Georgia Court Reportedly Lists 'Slave' As Occupation On Questionnaire

[jimmy olsen]

Someone is gonna get fired.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/georgia-slave-occupation-court-questionnaire-dekalb-county_n_4345180.html

Georgia Court Reportedly Lists 'Slave' As Occupation On Questionnaire

The Huffington Post  |  Posted: 11/26/2013 4:11 pm EST

A Georgia court is struggling to explain a report that it listed "slave" as an occupation on its juror questionnaire.

On Monday, a prospective juror in Dekalb County told local NBC affiliate 11Alive that he typed the letter "S" for "Sales" on the online questionnaire and said the word "Slave" popped up instead.

Court Administrator Cathy McCumber told the station that the online form is a month old but was derived from an older list that's been used to survey jurors for 13 years. The web development company that the court contracted to make the form says the occupations are user-generated.

McCumber told 11Alive she's not sure if someone added "Slave" after the court put the questionnaire online or if it had always been listed among the other occupations.

The Dekalb County Court did not respond to our request for comment.

Some online commenters speculated that the incident was a bad joke or a prank by a disgruntled employee. Others simply expressed outrage that such a thing could even happen.

USA Today reader Peggy England called it a "low down dirty shame," while Dallas resident Peter Klepinowski declared the following on 11Alive's website: "The court needs to apologize and investigate."

[CountDeMoney]

I still have to get around to seeing the dramatization of DG's memoirs, 12 Years a Slav.

ROGER EBEET GAVE IT 2 THUMBS UP

[garbon]

Outrage? Really?

[Viking]

Well, slavery exists today and there certainly are former slave alive and kicking. While "slave" a victim of crime and of being denied ones human rights it is, bizzarely, still an occupation.

[Admiral Yi]

USA Today reader Peggy England called it a "low down dirty shame," while Dallas resident Peter Klepinowski declared the following on 11Alive's website: "The court needs to apologize and investigate."

Embrace the social media paradigm!

[grumbler]

USA Today reader Peggy England called it a "low down dirty shame," while Dallas resident Peter Klepinowski declared the following on 11Alive's website: "The court needs to apologize and investigate."

Embrace the social media paradigm!

So, the Huffington Post is reduced to reporting what readers of other publications say in the comments section as news?

And telling us about something that only "reportedly" happened?

And Tim thinks this board-worth?

FFS!

[Neil]

Outrage? Really?

It's a fluff piece about how outrage is cheap to manufacture on the internet.

[Valmy]

Wow what a misleading title to that article.

[jimmy olsen]

The source
http://decatur.11alive.com/news/news/505302-dekalb-county-juror-form-lists-slave-occupation?hpt=us_bn8

DECATUR, Ga. -- A new online juror questionnaire offered by the DeKalb County Court listed "slave" as an occupational option.

Court Administrator Cathy McCumber told 11Alive, the questionnaire went online a month ago, but is based off an internal list that's been used for 13 years.

She says the list is 62 pages long, so she's not sure if the word slave has always been on it, or if it was added before the questionnaire went online. 

11Alive and the court learned about the problem Monday morning, after a potential juror filling out the form hit the letter "s" for sales.  He says he got "slave" instead.

"That is not an occupation, slave is not an occupation," said DeKalb resident, Cheryl Glass.

The company that designed the software says the drop down menus in the survey are inputted by the user.

"Hopefully it's just a glitch and hopefully it will be worked out.
It doesn't make sense, but at the same time people make mistakes," said Anna Wyatt.

McCumber says the word was removed within an hour of learning about it.  But figuring out how it got there, and when will take much longer.

At the courthouse Monday, residents responded with disbelief.

"So they're saying it's a mistake?  I don't think so.  Why is that even an option?  Wow," said Bridgette Mathis.

Until a month ago, jurors had to fill out the questionnaire by hand and mail it in to the courthouse.  The online form is supposed to be easier and more efficient.

[derspiess]

This incident erases all the civil rights progress we thought we made

[Valmy]

This incident erases all the civil rights progress we thought we made

Are you being sarcastic dude?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QrWzsfghA

[derspiess]

This incident erases all the civil rights progress we thought we made

Are you being sarcastic dude?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QrWzsfghA

I don't even know anymore.

[Berkut]

The SC strikes down the Voting Rights Act, and this is what happens.

[DGuller]

How is being a slave an occupation?  You don't get paid for it by definition.