My civic responsibility

having done an internship at the prosecutor's office, i can say that being related to a cop is the quickest way to get out of jury duty (if it's a criminal trial).

 

In Bennington I was summoned to jury duty. I was immediately dismissed because I knew the D.A.'s wife — she was the varsity girls soccer coach at Mount Anthony, so I dealt with her extensively. The defense lawyers didn't quite like my association this way, so I got to go home.

 

So when you guys got dismissed because association with police, prosecutors or because you were a media member, did the judge exclude you or did the defense lawyers have to use one of their preemptory challenges on you?

 

Wear this shirt to jury selection. Should do the trick.

 

I was going to say, I'm guessing a truthful Starman has never been selected for a jury:

Prosecutor: Juror number 8 (looks at Starman) do you have any problems returning a guilty verdict that could possibly send the defendant to jail?

Starman: Hell no. If that sucker is guilty, I hope HE ROTS IN HELL! He'd be a pimple on society's fat ass....wait, I apologize, that was insulting to ass pimples across this great nation! (rises from chair) I hope that fucker gets the electric chair AND a firing squad! I'd kill myself if given half the chance! If he's guilty, he deserves Starman Justice (TM)!!!

Defense attorney: Your honor, given that my client is only on trial for driving a semitrailer without a CDL license and the death penalty really isn't applicable....well, I'll just be honest, this guy scares the hell out of me. Can we please remove him from the jury pool?

Judge: Granted. Juror Number 8, you are dismissed.

 

"So, I was thinking about a first-person series of stories, you know, what it's like to sit on a jury. Better yet, a running blog, which I could type and update while the trial is actually taking place! Of course, I'll supplement all my observations with on-the-spot interviews of the prosecuting and defence attorneys and my fellow jurors. Oh, I can't wait to talk to the judge about it -- I know, I'll call him at home while I'm editing his next column!"

Think that might have helped? ;D

 

Ding ding ding!

We have a winner.

 

pre-empt.

 

All I know is, I got lucky to escape trial duty last spring. First case involved a meth lab three houses down from me. Second case involved a meth lab a couple blocks from me. Third case involved police sting.

On that last one, County Podunk High just so happened to take a field trip to the courthouse to observe justice at work. XC/basketball coach was the government teacher there, and there were a ton of XC/basketball athletes there that I had interviewed before.

Fortunately, because it was a courtroom, there was no way to razz me about my answering of questions until after we went to break.

 

I was on local jury duty for a month a few years ago. We had something like 8 days out of the month where we had to call the night before to see if we had to report. I was on one jury for a two-day trial. I only reported two other times and wasn't picked for a jury. We were paid $50 each day we reported and my company let me keep it all and still paid the normal salary.

Two years later, I had a month on call for federal jury duty. Must have been a slow month because I didn't have to report once.

 

I was called for jury duty once. It was a DWI trial. It was the only time I was happy to have a DWI on my record from my college days.

Of course, I quickly mentioned it. I was asked if I felt I was treated fairly in the process. "Yeah," I said, "but I would have gotten off if I didn't blow in that stupid breathalyzer."

I was dismissed after the break.

 

I was a kid just out of college. Dude was being tried for attempted murder, a juvenile. That's all I really remember. The geek lawyer grilled me for five minutes about my education, background, logistical stuff about my newspaper and even stuff about my own family. Never needed any of it. It was a complete fucking waste of my time and I ain't been called back since.