Thread: Why can't people just get along?

I no longer have my name on the "jury wheel". I FINALLY got a medical release from ever having my name called again due to the fact that without my hearing aids, I CAN'T HEAR SHYTE! With the miracles of modern technology, I STILL CAN'T UNDERSTAND SHYTE in a room with hard walls and floors.

Letter from the VA doc and I'm off the hook.

juror nullification. means you will vote not guilt because you dont agree wit the law or surcumstances. but id love to get to go on jury duty before i leave for the army.
Walk softly and carry a big stick ( or gun) is how pieace is done.

It must be different in other places...

I got jury duty once - I called the number and told them I was too busy to come in.
They just said "ok".

That was the end of it for me...

Originally Posted by HNSB

It must be different in other places...

I got jury duty once - I called the number and told them I was too busy to come in.
They just said "ok".

That was the end of it for me...

You are on the "Short list for next time" now.

Originally Posted by HNSB

It must be different in other places...

I got jury duty once - I called the number and told them I was too busy to come in.
They just said "ok".

That was the end of it for me...

Doesn't work like that here. They called me every two years. My wife has never been called. Here it is difficult to get a postponement without a Dr's letter or detailed explanation in writing of extenuating circumstances. Work doesn't qualify most of the time. Failure to show without prior permission will result in legal action.

The last time I was called, I got picked for a jury pool and all those that were picked got to sit in the hall outside the court room all day with the exception of a two hour lunch. I read a book all day. At the end of the day we were called into the court room and the judge thanked us and told us that all the cases "plead out" and that we were done until called again.

I took my seven dollar check and went home.

I don't think people get along any better or worse than they ever did, I think the important distinction is now-a-days instead of taking it out to the parking lot, or simply agreeing to disagree, the answer to everything seems to be sue or press charges. In days of old, people were the simple harmless kind of a**holes, these days, it seems they're the greedy, money grubbing litigenous type a**holes.

An Eagle scout AND a Lawyer!? Now there's a conflict of interest.

the good old days when yoou and a another guy had a problem you stepped outside and when you were done you shook hands and drank a beer together. instead of sueing or pressing chages of something stupid.

Originally Posted by HNSB

It must be different in other places...

I got jury duty once - I called the number and told them I was too busy to come in.
They just said "ok".

That was the end of it for me...

It's the same in the UK. My SWMBO recently did exactly the same.

There has been quite a bit of talk here in the UK about having professional jurors for such things as fraud cases where complicated matters can be hard for "normal" people to understand unless they have has special training.

Personally I think it would be better if being a juror was a job in its own right and that there was a core of working jurors with part time juror jobs being available to make up numbers.

All too often we read of people who don't understand the importance and who end up being charged with contempt because they did something stupid while on jury duty examples in the last couple of years IIRC were listening to an MP3 player or pulling a sicky to go to a West End show or contacting the defendant on facebook. While it wouldn't guarantee a better quality of juror at least they would know what they should and shouldn't do a bit better and it would still be one's peers just peers that are used to sitting in on trials.

Originally Posted by Jeltz

There has been quite a bit of talk here in the UK about having professional jurors for such things as fraud cases where complicated matters can be hard for "normal" people to understand unless they have has special training.

Personally I think it would be better if being a juror was a job in its own right and that there was a core of working jurors with part time juror jobs being available to make up numbers.

All too often we read of people who don't understand the importance and who end up being charged with contempt because they did something stupid while on jury duty examples in the last couple of years IIRC were listening to an MP3 player or pulling a sicky to go to a West End show or contacting the defendant on facebook. While it wouldn't guarantee a better quality of juror at least they would know what they should and shouldn't do a bit better and it would still be one's peers just peers that are used to sitting in on trials.

I agree. My SWMBO is self employed and simply could not afford to turn away clients. Also when you take into account the travel expenses (60 mile round trip plus parking) she would have received about a 1/4 of her usual daily wage for her efforts.

Having full or part time jurors would be the way to go.