Why do people hate jury duty so much?

[eljefino]

It all depends on the court you go to, what cases you get.

My court was 99% OUIs, and smug jerks who think they're above the law WRT OUI. There was one guy in for "molesting a lobster trap". (Ouch! Put those claws away!!!)

I sat on an OUI case then was dismissed as #13 before deliberating. The guy got off, though, and good for him. The cop had a camcorder in his car but "forgot" to load the tape which showed the accused going over the white fog line and giving probable cause. I would have made the point that what else does that cop forget when he starts his shift, bullets for his gun?

We had to wear these dumb name tags when we went for lunch so lawyers would spot us and try not to bribe us.

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
One of these days I would actually like to be PICKED for a jury. I am honest to a fault so I almost always raise my hand to express a dissenting opinion. It is not because I don't want to serve. It is because I am an intelligent, independent thinker. They don't want me on a jury.

This causes me to be scared to death that I may one day be subjected to a jury of my "peers." Very few think on their own these days. If you are one of the few who do, you have no peers. Scary thought, indeed.

As long as I live in Texas I will never serve on a jury, regardless of my burning desire to do so.

I don't think I've ever heard that kind of self-appraisal except from people who are... shall we say, prone to overstatement when it comes to that kind of thing.

Either way, it's sadly true that juries often get whittled down until they're populated by the kinds of people you DON'T want deciding on your guilt. Lawyers want jurors who meet the guidelines (no detectable biases etc.), but they also want people who might be easily swayed by their own arguments.


Ha, ha! Yes, I did make myself out to be quite the arrogant one, didn't I? Sorry about that. But, I do qualify for Mensa. (OK, that was over the top.) I guess I find the whole experience frustrating because I know that I am not going to be picked. Performing one's civic duty is not a waste of time, but I am disappointed in this aspect of our legal system.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
I would love jury duty. Alas, I never get called. When going through the selection process I make sure that they know that if the crime involved hurting children, rape, murder or drugs, if given the proper and complete evidence I would immediately seek for the maximum punishment possible.

Somehow I never make it on the team.

I thought juries just decided whether someone is guilty or innocent, and the judge was the one who determined the length of the sentence. Is that not correct?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
I would love jury duty. Alas, I never get called. When going through the selection process I make sure that they know that if the crime involved hurting children, rape, murder or drugs, if given the proper and complete evidence I would immediately seek for the maximum punishment possible.

Somehow I never make it on the team.

I thought juries just decided whether someone is guilty or innocent, and the judge was the one who determined the length of the sentence. Is that not correct?

I think in certain circumstances, or in certain states, the jury can make recommendations -- for mercy/clemency/leniency, for life with/without parole, for the death penalty, etc. But the judge, as I understand it, is not bound by those recommendations.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Smokescreen, demarpaint, and zzyzzx, I'm in with you on all those points. Those items are probably why I won't get picked, either.

When asked during voir dire for yesterday's case, a medical malpractice suit, I piped up and gave my honest opinion: that many of these lawsuits today are merely attempts to get rich quick, to win a kind of lottery. The frequency of such suits, I said, have contributed to the soaring costs of medical treatment, because of the insane cost of malpractice insurance. The plaintiff's attorney regarded me steadily (he resembled actor Ron Leibman, who played Rachel's father on "Friends"). He murmured, "Thank you for your honesty," and asked me nothing else.

An unpopular opinion, for sure. Result: "Mr. Benzadmiral, excused."


Way to go! Nothing like letting them know exactly how you feel.

I don't care for able-body people milking the system either, but that might be drifting a bit OT.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit

both times I was on a jury we convicted the accused.


Attaboy! You did your job!!!

 

[javacontour]

Like I've shared with my girls, who test, like I did, in the 99th percentile, there are certain challenges to being intelligent. You have to show a great deal of grace and compassion because almost everyone you meet isn't at your level intellectually. Some are close, but the vast majority are in the 50th percentile or under.

Not saying that sort of thing to give them the big head, but to prepare them for a world of folks who can't do math in their head, they don't use proper grammar, or simply don't understand many of the words you might use.

I find it's both a blessing and a curse at times.

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
One of these days I would actually like to be PICKED for a jury. I am honest to a fault so I almost always raise my hand to express a dissenting opinion. It is not because I don't want to serve. It is because I am an intelligent, independent thinker. They don't want me on a jury.

This causes me to be scared to death that I may one day be subjected to a jury of my "peers." Very few think on their own these days. If you are one of the few who do, you have no peers. Scary thought, indeed.

As long as I live in Texas I will never serve on a jury, regardless of my burning desire to do so.

I don't think I've ever heard that kind of self-appraisal except from people who are... shall we say, prone to overstatement when it comes to that kind of thing.

Either way, it's sadly true that juries often get whittled down until they're populated by the kinds of people you DON'T want deciding on your guilt. Lawyers want jurors who meet the guidelines (no detectable biases etc.), but they also want people who might be easily swayed by their own arguments.


Ha, ha! Yes, I did make myself out to be quite the arrogant one, didn't I? Sorry about that. But, I do qualify for Mensa. (OK, that was over the top.) I guess I find the whole experience frustrating because I know that I am not going to be picked. Performing one's civic duty is not a waste of time, but I am disappointed in this aspect of our legal system.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
You have to show a great deal of grace and compassion because almost everyone you meet isn't at your level intellectually. Some are close, but the vast majority are in the 50th percentile or under.

Oops....

Hopefully you encourage them to proof read and practice their math too...

 

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: javacontour
You have to show a great deal of grace and compassion because almost everyone you meet isn't at your level intellectually. Some are close, but the vast majority are in the 50th percentile or under.

Oops....

Hopefully you encourage them to proof read and practice their math too...


That made me smile.

 

[Win]

If you are OK with gas cans that don't work, ladders full of so many warnings you can't see the fiberglass, lukewarm coffee, and any myriad other dumb downs and outrages that people constantly gripe about, keep shirking jury duty.

 

[Nate1979]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: GrtArtiste
If the justice system wants more willing participation in jury service, then the law should REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYERS to fairly compensate their employees who are called to serve. By that I mean their full normal wages, less whatever payment is made by the court, for as long as the juror is needed. I was called twice over a period of about 6 years and had to beg off because my employer would not pay anything. I have since let my voter registration lapse in the hope that I won't be called again. That hasn't been much of a hardship for me because it's been a long time since I felt any candidate was worth voting for.


So...now, I have to pay someone to NOT work for months? And I have to pay someone to cover for him? Wonder how many small businesses that would put under!

Also: my friend is self-employed. Jury duty could bankrupt him.


Well, that business is enjoying the benefits of a country based on laws. If they don't like it they can move to North Korea. I'm sure they don't have to worry about this problem there.

 

[Mystic]

I never wanted to be on jury duty-not ever. But when I was required to do jury duty it was a tremendous learning experience and made me think about a lot of things. I was on jury duty for a murder trial and a contraband trial involving a state hospital.

Even now today I would prefer to not be involved in jury duty. But after my experience on jury duty if required to do it again I would have a much different viewpoint.

It is a awesome responsibility and it changes your life, especially if you are involved in jury duty on major criminal cases.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit

both times I was on a jury we convicted the accused.


Attaboy! You did your job!!!

In both cases the guilt of the accused was clear, and the state made their case beyond any doubt. If the evidence would not have been rock solid, I would have gladly voted to acquit the accused in either or both cases.

Putting someone in prison for a significant amount of time isn't something for which someone gives "attaboys" or smiley faces. In one case it took a father away from his kid, in another case it put an 18 year old behind bars for quite some time. Neither is a decision that should ever be taken lightly nor should it ever be made light of.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: GrtArtiste
If the justice system wants more willing participation in jury service, then the law should REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYERS to fairly compensate their employees who are called to serve. By that I mean their full normal wages, less whatever payment is made by the court, for as long as the juror is needed. I was called twice over a period of about 6 years and had to beg off because my employer would not pay anything. I have since let my voter registration lapse in the hope that I won't be called again. That hasn't been much of a hardship for me because it's been a long time since I felt any candidate was worth voting for.


So...now, I have to pay someone to NOT work for months? And I have to pay someone to cover for him? Wonder how many small businesses that would put under!

Also: my friend is self-employed. Jury duty could bankrupt him.


Well, that business is enjoying the benefits of a country based on laws. If they don't like it they can move to North Korea. I'm sure they don't have to worry about this problem there.


Yeah stick it to business. Force them to pay people for hours not worked. Down with business! Power to the people.

Yeah.....that's nothing like North Korea.

Trust me, businesses pay plenty for those "laws".

 

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: GrtArtiste
If the justice system wants more willing participation in jury service, then the law should REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYERS to fairly compensate their employees who are called to serve. By that I mean their full normal wages, less whatever payment is made by the court, for as long as the juror is needed. I was called twice over a period of about 6 years and had to beg off because my employer would not pay anything. I have since let my voter registration lapse in the hope that I won't be called again. That hasn't been much of a hardship for me because it's been a long time since I felt any candidate was worth voting for.


So...now, I have to pay someone to NOT work for months? And I have to pay someone to cover for him? Wonder how many small businesses that would put under!

Also: my friend is self-employed. Jury duty could bankrupt him.


Well, that business is enjoying the benefits of a country based on laws. If they don't like it they can move to North Korea. I'm sure they don't have to worry about this problem there.


Yeah stick it to business. Force them to pay people for hours not worked. Down with business! Power to the people.

Yeah.....that's nothing like North Korea.

Trust me, businesses pay plenty for those "laws".


So then why not make it so that people on jury duty could collect through unemployment insurance? This would split the costs between the employer and the employee and spread it out much more evenly than the current "you got picked so you get to skip eating for a while" approach. Obviously, this wouldn't do anything for the self-employed, but wouldn't cost them anything either.

 

[andyd]

I've served twice. The first was as an alternate , I wasn't needed. It was juvie court. I felt like giving the principals in the case a dope slap. A rich guy's kid from one of the up scale 'burbs ,mouthed off to a cop. The responded to some degree. and the rich guy lawyered up. It was a waste of everybody's day. The other time, I was recused because my daughter worked in a home for wayward girls. It was about a 19 yr old charged with burglary.

 

[javacontour]

OK,

If 98 percent are below you, (you are the 99th percentile and 1% is above you) that means 50% are 50% or under, 48% are in the 51st to 98th percentile. OK, maybe not a vast majority (unless you are a politician) but it's still a majority of those below her are in that 50th percentile or below.

HA!

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: javacontour
You have to show a great deal of grace and compassion because almost everyone you meet isn't at your level intellectually. Some are close, but the vast majority are in the 50th percentile or under.

Oops....

Hopefully you encourage them to proof read and practice their math too...

 

[kmcavin]

I've never had jury duty. I did get called up to be on a federal jury once, but I was stationed overseas at the time. I did perform duties as a bailiff during a military court martial once. Think Bull Shannon from "Night Court", with hair and about two feet shorter.

Being the bailiff was interesting although a bit boring at times. The defense objected to the way the evidence was collected and tested (drug case, hair sample) and I sat through evidence and testimony and the after a day and a half the judge decided to allow the testimony, so they seated the panel (jury) and we got to do the whole thing over again. I did get to throw a Major out because he was talking too loudly in the gallery. I approached him and told him he'd have to keep his voice down. He said, "Who are you?". The judge spoke up and said, "He's the guy who will be escorting you out of my courtroom."

 

[javacontour]

As an aside, Major seems to be the rank where the "lobotomy" begins. I had a Major telling me, a 1LT that I should be wearing my field jacket. He was wearing his and shivering. I had layers on, but no field jacket and was perfectly comfortable in the German winter while in garrison. I respectfully asked him to re-assess the situation since he was shivering and I wasn't.

The mind seemed to return to some at LTC or COL level, only to get lost again when they pin on some stars.