The Gun Counter

Did it a few years ago. Gang member shot at another. Defense actually kept me because I was a gun owner, they tried to prove defendant didn't intend to harm, only to scare. Defendant took the stand and basically confessed to shooting at the other guy because he hoped to avoid an enhanced sentence per Indiana's gang activity sentencing.

Frankingun wrote:Did it a few years ago. Gang member shot at another. Defense actually kept me because I was a gun owner, they tried to prove defendant didn't intend to harm, only to scare. Defendant took the stand and basically confessed to shooting at the other guy because he hoped to avoid an enhanced sentence per Indiana's gang activity sentencing.

...a [strike]non-dindu[/strike]responsible gun owner is the last person that I would want on a jury in that case.

I got a summons earlier this year, called every day, checked the website and got no jury time at all. Seemed kind of a waste of time and paperwork.

I've been summoned three times since moving to the DPR-Maryland. First two times I called each evening, per the requirement, but was never needed. The last time, Mrs. O had had her TIA just the week prior. I sent in a copy of the ER report, and was excused. I will go if needed, but I will also be truthful when questioned for the selection process. I figure my chances of serving, as a WASP, Rethuglican, Male, cis-gendered, are about one in 50,000 at best.

Steamforger wrote:One of my interns was summoned. I told him to tell the lawyers as fast as possible that he's an electrical engineer.

I suspect he won't make it past the Voir Dire.

Actually happened to my dad. Murder trial, and he got booted by the defense first thing.

It's interesting that my parents have lived in the same place (in the PRK, which summons citizens for jury duty based on voter registration) for going on 45 year. To my knowledge, my dad has been summoned something like 4 or 5 times. My mom, only once.

I got summoned once, shortly before I was set to graduate from college. I asked for a deferral, and was granted one. By the time the deferred summons arrived, I was clear across the continent, happily enrolled at the Benning School for Wayward Boys. They let me slide.

(I should mention that the county seat where my folks live is Oakland, CA - so no shortage of trials, criminal or civil.)

I have been summoned once. I told them truthfully that I was morally opposed to gambling (case was a lawsuit against a casino) but also said that it it would nit color my decision. Ended up on the jury. We found for the casino.

I figure the only way to fix juries doing stupid stuff is for non stupid people to be on juries.

I get summoned every 2-3 years. They do have a one day or one trial rule so if you're not empaneled (or at least not called into a courtroom for questioning) then you're done at the end of the day. So far I've not been empaneled.

My gripe is I live a few hundred feet from the northern edge of crook county and every damned summons but two have been for the shithole courthouse at 26th and Cali. Bad part of chicago, terrible commute. The other two were downtown chicago, still a long and expensive commute (the stipend didn't used to cover it). There are suburban courts but you'd never know it. Except the one time I got a traffic ticket...

I guess there's one valid reason. 95+ % of the crooks are in and of chicago.