Thread: Anyone Ever Serve on a Jury?

Originally Posted by Pudge

There was a guy walking the neighbors fence line "feverishly masturbating" she took pictures with an outdated camera phone through filthy windows. The guy then went to his backyard and dropped his pants and started going to town looking at her while she continued to take poor quality pictures. I was almost positive the guy was guilty, he was a creepy looking dude. We deliberated for a few hours and everyone wanted to say guilty, but I argued that there really wasn't any proof, and I'd be irate if I was convicted of a crime with no real evidence. I talked everyone into saying not guilty. The next day I googled his name and found out it was his fifth charge in two years and was looking at essentially life in prison, he was like 70. I kind of regret that but I don't at the same time.

Now THAT is hilarious.

I served on a jury for a court martial but never in a civilian court.

Originally Posted by SR

Now THAT is hilarious.

Better to let 20 guilty free, than one innocent behind bars. I feel guilty for letting him walk, but I feel the system is set up that way for a reason. Mixed feelings

Originally Posted by Pudge

Better to let 20 guilty free, than one innocent behind bars. I feel guilty for letting him walk, but I feel the system is set up that way for a reason. Mixed feelings

That part wasn't funny, just the old guy was.

Originally Posted by Pudge

There was a guy walking the neighbors fence line "feverishly masturbating" she took pictures with an outdated camera phone through filthy windows. The guy then went to his backyard and dropped his pants and started going to town looking at her while she continued to take poor quality pictures. I was almost positive the guy was guilty, he was a creepy looking dude. We deliberated for a few hours and everyone wanted to say guilty, but I argued that there really wasn't any proof, and I'd be irate if I was convicted of a crime with no real evidence. I talked everyone into saying not guilty. The next day I googled his name and found out it was his fifth charge in two years and was looking at essentially life in prison, he was like 70. I kind of regret that but I don't at the same time.

So he got off?





..... Hey-o!

Ive only been considered once. I asked if they had an open bar. Shockingly I wasn't selected.

Once. It was a kidnapping, sexual assault case, several other charges that I can't remember. Guy was guilty as sin. Took us less than an hour to decide. Took that long only because some jurors were not sure on the kidnapping part.

Then I joined the military and became a cop....now I never get selected.

I served as an alternate on a child sexual assault case. I sat through the hearing which lasted 3 days , and then I was released after final deliberations because I was the alternate and no longer needed. I don't know what the outcome was, but I was getting the impression that the 12 were going to find guilty. I myself would have argued a not guilty based on lack of evidence and the testimony. the defense was pretty solid. it was interesting.

In my case I felt the Defense presented a much better case for the School District but ultimately it felt like everyone just wanted to finish up. We were split on the first 2 questions (Discrimination and Intentional Discrimination) but when it came to the settlement everyone seemed like they just wanted to award and get out. I went down swinging but ultimately veiled threats, like the guy who kept saying he could "keep it up all day because he was retired", made me concede to the majority and the fact that it was peponderance of evidence and not beyond a reasonable doubt. I will definitely keep track of the appeal especially since I learned this case already was ruled the way I felt it should have been in the 10th District Court. I understand the terms are different in a Civil Case, however, and we had to deal more with the ADA.

Here is the initial ruling if anyone is interested: http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/11/11-1273.pdf

Yes. Murder trial in 2006. It was interesting for about the first 2 days. Guilty fuker. Life in prison. 3 weeks of my life down the drain.

Originally Posted by MasterShake

In my case I felt the Defense presented a much better case for the School District but ultimately it felt like everyone just wanted to finish up. We were split on the first 2 questions (Discrimination and Intentional Discrimination) but when it came to the settlement everyone seemed like they just wanted to award and get out. I went down swinging but ultimately veiled threats, like the guy who kept saying he could "keep it up all day because he was retired", made me concede to the majority and the fact that it was peponderance of evidence and not beyond a reasonable doubt. I will definitely keep track of the appeal especially since I learned this case already was ruled the way I felt it should have been in the 10th District Court. I understand the terms are different in a Civil Case, however, and we had to deal more with the ADA.

Here is the initial ruling if anyone is interested: http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/11/11-1273.pdf

Wait. . .so this was a re-trial after an appeals court had sent it back down? Am I understanding this right?

I took a few minutes of lunch here to read that appeal decision. It seems very reasonable.

I had to lol at this citation within it:

Doe ex rel. Doe v. Haw. Dep’t of Educ., 334 F.3d 906, 910 (9th Cir. 2003) (taping
student’s head to a tree was a seizure).6

I might have to go look that case up! Taping a student's head to a tree? WTF?

In reading that appeal decision, and with your description, I think I can safely state that the old retired guy on your jury is a true *******, and buffoon.

I've sat on about five. One was a prostitution sting. One was a speeding ticket. One was a "swampland in Belize" case that ended in a settlement which sucks because it is like watching a movie and then not getting to see the ending.

One was a bizarre case of the debtor who had all the money in his disabled mother's name so he didn't have to pay his creditors the millions he owed. He "owned" two properties on opposite ends of town that mysteriously burned down the same day and the insurance payoff went to his mother who was incapacitated and the diligent son had power of attorney. The whole thing should have been a "movie of the week".

I got paid time off from my employers in each but now, as a contractor, I doubt I would, so I would probably choose not to sit on one. I've always said the best way to get removed from the jury pool is to wear a "David Duke For President" t-shirt but that's too obscure now. I think I'd probably just wear a lot of pro-life Christian stuff which would probably be viewed in liberal courts worse than if I showed up as an ISIS recruit.

Originally Posted by NightTrainLayne

I took a few minutes of lunch here to read that appeal decision. It seems very reasonable.

I had to lol at this citation within it:



I might have to go look that case up! Taping a student's head to a tree? WTF?

In reading that appeal decision, and with your description, I think I can safely state that the old retired guy on your jury is a true *******, and buffoon.

I take solace in the fact that I went down fighting, but I am going to keep a close eye on how it moves forward. Judge William Martinez (great guy BTW) sat with us after for a debriefing and I asked him about the "What's Next". It will go into appeal before a panel of 3 judges and they have a few different ways to look at it. Probably will take about a year and a half.

Originally Posted by MasterShake

I take solace in the fact that I went down fighting, but I am going to keep a close eye on how it moves forward. Judge William Martinez (great guy BTW) sat with us after for a debriefing and I asked him about the "What's Next". It will go into appeal before a panel of 3 judges and they have a few different ways to look at it. Probably will take about a year and a half.

I just have to try and cope with the sadness realized that only one or two people (yourself included) on a jury of 12, seem to have the capability for reason.