why why why why why why me?

[rah]

I got called last year and was sent to 22nd and California(for you chicago people) It's the first time I went where I was actually selected for a jury. Resigned to my fate I made sure I was selected as the foreman.
It was one of those obvious cases, where the defense couldn't trip up the witnesses and offered none of their own, and the defendent didn't testify in his own behalf.

The vote was guilty 11-1 but one lady refused to listen to reason claiming that since the defendent sold bibles he had to be inocent. We had to brow beat her for about 2 hours before she'd go along with guilty verdict but continued to claim that even though she was voting guilty that she still believed this nice boy wasn't.

It was fun standing up in court to read our verdict.

After the verdict was read they moved right on to sentencing and as we had guessed when he wouldn't take the stand in his defense, the reading of his rap sheet took about 20 minutes and he was being sentenced according to the equivalent of the 3 strike rules and was going to be spending a lot of time in jail.

As we walked out, satisfied that we had reached a fair and correct verdict, the one lady wouldn't get on an elevator with us because she couldn't look us in the eyes.

So my recommendation is to show up and do your civic duty, otherwise juries are more likely to be filled by ladies like that one on our jury.

The only way for us to respect the system is by making sure that we participate. If you don't, you get what you deserve.

(and I saw three potential jurers dismissed by the defense attorney when they declared that they had been foreman in a previous trial ) They obviously wanted mindless sheep.

[Datajack Franit]

What did he do? Killed someone with a Bible?

[rah]

Naw, simple stealing something out of car. But his rap sheet included multiple battery and burglary convictions.
He probably stole the bibles he was selling.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by RedFred


Are you living in the same country?

I've been called up three times and served twice. One of the guys in my last jury had been called up 7 times.

wow-- I have NEVER been called . . . EVER-- and I am late 30s, pay my taxes and have been voting since age 18 so I am not hard to find. IIRC I was exempt in Newfoundland ( I don't know the rationale of the lawyers exemption but the reality is they couldn't have a trial where i wouldn't know some of the lawyers personally) but I don't know anyone that served.

what province are you in ?? Did you serve on criminal or civil trials ( the prevalence of civil trials varies a lot by province)

[RedFred]

I live in Vancouver, did one criminal and one civil trial (different size juries). I think Vancouverites get picked on more often. One of the trials was regarding a criminal incident in the 'burbs.

The voter's list is the key thing, once you are on that they can call you up.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by RedFred
I live in Vancouver, did one criminal and one civil trial (different size juries). I think Vancouverites get picked on more often. One of the trials was regarding a criminal incident in the 'burbs.

The voter's list is the key thing, once you are on that they can call you up.

Well being exempt in newfoundland helped. I don't think lawyers are exempt in Alberta but I've only lived here for 4 years so not being called is not a shock either.

Perhaps Alberta has fewer civil jury trials than BC. That could be the difference.

[chequita guevara]

I've been called once, but I didn't live in that county anymore, so I just ignored it.

[rah]

I did that once, and they issued a warrant for my arrest.
That one took a while to clear up.

[Sava]

you criminal!

[chequita guevara]

Well, I've been pulled over by the police many times since, and I wasn't arrested, so I guess no warrent.

[Sava]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Well, I've been pulled over by the police many times since, and I wasn't arrested, so I guess no warrent.

no you're white, you got nothin' to worry about

[child of Thor]

never give up, never surrender - they don't have to be the preserve of the right/left nutjob or kamikaze pilot etc.

Decent people can mean it too, heck the world needs them to mean it and follow through. I ain't checking out of this life till all the Bushes/Saddams i come across recognise this in me.

So don't give up on the good fight Sava - its that struggle that helps define us i find.

Still i agree the world as it currently stands is a s**thole for 90% of the people that live in it, and i'm not convinced that were going to make it in the long run - still that doesn't stop me doing my bit, enjoying life - spreading it around and helping enrich other peoples lives too, what else is it about if not that?

Anyway if your not vommiting right now - then i'll just say i dont like to see anyone decent quit. So dont

[DanS]

Originally posted by child of Thor
Still i agree the world as it currently stands is a s**thole for 90% of the people that live in it

Where do you live? Mogadishu?

In any event, I would recommend attending jury duty. It's much less of a big negative deal than these shut-ins on Poly make it out to be.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Sava
no you're white, you got nothin' to worry about

Perhaps you missed this thread.

[rah]

Long hair and a spunky mouth can be as bad as being black.

In my younger days I was driving through Texas and my hair was on the long side. When we stopped for gas the attendant told us it would probably be best if we were out of the state before the sun went down.

Later in arizona, the cops pulled us over on some ridiculous pretense and had us empty the trailer we were pulling to search it. An hour later after we repacked it and moved on, we saw then on the side of the road and we could see that they were still laughing.