tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post8833628558819576635..comments2024-01-05T06:18:18.086-05:00Comments on CommentaramaPolitics: Through The Legal Looking Glass: Six Annoyed PersonsAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-66216016470835174042009-07-21T20:24:32.029-04:002009-07-21T20:24:32.029-04:00Mike, try voting twice in the same election, that ...Mike, try voting twice in the same election, that might get you into court. :-)<br><br><br>Thanks Jed! I hope we had a part in it and I hope we have a part in keeping any reform that does pass sane.AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-6708707839041123632009-07-21T19:22:43.993-04:002009-07-21T19:22:43.993-04:00O.K. this is not on juries, but I happened to be o...O.K. this is not on juries, but I happened to be over perusing Rush Limbaugh's website. As everyone knows, the House version of the obamacare bill was pulled. Yes we cannot relax and we know they won't give up. Rush, though, basically was giving a big shout out to the "new media" for helping inform the public as to what was in this bill. Yes that is Commenterama, and I would be remiss if I didn't give a written applause to Andrew and Lawhawk. You are the guys making the difference!Tennessee Jedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-91459911985054615002009-07-21T17:23:43.955-04:002009-07-21T17:23:43.955-04:00I have a cousin or two who wouldn't want me on...I have a cousin or two who wouldn't want me on his jury. But, sadly, I've never been called. I vote and I drive, so I guess that's just bad luck.Mike Kriskeyhttp://www.threedonia.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-22067871773336817782009-07-21T14:46:32.843-04:002009-07-21T14:46:32.843-04:00i may be an anomaly, but i love serving. usually ...i may be an anomaly, but i love serving. usually fascinating stuff to be discovered. pick me! pick me!!pattihttp://www.notawonk.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-59789318075280731842009-07-21T13:49:28.711-04:002009-07-21T13:49:28.711-04:00Lawhawk, As you know, lawyers can do as much vood...Lawhawk, As you know, lawyers can do as much voodoo as they want when picking a jury, but when that jury goes into the back, all bets are off -- you never know what is going to happen.AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-5281345532389091272009-07-21T13:38:08.319-04:002009-07-21T13:38:08.319-04:00Andrew: Now we should tell them about how often w...Andrew: Now we should tell them about how often we carefully vet potential jurors to get a balanced jury. "We" pick the six jurors we like, "they" pick the six jurors they like, and when it's all over, both lawyers got it completely wrong.<br><br>In one particularly tough felony case, my client was charged with certain sexual crimes that would offend almost any person of mainstream American morals. I had run out of peremptory challenges, and I couldn't find any legal cause to get rid of one juror I knew was deadly to our cause. He was a married man, active member of his church, a mid-level manager in a construction business, and fit all the profiles representative of the very conservative county in which I based my practice. After the trial was over, I discovered that on the first vote, the jury was eleven to one for conviction. The man I considered most likely to vote to hang my client led that jury to an acquittal. He was the lone holdout on the first jury vote.LawHawkSFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-45745369989078131002009-07-21T13:34:32.853-04:002009-07-21T13:34:32.853-04:00CrispyRice, in my experience, people haven't r...CrispyRice, in my experience, people haven't really shown a preference for particular types of trials. The jurors have always seemed quite attentive and interested (from criminal to civil to traffic).<br><br>I suspect that most people view it as an interesting experience and they intend to make the most of it, no matter what the topic.<br><br>That said, people do seem to want to avoid long trial -- can imagine why. And I would suspect that they would prefer to avoid "dry" trials, things like document-heavy fraud cases. But truthfully, it's the fault of the attorneys if they can't keep the jury interested.AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-51164428424978673952009-07-21T13:20:15.393-04:002009-07-21T13:20:15.393-04:00Andrew, do you find that people are more intereste...Andrew, do you find that people are more interested or willing to serve on criminal vs. civil juries?CrispyRicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07302075204880024936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-65740895443204370002009-07-21T13:10:13.441-04:002009-07-21T13:10:13.441-04:00Good point Bev, that's all true as well. There...Good point Bev, that's all true as well. There are many layers of jury duty in our current system.<br><br><br>And let me add, the specifics I discuss above will change from location to location (and sometimes judge by judge) because every jurisdiction uses slightly different rules -- which is why I didn't get too specific (plus, you folks would all be intensely bored if I did that).<br><br>But the general rules are remain the same across the country.AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-44642626909626389052009-07-21T13:02:57.963-04:002009-07-21T13:02:57.963-04:00Writer X - There are other reasons why you are cal...Writer X - There are other reasons why you are called more frequently. It may be for jury service in different court systems in the city, county or state you live in (Civil, Criminal, State, County, Federal, or Grand Jury). There is also Federal jury service. Also, If you have not been enpaneled (chosen for voire dire)during your service, they may put your name back in the circulation more frequently if they need to widen the jury pool. The rules vary from State to State.BevfromNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-20389798625561568782009-07-21T12:35:17.087-04:002009-07-21T12:35:17.087-04:00Writer X, few juries are sequestered. It costs way...Writer X, few juries are sequestered. It costs way too much and the court system generally doesn't think it's worthwhile.<br><br>Instead, the judges will instruct the jurors to avoid talking to anyone about the case and to avoid reading anything (or watching anything on tv) about it. Do they? Don't know. Most do, but probably not all.<br><br>As for being called repeatedly, that's just one of those things -- like people who win the lottery two or three times. Either that, or the system your local courts are using isn't well randomized.<br><br>What's stranger is when you draw a jury that seems full of people connected to your case -- which seems to happen a lot, but is really just coincidence.AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-21482473504342142422009-07-21T12:15:24.880-04:002009-07-21T12:15:24.880-04:00Bev, I concur. Being a juror is your chance to ha...Bev, I concur. Being a juror is your chance to have your voice heard by the legal system. It's also our duty to make sure that the system keeps working.AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-18379238028621855642009-07-21T11:50:08.056-04:002009-07-21T11:50:08.056-04:00Are juries only sequestered in high profile cases?...Are juries only sequestered in high profile cases?<br><br>Also, and I have no idea why, but years will go by before I get called for jury duty. Then I'll be called four times in a two year period. It's very strange. And I am not a felon. Not that I know of.Writer Xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16505411188186283813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-73462924539495033552009-07-21T11:29:14.219-04:002009-07-21T11:29:14.219-04:00{{climbs up on soapbox}} As citizens, we are requi...{{climbs up on soapbox}} <br>As citizens, we are required to do a few things - obey laws, pay taxes, and jury service. (Voting, military service, and annoying the heck out of your elected officials are still optional) I go on record as saying I love jury service. And I believe that those who criticize the system or consider their time to be too valuable to participate have never been on a jury. {{climbs down from soapbox}}BevfromNYChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.com