I got picked to sit on a jury for 5 days and now it's over. It was interesting to start with, but it got boring just sitting still for up to two hours at a time, listening to a cross-examination, or worse: a statement of evidence in chief from the defendant. Or EVEN worse than that: the judge "clarifying" some point or other, or explaining something…
It's nice to see all the traditional hallmarks of the English justice system that Australia retains: All the legal robes, ties, special clothes, and horse-hair wigs that the barristers, solicitors, the Clerk of Arraigns and the judge wear.
Still, the most horrible part is delivering the verdict… Coming to the decision though was pretty easy. I decided the accused must be guilty on all counts for sure about 3 days in. I didn't have many doubts. While some of the others were still making up their minds till the last minute on some of the charges.
But when the jury foreperson read out the jury verdict: Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty on ALL five… I didn't want to look at the accused or his family. When I did, he had his head in his hands and so did his family. That just gutted me because I was partly responsible for destroying their lives. It kills you.
They said we could sit on in the gallery after and listen to the judge sum up, but I left as soon as I could. I don't even care about the sentence, I don't want to know anything more about the case than I do. It's a horrible business.
If you get called up, do what you can to get out of it!!!!! It's not worth the experience in any way.
btw~ it was a sexual assault case, but it wasn't clear cut… /:
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Comic Talk and General Discussion *
Jury Duty Sux!
I used to be friends with a guy who sat on a jury for a huge local murder trial. It was this huge responsibility for him and the trial went on for almost a month… I'm not sure how much of that was deliberation or not. He hated it almost right away, but to his credit he did his best to be fair and not be frustrated by it. I think in the end they had to acquit the guy because they couldn't come up with a unanimous guilty, according to my friend there were one or two people who just felt too guilty themselves to give out a guilty verdict. They couldn't do it, even though they knew he was guilty, his situation was so messed up and they sympathized with it enough that they couldn't hold it against him even though they knew it was wrong. So the guy that pretty much everyone thought was guilty ended up going free. My friend will probably never have to serve jury duty again because the one time he did it was so bitter and frustrating he'd be resentful about it on any other trial.
That's it exactly. You feel so sorry for the people… but you also have a responsibility to the community and the victims, and there's all that conflicting info… It was much worse than I ever imagined it would be. :(
Thankgoodness I had it about 1000x easier than your friend though! a whole month… jebus
So much for "I got jury duty! W00t!" :PA judge can hold you in contempt if they feel you are just trying to get out of duty, at least here in Colorado. I got called last week for a child abuse trial, but they decided I might not be objective enough because I'm an educator so I got off.
Sounds like a difficult case. Next time when you get it when they ask if you have any prior opinions just say "Sure do! Hang the Bastard!" You won't get picked.
That's it exactly. You feel so sorry for the people…
one way to think of it is that they wouldn't even be in the situation if they hadn't done it in the first place. It's not just the jury's fault he was convicted. It's firstly his fault for doing it. secondly his for getting caught. Thirdly stupid enough for even thinking of doing something stupid that could have gotten him arrested and/or convicted. Then there's the detectives and people running the tests behind the scenes.
I think in the grand scheme of things, the jury is just the tail end of the process of getting someone convicted, so don't feel too bad.
plus, think of what he might be doing had he not been convicted. Or how the victim and their family would feel if justice hadn't come about?
It's a crap situation, and it's crap that you were involved, but don't beat yourself up over it.
Man, I forgot how SLLLOOOOOWWWWW the net access at my parents' is…
anyway… that sucks that your jury duty wasn't that great. but yeah I guess in a way it was to be expected… it's all such powerful decisions that alters the lives of others who you barely even know. unless it was the minor stuff like who was responsible for an car accident in which nobody got hurt expect thier wallets in which they'd have to use to fix thier cars.. in which nothing really changes for those people, save new cars or something.
I don't know about that. If you are broke and are forced to pay damages in any way, get a new car when you couldn't afford to fix your old one and stuff like that, I'd say it may make some pretty important changes in your life. 'Wallets' are rather important in peoples' lives- most crimes are motivated by money or power- which usually translates into money, as well.
When I get called for jury duty, I'm going to do what my dad always says he does, exclaim at the first chance I get my contempt for all minorities, regale the selectors with tales of murder and rape throughout my family history, and then top it off with a rousing declaration in support for communism.
I don't think my dad does all of that, but he's been through more jury selection processes than myself. I don't think he's served yet… Just some pointers for anyone looking to get out. Oh, and fake a Southern accent, or whatever your national equivalent is.
all this reminds me of a play called twelve angry men. It's about 12 jurors about to convict a kid guilty, but the decision isn't unanimous as one refuses to accept it, through logic and lots of arguements they eventually realise that he wasn't guilty after all. It's a freaking awesome play.
I had Jury Duty. I wasn't selected because I'm a troll IRL. My charming personality everyone loves online shines just as brightly in real life too. I wanted to send someone to the chair or vote guilty just because I don't care. How dare the american legal system not trust my judgement.
Two words: Military Exemption!!!
Although there are a few cases in which i would've killed to be on, such as:
1. The guy that claimed McDonald's made him fat. Dude, trust me, if i were on that jury, we'd STILL BE THERE. There is no way in hell that i'd favor that guy.
2. The O.J. Trail. The black guy in me says he didn't do it, but the logical side of me says that he probably did. Some other guy driving his car, F**King his woman, living is his house that he's still paying for, and still paying monthly for a woman that he's not with. I'm not saying he should have killed her, but i understand.
3. The chick that sued myspace because she met some guy there, they hooked up, and he molested her. She says that it's Myspace's fault for not providing a safe environment ( if i'm wrong, somebody correct me ). It can't be her fault for going to the site, signing up, talking to the guy, and meeting him, oh god no. I swear, i'd stop the damn case, put on a rubber glove and slap the hell out of her. I don't know how this case played out, but with me there it would have been a LONG day.
Sorry for that, but it's cases like these that are truly messing up the country. Thanks for letting me rant.
3. The chick that sued myspace because she met some guy there, they hooked up, and he molested her. She says that it's Myspace's fault for not providing a safe environment ( if i'm wrong, somebody correct me ). It can't be her fault for going to the site, signing up, talking to the guy, and meeting him, oh god no. I swear, i'd stop the damn case, put on a rubber glove and slap the hell out of her. I don't know how this case played out, but with me there it would have been a LONG day.
Sorry for that, but it's cases like these that are truly messing up the country. Thanks for letting me rant.
I agree that MySpace probably shouldn't be at fault for her getting assaulted, but isn't it really *his* fault for assaulting her, or is this one of those 'bitch had it coming' moments? Or are you saying that if I agree to meet someone that I agree to being assaulted?
I guess while I'm wondering about things – all these people who want to get out of jury duty. Its one of those responsibilites we have as citizens, hence the military exemption, since they figure if you're in the military, you're already serving your country. At least in the US. I believe Briton has trial by Judge only. How about all you other folks? What's the legal system like?
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