Jury Duty and a quick trip to the LHS

[cwclark]

I hate to go to jury duty, but now it's on the way to my favorite LHS...so... you want to work on your layout and get out of the jury duty?... here's what you do...they summon you to jury duty..sure, you have to sit there for a few hours, but then everybody goes before the judge, PA and the DA to see if you are jury material...Question from the judge...Can you be to the best of your ability an impartial juror?..Sure your honor!...i'll give him a fair trial and a decient hang'in!..Question from the PA...Are you willing to make a fair conviction from the outcome of the trial?..Sure!..if he's guilty he ought to get the max + 99 years, tarred and feathered, and rode to the jailhouse on a pole!...Question from the DA ... Are you willing to hear the testimony and make a fair and unbias decision for or against the defendant?...I don't know!..look at the guy!...He does have those beedy eyes and bad teeth...Looks like a criminal to me!...You may sit down Mr. Clark !...5 minutes later i was out of there with my early dismissal note and on my way to the LHS!......Chuck

[BRAKIE]

My answer is a simple" I just want to hear his excuse before we hang him..Got the rope? [}:)]

[Anonymous]

Well, Chuck -- When you get arrested for something you didn't do, and demand your day in court, I hope your jury panel is composed of people who are just as conscientious as you are.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fiverings

Well, Chuck -- When you get arrested for something you didn't do, and demand your day in court, I hope your jury panel is composed of people who are just as conscientious as you are.

OUCH!!!![8]

[bcammack]

Actually, if you simply respond with direct, resolute replies, they'll usually excuse you. They always seem to choose the people who begin their answers with, "Gosh, I suppose that if..." If you don't appear to have any desire to appear reasonable and agreeable, you won't serve on many juries, nor will you get taken advantage of at a car dealership! [:)]

[Anonymous]

I want people who are resolute in thier feelings, no wishy washy wafflers. If I am on trial I want the Jury to be hard and strong. Not pliable to both the prosecutor or the defense.

[cwclark]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fiverings

Well, Chuck -- When you get arrested for something you didn't do, and demand your day in court, I hope your jury panel is composed of people who are just as conscientious as you are.

It's hard to get arrested when all i do is eat, sleep, work, go to church, and play with trains...I wi***hose guys would quit doing what they do to get arrested then there wouldn't be a panel to choose from for a jury!...Chuck

[dharmon]

Man how times have changed.......trial by jury in Texas.....whoda thunk?

[tatans]

Just wear a suit & tie, answer questions very intelligently, you will never get picked, the last thing "lawyers"( for a polite term) want is someone that can think for themselves,also tell them you "play with trains"--that will convince them you might be a little unstable LOL.

[twhite]

Somehow I get called every year (it's supposed to be every other year here in Sacramento County). Once I got called for Federal Jury service, got dismissed because I was friends with both of our Federal Judges. Went from one court to another, walked in, Judge grinned at me and said, "what are you doing here, Tom?" I shrugged, he chuckled "Have a nice day," and I was outta there. Got called last June, got in on a drug case, it sounded kind of interesting, until I realized that the defense attorney was a member of my choir (so did he). I wouldn't mind too much getting called all the time, if I actually SERVED on a jury, but I'm always getting dismissed for one reason or another. And since I live about fourteen miles from downtown Sacto and take light-rail to and from (which is not a bad thing if you're a train freak like me), it sure cuts into my fun time in the garage. Oh well, June's coming again, and I'm sure I'll get called again, and I'm sure I'll get dismissed again. Hm--think maybe telling them that I'm a Screaming Liberal Catholic confuses them?
Tom [:D][}:)][B)]

[dwRavenstar]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fiverings

Well, Chuck -- When you get arrested for something you didn't do, and demand your day in court, I hope your jury panel is composed of people who are just as conscientious as you are.

If my jury consisted of folks who'd stated the views presented by cwclark I think I'd be looking for a new lawyer right before starting to build a new jury panel. His point was he was trying to get out of duty not join the lynch party.

Dave

[davekelly]

Wow. Millions of ways to get out of jury duty. So why is it that the lawyers get the bad rap when a jury awards some "outlandish" amount in a matter? Could it be that to lambast the juries would bring about the question "so when did you last serve on a jury?"

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I hate to go to jury duty, but now it's on the way to my favorite LHS...so... you want to work on your layout and get out of the jury duty?... here's what you do...they summon you to jury duty..sure, you have to sit there for a few hours, but then everybody goes before the judge, PA and the DA to see if you are jury material...Question from the judge...Can you be to the best of your ability an impartial juror?..Sure your honor!...i'll give him a fair trial and a decient hang'in!..Question from the PA...Are you willing to make a fair conviction from the outcome of the trial?..Sure!..if he's guilty he ought to get the max + 99 years, tarred and feathered, and rode to the jailhouse on a pole!...Question from the DA ... Are you willing to hear the testimony and make a fair and unbias decision for or against the defendant?...I don't know!..look at the guy!...He does have those beedy eyes and bad teeth...Looks like a criminal to me!...You may sit down Mr. Clark !...5 minutes later i was out of there with my early dismissal note and on my way to the LHS!......Chuck

Try that here in Kalifoonia and you WILL be arrested for contempt of court! I was told that by a Bailif while waiting a couple of years ago. Out here we have a phone in system , you register by phone, then you call in, and if your jury ID # in on the list, then you go into the courthouse. If not, your done. Much less hastle than before.

[MisterBeasley]

The Massachusetts system is called "one day or one trial." If the trial lasts longer than a day, you're stuck, but other than that once you've "had your day in court" then you're off for 3 years. They send you a date several months in advance, and if you don't like that date, you can select any other valid day within the next calendar year, but you can't change again after that. I've got a friend who always picks a day right before a Jewish holiday, so they can't make her come back the next day.

The law also says your employer has to pay you for the first 3 days of jury duty. After that, they're not responsible, although my employer covers it indefinitely. Since I'm getting paid, it's an interesting little diversion, even though I spend most of the time just reading the book I brought. I've heard that bringing a Bible and reading that will sometimes get you excused. Frankly, though, I'd rather read Clive Cussler and take my chances in the jury pool.

My favorite escape story was told to me by a native Texan. He claimed an acquaintence of his showed up for jury duty, went up to guard at security, and asked where he could check his firearm. They took one brief look and sent him right back home.

[Anonymous]

I would love to sit on a jury and see how things work in the real world instead of on television. I have been notified that I had been selected three times in the last 10 years. The one time I made it as far as the courtroom I realized as I listened to the lawyers outline the case that one of the families involved had been in my shop a few weeks before and told me all about the case from their point of view. If I had been picked I would have to excuse myself.

[jwar]

The best one I heard was when the Judge asked the jury panel" Are any of you ladies in a family way. and if so how far along are you..Yes your Honor... a Young lady replied...about fifteen minits, man am I bushed!!!!!

[bcammack]

QUOTE: Originally posted by HighIron2003ar

I want people who are resolute in thier feelings, no wishy washy wafflers. If I am on trial I want the Jury to be hard and strong. Not pliable to both the prosecutor or the defense.

Attorneys want jury members that they can pursuade to their view things. Remember the old quote, "Anyone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client." [:)]

[dragenrider]

Volunteer firefighters are so hard to find in the daytime until one of our local judges writes letters asking that they be excused from jury duty. I like that! I don't want to skip out on my civil duty, but I think covering our busy little fire department(s) is a little more important.

Oh, yeah, I play with my trains until the fire pager goes off or the radio starts squawking. [}:)]

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Man how times have changed.......trial by jury in Texas.....whoda thunk?

They have juries there ????

[Anonymous]

Chuck:

Hate to tell you this, but if you tell me that you "play with trains," I'm keeping you on my panel. [:D]

TrummyandElla

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Man how times have changed.......trial by jury in Texas.....whoda thunk?

They have juries there ????

Must be new. Seems like an awful waste of manpower. I thought if you made it to the judge, you were already guilty..least that's what they told me........back in my days as an honor student in high school...yes your honor, no your honor, no contest your honor.........

[Jetrock]

Texas jury: Twelve guys to help pull on the rope.

I suppose I wouldn't mind serving on a jury, but for some reasons my views keep getting me excluded from jury duty. One sure way to get kicked off just about any jury is to mention jury nullification, the principle that says that juries can return a verdict of "not guilty" if they believe the law the person has been charged with is unconstitutional (A main reason why Prohibition was overturned was because juries stopped returning "guilty" verdicts on alcohol possession/sale cases based on this principle.)

Judges don't like this, and neither do prosecutors. More information is available at www.fija.org

I got excused from another trial because I am an NRA member. Who'd-a thunk it?

Not sure what this has to do with trains...although one side benefit of jury duty where I live is that if you take the train to the courthouse they give you two train tickets, one to get home with and one to come back on the next morning--you end up getting a free ticket out of the deal, since they still give you two tickets even on your last day of jury duty. And you can always draw track plans or leaf through back issues of MR while waiting in the jury room...

[cwclark]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Man how times have changed.......trial by jury in Texas.....whoda thunk?

They have juries there ????

Must be new. Seems like an awful waste of manpower. I thought if you made it to the judge, you were already guilty..least that's what they told me

That was going to be my next answer if they continued with the inquisition..I figure if the guy makes it all the way to a jury trial he's automatically "guilty"...it may be a bit "Redneck" but that's the way we think in Texas...now you know why it's the "Lethal Injection capitol of the world"....Chuck

[nslakediv]

I sat on the grand jury here in Ohio for 3 months ( I think) very interesting, you go before grand jury before you go to trial. Actually the defendant usually does not make it to the grand jury, just PA and witness's. Very interesting.

[egmurphy]

I had to go once in Houston. I actually got called a couple of times, but I worked outside the country so long that I usually got exempted. Anyway I showed up and there must have been 500-800 prospective jurors called. They were calling panels in groups of 25 or 50. Must have gone through about 2/3 of the group. I didn't get called and at noon they excused the rest of us. Turns out they had another jury call for the afternoon because there were a ton of new prospective jurors waiting to enter the auditorium as we left. What a jury machine.

One thing that I found amusing. As I came in, they were handing out an information sheet. It was in both English and Spanish. Okay, I mean this is Houston and they have a large immigrant population. Then they project a video to give general instructions to the group, and it was in three languages, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese!

Btw, anyone who wasn't fluent in English got excused.


Regards

Ed

[DMNolan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans

Just wear a suit & tie, answer questions very intelligently, you will never get picked, the last thing "lawyers"( for a polite term) want is someone that can think for themselves......

You obviously have never tried to pick a jury.

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Man how times have changed.......trial by jury in Texas.....whoda thunk?

They have juries there ????

Must be new. Seems like an awful waste of manpower. I thought if you made it to the judge, you were already guilty..least that's what they told me

That was going to be my next answer if they continued with the inquisition..I figure if the guy makes it all the way to a jury trial he's automatically "guilty"...it may be a bit "Redneck" but that's the way we think in Texas...now you know why it's the "Lethal Injection capitol of the world"....Chuck

That's were I'm from. Plan on coming home when I hang up my spurs in a few years to start career number two.

Dan

[davekelly]

DMNolan,

I agree. I guess we have similar vocations?

[Anonymous]

Hey boys --

I've served on them and I've picked them. That's why it bugged me to see someone gloating about ducking them.

[twhite]

Here in Sacramento County, every prospective juror when they recieve their summons, is informed point-blank that shirking Jury Duty is punishable by either jail time or a stiff fine. So naturally, I always go (or phone in, as the case may be). Then, a month ago, the Sacramento Bee ran an article that stated that duty-duckers are never followed through on by the system because "it's too much trouble." Makes you wonder------
Tom [B)][?]