Juries

Challenges of Jury Duty

Interesting news article that discusses the difficulties of being a juror.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Not in Kansas Anymore 

“First of all, this is not television.”

With those words, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina ended her orientation for 20 jurors – 9 women and 11 men – who Monday began hearing what could be up to three months of testimony in the trial of a church official and priest involving the clergy sex-abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Not television? That’s an understatement.

It’s not just a reality check for jurors. Judges don’t bang gavels to open and close court sessions and most people understand that TV, movies and theater alter reality for dramatic effect.

For jurors, the trial is a crash course in logic and philosophy: learning to live according to a new reality that exists only in a courtroom and has its own language and rules of behavior.

Want to learn the philosopher’s trick of holding two opposing thoughts at the same time? Jurors are told repeatedly that they “are the judge of the facts” and that only their individual, and ultimately collective, memory of testimony and evidence establishes those facts.

Yet the courtroom combatants – prosecution and defense lawyers – will argue with passion and rhetoric that the jury should accept their interpretation of the facts. And then the judge will remind the jurors again that nothing the lawyers and the judge say is evidence, that only the jurors may determine the evidence...to continue reading go here.

How Not to Get Out of Jury Duty

Prospective juror goes overboard in telling the judge how she can't serve because of her racist views.

UPI.com: Judge gives woman 'indefinite' jury duty

Fox News (blog): Judge Gives Racist Woman Jury Duty for Life

Gothamist: Judge Sentences "Racist" Juror To Indefinite Jury Duty

Change of Venue for Former Chicago Police Officer Jon Burge?

This is the issue facing the trial judge handling the perjury case of Jon Burge.  Mr Burge, a former Chicago Police Officer, is accused of lying about alleged abuse and torture of suspects by himself and detectives under his command.  Jury selection for his trial started this week. 

Mr. Burge's attorneys have been and continue to ask for a change of venue for their client.  The most recent request was due to a planned rally by victims of Mr. Burge and his men.  According to the defense, "[b]ecause the rally will incite great prejudice against Jon Burge in the community from which the jury is to be drawn, the only fair remedy is to change the venue..."

For more information about the jury selection for Mr. Burge's trial see the following articles:

AP: Jury selection begins in Ill. police torture trial

Chicago Tribune: Jury selection to resume in Burge perjury trial over alleged abuse by Chicago ...

NPR: Perjury Trial Opens For Police Officer Tied To Torture

How Texas Deals with Jury Duty Scofflaws

Houston Chronicle: Student brought to court in chains for shirking jury duty‎

A 19-year-old college freshman missed class Tuesday when a federal judge decided to teach her a civics lesson by ordering federal marshals to haul her in chains from school to court to explain why she shirked jury duty...to continue reading go here.

Juror Brings Attorney to Challenge Failure to Appear Notice

Here is an interesting story about a juror's ordeal to schedule a convenient date to serve his jury duty.

One by one, citizens of Baltimore who had failed to show up for jury duty stood before the judge. Some pleaded they were sick or busy, and showed letters from doctors. Most simply agreed to pick a date and sign a summons, and the judge kindly dismissed charges that could have sent some to jail for a year.

Eric King brought a lawyer and requested a hearing.

Baltimore Sun: Why one Baltimore juror didn't show up

Humor and Jury Selection

Here is a humorous opinion piece by a writer from the old Seinfeld T.V. show.  The article talks about jury selection and the writer's recent experience as a member of the jury venire.

OK, I confess. I finagled my way out of jury duty

Let's say three moments per week an average American concludes that, in this life, you just can't win. I'll follow up on that later.

Recently, I was Juror No. 6 in an Inglewood courtroom. Late into a third day of jury selection, the prosecutor, whose questions had been crisp and pointed, suddenly went off script, asking, "Does anyone feel they cannot judge the facts fairly?"

My hand disobeyed my brain and flinched -- then backed down like an umpire deciding the pitch wasn't really a strike.

"Juror No. 6?"

Caught. "You know . . . ," I began...to continue reading go here.