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I got summoned!


mthor

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16 minutes ago, Vamped said:

Its not that bad, take a book 

I plan on taking two - something fairly innocuous if it sounds like an interesting case, and either The Encyclopedia of the Devil's Disciples or The Devil: A Biography if it sounds dull.

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5 minutes ago, ITasteLikeSex said:

Mthor, use dark magic attack! Obliterate nabby’s life points!

That's kind of excessive, like using tnt to take out an ant hill (unless it's fire ants, in which case it's fun.)

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53 minutes ago, Vamped said:

Its not that bad, take a book 

This.  There should be a website to tell you the "dos & don'ts", like whether or not this court will allow you to have a cellphone.  If you can, be sure you turn the ringer & buzzer off.

And remember, it isn't about guilt or innocence - it's about whether the prosecution can prove their case.

 

Edit - you will be asked questions by the Attorneys & Judge (before you are seated).  The big one is, if you were the lone dissenter in the jury room, would you hold firm if you were convinced in your belief of guilt or innocence?  (see the movie "12 Angry Men" - essentially, could you be Henry Fonda's character & hold out?)

Edited by tsar4
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Ooh! Keep us updated on if you get to sit in on a good one!

I got called for jury duty while I was in college. It would have been right in the middle of finals, so I was able to get it deferred. But then when it came back up later, it was again during finals week. I had a group presentation and had to let them and my instructor know I may not be there for it. But my number never came up, so didn’t end up even needing to go down to the courthouse. 

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3 hours ago, mthor said:

I got summoned for jury duty! I'm so excited! This is the first time ever in my whole life that I've gotten a summons, and I'm just tickled pink.

Any advice?

Welp...never been summoned but from what I’ve heard...more often than not they send you home...they always over call....

 

that being said you only get summoned if you’re a registered voter....

see why I’ve never been summoned?

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That was the first thing I was greeted with when I got back from this field exercise.. A totalled curbside mailbox, with a jury summons in it. 

Fucking kids apparently went through this neighborhood throwing pumpkins on halloween. Thank you for my service punks..

I'm talking to the bastards that sent out that summons idgaf about the mailbox. >:(

Edited by PhilosipherStoned
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Bring a book. During voir dire try not to seem overly excited to get on, or defense will dismiss you. That is, if you actually want to get on. Usually I get off if I get summoned, most of the local attorneys knows me, and I know most of the prosecutor's office so I get dismissed due to conflict. If you are to appear on a Monday you will probably end up on a jury, if you are to appear on a Friday you will probably just sit around until noon then be dismissed, most Judges don't start trials on Fridays. Eric Ciaramella is the whistleblower. Jury duty itself is kind of boring, mostly it is people who got busted red-handed and are trying to get a deal but balk at doing time so they end up at trial and the defense attorney is really just trying to convince one person to "fuck the police/government" and not vote to convict. It can be kind of interesting though to watch the psychology of the jury as they deliberate. Oh, you don't have to disclose any medical information unless the trial itself involves something like an insanity (i hate that term) defense, in which case it might be in the jury questionnaire. If you decide you don't want to be on, asking if they still use the chair can get you tossed easily enough, but you run the risk of annoying the Judge who may or may not (lean towards may) hold you in contempt for pulling such an obvious stunt.

 

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4 hours ago, Still Me said:

Welp...never been summoned but from what I’ve heard...more often than not they send you home...they always over call....

 

that being said you only get summoned if you’re a registered voter....

see why I’ve never been summoned?

They changed that in this state.  You get a driver's license or state id, you're in the pool

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Past 10 years, I've been summoned 3 times. First was for a federal trial and I was selected. Something happened overnight and after sitting on our butts for 30 minutes, we were dismissed on Day 2. Best part about it was it was on a freight day at work so no freight day for me. :)

Second summons was this year and would have occurred when I was traveling for Dragon Con so I sent in a letter of excusal, never heard from them, had to call the night before I was supposed to be at the courthouse and found out it had been cancelled completely. Didn't think anything more about it until I got home from the trip and there was another summons sitting in my mailbox despite my term of service having expired [ ND you get set up for 4 month incriments if selected so you have a little warning in advance that something might come up ] . No excuses on that one but it was also cancelled at the last minute.

I don't mind jury duty. Plus, every time a summons has occurred people at work are like 'do they know what kind of weirdo you are? ' :D:D:D

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11 minutes ago, katt_goddess said:

Past 10 years, I've been summoned 3 times. First was for a federal trial and I was selected. Something happened overnight and after sitting on our butts for 30 minutes, we were dismissed on Day 2. Best part about it was it was on a freight day at work so no freight day for me. :)

S

As was explained to one of the juries I was seated on by the Bailiff, a lot of times on major trials, just the sight of the full jury sitting there is enough to panic the defendant into seeking a plea agreement.

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21 minutes ago, tsar4 said:

As was explained to one of the juries I was seated on by the Bailiff, a lot of times on major trials, just the sight of the full jury sitting there is enough to panic the defendant into seeking a plea agreement.

While there is that, there was a point during testimony on the first day that seemed to hook the defendant's attorney's attention a little too much. There might have been something in it that he wasn't aware of or knew wouldn't help his client at all if pursued and they opted for a lesser charge through the judge. 

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I've been called for jury duty once.  Even got selected for a case.  About halfway through they realized the horrible mistake they made and told me "one juror is always picked at random to be removed".  I went to the back and sat to watch and see if I guessed right about what they would come up with.

I haven't been called for jury duty since.

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9 hours ago, mthor said:

I got summoned for jury duty! I'm so excited! This is the first time ever in my whole life that I've gotten a summons, and I'm just tickled pink.

Any advice?

Sleep with the judge.....that way when you're in court you'll be the only one who knows they're wearing your underwear.....oh yea, supa sexy times.....what were we talking about?

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21 hours ago, wacky1980 said:

what court level? i've been called up for us district court before and it was HORRID. thank goodness i didn't get seated. that patent infringement case took every bit of 30 days and it was a 90 minute drive from home.

County. Fortunately, I live in the county seat, and I may walk if the weather's nice - parking is probably going to be a bitch.

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22 hours ago, tsar4 said:

This.  There should be a website to tell you the "dos & don'ts", like whether or not this court will allow you to have a cellphone.  If you can, be sure you turn the ringer & buzzer off.

And remember, it isn't about guilt or innocence - it's about whether the prosecution can prove their case.

 

Edit - you will be asked questions by the Attorneys & Judge (before you are seated).  The big one is, if you were the lone dissenter in the jury room, would you hold firm if you were convinced in your belief of guilt or innocence?  (see the movie "12 Angry Men" - essentially, could you be Henry Fonda's character & hold out?)

I'm not too worried about the voir dire - unless it's a DUI, in which case I'll be declined at mach speed, and happily so. I've already spent too much time in court over bullshit that should be obvious.

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