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Jury Duty: Service or Servitude??

Working people ? Those are usually the ones who are pissed off being stuck on a jury and they ask themselves, why am I here and they stare at the defendant and then the DA.

At least that's what happens to me when I'm stuck on jury duty.

I would suggest that juries be made up of retired grumpy old men and women who serve one year on a jury being paid at $200 per day.


What's the difference between being tried by a judge and tried by 12 justice system employees?
 
Unemployed people should get first crack. People with real jobs don't want the hassle, and unemployed people like the idea of getting paid for relatively easy work.
 
I served on a murder trial a couple of yrs ago.
Quite interesting but scary,the lack of regard for human life was
rediculous.

Ambush a guy in broad daylight,nobody saw anything(ha)

A man from out of state & a woman in rental house were the only ones to come forward.
Thankfully the 25 yr old perp is doing 60 yrs in the state pen.

I was stuck on a criminal trial jury. I tried my best to get out of it.

When they brought the defendant out in shackles when they were to start selecting the jury I noticed he was Latino. Then I heard him speaking to his lawyer in Spanish.

Ding ding ding. I saw my way out of jury duty. While the judge was asking the usual questions, are you prejudice ? If you lose your job because you're serving on the jury will you be able to find a job within a few years ? The typical questions. I rose and told the judge that I look at all illegal aliens who entered the country illegally to be criminals and if it comes out during the trial that the defendant is an illegal alien it could influence my decision during the jury deliberations.

It didn't work.

So I told the judge that I was scheduled to stand post on the Arizona and Mexican border with the Minutemen armed with my .45, binoculars and cell phone.

It didn't work.

The defendant is still sitting in Folsom prison today.
 
I had a conversation with a friend who has been called for jury duty. She is not happy about it and is trying to come up with any excuse she can to get out of it. Her reason was that she does not want to be involved with making such decisions that effect the lives of strangers. I do not understand this attitude. My comment to her (to which she has not responded), was "..how would you feel, if it were you on trial and no one wanted to serve on your jury?..." I've always felt it my civic duty and I've never tried to get out of it.

I open this up to ask how you feel about serving on a jury, and why?

I'd do everything I could to try and avoid it if I got called. My company doesn't pay if I have jury duty, and the court doesn't pay nearly what my job does. I'm not willing to lose money to do my 'civic duty'.

And I think that's one of the biggest problems with the way we pick jurors in this country. The law doesn't require your company to pay your salary when you're on jury duty, and the court doesn't even pay minimum wage, so no one wants to do it, unless they're retired, unemployed, or they work for one of the few companies that does offer paid time off for jury duty.
 
In scenario #1. the judge passes judgement.

In scenario #2, the jury passes judgement.

If they're professional employees of the state and specifically the justice system, it's not peers; it's government owned juries. Put twelve judges on the juries, is that the same as a trial by peers?
 
I'd do everything I could to try and avoid it if I got called. My company doesn't pay if I have jury duty, and the court doesn't pay nearly what my job does. I'm not willing to lose money to do my 'civic duty'.

And I think that's one of the biggest problems with the way we pick jurors in this country. The law doesn't require your company to pay your salary when you're on jury duty, and the court doesn't even pay minimum wage, so no one wants to do it, unless they're retired, unemployed, or they work for one of the few companies that does offer paid time off for jury duty.

I'm in agreement with this!
3 day trial I got $36 & paid $10 for parking.

Needless to say I had to take 3 vacation days.:cry:
But it was quite interesting being on the jury!
 
I had a conversation with a friend who has been called for jury duty. She is not happy about it and is trying to come up with any excuse she can to get out of it. Her reason was that she does not want to be involved with making such decisions that effect the lives of strangers. I do not understand this attitude. My comment to her (to which she has not responded), was "..how would you feel, if it were you on trial and no one wanted to serve on your jury?..." I've always felt it my civic duty and I've never tried to get out of it.

I open this up to ask how you feel about serving on a jury, and why?

I have the same view you do. I actually served on a jury once, I was picked as an alternate (they don't tell you until the end) but you sit through the whole case and leave before jury deliberations. Was a pretty eye opening experience.

You are spot on though...as the judge told us when we were sitting in the jury box our justice system doesn't work without a pool of potential jurors to pull from. It's definitely a duty.
 
I'm in agreement with this!
3 day trial I got $36 & paid $10 for parking.

Needless to say I had to take 3 vacation days.:cry:
But it was quite interesting being on the jury!

Yeah, it's a ****ty system. My wife was just on jury duty like 6 months ago and she was there for 4 days (2 of which were deliberation because of one stubborn old lady). She got paid a sum total of $145 for those 4 days of jury duty, which is a good bit less than she makes in one day at her job. She wasn't happy.
 
If they're professional employees of the state and specifically the justice system, it's not peers; it's government owned juries. Put twelve judges on the juries, is that the same as a trial by peers?

As long as the jurist aren't unionized, I don't think there would be a problem.

Aren't jurors already being paid by the state or county when they are sitting on a jury during a trial ?

I've sat on more than a few juries and believe me, there are some really stupid people sitting on juries.

Criminal trials are pretty much no brainers. But remember the jury foreman during the OJ murder trial ? After the trial he said he couldn't understand this DNA thing.

Civil trials can get pretty complicated, you can't have open space in your skull housing group if you're sitting on a jury.

Look at what California is about to do, allow non-citizens to sit on juries.

I hate sitting on a jury.
 
She got paid a sum total of $145 for those 4 days of jury duty, which is a good bit less than she makes in one day at her job. She wasn't happy.

That's one of the reasons when I'm stuck on a jury, being compensated two cents to the dollar I would be making, I look around who is responsible for me being here ?
 
I am exempt from jury duty. In fact, I cannot serve on a jury even if I wanted to because of my job in the legal profession. That said, I see both sides to it. Some don't mind it and like being off work; some do not want to do it and it can be a real issue with their employers because of the length of jury duty (a month in my area) and the inability to plan your life that month, let alone your work schedule since you will not always know when you have to report until short order. I personally would have a harder time sitting on a civil jury than a criminal jury because of the damages issues.

Thank you for the comment. Question, do you feel Jury Duty in general is a privilege, or just painful?
 
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I'd do everything I could to try and avoid it if I got called. My company doesn't pay if I have jury duty, and the court doesn't pay nearly what my job does. I'm not willing to lose money to do my 'civic duty'.

And I think that's one of the biggest problems with the way we pick jurors in this country. The law doesn't require your company to pay your salary when you're on jury duty, and the court doesn't even pay minimum wage, so no one wants to do it, unless they're retired, unemployed, or they work for one of the few companies that does offer paid time off for jury duty.

What would your position be on the subject of Jury Duty , if you were on trial?
 
What would your position be on the subject of Jury Duty , if you were on trial?

I would hope for a jury that is truly of my peers, not merely of people who couldn't come up with a good excuse not to be there.
 
I had a conversation with a friend who has been called for jury duty. She is not happy about it and is trying to come up with any excuse she can to get out of it. Her reason was that she does not want to be involved with making such decisions that effect the lives of strangers. I do not understand this attitude. My comment to her (to which she has not responded), was "..how would you feel, if it were you on trial and no one wanted to serve on your jury?..." I've always felt it my civic duty and I've never tried to get out of it.

I open this up to ask how you feel about serving on a jury, and why?

i don't like the idea. i have a conscience and a lot of empathy, so that potentially translates to guilt and questioning whether or not i did the right thing. however, i don't try to get out of it anymore, because empathetic jurors are a good thing.

i recently almost got picked; made it to jury selection, and when i learned exactly what the individual was being tried for, i realized i couldn't be on the jury. the defense was asking the question, "if the defendant does not testify, could you still be objective?" in this case, the answer was absolutely no. an innocent person falsely accused of this particular crime would absolutely testify, and would probably stand up and testify right there during the jury selection and then be tossed out for contempt of court. the day dragged on and on, and then we finally broke for lunch. the defendant made a deal during lunch, and we went home after sitting there for an hour and a half while the deal was made.

it was a lousy day. they talked to us like we were elementary school kids, and gave the same information over and over to each juror when just saying it once would have sufficed. a procedure that should have taken two hours took all day. that being said, it's absolutely a civic duty, and if called, i'll go again. if picked, i'll reluctantly serve. but if they ask me a question about my objectivity , i will answer honestly whether it disqualifies me or not.
 
Jury duty isn't a privilege, but a necessary task. I've been called for jury duty 4 times, but got out 3 times because I was moving out of the area (coincidence), and I went in when I was next called.
 
I had a conversation with a friend who has been called for jury duty. She is not happy about it and is trying to come up with any excuse she can to get out of it. Her reason was that she does not want to be involved with making such decisions that effect the lives of strangers. I do not understand this attitude. My comment to her (to which she has not responded), was "..how would you feel, if it were you on trial and no one wanted to serve on your jury?..." I've always felt it my civic duty and I've never tried to get out of it.

I open this up to ask how you feel about serving on a jury, and why?
I was called and didn't attend. **** them.
 
i don't like the idea. i have a conscience and a lot of empathy, so that potentially translates to guilt and questioning whether or not i did the right thing. however, i don't try to get out of it anymore, because empathetic jurors are a good thing.

i recently almost got picked; made it to jury selection, and when i learned exactly what the individual was being tried for, i realized i couldn't be on the jury. the defense was asking the question, "if the defendant does not testify, could you still be objective?" in this case, the answer was absolutely no. an innocent person falsely accused of this particular crime would absolutely testify, and would probably stand up and testify right there during the jury selection and then be tossed out for contempt of court. the day dragged on and on, and then we finally broke for lunch. the defendant made a deal during lunch, and we went home after sitting there for an hour and a half while the deal was made.

it was a lousy day. they talked to us like we were elementary school kids, and gave the same information over and over to each juror when just saying it once would have sufficed. a procedure that should have taken two hours took all day. that being said, it's absolutely a civic duty, and if called, i'll go again. if picked, i'll reluctantly serve. but if they ask me a question about my objectivity , i will answer honestly whether it disqualifies me or not.

When a judge asks you a question, it is fair to the defendant, the state and yourself to answer honestly. In my book, you got it 100% right.
 
Troubling... indeed.

And we are already seeing it in California.

All immigrants and illegal aliens just don't bring their troubles and politics with them, the vast majority are coming today from parts of the world where the "laws of nature" and "Common Law" is unknown of.

Many believe one is guilty until one can prove one's innocences.
 
And we are already seeing it in California.

All immigrants and illegal aliens just don't bring their troubles and politics with them, the vast majority are coming today from parts of the world where the "laws of nature" and "Common Law" is unknown of.

Many believe one is guilty until one can prove one's innocences.

It would be difficult for me to accept an illegal alien as my peer. I might see it as grounds for an appeal to a higher court, but I don't know enough about those laws so I doubt it.
 
I had a conversation with a friend who has been called for jury duty. She is not happy about it and is trying to come up with any excuse she can to get out of it. Her reason was that she does not want to be involved with making such decisions that effect the lives of strangers. I do not understand this attitude. My comment to her (to which she has not responded), was "..how would you feel, if it were you on trial and no one wanted to serve on your jury?..." I've always felt it my civic duty and I've never tried to get out of it.

I open this up to ask how you feel about serving on a jury, and why?

I have great faith in and respect for our jury system. Although I've come close, I've never served. Yes, making arrangements and wasting sometimes an entire day just hanging around in the courthouse is an inconvenience. But it's an obligation for a good citizen and a privilege and opportunity too.
 
May I ask why?

There was no hard evidence. The other jurors were saying things like this guy is a scum bag and probably did it, lets find him guilty and be home for dinner. He was a scum bag and probably did do it but I always thought you needed a thing called evidence so I hung the jury. In the end though a couple of people finally agreed with me.
 
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