It is my civic duty....

[Nitrohaulic]

Here is a little thought that I asked the judge the last time I was called to JD. If you were on trial wouldnt you want a jury of people who wanted to be there instead of people who were forced to be there? He was not very happy with me but I told him that most people dont want to be here and I wouldnt want them on my jury. After a while he agreed with me but said its the system right now so we have to work with it. By the way, that was 2 years ago and I havent been called since

Actually, I've heard that the ideal juror in the eyes of attorneys is someone who doesn't even want to be there.

 

[HEMI6point1]

Someone told me the best way to get excused from jury selection is to say "yes" to select questions the people ask you.

My dad got summonsed for jury duty a while ago for some DWI trial and when the person asked him "if the defendant refused to take a breathalyser test would you immediately think he's guilty?" My dad said yes (like any sensible person would) and he was not one of the ones that got picked.

 

[DragFan2]

I have been summonsed to attend Jury selection in May.

Dangit, when they say "all you have to do in life is die and pay taxes" why not add that you may need to do something you don't really want to do?

Sam, As already brought up, you should consider it a privilege. Sure it might inconvenience you, but it applies the same to everyone else called to serve. Alot of things in life are not choices we want to make. You'll find out. I was called about a year ago, and found it somewhat fascinating. Met some interesting people and even someone who had worked for a company I started working at in Florida 15+ years ago. PS: Your company should pay you your regular salary for the day or days spent at Jury Duty as mine did.

 

[HEMI6point1]

If they pay me for it I'll be fine with it.

 

[ProStockJunkie]

I have been summonsed to attend Jury selection in May.

Dangit, when they say "all you have to do in life is die and pay taxes" why not add that you may need to do something you don't really want to do?

Please do the defendants a favor and don't go.
The judge and attorney's generally wish to have unbiased people on their jury.

 

[Shan]

Holy crap! Some of you people need to relax a little bit and quit being so serious and uptight all the time. All the man said is he didn't want to serve jury duty, and you all are acting like he should be deported to another country or something. Do you know how many people don't want to serve jury duty? The majority do not, and that is a fact. But it is hardly an indicator of one's level of appreciation or gratitude for one's country or what rights are afforded or not afforded him, or anything else for that matter. Unfortunately, very few people can honestly say they get up every morning and look forward to going into their jobs, and a lot of people even gripe and bellyache about it. But I bet they are damn grateful they have that job.

 

[Shan]

The judge and attorney's generally wish to have unbiased people on their jury.

True for judges, yes. True for the attorneys, no.

 

[ProStockJunkie]

True for the attorneys, no.

Depends on the bias Shan

 

[HEMI6point1]

Holy crap! Some of you people need to relax a little bit and quit being so serious and uptight all the time. All the man said is he didn't want to serve jury duty, and you all are acting like he should be deported to another country or something. Do you know how many people don't want to serve jury duty? The majority do not, and that is a fact. But it is hardly an indicator of one's level of appreciation or gratitude for one's country or what rights are afforded or not afforded him, or anything else for that matter. Unfortunately, very few people can honestly say they get up every morning and look forward to going into their jobs, and a lot of people even gripe and bellyache about it. But I bet they are damn grateful they have that job.

Thank you! I make one post and people get so overzealous.

 

[Jenn]

Yeah it would be kind fun, but it depends on the case. Knowing my luck it would probably be a "trial-of-the century" case that lasts 6 months.

That sounds like it would be right up your alley, Samuel, you'd get your 15 minutes of fame talking about it on ABC news a few months after.

Heck, maybe they'll give you your own reality TV show.

 

[willy]

I think it was Carlin who said.."If you want to get out of jury duty..tell the judge you can spot a guilty person by just looking at them." *snaps fingers*

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Actually, the only three sure things in life are death, taxes, and fried chicken on the truckstop buffets.

 

[T.Smith]

I enjoyed my one time on jury duty. It was a boring case and lasted about 4 days, but I learned a lot about how the court works. I'm glad I was picked.

 

[ProStockJunkie]

That sounds like it would be right up your alley, Samuel, you'd get your 15 minutes of fame talking about it on ABC news a few months after.

Heck, maybe they'll give you your own reality TV show.

And don't forget the book deal.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I think the reason attorneys would rather have someone who doesn't want to be there is that gives them more reason to believe that you don't have any hidden biases. Someone wanting to be there might already have their mind made up.

 

[Shan]

I enjoyed my one time on jury duty. It was a boring case and lasted about 4 days, but I learned a lot about how the court works. I'm glad I was picked.

See, this is a much more effective way of encouraging someone to see jury duty in a different light than the majority of the other responses above. There's a few people who have posted on this thread who have been very vocal about cleaning this board up and being respectful to other posters, etc. However, you seem to forget about all of that and are the first to jump on the bandwagon when people are flaming someone you don't like. It's kind of shitty and a complete turn-0ff in all honesty.

 

[Jenn]

I think the reason attorneys would rather have someone who doesn't want to be there is that gives them more reason to believe that you don't have any hidden biases. Someone wanting to be there might already have their mind made up.

I don't remember who said it, other than my law professor, but I believe she was qouting from somebody as well.

The author of the study operated on the premise that all human beings have prejudices and biases, but

"If a person believes they have no biases & prejudices, THEY are the MOST dangerious."

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I don't remember who said it, other than my law professor, but I believe she was qouting from somebody as well.

The author of the study operated on the premise that all human beings have prejudices and biases, but

"If a person believes they have no biases & prejudices, THEY are the MOST dangerious."

I think that's a very good point! An attorney isn't going to want anyone with hidden biases when they can't tell which way those biases might be leaning! Not that they know anything about hidden motives or anything!

 

[HEMI6point1]

That sounds like it would be right up your alley, Samuel, you'd get your 15 minutes of fame talking about it on ABC news a few months after.

Heck, maybe they'll give you your own reality TV show.

Jenn, I get the sense you're not my biggest fan.

 

[Jenn]

I think that's a very good point! An attorney isn't going to want anyone with hidden biases when they can't tell which way those biases might be leaning! Not that they know anything about hidden motives or anything!

Along with that lecture, she passed out an article from Jim Belshaw. From the Metro & NM section of the Alburquerque Journal. The article deals mainly in racial biases, which are "decidedly prevailant within the legal system".(Prof. qoute)

It starts off as him subscribing to the racial beliefs passed on from the sixties and then says "When I got older... I discovered the myths were lies cultivated in the fertile ground where fear thrives, especially the fear of those different from us...So I learned to discard the myths and lies...regardless...the racial myths stay with us, buried in some subterranean place like land mines waiting for the inadvertent step."

I'm sure there was more to the article, but I can't find it, it was oversized so I put it somewhere else. I just have what's in my notes, but it closed with "There's a difference between land mines and grenades".

Sorry, it's a little off the topic trail.