Have you ever served on a jury in CA? What was your experience?

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

I am similarly rejected from serving on juries as I very clearly express a total commitment to logic as opposed to attorney predilection to rely on sophistry to sway and hoodwink juries.

I once greatly amused an attorney when I asked him how he did in Logic 101 in college / law school. He said he never took a logic course. My jaw dropped visibly and I asked "not a required course for law?" He laughed and confirmed it is not. And there you have it readers: logic is not required in an American court of law. Trials are sophist cage matches.

LOL! No logic required. They teach you to argue, and not necessarily well ha ha.

What always wins, though, in a legal argument - is the law. If only they'd look it up instead of bluff...

[Curmudgeon]

I was called to jury duty six times in CA, once while I was in law enforcement. I actually made it on a jury once in Sacramento. Surprisingly enough it was the defense attorney that wanted me an d the prosecution was just as happy to let him. It was an assault with a deadly weapon/ attempted murder case and the defense was going to be self-defense. As timing is everything in such a case the defense figured that as a, then, former cop I could help explain it to the panel. I could. I did and we found the defendant guilty. Several other times I went through voir dire but was always challenged off.

Later this month I start a year of jury duty in the petit court for my county which is equivalent to what used to be the municipal courts in California.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

I was called to jury duty six times in CA, once while I was in law enforcement. I actually made it on a jury once in Sacramento. Surprisingly enough it was the defense attorney that wanted me an d the prosecution was just as happy to let him. It was an assault with a deadly weapon/ attempted murder case and the defense was going to be self-defense. As timing is everything in such a case the defense figured that as a, then, former cop I could help explain it to the panel. I could. I did and we found the defendant guilty. Several other times I went through voir dire but was always challenged off.

Later this month I start a year of jury duty in the petit court for my county which is equivalent to what used to be the municipal courts in California.

That is a great story. Very cool.

I was very honest about having cops for a father and brother, though I was a democrat. I said I consider myself middle of the road on issues. I think I was probably a leftover after they used up all their challenges.

[CA4Now]

Just came off 2 days of being on call for jury duty, and many of us were dismissed, after what felt like endless waiting, both in the main room and on a panel. I usually get called once every five years. The only jury I've ever served on was a criminal case a few years back.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

LOL! No logic required. They teach you to argue, and not necessarily well ha ha.

What always wins, though, in a legal argument - is the law. If only they'd look it up instead of bluff...

Wish this was true. At least it would be a constant that could be turned to. But interpretations of law are many and can go on forever, practically. On one hand it's good because it leaves room for appeals. On the other hand it's not good because it is arguable and interpretive.

What the world could use is a legal system based firmly in independent investigations, logic and logical analysis by independent trained logician investigators, and then judgement by panels of independent judges. Never gonna happen. Powerful people don't want a logical, rational world. No profit or power benefit in it.

[DMenscha]

I lived in Alpine County for a number of years. 400 eligible jury pool. Lots of jury duty. Mostly Fish and Game violations. Funny thing is, most everyone knew the F&G warden avoided writing citations unless the violator was seriously a scofflaw.

Had an ADW case where the offender came to me and told me that he knew I was on the jury pool and he would appreciate some help. Dude, you are so guilty anyway of the first charge, (I was nearby when it occurred) would you like me to add a complaint for jury tampering? If they offer you a plea bargain, take it.

Frontier justice at it's best. Now I live in a bigger county and get a once a year summons. I know darn near every attorney in the county on a first name basis and have yet to be called into court. Our previous court building had the jury pool stationed outside the courtrooms. The defendants had to walk a gauntlet to get into court. Lots of bargains accepted is my guess.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

LOL! No logic required. They teach you to argue, and not necessarily well ha ha.

What always wins, though, in a legal argument - is the law. If only they'd look it up instead of bluff...

not really..the law is frequently quite ambiguous and deciding what is 'meant' by it can sometimes only be determined by researching case law. that's when money presents a real advantage in a criminal defense, a public defender will work hard to get you the best 'deal' possible, but a good private defense attorney with a good knowledge of case law can get cases dismissed before they ever go to trial.

[MItoBH]

OP, thanks for sharing your jury duty experience. Sadly, I think most juries function just like how you describe from your experience. A "jury of your peers" is a joke when the defendant is at a venue where her/his jury does not reflect her/his peer background. There are those people in juries who are just along for the ride and will vote the way of the popular opinion. And there are those people who have such domineering and opinionated personalities, that they bully, goad, and "lead' a jury to vote a certain way. In this case, it was the ornery "professional" jury.

I'm glad you stuck to common sense and persuaded the others. It disgusts me that people want to make an example out of people without caring for all the facts or using reasonable doubt.

BTW, security isn't suppose to chase people, they're suppose to call the police. I don't have kids, but I wish a stranger would touch my child in such an aggressive manner. The ambulance would be called for said person.

Like in the recent Jodi Arias case. It was that one hold out jury who deliberately did not vote for the death penalty because she hated the guy Jodi killed. She was a victim of a bad relationship and projected her feelings about men into that case and actually empathized with that sex beast monster Jodi. No death penalty, but life in jail.

Some juries are very bad while some are very good. It's 50/50.