I just got done with Jury Duty in Brazoria County. It was in a district court - criminal drug possession case. It ended up being 3 days although it really should have been 1 thanks to 2 r****ds on the jury. I have come to a conclusion that they should do some basic competency testing in addition to all the questions they ask the panel. I am trying to forget this experience where because of 2 idiots someone who admitted their guilt on the stand almost got off due to mistrial.
If you don't want to get pick to serve, take one side and stick with it when both lawyers are asking questions to determine who they want. Never give a vague answer. 1st time i was summoned it was some drug charge for a guy who got caught trying to sell cocaine. When asked if i would believe a cop on just his word without any evidence i said sure will and wasn't picked. 2nd time was some lady trying to get more insurance money like 1 year after an accident. Said i couldn't put a monetary value on emotional distress and wasn't picked.
This does not always work. Like I said, I just got done with a drug case today. They asked the same question about whether you would believe law enforcement more vs the defendant. I raised my number. I was almost sure that because of this and because my brother is a cop (which was also another question) that I would not get picked. To my surprise, I was picked.
I live in Jefferson county and have been 5-6 times. I have been picked 3 times. I have a good friend who is a judge, and always offers to get me out of it, but I go anyway because we generally go to lunch and visit about things. I have been on a possession/distribute case where the only witness for the defense was pulled out of jail for the same offense, and offered only that the defendant didn't do it. while the prosecution had video and audio of the defendant selling to police. The 2nd one was a DUI 3rd offense. The guy claimed a bad back in court was why he couldn't perform the tests, however, in the video when they asked him if he had any medical conditions in video of the stop he said know he was fine. He blew a .15 I think, and couldn't come close to doing any of the tests. He even poked himself in the eye on the touch your nose part. Hard enough to say ouch when he did it. The 3rd was civil, a local marble company had hired a firm to evaluate the business. The firm didn't do any of the work they agreed to. This one settled after lunch on the first day. The lawyers asked to speak with us after the trial and the out of town company's lawyer told us he had only gotten the case 3 days before trial. They fired their earlier lawyer because he suggested they settle because they had no shot at winning and the ceo refused to do that. This lawyer thought eh same thing but went forward until they got to trial, put the ceo on the stand and he looked like a fool. At that point he settled . Which we all said was probably best. The last time I was called it was for a murder/self defense trial. It had already mistrialed twice because of a fight in the courtroom, then another fight in the courtroom because the victim's sister sided with the defendant. I found a pretty solid way to get out of a trial. I have a problem sometimes with blood and get light headed and pass out. After initial voir dire the prosecutor asked if anyone had anything else to add. I stated my stuff and was immediately released. When I was dismissed I heard a collective sigh from people behind me wondering why they did not think of that. In Jefferson county you get $10 on the first day and $40/day after that, whether you get picked or not. It used to be 6 or 8 but the y changed it because they had problems getting enough jurors. After they changed it they had to change how they select them. they were getting more than they needed and would assign jurors on a what they needed that day basis. So if you got called, you showed up Monday, made $40 and might not get assigned to a court much less picked. If you did not get picked you showed up Tuesday and may or may not get assigned to a court. That may go on for the rest of the week or until they run out of cases. You could effectively make $130 (they don't assign on Fridays) without ever seeing a courtroom. Now everyone shows up on Monday, if you don't get assigned to a court they hold you after they assign everyone and you get your assignment for the rest of the week. That way if they don't need you until Thursday you don't come back until then and they don't have to pay you.
Judge Michael McSpadden.....I'll never forget, there was at least 80 potential jurors in the room and the man on trial was sitting in front of me looking at all the jurors..... Anyways my turn came around an all I could think about was my mother having a 10 day trial before me and it being a complete and utter waste of her life, so as my number is called I proceed to stand up and tell the judge I'd be a horrible candidate to be a juror bc I have an uncanny ability to tell if people are guilty just by looking at them and that the defendant was guilty.....the whole courtroom had an OMG moment, and the guy about to go on trial looked at me like WTF bro.....needless to say I got out of it and enjoyed my summer of 2011
Have to go in a month or so for the first time in Harris County. I went once in Fort Bend, the guy settled as soon as they got all the potential jurors in the room but before they started interviewing us. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll go.
Has nothing to do with where you sit. Typically the more you respond to the questions the less likely you are to get picked. There's exceptions like in aeroman's case, but from my experience the one time I got picked I barely answered any questions and the others that got picked with me didn't really answer questions either.
I just served this week. You've usually got a 1-3 chance of being selected, maybe 1-2 once you factor in the people that will say anything in the world to get struck (all of a sudden, it becomes convenient to be a hateful, prejudiced bigot) First 3 hours will feel like waiting at a DPS office I was pool #34 (of 40), in the back row, didn't say anything, and was selected to be juror #12. Civil lawsuit over a car wreck. The experience itself was somewhat interesting, getting an inside view of the system. I was impressed with the folks I served with - reasonable, intelligent, able to share perspectives in a civil manner. I was surprised to see how crummy both lawyers were - high schoolers putting on a mock trial would have done a more thorough, thought out job. Literally.
I was at jury selection for a termination of parental rights case for a mother. The jurors were numbered and, in discussing with a friend prior, he said they tend to pick the lower numbers starting from 1. I was 11. I did not say one word but raised my hand when asked if "do you believe you should not be a juror on this case and should not be here?". I was not picked but everyone else with a number assignment below 14 was for a jury of 12. But, I think I wasn't picked because I do not have children and my objection was how can I decide a parent's right to continue to be a parent if I've never been a parent myself. But, I do believe for certain that if you have 60 jurors to choose from, the lowered number ones are chosen first. If you are numbered over 30 or even 20, then they are basically wasting your time just being there. At least, that is how it works in Fort Worth. And, I noticed that everyone who was picked were primarily the talkers who spoke up. But, sometimes they asked specific people questions and others they let people volunteer to answer. Maybe it was just that case?
Yeah, I guess it just depends on the case. The one I sat on was an accident where an older couple had an accident with a truck cab. First we had to decide who was at fault. If we decided the truck driver was at fault then we had to determine how much pain and suffering, medical costs etc. he was responsible for. I'm guessing part of the reason I got picked because I was one of about 5 black people in the room and the other four all worked in medical jobs. The defendant (truck driver) in this case was black and most of the plaintiff's case was built around medical records.
I just got finished with Jury Duty a couple of weeks ago. It was in Brazoria County, and I think the process can be a little different depending on the City or County. I went early in the morning and was told to return at 1pm to a certain courtroom. They had someone in the hallway with a list of all the potential jurors. We had to lineup in a specific order before we entered the courtroom, they gave each of us a card with a number on it. I was in the 36th position out of 37 potential jurors. The person lining everyone up told us that people who speak up and have a lot of questions about the trial may be more likely to not be picked. After we got seated the lawyers for both sides talked a little bit about the case and asked the group as a whole a few specific questions that might preclude them from being an impartial juror. During this question and answer session one of the lawyers commented that he was mainly going to focus on the potential jurors in the first two rows, as they were the most likely to be selected. Since I was number 36 out of 37, I knew at that point I probably wouldn't be selected. So, where I had jury duty, it appears they assign all potential jurors a number and if you get a low number there is a good chance you will get selected. It's a pain in the neck to go to jury duty, but I think it's our duty as citizens . I really look down on people who just rip up the jury summons.
Yeah I had my first jury duty summon that I had to go to a couple months ago and I was listening to a case with other people (also the youngest) I basically just sat there didn't get asked any questions except if I agreed with this persons opinion on a certain matter but that was it.. I wasn't picked and got to go back home and sleep :grin:
That's messed up. Just for that I am making it my job to always vote in favor of the small guy. I'm pretty sure if I do that once I won't ever get called back, so it's win-win.
I barely check my regular postal mail because it's regular postal mail. Everything I get done now these days is online. They sent me one last winter, and I didn't check until this Spring, so I kinda missed it. Oops. I actually went twice. The first time I went, it was in Harris County, north-northwest side over on Cypresswood I believe. They didn't have anything on the docket so they let us go. Cha-Ching! Six bucks. The other time I went, was in 2007 I believe. It was a DUI/DWI case. The defendant was cute. Of course, being the stalker that I am, I went to check her out. It turned out she worked at the MAC Cosmetic counter at Willowbrook Mall. Her mom was there too, she was a hottie too. We found her not guilty. I didn't think she was guilty of a Driver under the influence, but she was guilty of being a female behind the wheel. They showed video of her in the tank, and she cooperative, and answered all the HPD's question with out any hesitation and had her wits and mental faculties. Ironically, last month, I did some more stalking, and it turns out that she may have moved to Austin.
Tell them you have ADHD, no lawyer is going to want a juror who doesn't pay attention. It worked for me, and they didnt even ask for proof.
Dont think that can be true. I had a high number and was on row 3 of 3. I got picked. They don't pick based on where you sit or what your number is. The lawyers on both sides have a list of everyone on the panel and the info that you filled out on the jury summons. Their job is then to ask further questions and strike out those they believe will be biased or cannot perform the duty for one reason or another. I highly doubt it has anything to do with your number or where you sit. At the trial I served on, the court room was completely full and some even had to sit in the jury box. The lawyers mostly looked at the benches because thats how their tables were setup and still some people from the jury box got picked. The defense lawyer made a comment that if you don't respond to any questions they ask then you are more likely to get picked. Who knows if that is the truth or if she just wanted people to participate more and answer the questions.
