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soupslam1

Jury Duty

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Anyone here serve on a jury?  I’ve been watching The Twelve on Netflix and there are some weird jurors on a murder trial. I’ve been called several times, but never got picked. My wife was selected for a murder trial in Oakland, but we moved before it started. Any good stories about serving? 

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I used to cover courts as a reporter, so I almost always get tossed pretty quickly. The closest I ever got was an aggravated DUI trial, and the guy was representing himself. I got through to like the last 20 or so. He tossed me immediately after a question about experience with the court system, and I explained mine. Ironic that I would have been probably that guy's most sympathetic jurors. Though he almost certainly would have still been convicted, since representing yourself is a terrible terrible idea. 

Planning is an exercise of power, and in a modern state much real power is suffused with boredom. The agents of planning are usually boring; the planning process is boring; the implementation of plans is always boring. In a democracy boredom works for bureaucracies and corporations as smell works for skunk. It keeps danger away. Power does not have to be exercised behind the scenes. It can be open. The audience is asleep. The modern world is forged amidst our inattention.

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I served once on a trial where a guy was suing the transit agency because a bus rear-ended him. He was suing for medical expenses and lost wages. He settled part way through. It was weird too because once we jurors all could talk to each other we agreed we would have awarded him a shut load more than he settled for. 

Thay Haif Said: Quhat Say Thay? Lat Thame Say

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11 minutes ago, smltwnrckr said:

I used to cover courts as a reporter, so I almost always get tossed pretty quickly. The closest I ever got was an aggravated DUI trial, and the guy was representing himself. I got through to like the last 20 or so. He tossed me immediately after a question about experience with the court system, and I explained mine. Ironic that I would have been probably that guy's most sympathetic jurors. Though he almost certainly would have still been convicted, since representing yourself is a terrible terrible idea. 

"He who represents himself has a fool for a client."

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I've been voir dired to sit on criminal juries half a dozen times but thankfully never chosen.

As an aside, living here in L.A. there's always an outside chance I could be called for a case in which the criminal defendant was represented by Mark Geragos. If that happened I would have to disclose that IMO, anyone who would choose that guy to represent them must be guilty.

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23 minutes ago, CV147 said:

"He who represents himself has a fool for a client."

I actually think I could do a good job representing myself in the right case. Which is confirmation that I shouldn't ever, ever do it should I be in that situation. 

Planning is an exercise of power, and in a modern state much real power is suffused with boredom. The agents of planning are usually boring; the planning process is boring; the implementation of plans is always boring. In a democracy boredom works for bureaucracies and corporations as smell works for skunk. It keeps danger away. Power does not have to be exercised behind the scenes. It can be open. The audience is asleep. The modern world is forged amidst our inattention.

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17 minutes ago, 818SUDSFan said:

I've been voir dired to sit on criminal juries half a dozen times but thankfully never chosen.

As an aside, living here in L.A. there's always an outside chance I could be called for a case in which the criminal defendant was represented by Mark Geragos. If that happened I would have to disclose that IMO, anyone who would choose that guy to represent them must be guilty.

I like Mark Geragos, at least the way he talks about the law. Maybe he's a charlatan, but we need more people sticking up for defense attorneys.

Planning is an exercise of power, and in a modern state much real power is suffused with boredom. The agents of planning are usually boring; the planning process is boring; the implementation of plans is always boring. In a democracy boredom works for bureaucracies and corporations as smell works for skunk. It keeps danger away. Power does not have to be exercised behind the scenes. It can be open. The audience is asleep. The modern world is forged amidst our inattention.

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41 minutes ago, Old_SD_Dude said:

I served once on a trial where a guy was suing the transit agency because a bus rear-ended him. He was suing for medical expenses and lost wages. He settled part way through. It was weird too because once we jurors all could talk to each other we agreed we would have awarded him a shut load more than he settled for. 

Why? Did he settle for less than his expenses and wages?

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4 minutes ago, smltwnrckr said:

I like Mark Geragos, at least the way he talks about the law. Maybe he's a charlatan, but we need more people sticking up for defense attorneys.

I have nothing against defense attorneys generally. Many are average Joes who as sole practitioners need to get work where they can find it in what is an overcrowded legal profession. However, that doesn't describe Geragos. I think he's probably an excellent attorney and that's why people who are guilty as hell like Scott Peterson, Jessie Smollett and Gary Condit want him to represent them because with the average Joe they would have no chance of getting off.

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9 minutes ago, 818SUDSFan said:

I have nothing against defense attorneys generally. Many are average Joes who as sole practitioners need to get work where they can find it in what is an overcrowded legal profession. However, that doesn't describe Geragos. I think he's probably an excellent attorney and that's why people who are guilty as hell like Scott Peterson, Jessie Smollett and Gary Condit want him to represent them because with the average Joe they would have no chance of getting off.

I mean more his defense of defense attorneys as a whole... that they play an important role in the system as important as (I'd say more important than) prosecutors. I've listened to and read interviews with him where he explicitly makes this point. It's definitely self-aggrandizing, though I wish there were more heroes who are defense attorneys.

Planning is an exercise of power, and in a modern state much real power is suffused with boredom. The agents of planning are usually boring; the planning process is boring; the implementation of plans is always boring. In a democracy boredom works for bureaucracies and corporations as smell works for skunk. It keeps danger away. Power does not have to be exercised behind the scenes. It can be open. The audience is asleep. The modern world is forged amidst our inattention.

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5 hours ago, azgreg said:

I've been on three juries. Two lasted just one day while the other lasted two weeks.

 

How was your interaction with the other jurors? I could see it getting dicey if one or several didn’t see things the same as the rest. 

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44 minutes ago, soupslam1 said:

How was your interaction with the other jurors? I could see it getting dicey if one or several didn’t see things the same as the rest. 

All three were easy. Open and shut. None of them took more than 30 minutes to deliberate.

 

People, not a fan.

 

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Did jury duty twice - both times between 28 & 33 years old...............robbery trial that was one part of a larger LV area crime spree.................murder trial of a murder committed in Clark County, after conviction during penalty phase we find that the convicted is already serving a long sentence in NV prison for another murder in Elko County.............Death sentence levied. but some 10+ years on i read a small blurb that the guy offed himself by breaking up silverware & swallowing it................Still remember the convicted's name = Mark Stuart Emmons 

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8 minutes ago, UNLV2001 said:

Did jury duty twice - both times between 28 & 33 years old...............robbery trial that was one part of a larger LV area crime spree.................murder trial of a murder committed in Clark County, after conviction during penalty phase we find that the convicted is already serving a long sentence in NV prison for another murder in Elko County.............Death sentence levied. but some 10+ years on i read a small blurb that the guy offed himself by breaking up silverware & swallowing it................Still remember the convicted's name = Mark Stuart Emmons 

This guy.

https://law.justia.com/cases/nevada/supreme-court/1991/20323-1.html

We’re all sitting in the dugout. Thinking we should pitch. How you gonna throw a shutout when all you do is bitch.

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4 minutes ago, thelawlorfaithful said:

Yep - That's the case & guy 

David Sheick was defense attorney 

Saw the photos of the murder in Elko of his prior conviction which was an execution style killing where the victim was bound & blindfolded 

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18 minutes ago, thelawlorfaithful said:

Here's a blurb on how he went out 

 like Mark Emmons, age 38, who decided to end it all by eating his own food utensils at Ely. He died of intestinal hemmoraging in a Nevada hospital 7/10/2000

https://nevadaprisonwatch.wordpress.com/category/mercedes-maharis/ 

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8 minutes ago, UNLV2001 said:

Here's a blurb on how he went out 

 like Mark Emmons, age 38, who decided to end it all by eating his own food utensils at Ely. He died of intestinal hemmoraging in a Nevada hospital 7/10/2000

https://nevadaprisonwatch.wordpress.com/category/mercedes-maharis/ 

I read that after finding the court case. Really rough way to go, even for a killer.

We’re all sitting in the dugout. Thinking we should pitch. How you gonna throw a shutout when all you do is bitch.

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23 minutes ago, thelawlorfaithful said:

I read that after finding the court case. Really rough way to go, even for a killer.

Odd that I remember that much of the trial after 30 years - So it if was 1990-91 I was 30 -31 ........60 now :oldman: :unsure:

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