Experiences with jury duty

[vNmd]

I lived overseas a good portion of my adult life so I have never done jury duty before this week. I was dreading it. I got the summons and was somehow picked (last one to be picked). I was hot under the collar that I was so close to getting out of it but failed.

Fortunately the case was supposed to be only two days so my apprehension started to fade. Turned out to be a DUI case, which I thought was kind of weak for a criminal trial. The defense attorney tried to discount each of the failed tests by some medical reason. He even brought in a medical expert to say there could be a medical reason for each of the test failures. It was almost laughable if he wasn't serious about it. The defense attorney seemed to be the epitome of sleazy legal trickery to get their client off by any means possible. Mainly by bashing the cop and the field sobriety tests. I wasn't buying any it and fortunately the other jurors didn't either and the deliberation lasted only an hour or so. I was somehow selected to be the foreman and got to read the verdict which was pretty cool.

The last thing the judge said to us was that while most people dread getting picked for jury duty it is usually a good experience, which I have to agree. I can't imagine sitting weeks or months for some of those celebrity media focused trials or being locked away in a motel during the trial, but I am glad I was there and think I learned a lot from the experience.

 

[harleybug88]

The last time I was called in for jury duty I didn't get picked. (I thanked the lord Jesus.)
I could tell the guy was guilty as hell.

 

[b-boy]

I've been picked every time I've been called. I don't know why. I've served on 3 juries.

I've seen some people go to great lengths not to be picked for a trial. Some people tell the judge they are gun fanatics, or their whole family is composed of cops. Sometimes it's so blatant that it's funny. I felt bad for one guy who said he didn't trust police. The judge grilled him as to why. The poor guy had to talk about his wife getting arrested for prostitution in front of 80 strangers. They let him off the hook.

I've been on criminal trials and civil trials. I'll take a criminal trial. Most criminals are pretty stupid, so it's kind of entertaining.

I got another notice a few months back, but I just moved to another county, so I'm off the hook.

 

[MaxStout]

When questioned during jury selection, say something mildly controversial. Don't go full radical on them, just say something that would raise concerns of impartiality by the attorney who is asking the question.

I got bounced off one that way years ago. Defense counsel asked what I thought of the police in town. I told them that I trusted the judgment of the police 100% of the time and would never question their actions. Bam! Strike for cause!

 

[kh54s10]

I was second alternate earlier this year. First alternate was dismissed so I was then THE alternate. It was a drug case. The defendant had contacted an old phone # which turned out to be a Texas undercover cop. He turned it over to a NJ undercover who contacted the defendant. There were many recorded discussions. Then a sting was set up with RI DEA. There was a fake kilo of cocaine that he would examine and if good he would buy more, he took it and was arrested.

The defense was that there was no transaction because no money was exchanged. And that one of the recordings was analysed and there appeared to be a silent space of less than one second - altered.

He was found guilty of intent to procure and distribute.

Afterward the judge invited the jury to his chamber. He thanked us and asked about the experience. I stated that I kind of felt strange in that I sat through the whole trial (2 days and an hour of wrap up), then I was not involved in the deliberation, being an alternate.
I was seated in the gallery for the verdict, I saw the defendant brought in in handcuffs. The judge said that if he was seen by the jury while being escorted into the court by corrections officers the case would have to have been dismissed. He also informed us that he had a prior felony conviction.

I didn't want to be selected but overall I was happy to do my civic duty.

I did see some who had good reasons to ask to be dismissed. Small business owners who could not afford to be away from work. A single mother, etc. Others were just trying to get out of it. A couple of people went to side bar with the judge and lawyers, then after discussion that we were not allowed to hear, were announced as Juror #...

 

[JonM]

I've seen people go to great lengths to get out of it too. Or trying just a little bit to get out of it. The judges are usually pretty sharp when someone's BSing, but they've always (in my experience anyway) been sensitive to genuine issues.

My take is whenever you see those news-of-the-weird stories about a ridiculous lawsuit, jurors are the ones who stand up and tell the claimant that their claim is BS. Sure, I get that it can be an inconvenience or a real pain in the arse, but it's really important.

 

[kh54s10]

I've seen people go to great lengths to get out of it too. Or trying just a little bit to get out of it. The judges are usually pretty sharp when someone's BSing, but they've always (in my experience anyway) been sensitive to genuine issues.

My take is whenever you see those news-of-the-weird stories about a ridiculous lawsuit, jurors are the ones who stand up and tell the claimant that their claim is BS. Sure, I get that it can be an inconvenience or a real pain in the arse, but it's really important.

BS lawsuits make me wish I could be a judge. Frivolous suits would get dismissed quickly. Violence lawsuits would get the maximum!!!!

 

[JonM]

BS lawsuits make me wish reporters would follow up on the stories. If a case truly is frivolous, it gets tossed AND the claimant can be forced to pay the other side's bills. In Wisconsin, we had a case where a dad and son sued because they thought the kid shouldn't be assigned homework over the summer. They sued the school, the county, and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction. They had to pay the legal bills for all three after the case got tossed. That happens more often than it gets reported in the papers.

 

[MaxStout]

BS lawsuits make me wish reporters would follow up on the stories. If a case truly is frivolous, it gets tossed AND the claimant can be forced to pay the other side's bills. In Wisconsin, we had a case where a dad and son sued because they thought the kid shouldn't be assigned homework over the summer. They sued the school, the county, and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction. They had to pay the legal bills for all three after the case got tossed. That happens more often than it gets reported in the papers.

You're lucky you live in a state that has a "loser pays" statute for tort actions. If you litigate, and lose, you're on the hook for the defense's legal fees. Not so in MN, unfortunately.

 

[JonM]

Oops - I should clarify. There's a difference between truly frivolous and just having a crappy case.

Frivolous means the case is not justified by law or fact, and is not a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law. THAT's what makes you get stuck with the other side's bills.

Just having a crappy case or losing doesn't make you have to pay the other side's bills.

 

[MaxStout]

Oops - I should clarify. There's a difference between truly frivolous and just having a crappy case.

Frivolous means the case is not justified by law or fact, and is not a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law. THAT's what makes you get stuck with the other side's bills.

Just having a crappy case or losing doesn't make you have to pay the other side's bills.

OK, I see.

Then WI doesn't have a "loser pays" requirement, per se. It's the standard sanctions for things like Rule 11 violations (vexatious litigation, etc.) that can trigger the damage claims for defense expenses. That's the standard here, too.

IIRC, Texas, and maybe a few other states, do the full loser pays thing. You roll the dice as a plaintiff, and if you don't prevail on the merits, you're on the hook.

 

[Natdavis777]

Never been picked (thankfully)... I have given a deposition though. Guy ended up taking a plea bargain (and was free within 6 month given multiple felonies)... Really makes me ponder our judicial system.

 

[shelly_belly]

I was called in late last year for a capital murder case but didn't get picked. I'm glad I didn't because they found the man guilty and gave him a death sentence. I don't know if I could have done that.

 

[user 30639]

BS lawsuits make me wish I could be a judge. Frivolous suits would get dismissed quickly. Violence lawsuits would get the maximum!!!!

The amount of frivolous lawsuits that actually make it to a jury is staggeringly low.

Sadly, never been on a jury. I'd love to. But since I'm a lawyer, I'll never get picked.

 

[JonM]

The amount of frivolous lawsuits that actually make it to a jury is staggeringly low.

Sadly, never been on a jury. I'd love to. But since I'm a lawyer, I'll never get picked.

I'm in the same boat as you.

 

[brewbama]

I got jury duty once and was selected. It was a case of a guy who bullied the neighborhood and made weaker people give him money. Well, the 'victim' got liquored up one night and told the bully he wasn't going to give him any more money and if he came up on the porch he had something for him. Well, the bully was being a bully and came on the porch and the 'victim' pulled out a pistol and busted a cap in his @$$. Literally. The bully nearly died. The prosecution said the 'victim' should have called the police instead of taking matters into his own hands. I say the SOB bully needed shot. We acquitted the 'victim' on the basis of Stand Your Ground. He has a right to be on his porch and the bully doesn't have a right to come onto it uninvited to threaten him. The judge agreed with us and even said that if we would have convicted the 'victim' he was going to go light on the sentence.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

I wouldn't mind jury duty if it weren't for the drive into the city, parking, etc.
I did once manage to get moved to the town courthouse about a mile from home. Case settled, so that was a quick day.

 

[MaxStout]

I got jury duty once and was selected. It was a case of a guy who bullied the neighborhood and made weaker people give him money. Well, the 'victim' got liquored up one night and told the bully he wasn't going to give him any more money and if he came up on the porch he had something for him. Well, the bully was being a bully and came on the porch and the 'victim' pulled out a pistol and busted a cap in his @$$. Literally. The bully nearly died. The prosecution said the 'victim' should have called the police instead of taking matters into his own hands. I say the SOB bully needed shot. We acquitted the 'victim' on the basis of Stand Your Ground. He has a right to be on his porch and the bully doesn't have a right to come onto it uninvited to threaten him. The judge agreed with us and even said that if we would have convicted the 'victim' he was going to go light on the sentence.

That story reminded me of that guy who terrorized people in a little town in Missouri back in the '80s. Until one day when someone wasted him on main street--in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses. The case remains unsolved to this day, and no one was talking. They made a TV movie about it, called In Broad Daylight, with Brian Dennehy starring as the bully.

 

[wallybangbang]

I got jury duty once and was selected. It was a case of a guy who bullied the neighborhood and made weaker people give him money. Well, the 'victim' got liquored up one night and told the bully he wasn't going to give him any more money and if he came up on the porch he had something for him. Well, the bully was being a bully and came on the porch and the 'victim' pulled out a pistol and busted a cap in his @$$. Literally. The bully nearly died. The prosecution said the 'victim' should have called the police instead of taking matters into his own hands. I say the SOB bully needed shot. We acquitted the 'victim' on the basis of Stand Your Ground. He has a right to be on his porch and the bully doesn't have a right to come onto it uninvited to threaten him. The judge agreed with us and even said that if we would have convicted the 'victim' he was going to go light on the sentence.

Good for you. In California we like to protect the criminals and punish the victims, because you know its societies(our) fault they committed the crimes.

I've been lucky I've never been called all the times i've gotten summons.

 

[Munster51]

I got called for jury duty once. As soon as the defense attorney recognized me as a police officer he let me go. I told them I could be impartial in that innocent people don't get arrested and brought before a court.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I've never gotten a summons. For a number of reasons. I know what they are. I won't go into them.

If I did get a summons, wouldn't be hard to get out of it.

But win for me, I suppose.

 

[gspot]

Coincidentally I got my summons and preselection questionnaire in the mail yesterday. Looks to be some kind of medical malpractice suit based on the questions. 46 and this will be my first time, if I get selected.

 

[Alpotun]

Had been wanting to go thru the process for a long time, finally got called 3 years ago and selected for a case. After a couple of hours of testimony the judge ordered us out of the courtroom and eventually ordered a mistrial. Something about a witness incriminating herself in some other case involving arson.
Anyway, I guess I got it out of my system. I've gotten a summons for both of the last two years and have been ok with everything being settled and not having to show.

 

[smurfjuice]

Just shave yer eyebrows, you'll be fine ... :beard:

 

[Hamaki]

Only one time on jury duty, 20 years ago. Wrongful death suit against a couple of cops responding to a call about a guy who was acting weird, kind of trance like. As they approached, talking to him, he snapped out of it and reached for a gun in his waist band. Both cops shot before he could get a shot off. Expert witnesses provided all kinds of alternative actions the cops could have taken, there was some rationalization of the deceased's behavior and "they should have had specific training for this". There was also an attempt to make a case for excessive force with some questionable evidence that the man was shot once after he was already down. If I remember he took something like 7 or 8 rounds, total, and the shooting lasted for a few seconds.

I'm not the kind of guy that feels cops can do no wrong; they're people too. I felt sorry for his family but deliberation was brief and did not end up in their favor.

 

[Inkleg]

I've gotten a jury summons numerous times. With results from not having to go to the court house, to being the picked as the foreman on a jury. I have actually enjoyed going through the jury selection process and seeing how it works. I'd like to know that if I happened to be on the other side, that I might be judged by an impartial jury based on the facts presented.

Plus it's fun to sit and listen to some of the excuses people come up with. The last time someone used the excuse that if they were picked it would jeopardize them being able to become King of some small Africian township that they were next in line to rule. Yep, there was some snickering when he said that in very broken english. (Now that I think about it, I might have gotten emails from him before. I think he needs money. ). Needless to say, he wasn't there the next day.

I was excused one time after being asked if I was a member of the NRA. I answered "Yes, Lifetime", I was not needed after that and have no idea what the trial was about.
The last jury pool I was in, I had to explain that my wife was a sworn peace officer and worked for the Medical Examiner. They asked beyond that, could I make an impartial decision based on the facts presented in the case. I answered yes and ended being picked as foreman of that jury. Let's just say the female we sat in judgement of was not a nice person based on the facts provided and was found guilty. She is now serving a life sentence and I'm very ok with that.

 

[kh54s10]

The amount of frivolous lawsuits that actually make it to a jury is staggeringly low.

Maybe that make it to a jury, but those the get to court... Not nearly low enough!!!!! Guess it depends on your definition of frivolous....

 

[hunter_le five]

Last time I got summoned to jury duty I ended up getting picked. A lawsuit to settle a dispute between two neighboring homeowners. The next day we went through all the juror instruction process, and then were left waiting in the courtroom for about an hour only to have the judge come in and tell us that the two disputing parties had come to an agreement, mere minutes before the proceedings were to begin. Missed most of two days of work for basically nothing. Kind of nice, but kind of frustrating that they made everyone go through all that song and dance only to talk it out in the hallway like they should have done in the first place.

 

[Grannyknot]

I'm one of the few that have never been summoned, but would really like to.
Not sure I'd enjoy a long drawn out murder trial, but would really like to do a 4-5 day trial.

 

[autobaun70]

Been drawn quite a few times for all sorts of different jury duty's, but only ever had to show up once. I've been dismissed as a juror after filling out the questionnaire most of the time.

The only time I did have to serve was for a civil trial. Kooky woman was trying to sue her neighbor for causing erosion on her property when they built their house. She was representing herself, and had no clue what she was doing. She brought a few zoomed in pics of the so-called erosion, which showed basically nothing.

The defendants were a very nice older couple, and happened to have pictures of their lot and the neighbors from pre-construction. Their pics clearly showed that the erosion predated their presence. The judge promptly through out the case, and required the crazy woman to pay the older couples legal fees.

 

[scootchu]

I was on a criminal case jury and the trial went about 3 days. It was an insurance case that involved a rookie cop that lent a motorcycle to a friend who totalled it in a crash. The cop was being accused of buying insurance after the accident and then reporting the accident. The friend (associate) was offered immunity for his testimony.

It would have been hard to prove any of it, until the cop incriminated himself on the stand and stated that he learned of the accident and then paid for insurance, not once, but twice. A couple of jurors heard what I heard when we were deliberating. I asked if we could hear the transcript read to us and there it was plain as day. We were unanimous in our vote of guilty, EXCEPT for one guy who said he knew he was guilty, but was practicing jury nullification. He felt the associate that had the accident made the cop commit insurance fraud and therefore wouldn't convict. A day of sitting on our hands with no verdict led to a hung jury. Ugh

Case tried again about 3 months later. Guilty. What a waste of time.

 

[m00ps]

Jury duty is a piece of cake. Ask to be sworn in on a signed copy for Star Wars Episode IV (or any other piece of nerd memorabilia) and youre off the hook

 

[Mismost]

I wear my "hang 'em high, Let God sort 'em out" tee shirt...never been picked!

Kidding. Jury duty is a civic duty and can be a waste of time. Every time I have been picked, after the jury is seated, the two sides came to a hallway agreement/plea and we were dismissed....what ticks me off is we were never told what the agreement was....after wasting a day in court, I felt I had a vested interest in knowing what happened.

 

[nDub]

Fortunately the case was supposed to be only two days so my apprehension started to fade. Turned out to be a DUI case, which I thought was kind of weak for a criminal trial. The defense attorney tried to discount each of the failed tests by some medical reason. He even brought in a medical expert to say there could be a medical reason for each of the test failures. It was almost laughable if he wasn't serious about it. The defense attorney seemed to be the epitome of sleazy legal trickery to get their client off by any means possible. Mainly by bashing the cop and the field sobriety tests. I wasn't buying any it and fortunately the other jurors didn't either and the deliberation lasted only an hour or so.

My last jury duty was almost identical to this.

Lady was trying to prove that she had to drive drunk to protect herself from a one person at a packed out bar. The defense lawyer dragged the trial out for two and half days. When we went into deliberations we did a preliminary vote to see where everyone stood and everyone agreed she was guilty. Took like two minutes. So we bs'd for a half hour then called the judge back. I'm happy to do my civil duty (as a gov't employee very happy) but crimes like that should be settled with plea deals.

 

[Mainer]

My town/county must have a low caseload, because neither I nor my wife have ever been summoned for jury duty.

 

[GHBWNY]

Got picked. Arranged a day off work (without pay, self-employed). Showed up at the county courthouse at 8 AM. Signed in. Went and sat in the courtroom with 60 other people, awaiting screening. After 45 minutes, the judge comes in, announces the defendant had a change of heart, confessed to the crime and we could all go home. My understanding was that we would be paid the minimum required fee just for showing up and signing in. Apparently not, since I never got paid. Maybe you only get paid for each day you actually serve on the jury?

 

[Kee]

Got picked. Arranged a day off work (without pay, self-employed). Showed up at the county courthouse at 8 AM. Signed in. Went and sat in the courtroom with 60 other people, awaiting screening. After 45 minutes, the judge comes in, announces the defendant had a change of heart, confessed to the crime and we could all go home. My understanding was that we would be paid the minimum required fee just for showing up and signing in. Apparently not, since I never got paid. Maybe you only get paid for each day you actually serve on the jury?

Depends upon state law, but the biggest check I've ever received for showing up was $15.00.

I've been summoned in four different jurisdictions. Most counties will make you hate a call for jury duty, even if you are civic minded. Long waits, too many peopled called, more waiting, no concern for people that are losing pay for no good reason.

Pima County (Tucson) was my best experience, with a website that lets you reschedule the day (if needed), gives you updates on whether or not the duty has been canceled, and when you go provides a nice lounge area complete with computers (and internet access).

 

[agrazela]

Been summoned many, many, many times, but only got (stuck) on a jury twice.

Once was a criminal case; I remember one of the preremptory questions was, "(other than yourself) do you have any females in your family." Obviously the first x number asked that got booted, thus they ran out of people to boot and I was stuck on that jury. Guy was being charged with something like 120 counts of various rape and battery charges against his own female family members ranging from a 3 year old niece to an 80+ year old grandma. After spending two full days just getting read the charges, he copped to a plea deal and we were dismissed.

Another was a civil case, many many years ago. Again, stupid preremptory question, "have you ever used a telephone," meant bam the first x people are out and I'm on. In this case a telemarketer was suing a guy who got tired of the incessant, repeated calls tieing up his line...because the guy went to Radio Shack and bought the parts to build some kind of re-dialer with which to tie up the telemarketer's phone number. The telemarketer guy--who, by the way, was a real piece of work--really thought he was going to walk away with some big bucks for "lost business"...instead after less than 5 minutes of deliberation on our part he walked away having to pay the other guy's legal bills and all his expenses for having had to come down from Seattle to San Diego to face this suit. The entire jury was openly snickering during the reading of the verdict, even the judge cracked a smile. We only wished we could also award the defendant some kind of additional damages.

EDIT: also been an alternate at least 3 times.

 

[nDub]

My town/county must have a low caseload, because neither I nor my wife have ever been summoned for jury duty.

I must be on the short list, I get summoned every 6 months on the dot. I've also had the feds jury duty which is a month of being on call (didn't get called thankfully) and the court house is 2.5-3 hours away...

I've only ever had to serve once but I've gone through selections a handful of times. I find that if they send me a notice (in CA) you can defer one time up to six months. Most cases that have a Monday trial day are settled the Friday before. I'm guessing because lawyers don't want to spend the weekend getting ready for it? So if I'm summoned on a wed I'll defer six months and pick a Monday. Works some of the time, all of the time.

 

[Braumeise]

I was called in late last year for a capital murder case but didn't get picked. I'm glad I didn't because they found the man guilty and gave him a death sentence. I don't know if I could have done that.

does the verdict have to be unanimous?