When was the last time you were a juror? Were they guilty or not guilty?

Question

We sent a drug dealer (he made drugs in the basement of his home) up the river

Answer 1

I served as a juror three years ago in the little town of Shelton, WA. Having lived & served on jury duty in a metropolis, it was really funny, kinda like Maybury, Auntie Bea, or the Keystone Lawyers. It was about two brothers. One came to see the other, they had an argument, one got hit on the forehead with a flashlight, and of course they were both drunk at the time. Turns out the one guy accidentally bumped into the flashlight his brother was holding, and accused his brother of assault and battery just out of spite. A silly case, the real situation was obvious after less than an hour of questioning. We were sent to the Jury room, then called back into the courtroom to be told that the charges were mutually dropped. Just a Couple of Bubba's getting drunk & arguing, not even physically fighting. And wasting a lot of people's time and taxpayer money...

More seriously, I was on a murder case in Southern California where I lived at the time. It regarded two illegal Mexican immigrants who'd been having a long feud. One night the older guy came home drunk and accused the younger guy of stealing his car stereo, which wasn't true. They argued and the older guy went into his house and came out with a 9mm pistol, firing at the kid.

The poor kid ran away, and in the darkness cut his leg severely on a piece of farm equipment, which brought him down and made it impossible for him to walk, let alone run. He was found with two bullets through the back of his head, fired from close range.

The older guy said he fired twice into the darkness "in self defense" from the end of the barn, about 30 feet away, and had no intention of killing the kid. Said he just wanted to scare the kid away because he felt threatened. But he couldn't explain the gunpowder burns on the back of the kid's head, or why he felt threatened when he was the one with the gun. Poor kid really suffered at the end from fear, then a severe and painful injury, and then having this guy standing over him with a gun.

We found this guy guilty of murder in the first degree, and he was sent away for 30 to life. It was a very fascinating case, and we (the jurors) learned a lot about crime, and the way these particular illegal immigrants lived. Despite having two small children, this older guy lived in a small trailer in absolute filth, and the kid (and others) lived in make-shift stalls in the barn. I felt bad that anyone had to live in such conditions, but I couldn't buy the killer's argument that he lived that way because he was poor. He had enough money to buy liquor and at least one gun.

So those are the two times I served on jury duty, one amusing time and one that is much more serious. Sounds like you had a pretty interesting case too. Glad that another bad guy got put away. Let's hope it will do him some good.

Answer 2

I was a juror last year. I'd always wondered what it would be like, and was pretty happy to be asked. After a few days of sitting around, waiting to be selected, not being selected, being sent home, etc, I thought it was going to be a wasted week. Then I finally got selected on the third day. It was a rape case, and when we first heard all the evidence, I was amazed at the descriptions of people's behaviour. They were all complete idiots as far as I could see. They all drank too much, and put each other in the worst possible danger.
We took two days to come to a verdict, and that was the most gruelling two days ! I guess that the subject of rape does tend to polarise people's opinions, and there were many heated arguments in that room ! We had to sleep overnight in a motel, and I had to share a room with a woman who I'd had an angry exchange with, and it was all rather uncomfortable !
We finally found the young man "not guilty", but really, all of us jurors felt that ALL of the people in the situation had been guilty....of total stupidity. It made us all so angry that people could put themselves in the worst possible situation, make horrible accusations against one another, and then expect a jury to sort it out. I'll be glad if I never have to sit through another court session in my life.

Answer 3

LOL "up the river"

I've never been on a jury , but I had to be a witness once. I was all nervous and didn't like dealing with the lawyers and cops and the whole system was so formal yet depressingly ... archaic.
I think we should get rid of jurors anyways. Why would some amature off the street be a better person to decide things legal than a trained and professional judge?
It would be like a jury deciding if you should get heart surgery or not. Or it would be like a jury deciding if your car needed a new valve or a new piston.
Makes no sense to me. But what do i know. Im just a dork who has never sent anyone up a river yet.

Answer 4

It was probably 10 years ago. I was on call about five years ago, but was never called. The case I heard involved a package store employee who allegedly stole from the till. He was fired, although he repaid what the till was short.

I figured if he repaid it he was guilty, but the other jurors persuaded me that he had paid enough. I saw their point, besides, it was late and I had an appointment and they thought I was being a jerk for holding out. So, not guilty.

Note to PS -- In some states, judges are not trained in the law. I'd rather take my chances with a sympathetic jury than a judge who doesn't know the fine points of the law.

Answer 5

I was on a Court Martial Board in 1984. The sailor in question smoked some MJ on a Friday night. Monday morning the last 2 digits of his SSN was drawn and he, along with some others, had to give a urine sample. His tested positive for THC. He was an instructor at the Naval Guided Missile School. His THC level was so low it showed proof that he was not a regular smoker. It was SO low that it just barely registered above the minimum. The JAG officer for the prosecution was pushing for a discharge from the Navy. Because of the fact he was NOT a user, and his evaluation marks were 3.8's and 4.0's (out of a possible 4.0...the rating level at that time), he got a suspended bust from E-6 to E-5 (depending on 1 year's good conduct) a $100 dollar fine for 2 months and 30 days restriction to the base.

Answer 6

Last year I got chosen as an alternate. I have a bad leg and walk with a cane. By the time I got situated in the jury box the Asst. DA asked me a bunch of questions and was satisfied. The case was a guy fighting his third DUI. The last question was Have I ever known anyone to drink and drive. Now the Asst. DA was only in his late 20's or early 30's. Without thinking, I just blurted out, Remember the '70's? Everyone in the courtroom broke up and the judge was shaking his head, I just looked at the DA and said I withdraw the question.

Answer 7

I was on jury duty in April. The first day, I didn't get picked, went back the next day, this time I was picked, in the elimination process, we were asked if anyone had been burglarized, so the majority of us stood up, so I got dismissed again. Went back the next day, got picked again, the elimination process asked if anyone had been in an auto accident, again, most of us stood up, so we got sent home, the final one was when they asked about children in accidents and this time hardly anyone stood up, but they sent me home anyway Because I was a pediatric nurse, so I guess the answer is no. Back in FL I was a jurist on a drug trafficking conviction, just didn't know if 135 grams was a tiny amount or if I would have needed bushels to carry it. In any case, we found the guy guilty

Answer 8

I was in a 3 month robbery/murder trail. He was 21 at the time.
He got LWOP. and he deserved every bit of it. It was a very traumatic experience. It takes a lot out of you as a juror. Hope I have to never decide another persons fate like that again. It's something you remember for the rest of your life. I still remember his name to this day.

Answer 9

I spent 3 months on a murder trial several years ago. A woman and her boyfriend were found guilty in separate trials for murdering two young ladies. We gave her life without parole and her boyfriend got the death penalty. They are both still in prison, thank God. I never want to be involved in this type of trial ever again. It was re-enacted on the program Hard Copy and a book was written about it.
My heart goes out to the two beautiful young women and the families who lost them. Also, to the defendant's grandmother who had to be a witness in the trial. This was a tragedy for many, many people.

Answer 10

I've never been a juror. I love to watch all the 'who done it' and forensic shows, but it would be hard in real life to decide someone's fate. Glad you helped get another dealer off the street!