Jury service
Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:06 pm
Me and my mom were just talking about Jury Service and how it would be pretty cool if you had helped to put away a serial killer, or pretty darn horrible if you had helped to release one!
So, have you or your family/friend ever had to do it?
So, have you or your family/friend ever had to do it?
Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:23 pm
Well, I know my mother hasn't. I don't know if other family has outside of my house. I haven't either, though I've always been curious about doing it.
Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:46 pm
My mom did it once, and my dad got out of it 3 times 
Everyone complains about it, but I think its intresting.
Everyone complains about it, but I think its intresting.
Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:51 pm
My dad has but it was only magistrates court and not crown court so it was pretty boring for him.
Re: Jury service
Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:10 pm
Ginger Harp Seal Pup wrote:Me and my mom were just talking about Jury Service and how it would be pretty cool if you had helped to put away a serial killer, or pretty darn horrible if you had helped to release one!
Cool is definitely not the term I would use to describe being a juror for such a case. Horrifying would be a better term. All the graphic evidence they have to see, plus having to sit through the testimony of witnesses who have had their lives torn apart, not to mention the possible fear that the accused might get out (escape or overturned conviction because of a technicality). I know I would constantly worry about revenge...While you might be able to convince yourself that you've help put away a murderer and that you've done a good thing, I think I would be too messed up from the whole experience to ever really focus on that part.
Sorry, didn't mean to be so negative...just don't think I would ever consider jury duty cool. Either it would be boring or it could be very traumatizing.
Ginger Harp Seal Pup wrote:So, have you or your family/friend ever had to do it?
Where I live, you only enter the jury pool when you register to vote. Guess who's nearly 25 and never voted?
I think one of my friends got out of jury duty, but I don't think I know anyone who has actually been required to do it, and certainly not for an important case.
Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:15 pm
Nope, and I don't know why. Maybe we're just "lucky" lol. Although I've been to a few courts.
Re: Jury service
Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:24 pm
MyleneFarmer wrote:Ginger Harp Seal Pup wrote:Me and my mom were just talking about Jury Service and how it would be pretty cool if you had helped to put away a serial killer, or pretty darn horrible if you had helped to release one!
Cool is definitely not the term I would use to describe being a juror for such a case. Horrifying would be a better term. All the graphic evidence they have to see, plus having to sit through the testimony of witnesses who have had their lives torn apart, not to mention the possible fear that the accused might get out (escape or overturned conviction because of a technicality). I know I would constantly worry about revenge...While you might be able to convince yourself that you've help put away a murderer and that you've done a good thing, I think I would be too messed up from the whole experience to ever really focus on that part.
Sorry, didn't mean to be so negative...just don't think I would ever consider jury duty cool. Either it would be boring or it could be very traumatizing.Ginger Harp Seal Pup wrote:So, have you or your family/friend ever had to do it?
Where I live, you only enter the jury pool when you register to vote. Guess who's nearly 25 and never voted?
I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to be offensive or anything, I just couldn't think of a better word to actually describe it. I was actually racking my brain thinking of a better term, though, but in the end I just put that. You seem to have described it better than I have though.
Anyway, I didn't even answer my own question! The answer for me is no all around. Nothing remotely important ever happens to this family. If we were wiped off the face of the earth I don't think anyone would notice
Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:32 pm
No, I haven't. I can't recall my parents have, either.
Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:50 pm
I was called for jury duty recently, but 1. it was only local common pleas court and 2. both cases were settled so I never actually had to go.
Re: Jury service
Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:05 pm
Ginger Harp Seal Pup wrote:
I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to be offensive or anything, I just couldn't think of a better word to actually describe it. I was actually racking my brain thinking of a better term, though, but in the end I just put that. You seem to have described it better than I have though.
Ack! No, you weren't being offensive! Don't think that. ^^; It's just that I happened to be thinking about this topic over the weekend. I got myself a bit worked up about it after watching a few too many real crime shows this weekend (American Justice that discussed the Nightstalker serial killer and Cold Case Files which discussed several heinous crimes), and realizing just how traumatizing it must be to see the evidence, since they didn't show most of it on the television and all. I always thought that perhaps a juror would have a sense of pride that they helped to put away someone who did something terrible, but after really thinking about it, I realized that it might not be the case.
Don't worry, you weren't offensive. I just had been thinking way too much about the alternative perspectives recently. ^_-
Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:12 pm
I was called to be on jury duty in West Virginia, but I was attending school in Missouri at the time.
In WV, you get a per-day pay of 5 bucks, plus travel expenses. So I told them that they'd have to pay me for my flight tickets in and back every day, so that I could still attend my classes.
I got a waiver. Shame, too, I was kind of hoping to get a few bucks out of it.
In WV, you get a per-day pay of 5 bucks, plus travel expenses. So I told them that they'd have to pay me for my flight tickets in and back every day, so that I could still attend my classes.
I got a waiver. Shame, too, I was kind of hoping to get a few bucks out of it.
Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:40 pm
What's Jury Service? 
Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:59 pm
In the US: Being asked to sit in a small wooden box with 11 people you don't know and decide whether a person is guilty of a crime after hearing testimony. You must unanimously decide whether the defendant is guilty beyond a resonable doubt. If you cannot agree after a reasonable period of time, the judge declares a mistrial and starts all over. If you all agree that hte person is innoecent, then the person goes free and can't be tried for that particular crime again.
You are selected from a random pool of registered voters. You don't have the option of saying, "no, I don't want to to it." Before the trial begins, the lawyers for both the defense and the prosecution assemble a large panel of prospective jurors, usually a few dozen, and ask them questions through a questionnaire, then direct questioning. They then agree on about 15 people they think should be on the jury. Only 12 of them get votes, the others are alternates in the event that someone must be removed.
In a civil trial, there can be anywhere from 6-12 people on the jury. Only 3/4 of you must agree on guilt and settlement payout in civil trials.
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury
You are selected from a random pool of registered voters. You don't have the option of saying, "no, I don't want to to it." Before the trial begins, the lawyers for both the defense and the prosecution assemble a large panel of prospective jurors, usually a few dozen, and ask them questions through a questionnaire, then direct questioning. They then agree on about 15 people they think should be on the jury. Only 12 of them get votes, the others are alternates in the event that someone must be removed.
In a civil trial, there can be anywhere from 6-12 people on the jury. Only 3/4 of you must agree on guilt and settlement payout in civil trials.
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury
Mon Nov 21, 2005 5:36 pm
My mum's gotten out of it a few times, but my history teacher had to last year. He was out of class for few days, which was lovely. <3
Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:10 pm
I've been called, I think, 3 times (maybe 4). Only had to show up the first time though. Now that I'm disabled I get a note from one of my doctors saying it would be a hardship (which it would be).
Where I live, when you're called for jury duty you don't just go to the courthouse and get assigned a case. You spend the day sitting in this big ugly room with alot of other peoplem fill out this long form answering questions and then are called to sit in various courtrooms while the judge explains what type of case it is (could be anything from an almost trivial civil matter to murder), then the 2 lawyers tell their side of the story.
Then the judge asks for a show of hands saying yes or no on various questions relating to the case and how you feel/think you would decide on that case. Depending on that answer, you're asked to stand up and explain why you went with yes or no as an answer. The lawyers take notes and decide who they do and don't want on their jury. Then if you're one of the people picked by the lawyers, those people gets asked if sitting on that particular jury for however many days (or longer) the trial should take would be a hardship. Usually invoves a lecture on doing your civic duty if you say yes to that question.
At the end of the day you get $9, which if you're working most times you have to turn over to your job. Fun? Nope. It's a long and mostly boring day sitting around waiting for your name to be called. I will say some of the cases I sat in on were truly horrifying.
Where I live, when you're called for jury duty you don't just go to the courthouse and get assigned a case. You spend the day sitting in this big ugly room with alot of other peoplem fill out this long form answering questions and then are called to sit in various courtrooms while the judge explains what type of case it is (could be anything from an almost trivial civil matter to murder), then the 2 lawyers tell their side of the story.
Then the judge asks for a show of hands saying yes or no on various questions relating to the case and how you feel/think you would decide on that case. Depending on that answer, you're asked to stand up and explain why you went with yes or no as an answer. The lawyers take notes and decide who they do and don't want on their jury. Then if you're one of the people picked by the lawyers, those people gets asked if sitting on that particular jury for however many days (or longer) the trial should take would be a hardship. Usually invoves a lecture on doing your civic duty if you say yes to that question.
At the end of the day you get $9, which if you're working most times you have to turn over to your job. Fun? Nope. It's a long and mostly boring day sitting around waiting for your name to be called. I will say some of the cases I sat in on were truly horrifying.