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Jury Duty Experiences
- Thread starter Doctor Q
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What is a juror number?
We each had 9-digit juror ID numbers and when they called each batch of people to be interviewed, they announced them by those numbers. Although they didn't say so, I assumed that they picked from that pool at random.
If the juror numbers you refer to are an ordered sequence within the pool, i.e., 1st candidate to be interviewed, 2nd candidate to be interviewed, etc., then weren't THOSE sequence numbers picked randomly from the overall pool? If so, the fact that the order was predetermined didn't change the overall odds of any particular one of us being selected without knowing where that person was placed in the selection order.
No, I don't mean the 9-digit juror ID number. When you are called out of the jury waiting room, and go into a courtroom, the judge and the lawyers re-numbered you, starting at 1 and going up to however many potential jurors were in that group called into the courtroom (usually 30-50 depending on the case, sounds like on your case there were probably more).
Yes, exactly right. The new numbers (starting at 1) are picked randomly by the jury coordinator (actually, in Los Angeles, by a computer). The only way you know what your new number is is by looking at the order in which you were called, or your position in line, or whatever.
My point (and it really was only a minor one) was simply that when you calculated the odds, if you were already part of a potential juror group and had been called into a courtroom, the odds at that point were not even and you had a much greater chance of being selected if you had a low juror number. The people in the back of the bus, at that point, were real longshots.
It is an interesting process. You can easily tell when a juror is trying to get off the panel, but it is even easier to spot those who want to be on. They tend to give very long answers, and to make self-serving comments like "I'm a very fair person." They tend to get kicked off more quickly than those who want to get kicked off.
After hearing me talk about my latest experience, my mom related one of her own.
She was on the jury for a criminal trial, and in their deliberations the jurors had voted 11-1 for a guilty verdict. The lone holdout said "Why do we have to be so just?"
She was on the jury for a criminal trial, and in their deliberations the jurors had voted 11-1 for a guilty verdict. The lone holdout said "Why do we have to be so just?"
In our court, they call jurors by name, and give them a number that gives them a place in line. (numbers are on the floor) That's the order we file into the courtroom. Those at the front, who fit in the jury box, are interviewed first. I've never paid attention, but I suppose more of those people get selected than those who have to be seated in the "cheap seats".
Sounds like random selection, with a challenged juror replaced by the next one in the cheap seats.
As good a method as any, I guess.
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I got a jury summons last week, no doubt sent by a summons-sending computer after another computer picked my name out of a computerized hat. I phoned in to register, pushing buttons as the computerized voice of the registration computer instructed me, only to be told that I served less than 12 months ago so I can be excused this time.
If the registration computer knew that I had been on jury duty less than a year ago, why didn't it mention that to the summons computer and save the county some paper, printing, and postage? I know we're a multilingual city but computers that are coworkers should really learn to communicate with each other!
If the registration computer knew that I had been on jury duty less than a year ago, why didn't it mention that to the summons computer and save the county some paper, printing, and postage? I know we're a multilingual city but computers that are coworkers should really learn to communicate with each other!
I got summoned for jury duty 2x in the same week!
Sure it was two difference court houses, but still. I phoned in, jumped through the hoops until I talked with a real person. They cancelled my second summons of that week.I got assigned to a trial a few year ago which was kind of interesting. It was a discrimination case against a major bank.
The conversations we had while deliberating were very interesting--and a bit scary. There was no evidence discrimination had taken place, yet half the jurors wanted desperately to find the bank guilty regardless because they just felt like that was the right thing to do. It seems that people have a very difficult time deciding cases on evidence alone--which is what you are supposed to do.
Since then, I've always felt very bad for jurors in high profile murder/fraud cases where the suspect is found innocent but the media and general public have decided they are guilty. Frequently, jurors are threatened after these cases and ridiculed in the media. It seems like people just don't understand that you have to decide a case based on evidence presented in court--not someone's opinion in a tabloid.
The conversations we had while deliberating were very interesting--and a bit scary. There was no evidence discrimination had taken place, yet half the jurors wanted desperately to find the bank guilty regardless because they just felt like that was the right thing to do. It seems that people have a very difficult time deciding cases on evidence alone--which is what you are supposed to do.
Since then, I've always felt very bad for jurors in high profile murder/fraud cases where the suspect is found innocent but the media and general public have decided they are guilty. Frequently, jurors are threatened after these cases and ridiculed in the media. It seems like people just don't understand that you have to decide a case based on evidence presented in court--not someone's opinion in a tabloid.
I usually get let go quickly when I tell them that it is IMHO that lawyers are the main reason our society is in the crapper. They are scum, worse than a used car salesman. There isn't a single problem in this country that can't be attributed to lawyers.
HOrrible. I saw a 30 rock episode where tina fey dressed like princess laya to get out of it. "i don't think it's fair that i'm on the jury cuz' i can read thoughts.." hilarious!
My wife got a summons for jury duty, scheduled during the first week of school. She teaches handicapped children. She asked for a delay until next August, they gave her a date in March. Reading comprehension is not their strong suit.
UK Experience
In the UK 12 good men and true were almost just that.
Quite heartening to see what a good bunch of folks your average guys were.
Having said that there were one or two conspiracy theorists types who just wouldn't accept the evidence.
The case was "wounding with intent".
Basically a guy wacked another guy over the head with an iron bar outside a bar after an argument inside the bar (waited for him).
Bar was found with wacked guys blood on one end and wacko guy's on the other end.
In the UK we don't get to hear the previous convictions until the end but it was quite obvious the wacko guy was a serial offender. The other guy was an innocent barman.
Because the one or two conspiracy theory types wouldn't accept the evidence the judge accepted a majority verdict. Guy got 2 years or so. Justice was done.
I really enjoyed it and was the foreman.
In the UK 12 good men and true were almost just that.
Quite heartening to see what a good bunch of folks your average guys were.
Having said that there were one or two conspiracy theorists types who just wouldn't accept the evidence.
The case was "wounding with intent".
Basically a guy wacked another guy over the head with an iron bar outside a bar after an argument inside the bar (waited for him).
Bar was found with wacked guys blood on one end and wacko guy's on the other end.
In the UK we don't get to hear the previous convictions until the end but it was quite obvious the wacko guy was a serial offender. The other guy was an innocent barman.
Because the one or two conspiracy theory types wouldn't accept the evidence the judge accepted a majority verdict. Guy got 2 years or so. Justice was done.
I really enjoyed it and was the foreman.
I served once. Glad to do it.
I despise those who try to get out of it. And have a distinct hatred for those work the system to get out of it and then say "those who couldn't were too dumb to get out of it"
Juries exist for one reason: to judge the facts AND the law.
But that's two reasons.
Not really. The second part is called jury nullification and without there is no need for a jury as a judge is perfectly capable of judging the facts on his own.
But the 'smart' leave it to those 'too dumb' to get out of jury duty to judge the law.
So bad law continues and it also propogates.
Lawyers don't want other lawyers in a jury pool.
I despise those who try to get out of it. And have a distinct hatred for those work the system to get out of it and then say "those who couldn't were too dumb to get out of it"
Juries exist for one reason: to judge the facts AND the law.
But that's two reasons.
Not really. The second part is called jury nullification and without there is no need for a jury as a judge is perfectly capable of judging the facts on his own.
But the 'smart' leave it to those 'too dumb' to get out of jury duty to judge the law.
So bad law continues and it also propogates.
Lawyers don't want other lawyers in a jury pool.
Only ever been called for jury duty once but I sat around for about 6-7 hours waiting for a case (or to be let go). One guy there had absolutely ZERO interest in being there and whined and complained about how this was an egregious waste of time to both him and his business. Finally, he had enough and the next time the jury duty people came back in, he ran up to them and rattled off pretty much every single racial slur you can think of at them.
They let him go right then and there.
The rest of us never got picked for a case so we were all let go shortly thereafter.
They let him go right then and there.
The rest of us never got picked for a case so we were all let go shortly thereafter.
Because I'm a hard working, tax paying american. Make people who collect unemployment, welfare, anyone bleeding the system serve. Maybe if they made up for the loss of income, I'd consider it. Until then, forget it.
My grandfather was never called for jury duty, but he wanted to serve very much. He even spoke to people he knew at the courthouse to see if there was any way he could volunteer. He died (wow, almost 20 years ago??) on his 75th birthday. One month later, he received a summons to report for jury duty.