Jury duty

[alsant]

First time I’ve been on a jury , Was very interesting. The man Walter Mitchell III buried and hid 29 body parts in Yavapai county , these were from 9 people. He was not a murderer just thought he was to smart. He had a body donor business in the state of Washington and Covid ruined it, instead of cremating the remains he hid them in the high desert. But some hunters and hikers found them , he was convicted today of all 29 counts. His defense was that he did it as a whistle blower for the industry and wanted to educate the public.

 

[khryslerkid]

So what is he facing for punishment?

 

[alsant]

Looks like over 20 yrs. Sentencing is in October. He was offered a plea deal but fired his lawyer and turned it down. Beginning he was representing himself , then he panicked and got a public defender that was his advisor.

 

[GetX'd]

Sounds like a real rock star. What is that old saying - A man that represents himself has a fool for a client. I don't get the whistle blower thing tho. What was he blowing the whistle on?

 

[alsant]

The body donor industry is not regulated to well on the Federal level. But he thought that this would be a good excuse for what he did. He thought wrong !

 

[1STMP]

Damn Covid has ruined a lot of parts
businesses.....

 

[kiwigtx]

I tried to get out of Jury Service (I was told I would be eligible for discharge) after I was a prosecution witness in a murder trial a few years earlier. But with dwindling numbers I was told no excuses allowed. So, I turned up every day for 4 days and was eventually told after spending an hour in traffic, and paying for a day's parking, that I would not be required for selection. What a waste of time. Started out with nearly 200 people crammed in a room, being picked off like hot girls in a meat market. Each day was 4 hours of sitting down patiently waiting to be picked.....worse than waiting in the Doctors waiting room.

 

[1STMP]

I tried to get out of Jury Service (I was told I would be eligible for discharge) after I was a prosecution witness in a murder trial a few years earlier. But with dwindling numbers I was told no excuses allowed. So, I turned up every day for 4 days and was eventually told after spending an hour in traffic, and paying for a day's parking, that I would not be required for selection. What a waste of time. Started out with nearly 200 people crammed in a room, being picked off like hot girls in a meat market. Each day was 4 hours of sitting down patiently waiting to be picked.....worse than waiting in the Doctors waiting room.

At least in the doc's office you get elevator
music and can brush up on all the new
prescriptions being promoted in your pick
of magazines piled on a table.

 

[demonram]

I tried to get out of Jury Service (I was told I would be eligible for discharge) after I was a prosecution witness in a murder trial a few years earlier. But with dwindling numbers I was told no excuses allowed. So, I turned up every day for 4 days and was eventually told after spending an hour in traffic, and paying for a day's parking, that I would not be required for selection. What a waste of time. Started out with nearly 200 people crammed in a room, being picked off like hot girls in a meat market. Each day was 4 hours of sitting down patiently waiting to be picked.....worse than waiting in the Doctors waiting room.

I was called twice in three years, thirty five years ago. Had a house going each time. Both times I could choose 3 days if I stayed 6 hours. The two times I was interviewed, I just said I was totally against whatever they were charged with, wasn‘t picked. I did meet a hot nurse, the first time, it was worth it.

 

[kiwigtx]

I just said I was totally against whatever they were charged with, wasn‘t picked.

Trust me....I had that speech all rehearsed....

 

[1STMP]

Trust me....I had that speech all rehearsed....

I've heard of the three most told lies.
Maybe there's room for a fourth?

 

[Richard Cranium]

Submit was on a jury for arson and insurance fraud. Apparently, someone was building a home and had so many violations with the city that he was told to tear it down after he exhausted his appeals. Eventually, the house went up on flames and the owner was charged. Long story short, the jury found him innocence. They all agreed that he probably did it, but the prosecution didn’t provide a preponderance of evidence to convict.

 

[Hey-O]

Never in all my years have I had to do that. Maybe it was my tee-shirt, kill them all and let God sort them out!! LOL

 

[cr8crshr]

Once one hits the 70 mark in age...No Jury Duty unless they volunteer... I like that!!! cr8crshr/Bill

 

[GetX'd]

Out here jury duty is way of life. Like they say the only things for certain in life are death and taxes - well in this commie regime you can add Jury Duty to that list. When I moved here I was called for duty as regularly as peeing in the morning - every two years. Been on a few juries. But the last time I had a real, legitimate reason I wouldn't be able to serve. They picked me anyway. I told the bailiff I simply wasn't able to serve - he snidely remarks " Well tell it to the judge. So from the other side of the courtroom I loudly proclaimed why I was not able to server - it was legit and a medical reason. The judge turned red with anger and told me I better be there in the morning or I would be held in contempt. Having no choice I came and suffered thru a week of trial. I was threatened by the bailiff several times for not paying attention and they were going to hold me in contempt. In jury trials they always have one extra juror just in case someone dies of boredom - they have a stand-in. Well at trials end the judge puts 13 names in a hat to randomly pick the stand-in who they'll allow to then leave. He goes thru this charade and ceremoniously picks the name of the one to let go. Who's name do you think he pops up with - Surprise!! Of course it's mine. Gee wonder how that happened? I could say a lot of other things here but don't want the thread or post bounced.

Bottom line is after being selected every two years on the dot for jury duty - That was the last time I ever heard from the scumbags. That was at least 15 years ago. I never lied once to get out of serving and I always did my civic duty and if picked i served. This one time I had more than a legitimate excuse and they shoved it in my face - I shoved back - suffered thru their charade and somehow I'm off for life - Good deal for me. Think things aren't rigged around here ...... hmmm I wonder....

 

[Cranky]

I tried to get out of Jury Service (I was told I would be eligible for discharge) after I was a prosecution witness in a murder trial a few years earlier. But with dwindling numbers I was told no excuses allowed. So, I turned up every day for 4 days and was eventually told after spending an hour in traffic, and paying for a day's parking, that I would not be required for selection. What a waste of time. Started out with nearly 200 people crammed in a room, being picked off like hot girls in a meat market. Each day was 4 hours of sitting down patiently waiting to be picked.....worse than waiting in the Doctors waiting room.

In my 50's I got a doc's excuse from jury duty because of my back. Can't sit in those dang junk chairs for very long at all.

Never in all my years have I had to do that. Maybe it was my tee-shirt, kill them all and let God sort them out!! LOL

 

[JackR]

I get the mail notice every couple years that has a number to call to tell you if you need to show up or not. So far have never had to serve.

But in my pocket is the statement "I know a guilty party when I see one"

 

[Budnicks]

I've been actually selected & served 4 times in the past 15 years
I get a notice every few months,
when I was selected mostly petty theft BS,
usually some tweaker,
usually sadly "some 'old tweaker'/lifer petty criminal"
(if you are an active & registered voter here, you will get a notice far more often,
than will actually have to even show up)
I live in a huge rural county with 'only about 50k people total',
many are older folks/retired
(majority are not even in the selection pool, but are still active conservative voters)
a big contingent of older & self-employed/business owner
are most of the people live & work here, that get selected
the pool for Jury candidates, you can say 'is small'...

I get mailed or summoned/a jury notice's, probably every few/4 months
unless I've served in the past 2 years IIRC
(life of being youngish, not so much now @ 63, in a small rural community)
but;
I rarely ever have to show up, call then & check on a certain date
& check-in, it's like a day before actual Jury selection, would be...
Court Call, after 5:00pm to a 'Recording', it usually says;
"we don't need you at this time"...

It's a/my civic duty, as an active voter, to participate
in justice...
I'm part of the system & I do it willingly when asked to...

I have rightly helped/convict & put away a few lowlife scumbags too

I think the DA & Judges all like me, an empty nester, clean cut & self-employed
(now retired) that wants justice
It's not a big community

I've had to show up like 10 times (?) & actually only selected 4 times
1/2 the time they don't even get to my name when selecting people for the jury
(alphabetically, my last name, I'm way at near the end)
I'll bet it's the same about 400+ people,
(I'd bet) like 75 or so at a time, have to show up
that get a summons & actually serve too...
I see a lot of the same folks when I go...

One of the times I was selected,
I was also an alternate for 'the Counties Civil Grand Jury' too,
which was extremely interesting, I was/am proud to serve...
It was 12 months, we met about every month,
we all got paid mileage & $15 a day, wahoo...
(I think it has been bumped up now)
I was on an interesting case with the local prison system, conditions & fixes
& me being involved in construction, I gave them a good opinion or perspective
better ways to do stuff & cost reduction, or the bidding process...
Lots of shysters out there bidding & most were companies/contractors/firms
mostly from back east, very few were local or even from Calif.
It's good to see how the system works...
Sometimes it's a good thing...
Sometimes it's a bit of a PITA...

Not that big of a deal...

 

[DeltaV]

My wife was up for jury selection in Texas. One guy was being questioned and said something to the effect of "that guy is guilty. You can tell by just looking at him." Snickers and laughter ensued. The judge interrupted and said "finally, we have someone here this morning that has answered honestly". More snickering and laughter ensued. The honest citizen was dismissed.

 

[f569]

The only time I was actually interviewed was for a case involving an insurance company payout for a vehicle accident between a woman and a man who hit her while he was driving his boss's work truck. When I responded that I would indeed be able to impartially consider the details of the case despite the fact that I had been personally sued for $15 million by someone (who was intoxicated and fell off an aluminum ladder into a live 480v switchboard we built) over a product liability/negligence case, I was dismissed by the plaintiff's attorney. The defense joked he had no problem with me as a juror and the room chuckled when he said he was sorry to see me go.