thursday. 12.00. Lunch I had downtown was 13.50 + tip :)
 
She was told that medical documents have to be submitted electronically a minimum of two weeks ahead.
I tools hheret to tell the judge that unless they have wheelchair service to the garage that she can't sit with her feet down all day. [emoji6]
Button Pusher said:
Hope they will excuse your wife once she checks in with her medical documents.
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fishgutzy said:
Jury duty should pay the same wage one's day job pays. Or better yet, every juror should make at least what I do each day. If that were the case few would be trying to dodge jury duty.
The fact that jury duty pay doesn't even cover the cost of lunch, and that financial hardship is not an acceptable excuse, most people can't afford to serve jury duty.
But if Jury Duty paid wage. They'd show up. I'm an engineer with nearly 30 years experience. So most can guess that range.
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I'll play devil's advocate here. Where's the money for this going to come from?

.
 
Gator said:
I'll play devil's advocate here. Where's the money for this going to come from?

.
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I know that would never happen. So it was really Just a fantasy.
Funny thing is that people who say healthcare is a right don't seem to realize that means giving gov't the power to compel a citizen to provide that service for as little as the gov't can. Jail or $12 a day. Same as jury service.

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Gator said:
I'll play devil's advocate here. Where's the money for this going to come from?
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All the speed traps? Civil forfeiture? Seizure of criminal properties?

If you're implying "taxes", it would seem that there are other revenue avenues historically pursued by the various jurisdictions.
 
Why not make jury duty a paid leave that your employer picks up? I bet that would cut way down on people trying to get out of it.
 
That doesn't work for the self employed.
How Many of the OJ jurors had to file bankruptcy?
My employer sort of covers it. I still have to get my work done.
Former employer, full pay no matter how long the trial went, didn't have to make up time but if I had a project deadline it was wise to go in after hours.
In my current job I'm pretty sure they'd stop paying after a month if I got in a sequestered jury. Again, financial hardship, going bankrupt, losing ones home are not considered valid excuses to be released from jury duty.
SPST said:
Why not make jury duty a paid leave that your employer picks up? I bet that would cut way down on people trying to get out of it.
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Been called twice, once never made it out of the hellish waiting room. The other time made it voir dire in a personal injury case, rear-end MVC, one of the attorneys asked me what I did for a living, I told them I was a surgery-trauma ICU nurse and paramedic, and they excused me.

My SIL went to Greensboro for a federal trial, pretty interesting, high-stakes, multi-state drug trafficking. I think she was there a couple days before the prosecutor arranged some sort of deal.

With my luck I will get an OJ-type of trial.
 
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