tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948027434772707396.post3161890932518658713..comments2013-07-25T00:16:46.732-04:00Comments on Tazblog: True Crime – What Kind of Juror Would You Be?Taniahahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04663481249262951943noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948027434772707396.post-16499991746481475762011-02-02T22:26:50.816-05:002011-02-02T22:26:50.816-05:00Ted, Kevin, Jon - thank you for the thoughtful com...Ted, Kevin, Jon - thank you for the thoughtful comments. Of particular interest to me since as you can see I'm sort of obsessed with crime stories and yet the justic system has denied me my right as a citizen to stand in judgment of someone - er, I mean to evaluate evidence as part of an impartial jury. Yesterday I checked out the Crime & Punishment Museum, I'll have to tell you guys about it in another post. don't be scared, Jon!<br />Ted that's a good thought about doing a little research before serving on a jury and not going in cold - I would not have thought about my rights as a juror. Food for thought!Taniahahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04663481249262951943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948027434772707396.post-90066940603387514242011-02-01T08:34:22.815-05:002011-02-01T08:34:22.815-05:00Oh, I have been called to jury duty twice, but bot...Oh, I have been called to jury duty twice, but both times as soon as they found out what I did for a living, I was easily dismissed...Kevin S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00876717478957239934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948027434772707396.post-17223936404362608932011-02-01T08:33:07.345-05:002011-02-01T08:33:07.345-05:00Never been on a jury, but testified before both Gr...Never been on a jury, but testified before both Grand Juries and criminal ones. I was nervous as sh*t the first few times, especially being grilled by the defense attorney and getting asked insane questions by Grand Jurors, but after awhile you learn all the "tricks." The basic rule is to know your stuff and don't let anyone (including the judge) throw you. Our academy taught us a lot about testifying, but the most I learned is from actually doing it a lot and having the ability to interview jurors with the prosecutor after a trial about what "worked" and what didn't (though, I'm proud to say that all my cases that ever went to trial always ended up in a conviction)!Kevin S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00876717478957239934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948027434772707396.post-5956072230881112972011-02-01T04:36:09.287-05:002011-02-01T04:36:09.287-05:00I don't know if I should be impressed or frigh...I don't know if I should be impressed or frightened by your knowledge of the Casey case. I'm leaning toward frightened. <br /><br />As for jury duty, I've was called in every year for about 4 years straight back in the early 90s. Since then, nada. Got called in jury pools, made it to the court room each time, but never got interviewed for a seat. Seems that everyone who said they couldn't afford to be away from their business was selected every time, and much to their dismay. I've always been curious about the deliberation process, just to see how differences of opinion and interpretation play out behind closed doors. I'd rather be on a jury, though, than watch a jury on TV.Jon Sumplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08928502532459313414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948027434772707396.post-71842379246854466592011-02-01T00:28:38.991-05:002011-02-01T00:28:38.991-05:00Oooh. fun.
I've been called 3 times. I was in...Oooh. fun.<br /><br />I've been called 3 times. I was in the courtroom all 3 times, and served twice. I too, was very excited about the true crime and civic duty n'all.<br /><br />But... I've finally come to the conclusion that in their wisdom, whoever thought that 12 (or 6) jurors was the right number was a statistical wiz that must've calculated that MOST of the time, at least ONE person in that room would have A) their head screwed on straight, B) care enough to see to a fair trial and C) be smart and/or eloquent enough to convince enough of their peers to find SOME just outcome.<br /><br />My experience has been that most of the people who end up in the jury box fail on at least one of the above, usually the second (caring).<br /><br />In spite of their duty, most people just want to get out of there. Courtrooms are boring. People don't like confrontation, etc. Most folks will agree to something just to get out of there, in spite of any evidence to the contrary. In both cases, there was a person who disagreed with the rest, only because they felt somebody needed to.<br /><br />I love "12 Angry Men". Although its obviously a very dramatized perspective on the jury room, it does capture how petty people are about jury duty, and how they bring their own prejudices to the table.<br /><br />If you do ever serve, I encourage you to take your job very seriously, and follow your heart. And, if you want to get into some serious juice, learn yourself on the true rights of jurors: the Supreme Court has told judges they do NOT need to inform jurors of ALL of their rights. Most judges won't. Check it out.Ted Assurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06316087259811980224noreply@blogger.com