Your Jury Duty Story

[DREDger]

I was wondering if any of you have an interesting jury duty story to tell?

Just before Christmas I served as a jury foreman for a capital murder and aggravated robbery trial.  What happened is two guys went to buy drugs from a drug dealer in a 'crack' house if you will.  The defendant knew the drug dealer, and took his pal to the drug house.

Defendant crosses door threshold, then his pal walks in right behind him and shoots the drug dealer right in the head (crime scene photo's were gruesome).  A big melee ensues in the house, one guy dives headfirst out a closed window and escapes barefoot after losing his shoes, another scoots out the back.  Some dudes in the front who had just bought drugs at the house get shot at as they try to leave (their car stalls out, scaring them half to death).

The murderer takes the pistol from the dead drug dealers hand, now has two guns, scoops up drugs and runs for the car.  Nearly shoots his own friends in the car by accidentally firing one of the guns through the car when fumbling with three boxes of drugs and money. 

Anyway in Texas the jury does the sentencing.  We found the guy guilty of aggravated robbery but not capital murder and sentenced him to 25 years in jail.  The murderer who actually shot the drug dealer had already been tried and convicted to life w/o parole.   All of it over about $5,000 in illegal pot and cash.

It was interesting being in a room with 11 other strangers, trying to work out the details and testimony.  (All eyewitness testimony were from people you would NOT want to meet in person I can assure you).

One juror was of the not guilty on both counts for a long time.  However, when she came around to guilty on one count, she's the one that recommended the harshest punishment (she wanted him sentenced to 50 years, more than everyone else).

One guy kept threatening to walk out on the jury because I refused to send a hung jury notice to judge on the second day of deliberations.  Eventually we did send one hung jury notice, to which the judge called us into the courtroom, thanked us for our service, then promptly send us back in to deliberate more.

Another lady, bless her heart, was as dumb as a post and her primary contribution was telling us all we have to decide based on the 'evidence'  (That's pronounced Ayy-veh-dints ya'll.....after about the 10th time she said that, I was biting my lip)

[greens]

all this over weed!? sheesh!! this is why it needs to be legalized and cigarrettes illegalized. seen too many people family and friends die from cigarretes. i quit cigarretes sept 11,09. back to jury duty, i got called once but due to some bad circumstances i got relieved of jury duty in 05'. thank god 

[Jayhawk]

Got a summons to an address I haven't lived at for 3-4 years, returned it making sure to mark I didn't live in the county anymore, got relieved.

Not nearly as exciting.

[DREDger]

all this over weed!? sheesh!!

Yeah, all over weed, and not that much either.

The guy who pulled the trigger though, was a sociopathic nut.  He was actually arrested about 9 months later for robbing/shooting two Mexican guys as they left an apartment (they survived).  He was picked up a short time later, then this case started to break (it had gone cold).  Thank god he is locked up for life, he would have shot you for $1 in your pocket an not thought twice about it.

[Blooz]

Been called to jury duty twice so far.

First time the lawyers came to some kind of agreement just before the jury was to be picked. It counted as duty served and was exempt for seven years.

Second time I missed being called for selection screening by the skin of my teeth. I was bummed at first but then when it was over I found out it still counts as serving. I'm exempt for another eight years now.

[DaCoon]

I usually tell them that I have a brother who is a cop and if they were arrested they're probably guilty as charged. Get excused every time.   

[Maverick]

I've been called twice for jury duty but never chosen. I wonder why........

Frankly I wouldn't mind it at all as it is just a duty of a citizen of the country. If you enjoy the benefits you should be able to "man up" and do your part to support the system you enjoy.

[ROX]

Jury duty in this county is absolute bovine excrement.  It's for a 3 MONTH stint and you can still get called up 2 years later for guess what---a 3 MONTH stint.  Every business day you cave to call a record-a-phone number to see of your group is needed the next day.  It's the only county I know of that asks for so much.

To take the cake---I had a physician's letter of exemption because I have severe spinal injuries (one spinal surgery so far and need two more) and the judge refused to accept it.  Sitting for any length of time on wood benches is torture, I can tell you.

Of the three cases I was chosen for I ended up being booted by the lawers on 2 because I was a former cop and one other because I am licenced by the state in both life and health insurance.

Go flippin' figure.


ROX

[68ZooM]

i had to serve once, in Crook(ed) County Oregon your time on the jury list is 3 months also, call in every sunday to see if your name comes up, mine did so i went down there, there was this older gentleman on trial for riding a bike while drunk, the prosecutor wanted to convict him under a DUI charge, which i felt would make this guy loose his drivers license for 90 days up to a year, plus he would have to pay higher auto insurance, etc etc, when called in for the questions from the prosecutor i basically said that there was no way i would say guilty on a DUI charge, that it sounded more like a drunk in public charge to me, i couldn't see this man losing his drivers license paying higher insurance the mandatory drug testing and all the other things you have to do under the DUI laws for riding a bike drunk, needless to say they cut me loose. The defendants attorney wanted me on the jury lol

[LYNX]

I would love to serve on a jury but I must be on a black list     Closest I got to it was the OJ trial.  Watched most of it on TV 

Was a witness once.  Helped the tosser that burgled my house get 18 months    Not only was he a career criminal he was a career thick twit.   

[Marshal]

I am in the same boat as Lynx. I have never been called for jury duty. I have a theory about it and maybe you guys can weigh in on it and we can see if it holds true. My theory is I am a Navy Veteran and I was thinking veterans have been taken off the list as they have already served their country. My father-in-law is Marine Vet and served during the Vietnam war and he also has never been called for jury duty. I know it is probably a stupid theory, but mine none the less. 

[Scherf]

Was jury foreman on a GBH case, victim was a two-year-old. Whole thing was just sordid.

[68ZooM]

I am in the same boat as Lynx. I have never been called for jury duty. I have a theory about it and maybe you guys can weigh in on it and we can see if it holds true. My theory is I am a Navy Veteran and I was thinking veterans have been taken off the list as they have already served their country. My father-in-law is Marine Vet and served during the Vietnam war and he also has never been called for jury duty. I know it is probably a stupid theory, but mine none the less.  

No i don't think that's it, Ive known a couple people that served in the forces and were called for jury duty, it all goes off voter registration in your county randomly picked by a computer, at least that's how it works in Oregon.

[john9001]

wooden benches? in florida we had big padded swivel chairs.

[Gaidin]

I am in the same boat as Lynx. I have never been called for jury duty. I have a theory about it and maybe you guys can weigh in on it and we can see if it holds true. My theory is I am a Navy Veteran and I was thinking veterans have been taken off the list as they have already served their country. My father-in-law is Marine Vet and served during the Vietnam war and he also has never been called for jury duty. I know it is probably a stupid theory, but mine none the less. 

I wish it worked that way.  I have been called 2x since I got out of the army.  I have never actually had to sit on jury, but I have been eliminated twice.  The first, I had known the person being tried for a couple of years.  The second, was a child molestation case and I was number 17, and they chose all 14 within the first 16 jurors.  I am glad too, cause I don't think I could have handled that trial.