Jury Duty

[Capetan Mihali]

Anecdotally, at least, they don't just let you off the hook when you make some "outrageous" claim about your beliefs, they at least make you expound on it and bust your balls. 

I had one friend who checked the "don't like cops" boxes on the questionnaire, and got called up in front of everybody to explain out loud that he wouldn't accept police testimony as legitimate, wouldn't be able to control his prejudice against the police, why he felt that way, etc.  Like garbon, he wasn't lying about it, but if you were, it would have to be a little discouraging.

Another friend got called up in his small South Jersey hometown, and a guy claimed he thought anyone who was arrested was guilty, etc., and the judge started threatening to write it down for him in case he was ever in court and really laid into him.

I guess if you really have the nerve you can make up some extreme belief for yourself, but I don't think it's as easy as it seems.

[garbon]

Anecdotally, at least, they don't just let you off the hook when you make some "outrageous" claim about your beliefs, they at least make you expound on it and bust your balls. 

I had one friend who checked the "don't like cops" boxes on the questionnaire, and got called up in front of everybody to explain out loud that he wouldn't accept police testimony as legitimate, wouldn't be able to control his prejudice against the police, why he felt that way, etc.  Like garbon, he wasn't lying about it, but if you were, it would have to be a little discouraging.

I didn't say that at all. I actually said that I would accept police testimony as legitimate as they are just doing their jobs and that I didn't think my prejudice would get in the way.

[Monoriu]

Anecdotally, at least, they don't just let you off the hook when you make some "outrageous" claim about your beliefs, they at least make you expound on it and bust your balls. 

I had one friend who checked the "don't like cops" boxes on the questionnaire, and got called up in front of everybody to explain out loud that he wouldn't accept police testimony as legitimate, wouldn't be able to control his prejudice against the police, why he felt that way, etc.  Like garbon, he wasn't lying about it, but if you were, it would have to be a little discouraging.

Another friend got called up in his small South Jersey hometown, and a guy claimed he thought anyone who was arrested was guilty, etc., and the judge started threatening to write it down for him in case he was ever in court and really laid into him.

I guess if you really have the nerve you can make up some extreme belief for yourself, but I don't think it's as easy as it seems.

Thanks for the tips

[Capetan Mihali]

I didn't say that at all. I actually said that I would accept police testimony as legitimate as they are just doing their jobs and that I didn't think my prejudice would get in the way.

OK, I just meant having genuinely negative feelings about the police in the context of jury selection, not that you both have the same opinions.   

[garbon]

OK, I just meant having genuinely negative feelings about the police in the context of jury selection, not that you both have the same opinions.  

Oh sorry I should have explained. I just meant that I think it might be easier than one thinks given that there are a lot of things one can say. But you are right that you do need to be prepared to say something.

[Barrister]

I don't understand why someone would have negative opinion about police.     

[Jaron]

Most are good enough people. But there is always the asshole who tries to take his authority to the next level that ruins the image for everyone else.

[garbon]

I don't understand why someone would have negative opinion about police.    

As I said in court: I've never had an experience with a police officer than I would describe as beneficial.

What I didn't say is that most of the time I've encountered police, they seem like posturing assholes.

[Caliga]

It's actually not that bad, this trial.  It's just that I'm going to have to start doing work at night to make up for missed days, which fucking sucks.

One interesting thing that's different from the last trial (and I don't know whether this is a Ky. or Mass. thing, or a criminal vs. civil thing): When I did the criminal trial up in Mass., we were told that as a jury we were NOT allowed to ask questions of any kind--we tried to do so during deliberations and the judge came back and actually kinda yelled at us for it.

In this trial, they are actually encouraging us to ask questions.  Most of the juror questions have been deemed inappropriate for the witness we've heard from so far, but I mean the judge is actually pausing at times and saying "Are there any questions from the jury?" at which time you can write a question down and the bailiff delivers it to the judge who then reviews it with the attorneys.

[Oexmelin]

It's actually not that bad, this trial.  It's just that I'm going to have to start doing work at night to make up for missed days, which fucking sucks.

Is this because you want to, or because of have to ?

[grumbler]

What I didn't say is that most of the time I've encountered police, they seem like posturing assholes.

And you didn't like the competition.   

[DGuller]

What I didn't say is that most of the time I've encountered police, they seem like posturing assholes.

And you didn't like the competition.   

Can you give him a few pointers on how to tolerate such competition better?

[garbon]

And you didn't like the competition.  

Nope, I'm certainly more than just an asshole. I've testimonials.

[viper37]

I don't understand why someone would have negative opinion about police.     

oh... I don't know...  maybe it's the constant lying, the cops caught faking evidences, those who turn murderers, rapists or drug dealers... just maybe these little things of no consequences.

there's also the matter of cops protecting themselves as if they were gang members, the fact that they are following orders to arrest speeding drivers instead of real criminals, etc, etc.

[Barrister]

I don't understand why someone would have negative opinion about police.     

oh... I don't know...  maybe it's the constant lying, the cops caught faking evidences, those who turn murderers, rapists or drug dealers... just maybe these little things of no consequences.

there's also the matter of cops protecting themselves as if they were gang members, the fact that they are following orders to arrest speeding drivers instead of real criminals, etc, etc.

I meant people who get their opinions of police from the real world, not from television and movies.