tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post6255730483698353082..comments2024-03-23T19:16:01.555-07:00Comments on Can it happen here?: Jury dutyjaninsanfranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07548452260456734928noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-53722980890354916872012-12-26T09:56:53.917-08:002012-12-26T09:56:53.917-08:00I remember several attempts to get on juries years...I remember several attempts to get on juries years ago. Having been on the other side several times, I really wanted to experience being on a jury. Couldn’t get past the point of jury selection. I even sought the advice of a public defender. She said that my best bet to be seated was to not give many clues about myself, to not give either the prosecutor or defense attorney a reason to excuse me. (Example: do you have children? My answer should have been “no” as opposed to my long-winded response about not having children, but that I do have relationships with children that are very close, blah, blah, blah.) That they’d have to take a chance on me, an unknown. Didn’t have a chance to put that advice into practice. Next time, I couldn’t get past the group questions. “Raise your hands if you’ve ever been arrested.” Up goes my hand. “If you’ve ever been in jail or know people who have been in jail.” Up goes my hand. “If you know people in law enforcement.” Up goes my hand. For almost every question they asked, I was on one side of the fence or another. Both prosecutor and defense attorney did not want me on the jury. By the next time I was called, I was excused for medical reasons. It’s been years since I’ve received a summons.bjohannanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11093162.post-2618523676665018722012-12-26T05:17:06.673-08:002012-12-26T05:17:06.673-08:00I was shocked to be summoned a year and a half ago...I was shocked to be summoned a year and a half ago and hoped I wouldn't be chosen but I was. It is not something I wanted to do but as you said, I see it as something needful for our society and it taught me a few things about the process that it took experiencing to really grasp. I should not have to do it again since they said when you reach 70, it's an automatic excuse if you wish it so and I will wish it so. It's a 20 mile drive for me to get to the courthouse which didn't exempt me as I had thought it might...Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.com