Yesterday I arrived for Jury duty at 7:30 am (to guarantee nearby parking). Called in a group of 40 for a nursing home Mal Practice case. We spent the entire day in the Voir Dire (questioning) stage.
To get everyones feelings about the situations involved in the case.
I am not meant to spend 9 hours on a hard bench, even if it is a new Courthouse, listening to Lawyers be cute and humorous and asking the same questions over and over and over and over.
I know we are supposed to have the worlds greatest court system, but I'm not sure how I feel the day after. It is to be a 8 day case, 12 years in the making and 13 bankers boxes of medical records. OMG!!!!! I was so happy they dismissed me. Nursing home VS a deceased quadrapaligic. It seems to me there has to be a time when people stop chasing the money and accept the fact that family members die and no one is necessarily to blame.
Money does not solve all problems.
Let me hear your experience.
2007-01-23 00:27:29 · 4 answers · asked by ? 7 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
I served a week as an alternate on a jury trial involving "date rape". Sometimes it was interesting, most of the time it was mind numbingly boring. In the long run, I had no vote on the outcome because I was an alternate so all I really got out of it was a look at the court system, a look at some seedy and not so seedy characters, coffee and doughnuts every morning, a free lunch each day and a week's pay, as in monetray remuneration about a month after the trial. It wasn't the highlight of my life or even the year, but I'd do it again.
2007-01-23 00:35:11 · answer #1 · answered by fangtaiyang 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I got called twice for jury duty in The State of Connecticut, USA. It was within 2 consecutive years. I really didn't pay much attention to the merits of the cases ... the cases were not sensational in the least bit. No matter. At the time, I was a struggling independent businessman trying to get my new company afloat. That is not a valid excuse for being dismissed from jury duty. If you do not appear for jury duty, in CT, you are subject to arrest and fine.
Anyway, I could ill afford to spend a week or more away from my business. So I took the attitude of what i knew the attorney's did not want to hear when questioned by them during Voir Dire. Dismissed each time after suffering 8 hours of tedious boredom and indifference to my surroundings. Most of the other selected potential jurors were morons ... what a system ... we were all selected "at random" based upon our state driver's licenses. That doesn't seem correct ... only licensed drivers are in the pool of potential jurors?
Hey, in another time and another situation I would have been happy to do my civic duty. There is something wrong with the system.
2007-01-23 01:16:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was forced to report for jury duty for 3 solid days in a row, for 7 hours each day.
It was a murder trial with the possibility of the death penalty.
It was a highly publicized murder in my area and the lawyers from both sides questioned potential jurors for 3 days, asking the same questions over and over again.
I read a book but everytime a juror was dismissed or chosen, I'd listen for my name, which was never called.
The trial was going to last an estimated 8-10 weeks, and I am so glad that they did not call me to sit as a juror.
2007-01-23 00:41:40 · answer #3 · answered by ghostwriter 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, we don't have a jury system here in Malaysia.
2007-01-23 05:18:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋