This is One Way to Avoid Jury Duty!

[Obi Heed Kenobi]

So, why not let us off in the first place? I don't mind being on a jury - but wasting a day sitting around knowing that I will be thrown off doesn't make sense to me.

And why does "impartial" imply "ignorant"?

It doesn't. That's just what the sides that lose, or supporters thereof, like to say.

Keep in mind that, whenever you hear the phrase "ignorant juror" thrown around, it's never from someone who sat in the courtroom and heard the evidence....

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

And, like it or not, the average person on the outside looking in, in let's say a first-degree murder trial, is going to have doubts about the jury and/or the outcome if there was a juror who had firsthand experience with murder.

Keep in mind that, whenever you hear the phrase "ignorant juror" thrown around, it's never from someone who sat in the courtroom and heard the evidence....

My point was that, as you originally said, a juror who has first hand experience / knowledge isn't considered "unbiased".

Oh, I have sat in courtrooms. And at one time sat on a jury. But now I just get thrown off juries. In spite of claiming that I can be "unbiased" and make decisions based on the evidence (Hey! I'm an engineer - that's my job!).

 

[Obi Heed Kenobi]

My point was that, as you originally said, a juror who has first hand experience / knowledge isn't considered "unbiased".

Oh, I have sat in courtrooms. And at one time sat on a jury. But now I just get thrown off juries. In spite of claiming that I can be "unbiased" and make decisions based on the evidence (Hey! I'm an engineer - that's my job!).

Hey, when it comes to civil trials, I agree with you. I would much rather there be a way to have unbiased experts in the field (medical, aviation, engineering would be the perfect examples) deciding whether there's been professional negligence. There are, of course, all kinds of problems there, but I also think it would at least be a possibility to look into. I know, speaking for myself, that I'm not really qualified to say if someone like a doctor screwed something up (unless it's a really obvious issue).

The bias I think you're referring to is "professional" bias - I don't care too much about that kind of bias. In fact, I don't know if it really qualifies as "bias" at all.

What I'm concerned with on juries is "emotional" bias. I'll put it like this - if someone in my family had been murdered, even if I did my best not to let it influence my feelings on a criminal trial, I still think it would.

 

[SCCutler]

Dave, it's pretty much the same as you describe here (as to strikes); very limited, and judges are pretty demanding. If someone utters one of those "...they must be guilty if the police arrested them.." type of statements, the judge usually cures that with a few pointed questions, like "...if I instruct you that the fact of an arrest does not constitute evidence of guilt, you'd follow my instruction and listen to the evidence, wouldn't you...?" Kinda hard to say "no."

---

We have a one-day or one-trial rule here, so you go down in the morning, and either get picked for a jury trial, in which event you're on the hook until the trial is done (whether it be two hours or two months), or if you don't get picked, you're released, duty discharged, no later than the end of the day (usually, they are done with remaining venire members by 2:00 pm or so).

Not perfect, but it seems to work alright, and you can be sure that the Judges treat the jurors here with a great deal of respect, and will not tolerate counsel who do not do the same.

 

[Everskyward]

The way it works here is that you get a summons for a specific date. The night before, you call the jury hotline to see if the trial is, in fact, going. If it's not, you don't show up. If it is, you show up, and go through voir dire. Regardless of whether or not you're picked, you won't get called for the rest of the calendar year unless there is some kind of extreme need.

I like the way it's handled here too. I've gotten the summons a few times but I've only had to go in for selection once. It was a murder trial (husband killed the wife) and they had a jury pool of at least 500 people which is half the population of the county (just kidding, but I live in Elbert County). They had to have the proceedings in the fairgrounds building because the courthouse is not big enough. The selection process took 3 days and I was interviewed but didn't get picked, mostly because I think they had enough people before they ever got to my number. Actually I don't think they would have picked me anyway...

 

[mikea]

Uttering the phrase "You know, the police wouldn't have arrested someone if they weren't guilty, who am I to overrule their judgement." is generally a good way to be sent home...

My buddy swore he'd scream, "THAT GUY dressed all IN BLACK LOOKS GUILTY AS HELL!

 

[SCCutler]

My buddy swore he'd scream, "THAT GUY dressed all IN BLACK LOOKS GUILTY AS HELL!

...whereupon the judge would say, "That guy, Bailiff... take him into custody. Five days, contempt of court!"

 

[flyingcheesehead]

You think juries are treated bad?

I was once subpoenaed as a witness for a criminal trial. The guy ended up pleading guilty and I didn't get called to the stand, but after the trial I was directed to exit the courtroom via the same door as the perp and I got to sit and wait for my parking ticket to be validated and register the fact that I actually did show up, in a roomful of perps! One guy asked me "What'd they get you for?" And there were NO police or guards in the room, that I can recall. I'm just glad that I didn't get called, or the perp would have recognized me and I'd have gotten my ass kicked for sure!