High Juror

[Hobbit]

I heard a recent story on the radio and will post a link if I can find a copy of the full story.

There was a criminal trial doing jury selection and they asked if anybody had been convicted of a felony or otherwise would not be qualified as a juror due to past criminal actions. A couple fessed up to felonies they were convicted of after the standard "Have you been arrested? Were you convicted?" line of questions. Before continuing, they asked if anybody else had something to say along those lines. One of the jurors raised his had and said, "I'm on morphine, and I'm high as a kite right now."

 

[Hobbit]

Found it. (wow, that didn't take long).

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/18/shallow.jury.pool.ap/index.html

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) -- Defense attorney Leslie Ballin called it the "jury pool from hell."

The group of prospective jurors was summoned to listen to a case of Tennessee trailer park violence.

Right after jury selection began last week, one man got up and left, announcing, "I'm on morphine and I'm higher than a kite."

When the prosecutor asked if anyone had been convicted of a crime, a prospective juror said that he had been arrested and taken to a mental hospital after he almost shot his nephew. He said he was provoked because his nephew just would not come out from under the bed.

Another would-be juror said he had had alcohol problems and was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover officer. "I should have known something was up," he said. "She had all her teeth."

Another prospect volunteered he probably should not be on the jury: "In my neighborhood, everyone knows that if you get Mr. Ballin (as your lawyer), you're probably guilty." He was not chosen.

The case involved a woman accused of hitting her brother's girlfriend in the face with a brick. Ballin's client was found not guilty.