topic Re: Jury Duty in SmorgasBoard

Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:07:29 GMT

It has been a LOOOONG week. Selected to be a juror on Monday. The judge gave us Tuesday off so that we could vote. Trial started Wednesday morning. Can't say more than that other than the case is being tried in the Harris County (Houston, TX) Criminal Courts.

I do not mind serving as a juror on the trial. In fact, I get a summons every year or two, but never made it on a panel before. The cases were either dismissed or they just let us go. I just never expected it to be so mentally draining... My disrespect for lawyers has increased tremendously. I do understand that the DAs office is just doing their job and that the defense attorney is just doing his job.

Just wanted to vent. Hope this case wraps up next week.

Re: Jury Duty

atlastontheroad — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:38:55 GMT

@Scout1965 wrote:
It has been a LOOOONG week. Selected to be a juror on Monday. The judge gave us Tuesday off so that we could vote. Trial started Wednesday morning. Can't say more than that other than the case is being tried in the Harris County (Houston, TX) Criminal Courts.

I do not mind serving as a juror on the trial. In fact, I get a summons every year or two, but never made it on a panel before. The cases were either dismissed or they just let us go. I just never expected it to be so mentally draining... My disrespect for lawyers has increased tremendously. I do understand that the DAs office is just doing their job and that the defense attorney is just doing his job.

Just wanted to vent. Hope this case wraps up next week.

You're a better person than I. In the past, in IL, I used every thing I could to get out of jury duty: married to a lawyer, was married to a peace officer, the fact that I am an accountant by education worked once (they really don't want people crunching numbers in an actuarial sense during jury deliberation was what the ex told me, he was right at the time).

In NY? I've been a registered voter for 8 years and have yet to be called.

I hope it wraps up for you shortly. Are you getting Tuesday (Veteran's Day) off?

atlast...

Re: Jury Duty

laz98 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:23:30 GMT

now that i have registered to vote, i'm afraid they're going to start calling me all the time!

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:12:01 GMT

@laz98 wrote:
now that i have registered to vote, i'm afraid they're going to start calling me all the time!

In some places, prospective juror names are also supplied by driver license and state taxpayer records.

Re: Jury Duty

MidnightVoice — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:06:14 GMT

atlastontheroad wrote:

In NY? I've been a registered voter for 8 years and have yet to be called.

I got called practically every other year in NY - every time I sent it back pointing out that I was not a citizen and could not vote!

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:33:15 GMT

@MidnightVoice wrote:
atlastontheroad wrote:

In NY? I've been a registered voter for 8 years and have yet to be called.

I got called practically every other year in NY - every time I sent it back pointing out that I was not a citizen and could not vote!

Was going to say - it's not happened to me but I have heard a LOT of tales of non-citizens who clearly aren't registered to vote getting called for jury duty and having to point out that, errr, they're not allowed to do it!

Re: Jury Duty

MidnightVoice — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:01:57 GMT

fevmlo wrote:
Was going to say - it's not happened to me but I have heard a LOT of tales of non-citizens who clearly aren't registered to vote getting called for jury duty and having to point out that, errr, they're not allowed to do it!

In NY they use the Drivers License, not the Electoral Roll!!

Re: Jury Duty

anca21bi — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:49:14 GMT

I just have to say....I just had jury duty a couple weeks ago for the first time. I was the first one picked for the panel as well as chosen to be the forman. I think it had something to do with the way I was dress...I wasin my business work clothes...it was my first time and was a bit overwhelmed over it all.

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:56:12 GMT

@MidnightVoice wrote:
fevmlo wrote:
Was going to say - it's not happened to me but I have heard a LOT of tales of non-citizens who clearly aren't registered to vote getting called for jury duty and having to point out that, errr, they're not allowed to do it!
In NY they use the Drivers License, not the Electoral Roll!!

Bloody hell... that seems like rather a waste of effort - no wonder they have to call so many potential jurors up each time, there's a good chance that 90% of the drivers licenceholders that get called for jury service will be instantly disqualified due to not actually being a USC! Although I suppose that way they'll still have a greater pool of USCs to choose from, given that there's plenty (although less so right now, I guess) not registered to vote, so they'd "catch" more by using the DMV records.

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:26:00 GMT

MidnightVoice wrote:
In NY they use the Drivers License, not the Electoral Roll!!

Moved to NY. Registered to vote. Didn't hear a peep.

Fast forward a year and a half. I got a new DL, and I received a jury summons two weeks later.

Re: Jury Duty

MidnightVoice — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:34:23 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@MidnightVoice wrote:
In NY they use the Drivers License, not the Electoral Roll!!

+1

Moved to NY. Registered to vote. Didn't hear a peep.

Fast forward a year and a half. I got a new DL, and I received a jury summons two weeks later.

bingo!! I think it is the most complete listing of NY residents they have!

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:56:49 GMT

MidnightVoice wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@MidnightVoice wrote:
In NY they use the Drivers License, not the Electoral Roll!!

+1

Moved to NY. Registered to vote. Didn't hear a peep.

Fast forward a year and a half. I got a new DL, and I received a jury summons two weeks later.

bingo!! I think it is the most complete listing of NY residents they have!

That's very odd, though. The vast majority of New Yorkers I know don't even drive. No need to for whose who live in the City.

Re: Jury Duty

MidnightVoice — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:11:24 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
That's very odd, though. The vast majority of New Yorkers I know don't even drive. No need to for whose who live in the City.

They probably have a licence though.

And half of NY is NOT in NYC

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:34:09 GMT

MidnightVoice wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
That's very odd, though. The vast majority of New Yorkers I know don't even drive. No need to for whose who live in the City.

They probably have a licence though.

And half of NY is NOT in NYC

I doubt that the people who live in the City and don't drive have a license at all. State ID, perhaps, but not a DL.

You're right, it's not half, but it's awfully close:

NYS : 19,297,729 (2007 est.)

NY Metro : 18,815,988 (2007 est.) (includes tri-state areas)

NYC proper : 8,274,527 (As of July 1, 2007)

Message Edited by cheddar on 11-09-2008 10:34 AM

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:03:23 GMT

@anca21bi wrote:
I just have to say....I just had jury duty a couple weeks ago for the first time. I was the first one picked for the panel as well as chosen to be the forman. I think it had something to do with the way I was dress...I wasin my business work clothes...it was my first time and was a bit overwhelmed over it all.

I declined to be the presiding juror. My reasons were: extremely violent crime (more than one victim), defendent is a member of a notorious gang, and our names were read ALOUD at the time of jury selection.

Re: Jury Duty

MidnightVoice — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:38:37 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

I doubt that the people who live in the City and don't drive have a license at all. State ID, perhaps, but not a DL.

Most of the ones I knew did - just in case they wanted to hire a car for a vacation!

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:54:09 GMT

I was called & selected a few years ago on a civil case. I thought it was really interesting -- I'd be a juror for hire if I could.. but I'm a nerd...

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:31:17 GMT

i love jury duty! i haven't been called in three years. my boyfriend recently got a summons and i was so jealous! i like to think of it as another way to give back and get a break from work!

i must be a nerd too!

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:01:44 GMT

Follow up to original post

And the verdict is in: first cause, guilty, 25 years, $5,000 fine

second cause, guilty, 40 years, $10,000 fine

I am glad that I served, but I would be reluctant to serve again for a criminal case. As I posted earlier, our names were read aloud at the time of jury selection. Our names were read aloud again after the punishment verdict was read in open court. His gang friends were in court for the guilty verdict and for the sentencing verdict.

Both cases were aggravated robbery. Defendant had a prior felony conviction. The defendant showed no emotion throughout the trial. His eyes were BLANK. He would not catch my eye at all during the testimony. After the guilty verdict was read in court on Friday, he caught my eye and sent chills down my spine. I kept a steady gaze and did not look away. He finally dropped his eyes and looked up again at me. I was still looking him straight in the eye. He fidgeted in his chair and turned to his attorney.

I hope that he thinks about the choices he has made in his life. 40 years is a long time to think, but he is eligible for parole in 20. Oh, his lawyer has already filed the appeal, so he may not serve any time.

Re: Jury Duty

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:44:27 GMT

I read this whole thread from top to bottom thinking the whole time...."How lucky I am to be 30 years old and have never been called for jury duty....."

Got the letter in the mail today from the sherrifs office...... I have jury duty the week of thanksgiving