how do you feel about jury duty?

[Baruch Menachem]

I loved it. Of course, I got some really good cases, so that colors my view.

And the pay is nonsense. Back before the days of hyper inflation, the pay was very good, it just never kept up. I read that in the 1920's Jury pay was 10 per day when standard wages were $4 per day. Folks used to hang out in front of the court house hoping to get called, they were called "professional veniremen" and that is one of the reasons cases moved with such dispatch back then, the judges, lawyers and jurors all knew each other, and since both sides knew who the better veneiremen were, and had an interest in making the process go quickly, you could finish jury selection in an hour. The last case I was in, the process took two days.

 

[alan1]

Did jury duty just out of high school.

Local guy murdered his 60-some-year-old neighbor lady for a few bucks.

It was very intimidating, as I was by far the youngest on the jury. The process, while interesting, was also tedious. But I found the forensics part fascinating.

I guess you didn't have to look at 8X10 glossy photo's of a guy sliced up with box cutter then beaten with a hammer because he wasn't dying quick enough.
Yeah, the case I sat on was that brutal.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Did jury duty just out of high school.

Local guy murdered his 60-some-year-old neighbor lady for a few bucks.

It was very intimidating, as I was by far the youngest on the jury. The process, while interesting, was also tedious. But I found the forensics part fascinating.

I guess you didn't have to look at 8X10 glossy photo's of a guy sliced up with box cutter then beaten with a hammer because he wasn't dying quick enough.
Yeah, the case I sat on was that brutal.

Definitely. This was a very traumatizing experience.

 

[Phoenix]

I guess you didn't have to look at 8X10 glossy photo's of a guy sliced up with box cutter then beaten with a hammer because he wasn't dying quick enough.
Yeah, the case I sat on was that brutal.

No, I didn't have to see that much.

The forensics I saw was relatively innocuous, which is why it was fascinating. This case wasn't brutal - just a stupid waste of a human life for a few measly dollars so the guy could get a few bucks to buy more alcohol.

 

[alan1]

Did jury duty just out of high school.

Local guy murdered his 60-some-year-old neighbor lady for a few bucks.

It was very intimidating, as I was by far the youngest on the jury. The process, while interesting, was also tedious. But I found the forensics part fascinating.

I guess you didn't have to look at 8X10 glossy photo's of a guy sliced up with box cutter then beaten with a hammer because he wasn't dying quick enough.
Yeah, the case I sat on was that brutal.

Definitely. This was a very traumatizing experience.

Had it been an actual adult that committed such a horrendous act, it might not have been as emotionally difficult for us. Like I said earlier, I'll never sit on a jury like that again. I'd rather be found in contempt of court than put myself through that.

 

[NOBama]

I was recently called for jury duty. I called the number listed on the notice and asked how I could be expected to judge someone else while I'm being denied my Constitutional rights and Due Process of law in the family court system.

I got a return call a few hours later informing me that I was dismissed.

People should pay closer attention to the family court system, especially men. It's the model they're going to use to take YOUR rights. It's not IF, but WHEN.

 

[Korimyr the Rat]

I'd be perfectly willing to serve jury duty, but I doubt I'd ever be allowed to. Between everything I think I ought to be legal and everything I think ought to be capital, they'd never let me sit anywhere near a jury box.

Funny thing is, though I've been registered to vote for ten years and I've always kept my current address on file, I have never, ever been called for jury duty.

 

[tigerbob]

someday i will figure out how jurors are selected...

my husband has petit jury duty in the western district. he was to call in may 4th or the friday precending after 5 pm....we call....dont report but call back next friday...say what? petit jury is a 3 week time period..now bear in mind, we are about 1.45 mintues from asheville....so we call friday...call back this tuesday after 5 pm...what are the chances we are gonna remember this stuff...

so do you do jury duty or do you do your best to get out of it?

myself, i do it....i was so happy when they took the little old lady in front of me....i got credit for doing nothing...but i got a 2 year pass...which apparently if you do jury duty for any the state or local....you get a free 2 pass from both. i have been called twice since we have lived here....my husband has served and been called more than 8 times....my son has been called 3 times but has moved out of the county.

I did jury duty 20 years ago in England - all the lawyers (called Barristers over there) and the judge wore white wigs, just as they've done for hundreds of years. 2 cases in 2 weeks - one burglary, one indecent assault. We convicted on the first (we were so unsure about finding him guilty, then after the verdict the clerk of court read out a string of priors as long as your arm), and acquitted the second for lack of evidence, even though we suspected he was probably guilty.

It's not like it is on L.A. Law. Trial Attorneys are nothing like as quick witted as TV would have us believe, LOL. Worthwhile experience, even though it was a complete pain taking 2 weeks off work.

 

[Care4all]

I have been called only twice, once in my youth, I showed up but they did not use me and once just a couple of years ago for a domestic battery case and I got to serve as a juror...it was cool. we had alot of facts presented and we ended up finding the guy not guilty, believe it or not.

I enjoyed it the last time, when i got picked as a juror.

 

[Care4all]

Oh, and every person on the jury was intelligent....none were losers as described earlier by some....

The idea of a jury of your peers, is that they can view the crime in an unbiased manner that those that KNOW the law can't....the law should be viewed from the perspective of the person on trial not by the view of those charging him....at least that is my understanding?

 

[RodISHI]

personally, I believe we should move to a professional jury system.

People trained in logic and legal procedure representing an unbiased cross section of the population would be better jurors than some Podunk redneck with a 5th grade education or a person who resents the fact that he has to take days weeks or months out of his life to sit on a jury.

I'm insulted by that 5th grade remark. Some of us "Podunk redneck" "dumb ass hicks in the sticks" do not like the idea of giving up time to a corrupt legal system that won't even pay for the cost of the gas to drive into town.

The concern from my perspective would be is the "professional jury" made up of non-biased people? How would you be able to prevent "special interest groups" from infiltrating the system? Many judges to day are not there on the bench to insure justice. They were put there to insure they cover someone's ass.

 

[AVG-JOE]

O am offended that they pay jurors so little for that service, to be frank.

You make a very valid point, O.

Especially here in America.

-Joe

 

[AVG-JOE]

personally, I believe we should move to a professional jury system.

People trained in logic and legal procedure representing an unbiased cross section of the population would be better jurors than some Podunk redneck with a 5th grade education or a person who resents the fact that he has to take days weeks or months out of his life to sit on a jury.

Just make sure there are a shitload of professionals. Pretty close to 'everybody' should have their opinion so valued.

-Joe

 

[Gunny]

Here in Waldo County it is not untypical for a juror (I think it's like $21 buck a day) to come out of the court to discover that they have parking tickets with fines which exceed their daily pay.

Meanwhile the judges and lawyers are making huge bucks.

Screw that.

We get $6 from the county. It costs $7 to park anywhere near the courthouse.

 

[Gunny]

personally, I believe we should move to a professional jury system.

People trained in logic and legal procedure representing an unbiased cross section of the population would be better jurors than some Podunk redneck with a 5th grade education or a person who resents the fact that he has to take days weeks or months out of his life to sit on a jury.

and that was directed to whom? or just in general....how many companies allow you to turn in your juror's pay then pay you ..your regular pay?

One state at least that I looked at makes your employer pay you your hourly rate for up to two weeks, IIRC. It's Vermont or CT, can't remember which.

 

[Gunny]

Jury duty sucks but I view it as a civic duty to do as a citizen when called to serve.

I don't. I consider it a control issue. The amount of taxes I pay more than covers my "civic duty", IMO. It's just more of the government intruding on your personal life.

Fortunately for me, I'm such a mean, redneck looking bastard I always make the first cut!

 

[AVG-JOE]

Jury duty sucks but I view it as a civic duty to do as a citizen when called to serve.

I don't. I consider it a control issue. The amount of taxes I pay more than covers my "civic duty", IMO. It's just more of the government intruding on your personal life.

Fortunately for me, I'm such a mean, redneck looking bastard I always make the first cut!

I hear you brother... but... If taxpayers were given the option to opt out of jury duty, wouldn't "public opinion" be skewed? If not the taxpayers obligation to reign in frivolous lawsuits, lawyers (politicians in training) and insurance companies, whose is it?

The rest of society?!?!?!

-Joe

 

[AVG-JOE]

personally, I believe we should move to a professional jury system.

People trained in logic and legal procedure representing an unbiased cross section of the population would be better jurors than some Podunk redneck with a 5th grade education or a person who resents the fact that he has to take days weeks or months out of his life to sit on a jury.

and that was directed to whom? or just in general....how many companies allow you to turn in your juror's pay then pay you ..your regular pay?

One state at least that I looked at makes your employer pay you your hourly rate for up to two weeks, IIRC. It's Vermont or CT, can't remember which.

Good for The People of the Great State of Vermont!!!

High-5!, Atta-Boy! &

What's up with the rest of us?

"This is why we look stupid from space" This is why there's no tourists spending Credits here?

-Joe

 

[Xenophon]

Never been called, fill out the questioner every two years though.

 

[Care4all]

Every corp that I worked for payed your regular pay, when on jury duty up to 3 days, as a benefit, so the money from the gvt didn't matter