Both times I got called, I showed up and the lawyers judges gathered everyone in courtroom and said "sorry, they decided to go with a judge trial instead"
Honestly sometimes a judge trial is better than a jury. I’m sure right before court was supposed to start when the two lawyers were confiring in the judges chambers that they agreed to a plea deal or switched the defense to guilty, that way the judge is more likely to be fairer on the defendant
I have been on a couple juries where as soon as the court was called to order, there was a recess and the plaintiff decided to settle. We were told that sometimes just seeing that jury sitting there looking at them makes them realize they may have chosen the wrong course.
@brynpookc1127 as a school bus driver, I had to come in and testify that a suspended driver decided to go around my stop sign and almost run over one of my kids. Day of the hearing, I was on orders with the national guard. I had to get permission to go to the hearing, drove 3 hours to get there, got a call as soon as I got into town that she decided to plead guilty and drove 3 hours back.
@@andromedaspark2241the purpose of the trial is to judge based upon the evidence presented, not on personal knowledge. Having intimate knowledge is an unacceptable bias.
@@andromedaspark2241the involvement of those skill sets should be as expert witnesses, not in the jury. If they're in the jury, the other jurors could defer to their expertise, which creates a horrible risk of exacerbating the biases of that one juror without challenge. If you try to make your entire jury experts, you won't get to trial because you won't actually be able to form a jury of your peers. Experts tend to have things they'd rather do than jury duty, there's not many of them, so if that small population is constantly being tapped for jury duty you're not going to be able to get enough of them in a room for long enough. The jury is there to decide the facts, the expert is there to provide technical clarification on issues present. Mixing the two? That way injustice lies.
My hub got tossed out of the pool of prospective jurors and received a reprimand for wearing a sweatshirt that said "Live Free or Die," which is our state motto.
I've seen people tossed for wearing a blank sweatshirt before, crazy that a judge that allows them, would dismiss a juror over wearing a state slogan on a shirt. Could definitely see the defense do it, but a judge is wild haha.
@@grabbity There was a woman who showed up for jury selection wearing black thong underwear under thin white slacks, acrylic stripper heels, and a cropped tube top. She was excused, I don't have the guts to wear that outfit into a court of law to avoid jury duty, but it worked for her.
I get picked every time, the last time I asked the attorney after the trial and he laughed and said “you are the most normal normal ever.you are a middle age woman, you look middle class, from the suburbs with a normal occupation…. There’s nothing to exclude you for.” 😂
There's nothing normal about suburbs. They're an anomaly only capable of existing on the backs of countless working poor and a transportation system actively destroying the biosphere.
During the selection process for my summons, I told the attorneys that I thought the legal system could use some improvements here and there. I suspect I was not chosen for that reason.
Sounds like it’s a case of insurance then likely. They won’t let people who may be effected by the outcome of the trial to be present. If it was an insurance he either worked for or had completion with it would inheritly be better for you to choose a side. They’re really pick for that reason
@@justcogitating Neat. I got jack $h'it from my job, had to miss a day of school (they don't care if you have an embalming class with a $5400 lab fee and can't miss more than 1 lab or you fail) ... jury duty was a 45 minute drive across town and I got $10 "compensation" after having to cancel both school and work.
Last year a form was mailed to my husband stating that he was required to respond immediately as he had been picked for jury duty. I put the entire thing back in the envelope and mailed it back, including a copy of his death certificate from 4 months previous. Did not write a single word. Never heard back.
That's lucky. I am still receiving jury summons for grandmother, father and mom. Grandmother would be 125, dad passed in January 1997 and mom in 2005. I sent back certified copirs of their death certificates to prove it was received. Still receiving lots of useless paper. Just toss in the recycle bin. One officer came to my door. I plucked the jar off the mantle that contained her ashes. Told the guy to please return her when the trial was over. You would think that would end it, but not. Our government has sloppy record keeping. Had a gorgeous golden retriever. Passed in 2001 and was much older than many of the same breed. Had her cremated. Had her ashes in a pretty box in the family room. County came around to collect fine for not paying fee for annual dog license. Picked up her vox along with the bill for euthanasia and cremation. Sucked the wind out of the sails for the County worker. People came for years and didn't stop until we sold the house. Dog would have been 30+. I have a great story about deceased persons that owned firearms that were all legally registered.
Why? I wouldn't have bothered. If they want to send the police, let them. Say he isn't there and they need to find him. When they find him, they'll figure it out. Won't take 1 minute of your time. My father died several years ago. I got his jury duty letter. I just threw it in the trash. No police showed up looking for him. They must have figured out why he wasn't there. Dumbshits.
This is funny but don't do it. Got to see a guy declare "they're all guilty" to which the judge treated him to a contempt citation and getting locked up.
My favorite disqualification was that I personally knew cops. Not the ones on the case, but in their capacity outside of law enforcement. I went out of my way to point this out. Turns out, knowing what kinds of people are actually in law enforcement is a great way to get disqualified for jury duty. lol.
Can I ask what you mean by what kinds of people are in law enforcement? Do you mean low quality of character or just they act a little silly outside of duty?
@@PnMR27 I hang out with a lot of officers, and I would not spend time with them if they weren’t great people. The officers I know care about our community and want to keep it safe. It really bothers them when children are being abused or neglected, when someone is driving drunk and could kill someone, or when thieves take things from people who have worked hard to earn what they have. They care on duty and off duty. I would trust them with my life. I don’t think it would matter in most injury cases, but if it was a case involving the law it would matter. Lawyers would think I would be biased in favor of cops and biased against criminals, because I have a high opinion of the officers I know.
@@PnMR27 When I was getting vetted for jury duty one of the things they ask about is if you are close with law enforcement or basically give police the benefit of the doubt or if you utterly distrust the police. Any extreme tends to get you dismissed.
@@Josh-od2jqI mean, fair. The same would be done for people who disliked police. It’s easier to believe your friend who’s a cop and therego the people they’re associates with then thinking they’re lying
I got called to jury duty and was told on the first day that it was a double murder trial and we'd be there for months. Who can just take off months of work for $20 a day? *Thousands* of jurors were excused, and my ten-year-clock was restarted just because I went to the courthouse and answered the summons. Our legal system is broken, perhaps beyond repair.
The first time I went for jury duty I had to spend the whole day at the court- when they selected for the first trial the woman said “if you recognize any of these names please stand up” and I recognized about 3 of them from high school, so I stood up. Apparently she was calling names of potential jurors, not weeding out potential conflicts of interest 🤦♂️ Everyone was called, and I was still standing: “What’s your name” “*my name*” “Did I call your name?” “…no?..” “Then sit down.” It’s not my fault I actually listened to your damn directions. Who phrases it like that anyway?? (In hindsight one of the guys looked at me real funny when I stood up at the same time as him 😂)
@@trophyscene5015 that’s what I thought after I sat down! I ran it in my head over and over the whole day, and I’m very sure she didn’t say “if you recognize *your* name,” she said “_these_ name_s_”
This would be me, "Well, it depends on your definition of 'none.' There's the cough syrup; vanilla, almond, and peppermint extracts; and the rubbing alcohol, so it's not TECHNICALLY none. Also, isn't there ethanol in most gasoline nowadays, and that's an alcohol? Oh, wait, am I being rejected because I remember stuff from high school chemistry over half a lifetime ago? Well, are you really sure you want the people who didn't pay attention in class, or am I being gotten rid of because of the pedantry?"
@@MFG1243 I didn't know tiramisu had alcohol when I was a teenager, and I remember being shocked when we were eating at someone else's house (I grew up in Japan.), and the grandpa just poured a bunch of sake on the dish as it was cooking (It was a dish where ingredients would be added throughout the evening as people ate from it.), and my parents said nothing, and I was so confused, but I wasn't banned from continuing eating, so that was the night I learned it's okay to have alcohol besides flavor extracts in food, even when you're underage. I still don't buy alcohol to cook with myself because I honestly would have no clue what I'm doing, but after that night and later on living with someone who made an awesome chili with Pabst in it, there was no flinching at the idea of alcohol being in my food.
The one time I got a jury summons, in the selection process when they were going over the preliminary details of the case. The gist was it was a dui trial, but the statements/questions (can't remember which, it was like 13 years ago) implied the person being tried wasn't actually at the wheel. I picked up on this immediately, and knew the prosecution was going for an angle of "Driving under the influence could be interpreted as affecting the course of the vehicle while drunk, but wasn't the driver". I didn't outright say this, but when they addressed me, they could tell I caught on to the details, without them stating the details. Needless to say, after the recess, I was not called back for further selection narrowing.
Summary: They arent looking for the best, brightest, or most logical... they're looking for the most bias they can get away with, without the opposing counsel rejecting the choice
@@FoodNerdsNo they aren't. They're looking for jurors who will vote to convict ( if the prosecutor) or to say not guilty (if the defense lawyer). I've been called for jury duty many times, and it's scary to see how many unqualified jurors get chosen.
@@queenbunnyfoofoo6112 Me too I’ve been for jury duty many times. I’m also a political scientist and I’ve studied law. I researched this field so I have idea of what I’m talking about. Again what they’re trying to determine for is bias. And you’re biased. We all have some bias, that’s human nature. The system does need improvement. But you didn’t understand what the lawyer is talking about. And since you’re so convinced why not present your evidence and prove it, you know like in a trial.
Yes and no. Everyone has biases but they want to weed out the ones whom may have extreme bias one way or the other. However, everyone still naturally has biases so they can't overcome those. Thus, yes, the jury will have certain biases but no they aren't outright looking for them. They're essentially measuring how bias you may be
I got called in for juror duty one time. They weren’t dismissing anyone for any reason. That missed day of work was a massive financial burden for our family, and then I heard that this case was expected to last a month. I was so stressed out that I couldn’t stop crying. I was dismissed.
My dad put off jurey duty for years up to literally writing back the law to them "I am an essential employee. This could cost my guys wages they need and the buisness owner (his best freind) operating income." Eventually they said "Been long enough don't care." He was selected right away and did an amazing job changing the tragectory of a man's life! It was meant to be and he got to hear his adult son tell him how proud of him he was and that on that day he WAS a hero.
they actually aim somewhat below average in terms of education and general awareness. Someone who would've been average joe some decades ago, but now people are more educated, including surface knowledge of how law works.
I got selected for Federal jury duty. Letter said “call this number on Friday to find out where to go Monday” called 4 times, each time it said “not needed call back next week” 5th time said “you don’t need to call anymore”
I had a similar thing for Circuit Court. I was in Block 12 of jurors. When I called the number, the message said Block 1 and 2 were to come in, all others dismissed.
Petit juror , had to check every Friday. Wasn't selected 😊 Would have been a major inconvenience. Courthouse at 8 am 45 minutes away. Youngest doesn't start school til 830. Court all day and off to work until midnight. FYI you could have went to ejuror and checked there instead of calling.
I've always wanted jury duty since I was a kid. It was my dream! Then at 35, I have severe PTSD from the military, my service dog is dying from cancer, my boyfriend of 5 years just died of cancer. I told my therapist that I had jury duty and when she asked how I felt, I said, "well, if I even hear they abuse animals I'm voting for the death penalty." She wrote me a letter and explained why right now isn't the best time for it.
The seventh and last jury I was seated on was - get this - a guy was charged with public urination and demanded a jury trial. I was one of seven jurors seated (six jurors and one alternative). Of them, five had connections to the police or prosecutors. They sent us to lunch and when we got back he had settled out of court.
I've been on 2 criminal trial juries (one of them had no business being criminal, it should've been a civil action, it was mis charged from the get-go). One jury had an ex cop on it and one had a police dispatcher.
@@Julia________That’s the intention but even with good intentions the goal is to stack the jury in your favor. Seems less democratic and more like a card game.
When I went for jury duty they showed us a video in the waiting area about the history of being on a jury and how empowering it is. They discussed the Zanger trial in NY, back when it was a Dutch colony. That involved jury nullification, and they presented that as a good thing. Then when they were instructing us and asking us questions, the judge said that even if we didn't think the defendant should be punished, as long as we believed he did it, we had to convict them. So I said, "What about that Zanger case and jury nullification like in the video?" And they shut me up and sent me home.
Once I got called for jury duty and put in a request to not be called because I was in college at the time. I was denied that as a valid reason for not being a juror...and didn't get picked in the end. Thank goodness
In my one instance, any person who said "I'm a student" was immediately released. As were all the people who said "I have plane tickets" or "I have cruise tickets". As were the folks who said "I'm not emotionally up for this" (as she wept uncontrollably while almost shrieking her responses to the judge). Judge dismissed so many that from the initial batch of 80 they couldn't come up with 24 to then choose between. (They whittle it down to 24 who can/will serve and then pick which 12+1 will actually do it.)
Weird; I got picked for jury duty when I was in college and the clerk immediately picked up on the fact that I was a college student and kicked me out.
My boyfriend had the same issue. However when I gave the same excuse, and keep in mind we got the jury summons from the same county but his school was 2 hours away, they just asked for my schedule for proof and said I didn't have to come. These were a few years apart so I'm not sure if that was the difference or something else.
Got summoned for jury duty, for someone on trial for: driving with a suspended license, driving without insurance, reckless driving, speeding, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, possessing said controlled substance, and grand theft auto (wasn't their car). But the defendant never showed (presumably they were then also charged with failure to appear) and we were all dismissed with the court's thanks.
I was called once in my life and was asked whether the presence of DNA evidence would bother me (this was 2003 and involved a robbery). I rambled for a couple of minutes about how I liked watching police procedurals and about how my dad would point out inaccuracies in the military ones, he having been a military officer who had served on military juries. The prosecutor used a peremptory challenge to exclude me. In New York at the time you could challenge for cause as many times as you want but you have a limited number of preemptory challenges for the entirety of voir dire. Clearly she really didn't want me but didn't think she could convince the judge to agree.
Ye, mostly with that it can be possible you idolize parts of the show to a point where you see the points of the prosecuted better then the defense. It’s better to get out anyone with strong opinions about anything specific with court or the case
Only time I made it to jury selection was on the 3rd time of being called, I had trouble hearing what was going on (seated near the last row. I also needed hearing aids, which I can't afford right now), so I was dismissed. I know it's our responsibility to be jurors, but the system NEEDS to pay us comparable to what we're losing out on by reporting for jury duty. $15 a day won't cut it.
When I was called for jury selection the second time and that time had to go, they paid me for showing up even though they didn't pick me, but when I went to work the next day after submitting proof that I'd been summoned and stating that I would not be showing up at all that day and, depending on the nature and length of the trial, might be out for longer, I was instructed to request pay for the day regardless because the company I work for allows various ways to get money for that day so it doesn't hurt to miss work because of jury duty or at least selection. I just had to write in a book we no longer use that I wanted jury duty pay and got a full week's pay for that week, but was told a few days later that I could have showed up, punched in, worked until I had to go, then stayed punched in until I could get back. As I wasn't selected, I would have gone straight back to work and finished my shift as scheduled.
@@samlewis6487 "It's not your responsibility to be a juror. You don't owe the system anything" Are you non-american or stupid? People have been arrested for skipping jury you prune
I have a story to tell about when my grandfather was called for jury duty and wasn't "picked" The case is this father (the defendant) who shot and killed two men who sexually assaulted and possibly raped his daughter. My grandfather was called to the jury and when he learned about the case (not a detailed account of it just the already known information about it that is available before the case) he walked up to the judge and declared that he could not be on this jury and remain impartial. In his own words, "frankly your honor, I would have given this man a medal and a pat on the back for what he did." My grandfather was removed from the "jury pool" and the case proceeded as normal. My grandfather actually regretted not staying on the jury cause the final decision was that the defendant was guilty in a near even case and was to serve around 20-30 years in prison, and my grandpa felt that he could have tilted the scale in his favor if he had been on it. This is all that he told me about it, and I might have mistaken the length of prison time for the man.
Tbh it sounds like a good thing your grandfather wasn't picked, then. The jury isn't supposed to go in with an agenda in either direction, especially when that agenda is "it's okay this person did a murder because of who they did it to."
The US doesn’t have scale tipping in juries, the decisions must be unanimous. If one member disagrees with the majority it’s a mistrial. The only place I can think of where juries go by majority vote is Scotland.
@@konstantinosnikolakakis8125 I don’t mean like that, I mean the jury was very split down the middle. In which way they should vote. They all eventually came to a decision but this case had gone through around 3 other jurys and they never came to a decision. So when I say they were 50/50 I mean they had significant trouble making a final decision. Even though they still made a decision in the end.
I've typed this out a few times but my dad put off jury duty as long as possible for real reasons (job, business, employees etc.) when they finally had enough he got selected for a case that he literally did get to change a man's life. He got to hear from his adult son how proud I was of him and that he was the hero and meant to be there that day.
Wouldn’t it be more akin to “I wasn’t able to sue when I was in your position so I wanna make things right for you because I understand and don’t want you to repeat my problems”
It could be. There's also a lot of people that have the mentality described in the video. There's a lot of people that have a "I couldn't get help, so fuck you you don't get help either" way of thinking.
I got summoned to jury but I literally couldn’t go because I live in the outskirts of the submarines right next to the country, and I have no way to drive
I got called for Jury duty months after I turned 18. (I was literally still in highschool) They made me drive all the way to California Ave. (Cook County Illinois residents know what I'm talking about) Which was a 90 minute drive in morning Chicago traffic. I sat in a room for about 45 minutes until they assigned me a number. Then we all got walked to the court bus. After we were all seated and ready to go, he drove for no shit less than a minute and the beeper thing went off to say court was cancelled. You know what I got compensated? 17 fucking dollars. I woke up at 5:30 am. Drove 90 minutes in Chicago traffic (both ways), missed a day of school (which as a senior was important because I was failing and needed to pass my classes to graduate 😭) all for $17.35 or something. All my friends were telling me about ways they knew to get _out_ of jury duty, when I was actually excited to be apart of the justice system. I told all of them "if you want _your_ right to a fair trial, you have to afford that opportunity to others."
I got out of jury duty because I suggested that the defendant ask for a change of venue because I didn't think he would get a fair trial. The defendant was black and had a court appointed attorney. The community is predominantly white in a somewhat affluent community in the Central Coast of California.
Number one is definitely me. And here is why. I have ADHD and hearing dyslexia. I would be terrible in a jury. I would forget a lot of the things that people have said because it's hard to remember them when I have ADHD and my mind is just some other place. It would be hard to remember anything because I have hearing dyslexia which makes me misinterpret what people say. I hope to never ever be in a jury for my entire life. There was one time I was called for jury duty and when I was in that meeting room or whatever where all the jurors are and this person from the court office explain things to us, she had mentioned that if you're racist or something make sure to write it down so no I didn't write down that I was racist but I literally wrote down that I have hearing dyslexia and have difficulty interpreting with people say so if I was in the court of law and had to hear so much stuff be spoken I would not be able to keep track. I also mentioned how my mind would wander since I have ADHD. That got me out of jury duty. The other time was a time when I got extremely pissed off because they should have known better because I already wrote down the exact reason I ended up explaining to a judge later but anyways I had to deal with the whole damn thing deal with listening to the case listen to all this listening to all this crap seeing the people who represent both sides of the client I think it was both sides I actually don't remember, and just feeling pissed off the whole time because I remember the previous time I was called for jury duty I literally explicitly wrote down that I would suck as a juror because of my mental disorders and I didn't want to do it yet they still called me and I had to go through this whole process go from one building to another and go from one room to another and eventually ended up in The actual courtroom and the judge finally gave us all a chance to explain why we should not be a juror. Now most people actually did not move to the side of the room to explain that they can't be a juror but there were several other people on that side of the room with me and fortunately I was the first person to talk and I explained to the judge that I have hearing dyslexia and ADHD and that I have difficulty understanding what people say a lot of the time and that even affects my marriage And I have difficulty even understanding what my wife is telling me even though she says it loud and clear. I clearly explain myself very well exactly why I would be a terrible juror and the judge gave me a response and even said that this is something I deal with every day right and I told him yes and he allowed me to leave. I do hope after that experience I don't have to be called for jury duty again because I mean come on I literally explain it to the judges face and he clearly understood
I wasn't picked for jury duty because Plaintiff Attorney found out I was an insurance claim adjuster and didn't want someone who could think and recognize Plaintiff Attorney bullshit when it was being spoken...
In a nutshell, they try to appeal to your emotions and not the facts. The crappier their case, the more they try to cajole you with emotional manipulation... In my job I see it all the time. They don't want someone who can think and reason but someone they can manipulate...
It's not just that. Insurance adjusters usually have a set idea of how much a case is worth and would not award past that amount. They usually go through each and every case arguing that the injured person's medical bills are not reasonable and their treatments are not necessary. It will be a tall order for an insurance adjuster to sit in the jury without having those biases pop up.
The one time I got called and didn't get picked is because I just, coincidentally, happened to be personal friends of the defendant and his family. So, I told them point blank, "I'm personal friends of the family". I was out the door less than two minutes later. No further questions asked.
As well, isn't a jury supposed to be selected from the participants' peers? It's in very bad faith to manually select people from completely separate paths of life.
@@_Mentat but what you don't understand is that one juror can bring whole thing to grinding halt, criminal juries require unanimous decisions, not the majority.
I've been called twice for jury duty. Never been selected to be on one. The one time I was dismissed when my answer to "what's your favorite TV show" was "Mythbusters." The other time, one of the lawyers' questions didn't go the way he thought it would. It was "what would you do if you went to the movie theater and the movie you wanted to see was sold out?" Everyone answered either go home or do something else. When done, he asked why everyone virtually answered the same. It's going to show how small our town is. Someone said our movie theater only shows one movie at a time. Maybe he had obtained what he wanted from it, but his expression didn't make it seem like it.
Or maybe see the movie at a different time? If it's sold out it's likely on more than one screen. And cheers to you for watching Mythbusters! They probably let you go because they knew you'd ask questions that they couldn't answer. I don't know if it was the prosecution or defense that let you go but I'm sure that whichever side it was they weren't confident in their case.
@@swistedfilms He's saying they don't have more than one screen though. So, yeah, in a town like that you pretty much just move on to something else. Maybe come back later.
I got out of jury duty because I made it clear that I would not be able to be impartial in the trial. It was a little guy against a big corporation, and I’d take the little guy’s side every time because the corpos could afford it. I got booted pretty fast.
I got picked for jury duty in a federal court case a couple years ago under my deadname with an address that was like three moves in my past they told me that they only take information once every two years so they don’t update their files within that time. I had to make a case as to why I couldn’t go to jury selection because I’m blind, can’t drive, have no transportation, and cannot afford to pay for transit+hotel because compensation for that didn’t come until after the case finished and I’m too low income to do it. The threatening aura I received from the person on the phone telling me how u could go to jail if I didn’t show up.😅 ended up being fine I just had to sign a paper saying I was disabled and had no way of getting there even though I wanted to help. I was also told they likely would t pick me anyway because I’m legally blind and Beverly nearsighted and they had to have us look at a projector screen for the evidence. I asked if they had the handheld tablets that I’ve heard of sometimes because that would make it more accessible to me and they said no they don’t make accommodations for disabilities. So… jury of your peers my ass.
The first time I did jury duty, it was 2 week stint, whether you were picked for a jury or not. You sat in the jury pool room and waited to be called to a courtroom. I you weren't chosen, you were sent back to wait again. I ended up serving on two juries.
I got called to jury duty regarding a dui case. When I told the lawyer I was a waiter at a restaurant, he dismissed me. Presumably because I was required to take a class that explained tennessee law in regards to serving alcohol & dram shop laws.
@JP-sx7fq Nobody has ever pulled up their bootstraps and made it out of poverty, they just made it far enough to not realize they're still in poverty.
True. He also like to pick them off for that reason too. With these people you could be near brain dead and paralyzed and these "jurors" expect you to go to work like normal.
It's a black and white way of thinking, that brings comfort to people of low economic status. They need to feel the world is just, so they gravitate to firm boundaries (god will reward them in the end; women need to be controlled so men know who their children are; they don't get to slack off if they are sick so no one else should get to either). It's a black and white way of thinking, that provides justification for rich people. They need to feel they deserve their wealth and poor people just aren't trying very hard so they don't deserve any help. Reminds me of a man who started in the mailroom at a factory. Worked his way up to president of the company. He told me he earned that right by working very hard. I found out later that his father owned the factory. To his viewpoint, that had nothing to do with his success. 🙄
Well I mean that depends on the context, personal responsibility only goes so far. What was/is their mental state? What led up to the event? Is a psychosis patient responsible for their actions under duress? Are they more or less responsible than a drunk driver? Life ain’t that simple judge… oh, I’ll leave.
@user-ip4wy1ib7n It’s people like you who assume that makes the majority of the world a nightmare. Obviously the drunk is responsible but our world is simply not that simple and even the most bleak scenarios are going to involve human beings with nuances lives, reasoning, and decisions. We all know the saying about assumptions. Edit- grammat
I worked night shift and it would’ve took me out of work for 2 days in a row to meet their schedule. I fell asleep on the bench and talked to the DA. She flat out told me they didn’t read my statement on why I would not be fit for jury duty. Was let go after talking.
that last mentality makes no sense to me. If I were injured but weren't able to sue anyone (which is actually the case) I would want the injured party to get paid DOUBLE
Most of the times I've been up for a jury panel I've been dismissed. I early on noted that those who showed intelligence were removed. Most attorneys want jurors who can easily be lead. The last time was for a murder trial and I was surprised to observe that intelligent jurors were chosen. We convicted.
Never wondered why. Only ever said thank God I can leave. Once I told a lawyer that I didn’t believe in the justice system because the lawyers’ goals are to convince the jury of their client’s side of the story rather than find the truth.
Been called to jury duty twice, and actually served on it for the first call! Defendant was hispanic, I'm hispanic. Defense lawyer and prosecutor were passing a note back and forth for their jury selection talks. The Defense passed the note to the prosecutor, the prosecutor glanced up straight at my number/me and visibly mouthed "shit". Knew right there I'd been picked lol
I was picked. After the trial was over, I was able to download the transcripts during jury selection and got to look back at the questions they asked to jurors who were then later struck from the panel. It seemed to be for reasons like a pro-cop or anti-cop bias, was a victim of a similar crime, had a family member in the military or in law enforcement, had young children, etc. I was basically picked because I had no kids, no law or military background, never had been robbed, and had no strong objectionable opinions on anything =)
Is there something that puts you on a list to never be called? I was called on once in the long long ago, but after my military time I have never been called on again. Thing is I was wounded on my second deployment and received a 100% disability rating. I have always wondered if they annotate things like being disabled to automatically remove those people from the pool of jurors.
I'm fairly certain mentioning knowing about jury nullification would get you taken off the list. In fact, mentioning that you know of it out loud is a very easy way to poison the entire jury pool.
In my jurisdiction you can request being put on a list to never be called bc of permanent disability, but it's hard to get approved. The court doesnt keep a record of why ppl get removed from a jury. It's probably just a coincidence that you havent been called again.
@@basedbulgarian511 So cherry picking. Like if they can chuck out any juror they think wont vote for them, then why wouldnt they keep on doing it till they get one they actually think is biased for them
Yes because social media has made everyone think they know what is right and even if someone broke the law, because their victim was someone they didn’t like either, it’s okay and should walk free. This is quite frankly the best possible system for everyone, defense, prosecution, and victim.
@BitTheByte it's a terrible system, almost objectively so. It also twists the nature of our rights in bad faith. We are entitled to a jury of our peers, and how often is that actually delivered? The legal system just doesn't exist to serve most people.
@@DreamersOfReality you act like people are not waving their right to a jury for a quick and easy lesser sentence. They HAVE the right, but are no means forced to exercise it
You can pick up a contempt charge for that. That poisons the entire jury pool and they have to call new jurors. It throws schedules off by weeks. Now if you told him in private as a side bar or in his chambers that’s okay but just saying that out loud when called upon to speak? Nah.
My only time i got called for jury duty was the same time i started college, i called the clerk and told them my reason, and that was it. No if, ands, or butts no having to bring in proof or wait around just a "ok" only time my state governance has made me proud.
@@HighExplosiveOP That might be true in case where the injury is death or loss of limb, but things like "ever since the car accident my back has hurt" don't play well with the wealthy crowd.
@@mmeyerr7867 after a certain point Richer definitely does not mean smarter and less gullible. Some of the dumbest people I know are trust fund babies who went to Ivy League schools.
WRONG! As I just posted an attorney I worked with was chosen despite explaining that she knew the prosecutor, worked with his attorney wife and had dinner at their home regularly.
@@Mastrivy - it's not the job of the judge to reject jurors, but it's the jobs of prosecution and of defense. If the defense didn't object to a juror with a known job at the start of the trial, they cannot appeal a verdict because of that job.
@@Achill101 its the job of the jusge to prevent a conflict of interest. And having a family friend that regularly has dinner with one of the lawyers is definatly a conflict on interest
"I promise to not only take into account the events of the case but to also judge the merits of the law itself. If I find either to be unreasonable or unjust I will absolutely move to nullify."
I believe I wasn't picked because I knew quite a bit about the reason for the lawsuit. It was an injury lawsuit over someone allegedly hurt by a tree cutting company. Everyone who had ever cut a tree down was dropped.
Ha ha I just got a jury duty notice yesterday! I'm exempt. I sent a thank you note anyway. My 4th time even though they always send a letter giving me a lifetime exemption. On a weird note, after my dad passed my mother got her first jury duty summons, she was 58 at the time and tickled pink. She got to the court and the summons was for my dad. She must have looked so disappointed that they kept her. She sat in a trial that only lasted an hour or so because the defendant decided to change his plea to guilty.
I was never called for jury duty but I'm scared of what'll happen if I do. I always fall asleep when I try to concentrate for any period of time, the harder I try to stay awake the sooner I fall asleep. I used to have Ritalin for it but it's a lot harder to get a prescription when one's out of school.
I wonce was picked for civil law suit about a car accident under five MPH. A small Japanese car bumped in to Detroit lead sled. The plantif vehicle was the lead sled, the defendants's vehical was the Japanese car. The plantif was claiming whiplash injuries, her vehicle was twice the mass of the defendant's. Not one medical claim was submitted, just the ciopractor claims. The jury found for the denfended 11 to 1. The attorney for the plantif, was paying the ciopractor fees. Need i say, AMBULANCE CHASER. We, the majority of the jury, saw right through this case, and found for the defence.
None of those apply to me. Sat in a room for 4 hours, read a book, got told they picked their jury, went home. Had 0 interactions, got paid to read a book. 10/10 experience.
I was called for a case involving a child. I told the attorneys and judge I could not act without bias because of the details given. I was dismissed but hopefully I had an influence.
I was rejected the 2d and last time when I was notified for jury selection after going downtown. They asked me my employer and it was a legal textbook publisher as well as compiler of case histories. Was not able to participate after that fact was discovered. I happily went home.
I just got refused for jury duty for explaining to the judge that I think pre-picking people that you know you can manipulate answers out of is unfair and a sign of a broken system.
I got called for jury selection in a trial for a guy I had arrested for the exact same crime he was accused of committing again (his 3rd arrest for Assault). Strangely, they excused me from the jury...
My mom always brought some history or philosophical book. She said it worked like a charm, she's never once been picked. She says that they like to pick people they feel they can manipulate, so they avoid anyone who seems intellectual.
I don't ever want to be picked! I don't want the trauma of hearing what happened and I don't want to judge others. I've been on a jury before, it sucks!
I'm highly conscientious, and have a well-calibrated moral compass, and I'm both logical and practical, and I have empathy for others. That's why I won't be picked. lol
The law isn’t practical. If it says it’s illegal to drive on a Sunday while under the influence of beer, and you drive on a Sunday under the influence of toquilla that is legal. This example is silly but it paints a picture for how a lot of laws are. You CANT charge someone who followed the directions. You CANT let someone go for breaking them even for good reason. The MOMENT we allow that sort of wishy washy BS in a court room is the moment justice has officially died.
@BitTheByte do not, in any circumstances, conflate the law with justice. They are separate concepts, and many times, at odds with each other. Dogmatic law in particular makes justice unlikely.
@@borderlinecrazy6444 correct, everything is made by people. Like it or not you have to work with people and the things they make If you threw everything away because it was “made by people” you would have very little left
When he said the poor might not recognise alot of mo ey then starting talking about someone who's rich, I thought he would say the vice-versa, not basically "we're worried you'll lack empathy so bad you wont want the person to have money" damn.
Well, as someone who is paid weekly and barely makes double digits an hour, I would do most anything for $15/hr, any judgements that resulted in money changing hands would definitely be more than I see in a week and potentially more than I see in a year. I'm stingy like that, if I can't have that much money, why should the plaintiff? I'm not voting to award them that much money.
@@JoshuaRWorkman Yea, you're the type of creep they want to avoid getting. Nobody wants the person who likes making sure others suffer if they can around.
This is REALLY helpful!! I wasn’t picked for a personal injury case and I was butthurt but I think they could tell I actually didn’t really care abt that type of case
Every time I get stuck on a jury panel I ask why everyone else in this room is getting a living wage and I am required to be here for a pittance. Every time the judge tells me to sit down and shut up. But at least I got my complaint in the entire jury’s ears.
I've only been summoned once, and I think I let down both sides. The defense was eager to keep me at first - degree in Healthcare (Hospital) Administration, worked for one of the largest insurance companies, and at a PBM, years of experience working on insurance cases, and familiar with the process. But the Plaintiff's side perked up when they picked up on my "and THAT is why I hate insurers and will ALWAYS help the little guy screw the insurance to get their fair share" undertones. I sadly didn't get picked. Which is a shame. I really didn't care what he insurance company did wrong because I KNOW they did their customer wrong. I just wanted to help make the insurance company pay.
That's the bias that made you not get picked. I'm pretty sure the Plaintiff's counsel was dying to have you on the jury but the Defense counsel took you out.
Yeah really hard stances like that will always get you excluded. They probably realized that you'd always be biased against the insurers because you boldly stated so.
