Jury Duty

[Aussie Innkeeper]

I've never been called, or summoned, or whatever. I'd love to serve on a jury. I think it would be very interesting, though since I was an insurance adjuster for a gazillion years, I think I'd probably get thrown out of the pool if it were something that involved a liability claim or the like.

 

[gillumhouse]

I've never been called, or summoned, or whatever. I'd love to serve on a jury. I think it would be very interesting, though since I was an insurance adjuster for a gazillion years, I think I'd probably get thrown out of the pool if it were something that involved a liability claim or the like..

I've never been called, or summoned, or whatever. I'd love to serve on a jury. I think it would be very interesting, though since I was an insurance adjuster for a gazillion years, I think I'd probably get thrown out of the pool if it were something that involved a liability claim or the like.

This was criminal - and a cop daughter did not get me tossed. It was mostly BOR-RING!!!

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Before we moved up to the mountains, DW and I had been summoned maybe twice each in the 30 years we lived in a west Denver suburb and raised a family.

Within weeks of moving to the mountains and registering to vote, we both had jury summonses. I asked the court clerk when I showed up the first time, "So, do you have some sort of Fresh Meat list of potential jurors?"

"Oh, no, sir," she replied. "It's absolutely random which citizens get summoned."

We live in a county the size of Rhode Island with fewer than 15,000 permanent residents, so I suppose I should have believed her, but I didn't.

That first time in the County courtroom was illuminating--and so much fun! The judge, a self-important little man with some weasel DNA in his genome, in an effort to incite the jury pool to ever greater heights of civic duty, proceeded to declaim the Gettysburg Address. But the experience got better:
The Voire Dire was worthy of its own reality TV show. Question by the defense attorney to a potential juror:
Q: "Do you know the defendant personally, or have you ever had any contact with him or knowledge of his behavior that might influence your opinion in this case?"
A: "Not really. Him and my scumbag ex-boyfriend used to smoke weed in my trailer, but I never saw him again after my boyfriend slapped me around so I cut him with a steak knife and put him in the hospital."
I would so have loved to have been on that jury, but I was rockin' the mountain-man beard and long hair and wearing a suit--and I forgot to take my earrings out. Neither the defense nor the prosecution was willing to trust me.
--Tom

 

[gillumhouse]

Before we moved up to the mountains, DW and I had been summoned maybe twice each in the 30 years we lived in a west Denver suburb and raised a family.

Within weeks of moving to the mountains and registering to vote, we both had jury summonses. I asked the court clerk when I showed up the first time, "So, do you have some sort of Fresh Meat list of potential jurors?"

"Oh, no, sir," she replied. "It's absolutely random which citizens get summoned."

We live in a county the size of Rhode Island with fewer than 15,000 permanent residents, so I suppose I should have believed her, but I didn't.

That first time in the County courtroom was illuminating--and so much fun! The judge, a self-important little man with some weasel DNA in his genome, in an effort to incite the jury pool to ever greater heights of civic duty, proceeded to declaim the Gettysburg Address. But the experience got better:
The Voire Dire was worthy of its own reality TV show. Question by the defense attorney to a potential juror:
Q: "Do you know the defendant personally, or have you ever had any contact with him or knowledge of his behavior that might influence your opinion in this case?"
A: "Not really. Him and my scumbag ex-boyfriend used to smoke weed in my trailer, but I never saw him again after my boyfriend slapped me around so I cut him with a steak knife and put him in the hospital."
I would so have loved to have been on that jury, but I was rockin' the mountain-man beard and long hair and wearing a suit--and I forgot to take my earrings out. Neither the defense nor the prosecution was willing to trust me.
--Tom.

I cannot talk about mine until after April 4. Will tell then.

 

[Copperhead]

Before we moved up to the mountains, DW and I had been summoned maybe twice each in the 30 years we lived in a west Denver suburb and raised a family.

Within weeks of moving to the mountains and registering to vote, we both had jury summonses. I asked the court clerk when I showed up the first time, "So, do you have some sort of Fresh Meat list of potential jurors?"

"Oh, no, sir," she replied. "It's absolutely random which citizens get summoned."

We live in a county the size of Rhode Island with fewer than 15,000 permanent residents, so I suppose I should have believed her, but I didn't.

That first time in the County courtroom was illuminating--and so much fun! The judge, a self-important little man with some weasel DNA in his genome, in an effort to incite the jury pool to ever greater heights of civic duty, proceeded to declaim the Gettysburg Address. But the experience got better:
The Voire Dire was worthy of its own reality TV show. Question by the defense attorney to a potential juror:
Q: "Do you know the defendant personally, or have you ever had any contact with him or knowledge of his behavior that might influence your opinion in this case?"
A: "Not really. Him and my scumbag ex-boyfriend used to smoke weed in my trailer, but I never saw him again after my boyfriend slapped me around so I cut him with a steak knife and put him in the hospital."
I would so have loved to have been on that jury, but I was rockin' the mountain-man beard and long hair and wearing a suit--and I forgot to take my earrings out. Neither the defense nor the prosecution was willing to trust me.
--Tom.

Thank you Tom, it was worth the read to get the visual! lol

 

[Copperhead]

Whew! Just got notice my postponement was accepted. Not sure when they will pull my number again or if I have been put in a separate holding bin.
I had totally forgotten that we have a wedding booked during the week I had been summoned. That contract was accepted as reason to be excused. Whew. We were panicking.

 

[gillumhouse]

Whew! Just got notice my postponement was accepted. Not sure when they will pull my number again or if I have been put in a separate holding bin.
I had totally forgotten that we have a wedding booked during the week I had been summoned. That contract was accepted as reason to be excused. Whew. We were panicking..

They excused me for the elopement I had scheduled. They ask up front if there are any dates you cannot serve due to doc appt, etc.

 

[gillumhouse]

My panel has been released so I can now say what I was on. It was a murder and involved per the prosecution, burglary and drugs. The defendant was up for murder 1 as being present during an attempted burglary - he was not the shooter. I ended up as Foreman. Had everyone write a verdict before we discussed to see where we stood. Once that part god discussed to agreement we had to do mercy (eligible for parole after 15 years) or no mercy. Verdict decided was guilty with mercy and guilty of the attempted burglary charge (second charge). It was a hellaciously long week.

 

[gillumhouse]

oops