Brag: Just faded jury duty

[wadea]

After probably four hours of questioning and excusing potential jurors, wadea gets called up to sit in seat 14. This is the last seat that stays for trial (12+2, so 2nd alternate juror). Easily 15 people have been excused on preemptory challenges (at the lawyers discussion). If wadea is not excused, he's definitely on the jury for the next eight weekdays. Without lying, wadea recounted previous bad experiences with law enforcement officers and explains that - although he can certainly try - he doesn't expect to be able to impartially evaluate testimony given by cops. District attorney asks the judge to dismiss wadea "on cause", defense defers to the judge and the judge dismisses him. Success! Wadea is the only potential juror excused "on cause".

For some reason, the judge kept wanting to know whether wadea could "try" to be impartial, despite his biases. Wadea basically says he could also try to fly but is unlikely to succeed, although he phrases it differently.

Who else has faded jury duty? Who has interesting stories?

[brazilio]

jury duty rules, you're a [censored] pussy for avoiding it.

[TheDoubleA]

I just told them that I had went to jail for selling drungs on a case that was trying to send a drug dealer to jail.


They let me leave.

[popeye18]

I got called for jury duty once. There was a civil case and a criminal case. The civil case was expected to last 2-3 days while the driminal case was expected to last like 3 months. I was the 49th juror on the civil case and they only went through like 20 people till they picked the jury. I was kinda bummed cause i wanted to be on the jury. I have no idea why i just told that story. Pretty pointless.

[Jeff_B]

jeff_b wonders if you talked in third person the whole time. That would be a great way to avoid jury duty.

[brazilio]

seriously jury duty rules, it's the most fun thing I can imagine ever having to do with regards to civil service. I've only done it twice and it's been a blast both times.

[27offsuit]

[ QUOTE ]
seriously jury duty rules, it's the most fun thing I can imagine ever having to do with regards to civil service. I've only done it twice and it's been a blast both times.

[/ QUOTE ]

You would be a great candidate for Grand Jury Duty, which is even better.

3 weeks of hearing all the cases they have and deciding whether each one goes to trial.

[brazilio]

Well I think most people that actually get picked to do it really enjoy that they did it. Some hippie communist radio show called This American Life on NPR had a section about it from some guys in a courthouse in NY somewhere, who said some type of exit poll they conducted showed well over 90% of people picked to do it thought it was good and they'd do it again if they could.

I dunno how to sign up twice zeejustin style, mebbe I should get a second or third driver's license.

[4_2_it]

I still have never been summoned to jury duty. Closest I came was I received a notice, but the night before when I called in I was told they did not need me. 22 years of eligibility so far.

[wadea]

Wadea has served on a jury before in a domestic abuse case where the accused opted to defend himself. He was a stereotypical guy who would hit his girlfriend and was clueless regarding courtroom procedures and rules. He would directly argue with the witnesses. He also didn't change clothes for the second day of trial. Sadly, the beaten girlfriend was refusing to testify and obviously got herself admitted to the hospital only to avoid testifying. The thing was a circus for two days, after which he reached some plea deal out of court. It was VERY entertaining.

This current case was a convicted felon who had been caught possessing a shotgun and a pistol. The defense attorney was an overmatched noob and was probably going to get his arse handed to him. The fact that it was going to a jury trial suggests that there must be some unusual circumstances, but it didn't show nearly the promise of the first case.