Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Jury duty

My brother got the little card in the mail that acts as a preliminary questionnaire to see if you're a candidate to serve. Where it asks for a reason that you wouldn't be a good pick, he wrote "Racially biased." Never heard a word again.

I got the same card a few years ago and just stated that I was a business owner and nobody else provided for my household. Got a call a few weeks later telling me that I could ignore it.

I'll do everything in my power to get out of serving a system that I believe is a failure and only benefits the highest bidder, while paying jurors like its still 1910.

I got called three times in four years and never was selected. Our work schedule was already finalized by the call in time for the next day’s court session so I got a day off. We got paid for it anyway.

When you get a little older 😁 you don’t have to worry about jury duty anymore. 😁

Going through voir die one morning a defense attorney asked if anyone in the jury pool knew the defendant
I raised my hand ( knew the guy from high school )
He asked if that would prejudice me in making a fair ruling to which I replied " I have more respect for a rattlesnake "
I was excused.

Another time I got picked for a jury, rape case.
Went to lunch and just happened to sit down at a table next to 2 uniformed LEOs.
They had a couple of good looking gals w them.
As they were eating lunch they discussed the prosecutions evidence in the case I had been picked for.
Seems the defendant was LEO and used his handcuffs in the assault.

Luckily for me I knew the Judge, I was her service consultant at local Cadillac dealer.
I asked her bailiff to see her, told her what I'd overheard.
She dismissed the entire jury and as we were leaving we could hear her reaming the 2 LEOs

I have only been called once, and that was in my mid-20's. I ended up sitting on the jury for a civil medical malpractice case. The trial lasted a week, and then we deliberated for a week. Not that I especially want to do it again, but it was a great learning experience.

I consider it an important duty for a free society.

JMHO

It's actually a bit of a minor miracle any jury gets put into place these days. With all the identity politics and such- it's crazy that someone would fit an appropriate profile anymore for both sides.

Teal, during Voir Dire you should hear some of the answers the potential jurors give. It’s amazing. I think TV shows like CSI have ruined the ability to seat a good jury. People watch the show where they solve a difficult murder case in 60 minutes. They in turn expect real Law Enforcement to be able to do the same.

Ron

I heard it wrecked things. People expect DNA evidence/match for a criminal trespass or Disorderly Conduct type of mentality.

I spent the best part of a month on a murder trial. Definitely an experience. I came to realize that evil does exist and that it walks among us.

I got selected twice, first time in Alaska and got excused do to my work. Next time in Wyoming, after I retired, got selected. Federal court drug case, guy was cooking and distributing meth. We convicted him , sent him up for 10 years, then Obama came along and released a bunch of, so called minor drug offenses, and our boy was released, The jury foreman, and a couple of the ladies on the jury were worried he might come looking for retribution but so far nothing. You never know this guy was a real hard ass scum bag(he thought)

Elkhunter, that’s a long one. If the Bryan Kohberger case ever makes it to trial those jurors will see some things that they wish they could unsee. The savage slaughter of 4 innocent college students. I don’t envy them at all. Weeks of awful crime scene photos and defense attorney crap.

Ron

It's been 20 years since I've been summoned and was immediately dismissed because of work both times.

These days, I get kicked out of most surveys because of my wife's job, I'd imagine it might be an issue with jury duty, should they ask. Do they ask what your spouse does?

I had jury duty for the first time 6 or 7 years ago. They gave me a number and every day I had to call a phone number and listen to a recording that said what numbers should show up tomorrow. Never had to go in at all. That was fine with me.

Got called for jury duty in early '91. Guy's "third strike" DWI!
One young man in the jury pool was a Texas DPS cadet.
Lawyer was asking jury pool "show of hand" questions.
He asked if anyone thought police radar was trustworthy?
The cadet's hand shot into the air.
Over the next five minutes, the jury pool was entertained as the cadet innocently swore that radar units were infallible! Lawyer was having a blast!
Before the day was out, the guy made a plea deal and we were all sent home.

Only other jury duty I got selected for a wreck. High school punk overdriving on a rain-soaked highway, late for school nearly killed himself and a friend. The jury was 11-1 for denying the suit.
To my dismay, the kid was sueing a trucking company for tracking mud onto the highway, making the pavement slick.
I would have liked to sock it to the arrogant a-hole trucking company owner, but the kid was passing a line of cars, the area was known as a trouble spot due to the gravel trucks and the fact he was speeding was evident.
The accident occurred right after he passed a big "Slippery When Wet" highway warning sign! 😖

Jake, they generally ask if you know or are related to anyone in Law Enforcement. That seems to be the deal breaker. In my county in Ohio you have to fill out a lengthy questionnaire that pretty much covers all the bases. The prosecution and defense get copies and pretty much know who they want and don’t want. They never use my wife because of my career.

Ron

Thanks. My wife is a writer/reporter for the county newspaper.

During my 43 year career in the mining industry, I never got a jury duty summons. When you move to another state every 2 to 5 years, it's hard to hit a moving target.

My greatest concern was driving through a state I lived in years before, getting pulled over for a traffic violation and finding out that I had a contempt of court warrant for missing jury duty after I left that state.