Jury Duty

[Nova98]

So I got summoned for US District Court jury duty here in NJ. Anyone ever serve jury duty at this level before? I'm assuming it's federal crimes correct? Anyone got some good stories? Curious as to what to expect if I actually get called. I'm sure there's a few benchwarmers who have appeared in US District Court on the opposite side of the jury box so I welcome those stories as well.

 

[The_Z_Man]

So I got summoned for US District Court jury duty here in NJ. Anyone ever serve jury duty at this level before? I'm assuming it's federal crimes correct? Anyone got some good stories? Curious as to what to expect if I actually get called. I'm sure there's a few benchwarmers who have appeared in US District Court on the opposite side of the jury box so I welcome those stories as well.

A bunch of years ago, I served Federal Jury Duty in the CoP. It was actually kind of cool. Of course, I was getting paid for my regular job, and not burning vacation.

It was an embezzlement case, and the guy ended up pleading guilty after a little more than 2 weeks.

 

[novabubba]

Got called for NJ State Grand Jury last year, had to go to Trenton every Wednesday for 20 weeks. It was miserable having to go there every week from a driving perspective, but it was nice to have a guaranteed day off from work. But it was interesting listening to cases being presented to find out if they had enough reason/evidence to go to an actual trial. This experience convinced me that people are stupid.

 

[TheFoyeEffect]

Newark, Trenton, or Camden?

 

[Villanova U]

So I got summoned for US District Court jury duty here in NJ. Anyone ever serve jury duty at this level before? I'm assuming it's federal crimes correct? Anyone got some good stories? Curious as to what to expect if I actually get called. I'm sure there's a few benchwarmers who have appeared in US District Court on the opposite side of the jury box so I welcome those stories as well.

Don't assume it will be criminal. Could be any number of civil cases.

As a general rule, Federal court is way, way cooler than state court. If it's criminal, it could be terrorism/mafia/RICO kind of stuff, whereas in state court it's more likely going to be a low level crack offense.

The civil stuff is usually bigger and more interesting too.

 

[Nova98]

Newark, Trenton, or Camden?

Trenton

 

[NickleDimer]

skip it.

 

[Nova98]

Good stuff guys. I'm curious what's the longest anyone has served on jury duty-anyone here get slammed with an OJ style trial that went on and on? I have no problem doing my civic duty-I just hope I don't get stuck with something that goes on and on for weeks and weeks.

 

[NickleDimer]

Find a party involved in the case(s), explain how you are biased towards their cause and could not provide an unbiased judgment.

 

[wcburrs87]

I've served on three jury's. One lasted a week. It was a murder case out of Chester. I was actually an alternate, but sat there all week and was let go when deliberations started. Guilty was the verdict.

The other one lasted 3-4 days it was an armed robbery case. Again, out of Chester. They were found guilty.

The other one was a civil case, as a hospital/doctors were sued by a family. We awarded 1.3 million.

Fascinating experiences, IMO.

 

[tjc3844]

So I got summoned for US District Court jury duty here in NJ. Anyone ever serve jury duty at this level before? I'm assuming it's federal crimes correct? Anyone got some good stories? Curious as to what to expect if I actually get called. I'm sure there's a few benchwarmers who have appeared in US District Court on the opposite side of the jury box so I welcome those stories as well.

The one time I got a call to jury duty when I lived in Atlanta, I wrote "addressee unknown" on the envelope and stuck it in a mailbox.

 

[tomdudes]

The one time I got a call to jury duty when I lived in Atlanta, I wrote "addressee unknown" on the envelope and stuck it in a mailbox.

So you ignore your civic duty? Being part of the best judicial system in the world?

 

[ChicagoSux]

So tax cheat and now jury duty evader. Model American. What a friggin weasel.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

It sounds like corbs did not contribute his fair share of jury duty. he must h8 america

 

[Doctor_Van]

Jury duty is definitely interesting and well worth the time of any RESPECTABLE American. Grand jury I could see being an issue with the duration. Corbs just once again showing his true character.

 

[NickleDimer]

I've served on three jury's. One lasted a week. It was a murder case out of Chester. I was actually an alternate, but sat there all week and was let go when deliberations started. Guilty was the verdict.

The other one lasted 3-4 days it was an armed robbery case. Again, out of Chester. They were found guilty.

Is it safe to assume that Tyreke Evans was a witness in both cases?

 

[tomdudes]

Been called multiple times, but only got called into the jury box twice. First time, the judge excused me because I knew the defense attorney. Second time I served on a criminal trial in Camden County, on a drug dealing case. Only took 4 days from jury selection to verdict. The first vote to convict was 9-3 for, then after more deliberation, we convicted 12-0. Interesting part was afterwards the judge came to thank us for our service, and told us that the defendant was still facing a bunch of other charges, including attempted murder and violation of Megan's Law. The defense attorney had painted his client as a "sympathetic, wrong place at wrong time victim", but it didn't ring true.

 

[bgranc02]

My wife got stuck on grand jury duty in NYC a few years ago in December... it was like 2 or 3 days a week for a month and timed with the holidays. They were pretty strict about not being able to get any time away and I think we had to cancel a trip over the Christmas new years time frame. She said it was 90% buy and busts with a few domestic violence cases and a rape sprinkled in.

 

[Novacatt94]

Thanks to tomdudes and bgranc02's wife for your service.

It's nice to see that most people still take their civic duty seriously.

 

[NickleDimer]

I'm always very thankful for bgranc02's wife's services.

 

[bgranc02]

I'm always very thankful for bgranc02's wife's services.

 

[NickleDimer]

 

[tjc3844]

Jury duty is definitely interesting and well worth the time of any RESPECTABLE American. Grand jury I could see being an issue with the duration. Corbs just once again showing his true character.

"Judge not, lest you be judged." Jesus Christ - early first century.

 

[Novacatt94]

"Jury service is one of the most important civic duties you can perform. The protection of rights and liberties in federal courts largely is achieved through the teamwork of a judge and jury."

Source: www.uscourts.gov

 

[Novacatt94]

Failure to Appear for Jury Duty Cases

One person not likely to ignore another jury summons is Jermaine Dupri, CEO of So So Def Recordings. Dupri recently served a three-day jail sentence in Fayetteville, Georgia for missing jury duty in March 1999. With as much as 80 percent of the population shirking jury duty in some counties, more courts are starting to crack down.

In 2003, Massachusetts fined nearly 48,000 people $2000 each for missing jury duty, under new laws that criminalize repeat offenders. Los Angeles County has fined residents who failed to serve jury duty a total of over $940,000. New York County fined 1,443 jury dodgers in Manhattan $250 each.

Source: www.legalzoom.com

 

[NickleDimer]

"Let he amongst us who has shrugged off public service for personal gain cast the first stone."

 

[NickleDimer]

"Judge not, lest you be judged." Jesus Christ - early first century.

The rest of that line:
"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."

Did you have outstanding warrants at the time?

 

[Novacatt94]

Jury Dodgers Rile Judges

"Every month, hundreds of people are summoned to courts across the nation for a public scolding. It's no surprise that only a handful show up — after all, they are expert at that all-American custom: dodging jury duty.

Fed-up judges from Los Angeles County to New York have responded by redirecting these scofflaws from the jury box to the hot seat. Residents who ignore repeated calls to appear can face fines and, in some places, even jail time.

"It's not an invitation," said jury expert Tom Munsterman. "It's an obligation."

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jury-duty-dodgers-rile-judges/

 

[Novacatt94]

The Ethicist
Jury Dodger

By RANDY COHEN
Published: April 23, 2006
When I asked to be excused from jury duty, the judge berated me for leaving my civic duty to the "poor." I did not oppose her diatribe, but I make good money and feel it's more efficient for society if I work, pay taxes, support charities and leave jury duty to others. Isn't this like leaving other essential functions — trash pickup, policing, dentistry — to others? Alternatively, couldn't I defer service to a less onerous period, like retirement? Anonymous, San Francisco

No. Some obligations fall to all citizens — or should, like military service in times of crisis, for example, or driving the speed limit. We do not exempt those with greater incomes from either. Apparently you would prefer to return to the Civil War-era practice of allowing the wealthy to buy their way out of inconvenient duties by hiring replacements. As for your willingness to serve decades from now, the obvious problem is that the court can't count on your still being in San Francisco. Or still being.

Disconcertingly, your proposal places a greater value on the lives of those who earn more than those who earn less. An ill-paid nurse or librarian would serve on a jury, but a tobacco lobbyist or P.G.A. star would not. Income is hardly a reliable guide to one's societal value, let alone the value of a life in a broader sense. What's more, if you are as smart as you imply, shouldn't the accused have the benefit of your (and Tiger Woods's) insights? Jurors are meant to be a cross-section of the population, not just those below a particular income level or above retirement age.

Jury service is not only a civic duty; it is also an opportunity — not merely onerous but edifying — to glimpse a part of life you do not regularly see. Instead, your plan erases a shared experience of American life, one of those things that help create a community, like attending public school or going to the local library or swimming in a neighborhood pool. Granted, jury duty always arrives at a maddeningly inconvenient moment and is sometimes dogged with inefficiencies, but efficiency is not the summum bonum. Much that is worthwhile is notably inefficient: it takes hours and hours to listen to all the Mozart concertos.

Incidentally, it was wise not to tell the judge that her recounting the law was a "diatribe." Judges can be so pesky about the whole contempt-of-court thing.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/magazine/23wwln_ethicist.html?_r=0

 

[NorCalVU10]

I served on a jury two years ago for a case where a restaurant manager had stored gasoline in soy sauce buckets in the basement of a restaurant overnight in the aftermath of Sandy, which resulted in a kitchen fire when one of the buckets was dropped as it was being removed.

We ultimately found him not guilty. It was interesting as the jury was basically the opposite of what you typically encounter. The entire jury was middle/upper middle class college educated people between 20-30. This later made sense when we realized that we all lived in downtown Manhattan during Sandy, thus the defense probably picked us because we all were displaced/effected by Sandy.

 

[tjc3844]

The rest of that line:
"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."

Did you have outstanding warrants at the time?

Like taking candy from a baby. Somebody bites EVERYTIME I post something just to get the anticipated reaction! It's so routine it's amazing!

 

[ChicagoSux]

Like taking candy from a baby. Somebody bites EVERYTIME I post something just to get the anticipated reaction! It's so routine it's amazing!

Exactly dirk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Novacatt94]

At least you finally admitted that you are an attention whore.

Progress.

 

[The_Z_Man]

My federal case was about a guy who embezzled a bunch of money from his employer. His defense was that it was a big misunderstanding and that the owner of the company had promised him a million dollar bonus. The owner said, and may have had documentary evidence, that the bonus was much less, like maybe $10K. The best part was when he got on the stand, and tried to talk his way out of it after 2 weeks of proceedings. I don't remember what he said, but it was all BS. Even his lawyer got sick of listening to the guy, and wanted a recess for lunch. When we came back, the dude pleaded guilty.

I got the defendant in trouble with the judge. We were told not to talk to anyone in the hall or the elevator. The guy said "Good morning" to me twice. The first time I thought that maybe someone was behind me. The second time I knew there was nobody there. I told the clerk, who told the judge. After the trial, the judge told us that he gave the defendant a stern talking to after that.

 

[NickleDimer]

My federal case was about a guy who embezzled a bunch of money from his employer. His defense was that it was a big misunderstanding and that the owner of the company had promised him a million dollar bonus.

He deserved that bonus. He built that company from THE GROUND UP.

 

[NickleDimer]

Like taking candy from a baby. Somebody bites EVERYTIME I post something just to get the anticipated reaction! It's so routine it's amazing!

What did I bite on? Posting the rest of the partial bible passage that you posted that "justified' your lawbreaking. I bet you love that fat Kentucky county clerk that uses out of context religion to justify her BS.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

I got the defendant in trouble with the judge. We were told not to talk to anyone in the hall or the elevator. The guy said "Good morning" to me twice. The first time I thought that maybe someone was behind me. The second time I knew there was nobody there. I told the clerk, who told the judge. After the trial, the judge told us that he gave the defendant a stern talking to after that.

Sounds like you were snitching.

 

[CarDashian]

Jesus Christ - early first century
He was long dead by then - go back to history class.

 

[HereComeTheCats]

Instead, your plan erases a shared experience of American life, one of those things that help create a community, like attending public school or going to the local library or swimming in a neighborhood pool.

Glad I only had to experience one of those shared experiences.

 

[kindbits]

I'd always been intrigued by the idea of sitting on a jury, even looked forward to it, but had never even been called to report until 2 years ago. Unfortunately it was the worst possible time, work-wise, for me to get called, and I couldn't be out of the office on a multiple day case. I get selected as part of a potential pool for a trial, and the judge calls up to the bench anyone who may not be able to serve to discuss their reasoning. I give him my story about work and it will be impossible to be away, etc etc etc, but he just looked at me and said that if he let everyone off of a jury who had work to do, he'd never fill out a jury made up of anyone other than retirees. Fair enough, but I still couldn't do it. So of course, I get called to the jury box, judge explains that it is an armed robbery/attempted murder case, expected to go 3-5 days, etc, and now the lawyers have the opportunity to look at our questionnaires, ask us questions, and they have the ability to remove some people from the jury for any reason.

At this point I lock eyes with the defendant and give him the best death stare/"gonna sell your ass up the river" look that I could come up with, like he did something to my family and I want revenge. He taps his lawyer on the shoulder, nods in my direction, and I'm excused.

Fast forward a couple of hours, and I'm on my way back into the courthouse from lunch, the defendant and his boys are sitting in front of the courthouse having a smoke. Walk past, they all get up and follow me in. That was a very uncomfortable few minutes waiting in the security line to get back into the courthouse.