It’s just that my jury duty experience was an absolute waste of a day and several other jurors felt the same way. A man was accused of stealing a 5 dollar pair of sunglasses he was caught on CCT and he defended himself. The jury foreperson made our waste of a day quite clear to the judge. That case never should have been a jury trial.
Well, criminal cases automatically go to a jury trial. The only way to avoid it would have been for the Defendant to waive his right to be tried by his peers. You can blame that pesky Constitution. 😉 I know it might have felt like a waste of a day for you, but we have to hope and pray that the man accused of this petty crime would hear the wake up call of 12 peers telling him that he's guilty so he can turn his life around. If your day of service changed his life, then it wasn't a waste.
@@thunderdeed1 Oh, so the chances of turning him around were slim. In any case, we have to fight to protect the rights of the most heinous, otherwise those rights won't be there for when the rest of us need them.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC A very good point. My biggest discontent for serving on a jury again is my employer does not pay for time off. And truth be told that is a financial burden I do not need even for one day. I know this may sound conceited but I believe in payment for services rendered. Truthfully everyone in that judicial system is paid why not the jurors and I don't mean 9 dollars a day ?
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, wants to spend $1,000,000,000.00 on a new stadium but can't find enough money to pay jurors minimum wage .Where are our priorities?
My dad is a software engineer and has never gotten picked, but he's been summoned a few times and dismissed at the courthouse. I think the reasoning is engineers are smart and logical thinkers (biased) and the sides aren't going to like that.
@@Chad_Max Not only the lawyers but the court as well, In fact if you admit to watching a lot of jury trials on TV or claim to have knowledge of legal or litigation process you will will be struck by the bench ( Judge) and out of the court room before you can get another word in. Courts don't like people who are knowledgeable and or difficult to persuade.
Logical thinkers are probably the most unbiased people out there. The lawyers probably want someone who is easily manipulated which is what they normally do especially when the defendant is actually guilty.
I became a juror in a civil trial after correcting one of the attorneys who had misquoted one of my answers during the voir dire process. Never make some lawyer look foolish in front of everyone if you want to stay off a jury.
Why is jury duty so financially punitive? With the pittance jurors are paid, most will find jury duty a financial hardship. I imagine many people would not mind jury duty nearly as much if, when selected to serve on a jury, they were paid as much as they would be at their jobs.
100 percent agree. The judge sure doesn't do it for 9 dollars a day so why should we? They say the jurors are important well pay them the money they miss for not working.
@@thunderdeed1 It's hard to comment on this as there are51 legal systems in the USA. Some states may pay well, others a pittance. In the UK, your employer is legally bound to pay you as normal while on jury system-so when I did jury service, I got my normal salary for two weeks.
That's the spirit! I always enjoy going to jury duty. I feel like that's the best way for the rest of the community to keep their finger on the pulse of the citizens.
Someone in my family from an older generation admitted to me a few years ago that he would judge someone was "trash" by their race/class status and would vote them guilty based on that because even if they didn't do that crime he figured that they committed other crimes and got away with it. He also said they sometimes already had a criminal record so he felt like whether they did or didn't do the crime in question wasn't important. He also seemed convinced that paying attention to the evidence wasn't necessary because he felt if someone was on trial for something "they must have done something". He should have been struck from the juries but unfortunately the voir dire didn't reveal his severe bias in time. I was completely appalled. I want to get on a jury to be able to get the chance to undo some of the damage he did. That doesn't mean automatically finding someone innocent. It means going in there and carefully weighing what both sides have to say and really listening and paying attention and not coming to a conclusion about guilt or innocence before hearing all the evidence including the closing statements. I really want to do a good job as a fair person because I feel so ashamed at how he behaved.
I work at night, and I have a problem focusing in the morning. There is no way that I can stay awake or pay attention to critical arguments from either side. will I be strike from the panel?
That's a great question. If you inform the attorneys, and the judge, of this then they will probably strike you from the panel. It is important to be able to pay attention and stay awake. Sometimes I begin by asking if anyone has a medical condition that would prevent them from being able to serve. This would be a GREAT time to bring that up because a nocturnal sleep schedule would definitely be relevant.
"Umm, your honor, we don't need the other 11 Jurors. This man has super powers!" "Agreed, counselor! the rest of the jurors are dismissed. Call your first witness." 😆
I really like your work. You give great information! Opinion: The background in some of your videos are distracting - looks different than your moving image. Thanks for informing us
Thanks for the tip! We've learned a lot about videos since producing this one. (especially when it comes to background music) Are the newer ones better?
I was chosen once. The case was just stupid though. A couple guys robbed a convenience store. As they fled the store a police car was at a stoplight facing the store entrance and watched them flee. A high speed chase ensued across town resulting in a horrific head on collision. After sitting through their ridiculous defense, I ended up an alternate.
Wow! Well, as ridiculous as their defense was, sometimes Defendants have no choice but to face the trial if the State doesn't offer a viable plea agreement. I've seen the State essentially offer "heads I win, tails you lose" which only guarantees a trial.
@@katrina2931 I'm willing to bet that their ultimate sentence was better than, or at least equal to, what the State had offered prior to trial. You can't win if you never gamble. lol
I worked with a guy who was an older ex military guy. He was selected for a jury on a murder trial. He was off work for quite awhile while serving on the jury. When he returned he said he was traumatized by the case, the photos, etc. He said it was very graphic and horrific. I hope to never serve on a jury, whether it be civil or criminal.
The judge spends his life studying the law and they let 12 people who don't know anything about the law decide the verdict. The judge should decide the verdict.
if it was you and you were charged with murder but you absolutely didnt do it, would you want 1 person to decide if you get put to death or 12 of your peers who heard the evidence in court and sat around for several hrs discussing it? beyond a reasonable doubt means even the tiniest doubt in your mind ! so that means if you have any doubt whatso ever ,by law, you have to find that person not guilty! Out of 12 people the chances of 1 of them having a reasonable doubt is pretty good! on the other hand if they honestly dont have even the tiniest of doubt out of 12 people you are most likely guilty.
@@StonemanRocks I was once in a jury trial. The evidence on my side was overwhelming. The only witness against me was proven to have lied on the stand. There was no way any reasonable jury could have decided against me. The jury brought back a verdict against me. I wish the judge had decided the case.
@@joebolz how do you know the judge would have seen it differently? I dont know I wasnt there so I cant say either way! Did you appeal the decision? What was the final outcome?
@@StonemanRocks It was a civil case. I settled with the other party. My point is that I have a lot more confidence in the judge making the right decision than a jury.
Iam not a lawyer, however, there are points everyone needs to remember. 1. Court trials are boring, not like on T V. Unfortunately not! Don't fall asleep, you get in trouble. Breakfast before you go! No coffee, ( makes you go), eat light, drink water, no juice, makes you go, you can't be exused. It's like going to MEPS. Get a good night sleep ,go to bed early! What can you eat? My MEPS experience, eggs, a few hashbrowns ,yogurt little fruit, and a slice of toast. It worked for me, no runs, no falling asleep. Just try it. My neighbor had jury duty, I simply went to a military recruiter and asked. It worked for him, but hecwas young, an old person can't do but just Google MEPS requirements . It's all the same, its government.
I was just picked to serve on a jury in the UK, and 100 per cent agree with these points! The 'no falling asleep' policy is really important as the barristers might notice and will not call it out at the time, but instead, at the end of their case, they could use it to get a re-trial if the outcome wasn't to their liking, so staying awake really does save other people from being called up, if you get what I mean🤣? But, yes, jury duty isn't like the movies, and 99.99% of the time, it's just boring.
I been on juries three times since the early 1980's. All three have been DUI's. I could never understand why I was even selected as I had 2 brothers that are alcoholics and I have never touch alcohol since the 1979. I recently was summoned again for jury duty but this time I had to request a exception from jury duty as I am the primary care giver for my wife who has dementia and I was informed that I am released from jury duty this time.
@@sophieminter0 You would think that the defense attorneys would not me on the jury and remove me. Every time they asked if anybody in my family had a DUI or had problems with alcohol and I answered yes every time and then the follow up question was who and when I answer truthfully every time.
also, can you visit the court clerk the day before the summons date and explain your situation to avoid having to discuss it publicly? I genuinely cannot get enough rest to be present properly but don't like to say in front of a room full of people
There's nothing that would stop you from doing that, if the clerk will talk to you. However, if you do find yourself in jury selection, don't be afraid to tell them that you have an issue that you want to discuss privately with the judge and attorneys rather than the whole room. They'll pull you up to speak privately. 😁
I got summoned but i have social anxiety have had it for 14 years now but i never got it professional looked at. I get panic attacks around people literally 24/7 what can i do?
Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. You should see a professional to get it diagnosed, and perhaps treated. If you're summoned to jury duty, perhaps call the clerk to see if they will excuse it without a diagnosis, and if not, then you may have to explain it to the Judge.
Oh no, we definitely don't want that! That's what we fought the Revolutionary War for. The King (and his cronies) would decide all cases and the people had no voice. Could you imagine if one political party got to choose all jurors in the Country? We'd never have fair trials or justice.
Better idea make people on state assistance serve on juries. Let working people who have a hard enough time making ends meet work. Better yet pay us what we miss from working.
Then it won’t be fair bc the people who are in the hot seat need their peers in jury. Bc it’s a more broad understanding. It’s like saying make only mathematicians judge an art class.
@@EB-om6xx What exactly are your peers? If a homeless person stole food would he be judged by 12 homeless people? To me a jury of your peers are people who have been in your situation. A person very well off is not going to have sympathy for someone trying to survive in this world.And truth be told there are people you don't want to judge you.Sorry but given a choice I'll support making jurors voluntary, make jury duty a profession or pay a juror what he will miss in lost wages. Truthfully a professional is going to know the law backwards and forwards less chance of not getting it right which would eliminate retrials. Win win.
I have trouble focusing, my brain likes to go on little adventures and before I know it I missed everything someone just said. Should this be something I mention or will they ask? Or would it not make a difference?
You should definitely mention it. Also, you should see a Dr. about the possibility of adult-onset ADD. I've had friends get late diagnosis and treatment made all the difference.
Thank you much. I'm going into jury duty today for voir dire. I take my civic duty seriously, because what if I was the one looking for an impartial jury?
Dang, we actually have a BIG video coming out tomorrow about Jury Selection! I hope you enjoy the process, and THANK YOU for your commitment. We need more people like you.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Thanks. I ended up as the foreperson on the jury. Despite everyone in the jury agreeing the defendant was an idiot and the witnesses were all liars, we also agreed there wasn't enough evidence to charge the defendant with any crimes. Interesting experience.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC You can be barred from Jury service, if you have certain convictions, or have certain jobs (eg. police officer, Magistrate, Lawyer etc.), or are above a certain age. Between certain ages, you are allowed to serve, but are not compelled to serve. You can also ask to delay your Jury service (for example because you are going on holiday), but you can only do that once, for each time you are called. Once actually on Jury service, you wait (sometimes for several days) to be called to a trial. They take 15 of you down to the court room, and take a selected 12 (each juror has a number, and the clerk shuffles a set of cards, each with a number on it) into the Jury Box. If a Juror cannot serve on that trial (they may know one of the defendants, or a witness), they are replaced with one of the 3 reserves.
I don’t mind serving the jury duty, but I do mind though that the parking at the parking garage in downtown is too expensive for 8 hrs. Taking the bus cost 💲2:50 cent one way only.
I send an email to the judge and the jury manager explaining to them that I have no respect the court system trying to interrupt a day of work for me and taking money out of my pocket to pay taxes I already have to pay and I will purposefully be biased in order to get out of being a juror ASAP. …It works every time . I’ve never served on a jury and I never will and there isn’t a thing anybody can do about it. Hopefully more and more people will adopt this mindset.
You know, I gave that some thought, but it seemed like it would be a short video since the things you say don't get you CHOSEN for a jury due to voir dire being about de-selection rather than selection. I'm not sure what advice I could give other than: Just don't hold any strong beliefs? lol I'm definitely open to suggestions. 😁
Are you thinking of "Judge not lest ye be judged," perhaps? I suggest you go on to the very next thing Jesus said: "for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall also be judged." Serving on a jury is an act of loving your neighbors, and of serving the True God. You must employ the most Christlike judgment you can, complete with tough love, ruthless compassion, and boundless mercy... not only for your neighbors and the victims, but especially the accused. If the accused is guilty, it is far better they atone during their lifetime, than in eternal h-fire. And if the accused is NOT guilty, will you abandon this innocent to the will of those who bear false witness? ... The "officers of the court" make no promises to tell the truth. The attorneys are there to WIN the case, and the judge, at best, is there to be tough on crime. YOU, the jury folk, are the only ones ABLE to be interested in the truth, let alone give prayerful, mindful discernment to the service of the True God, whatever Name you call Him, Her, or Them by!
Show up at court and just refuse the illegal search getting into the court building because as a citizen you have the Constitutional right to refuse any search.
What if you were selection for the courtroom but never picked to be in jury box? I was never asked any questions and one other person also was outside the gate watching the potential jurors get asked questions.
So I was in this situation in a county court basically you’ll get kicked out and if they need to excuse someone else you’ll be an alternate. Otherwise you only go into the courtroom 1 time, they pick the 12 then you leave.
second question - I have recently quit drinking alcohol and have not yet been able to sleep properly. I am getting only a couple hours sleep a night and unable to focus. Also, I have been successful quitting and have no intention of starting again but can the judge do something like order me to rehab?
I got my jury summons, and then when I entered their questionnaire in Pennsylvania, I was told I didn’t need to appear and I was. There were several reasons why I might not have needed to appear, but one of them was when I was 18 I took paralegal courses. I did not end up finishing the program, but I took a lot of legal courses and had some legal knowledge, I wonder if that was what got me excluded my experience may have been a bias.
can you be held in contempt for the following - 1) asking the attorney for jury nullification to be explained - and on further question state that you believe it to be a right? 2) expressing a bias against the legal system because you consider the penalties meted to be ultimately destructive and result in more criminal behavior in the future rather than rehabilitation? thanks
If you are honestly asking questions and not being disruptive, then no you cannot be held in contempt for answering questions and asking about the process.
Life lesson - you can be held in contempt for any reason. If it’s not a legal reason, nothing’s going to happen to the judge other than possibly a slap on the wrist from some ‘ethics’ committee. Judges are some of the most contemptible humans in the country (who chooses to work very hard in order to gain massive power over others with virtually no accountability?) - don’t do anything to annoy them when they’re in a position to hurt you. If you doubt me, just look up the judges who use shock devices on defendants in their courtrooms. The life lesson is to stay far away from contemptible people and, when forced to interact with them, stroke their ego and get away as fast as possible.
Well, if that's the way you truly feel, then yes you should share that. If you're saying it just to get out of jury service, then that isn't honorable. However, it is just about guaranteed to get you excused!
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC when you get intimidated into having to serve on jury duty and get a whopping $13.00 PER DAY . I hardly consider I have to be honorable to any judge or court .
That's true because believing that someone is innocent "until" proven guilty presumes that they will eventually be found guilty. The law actually says innocent "unless" proven guilty. We did a whole video on Why You're Not Guilty that you might also find interesting. ua-cam.com/video/WryztzcpQG0/v-deo.html
I have been summoned, im nervous a bit but I shouldnt be cause theres over 400 people who habe been summoned. , 150,000 people live in the city. Alot of people.
I have received a notice. My fear is I wouldn't be able to hear everything as I'm deaf out of one ear. (Childhood illness). If a person is talking to me one on one I do pretty good but if their back is turned to me or if a room is real big or noisy I will very probably not be able to understand what is being said. I don't want to be chosen and be embarrassed because I might not be able to hear what is going on.
After 7 years of watching more or less a half dozen Voire Dires a year. I am convinced both sides want the most ignorant jurists possible, who would not understand proof beyond a reasonable doubt if it smacked them between the eyes taped to a sledgehammer. Of course, the jury instructions on what comprises PBRD in Florida are guaranteed to muddy the issue for any juror who thought they knew what was going on!
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Court Deputy Ninth Judicial Circuit Florida. Got tours in Traffic Court, Family Court, Circuit Civil, County Civil, Circuit Criminal, County Criminal, Child Support, and Juvenile. Good times, lots of stories!
Interesting! I never got that feeling at all here in my state! In fact all involved were most concerned about doing it the right way. In fact the jury I was on had some pretty intelligent mentally present folks who really thought it through along with some very good informative instructions from the judge! I think we made the correct decision as well although going in I had the guy guilty in my mind before hearing any evidence at all! The guys neice accused him of raping her . She ended up pregnant but it was her boyfriend! She wasnt even allowed to date! She saw an opportunity to pin it on her uncle as he was left in charge of her one afternoon while her Mom went shopping! The poor guy had spent almost a yr in jail lost his job, got his car repoed etc. Needless to say the look on his face was priceless after hearing not guilty! And i gotta say to how good it felt to have a part in righting the wrong that had been done to him if even in such a small way!
@@StonemanRocks Your mileage (as always) may vary, but mine is based on hundreds of Jurys observed over seven years. I am not saying all Jurys are trainwrecks. Just most of them. And that is no fault of the citizens reporting for Jury duty. It is the direct fault of the Lawyers trying to exclude (during voire dire) anyone they think might be intelligent enough to render a cogent verdict. They want easily manipulatable Jurys on both sides of the bench. Prosecution and Defense both play this game. If I had the law and the facts on my side I would ask for a "Bench Trial" where the Judge would decide my guilt or innocence. Of course, there may be "political" trials where you are going to be screwed to the wall no matter what, so there is that also!
I was on a jury ajd it was a he said she said domestic assault case in a public parking lot. One witness and they didnt get a witness statement from thr 16 year old son. All character witness form the state. It was a mess. Also happened in paeming lot and no bruse phoros or nothinf or security camera. We found not guilty
"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" is a very high standard to meet. Personally, I'd rather 100 guilty people go free rather than convict a single innocent person. If you couldn't overcome your reasonable doubts, and found not guilty, then you should be proud of your verdict. Thank you for your service to your community! 💟
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC yea agreed. Funny I could of been disqualified as well. Seeing I used to go the the school district he taught at a few years before the trial but moved my senior year. But I never had him as a teacher or even whent to that exact school he taught at. The lawyer didn't ask if I whent to school in that district only if I knew him in any way and I said no. All question where awncers honestly
i'm one of those weird people who actually liked jury duty! I even asked if I could volunteer for another one only to be told it doesnt work that way! lol! I was on a child rape case that I found extremely interesting because the guy who was accused was found not guilty which was obvious after listening to the testimony!
I got called for jury dute earlier this year. During questioning I volunteered that I had a cousin who was (probably still is) wanted for failing to register as a sex offender as a result of a conviction of soliciting a minor. The strange part is that I was selected as a juror on a case where the defendant had multiple sexual assault charges. My only explanation for this is that the defense misunderstood my statement and thought that my cousin was only wanted for failing to appear at trial. This assumption on my part is based on her asking me how I *knew* my cousin had commited the crime he was convicted of since I had "not witnessed it" and my information on his conviction had come from my family. Still strange to me that I was selected, but details of the case aside Im glad I had the experience.
Thank you for your service to your community! Honestly, it depends on what your answers are AFTER disclosing your cousin's circumstance. If they ask you, "Does that mean that you will hold a bias against the Defendant or the State?" and you answer No, then your cousin's circumstance is irrelevant. Everyone has a black sheep (or a few lol) in their family but that doesn't mean that the rest of the family should the shunned for their bad acts.
If you are anticipated to go into labor during the course of the trial, then most likely yes. Otherwise, unless it is a high-risk pregnancy that leaves you bed-ridden, then probably not.
@@luckylaura12 I'm excited for you! Have you seen our video on How to Get Out of Jury Duty? Not that you'd actually want to get out of it, but it also explains a little more about the voir dire process. ua-cam.com/video/kNdStXAlwBU/v-deo.html
What I don’t understand is they choose people that are foreigners that are naturalized and let’s be real a citizenship exam doesn’t cover on how the law works. Why is it that a foreigner that became a citizen get this letter when most of foreigners don’t understand the constitution and the law even worse what the legal words that is used on a court house I believe this is so wrong and another thing most foreigners don’t even understand what the letter say not because they don’t speak English is because they don’t have an idea what jury duty mean they believe you are in big problem. And in a moral stand point I find this so wrong because it seems that on those cases when the USA government or court system that choose foreigners that became citizens is with the intention to put the person on trail straight to jail, due to the lack of understanding of the people picked to be a jury. Because if the lawyer ( defense for the state) say yes all the foreigners answer yes automatically because they think this is this lawyer work for the state he is correct. And in many cases I heard that sometimes they put innocent people into this trials and is so unfair to choose people who don’t even have a clue. What I believe jury duty should be for the people who study the law ( lawyers) or paralegal those will be a great fit for this because they fully understand everything the legal terms and also the constitution.
That's the absolute beauty of our jury system! You don't have to know any law whatsoever in order to serve on a jury. Here's why. The jury does not decide or interpret the law. The jury decides facts while the Judge decides the law. The jury is provided all of the law that they need to know by the Judge, and then are only asked to answer Yes/No questions in most instances. Does that change your perspective?
It depends on the state. My wife is a naturalized citizen but has limited understanding of English (my wife also has dementia now) My wife had a jury summons and she did request an exemption because of her limited understanding of English. she was given a permanent exemption because of difficulty understanding and speaking English.
I was in a pool of 22 jurors. The defense attorney asked us, who had been divorced. Only 3 of us raised our hands. That's only 13.6 percent. These were all middle age adults. The national divorce rate is almost 60 percent and higher for second marriages. I pointed this out. Guess what, I was rejected. Pointing out that you're sitting in a room with a bunch of liars WILL get you rejected!
Lies, damned lies and statistics.60% of marriages end in divorce. That doesn't mean 60% of people have been divorced. Many people are serial divorcees, married and divorced repeatedly. A lot of these people are disqualified from the jury pool because they're felons. Lots of people stay married for life.
If you're liberal, and not a generally carceral minded or prison/punishment thirsty person, it's best to reveal as little as possible, and act like a normie bobblehead if you get selected for potential jury duty. You could save someone innocent's life or at the very least, lighten a sentence for trumped up charges.
Great question. I actually go to great effort to refer to jurors by their names because it helps to personalize the case and put a human element on it. However, sometimes in high profile cases it is necessary to protect the anonymity of the jurors from the public, so the Judge may institute a gag-order to prevent their disclosure.
I just got my letter and am happy to serve! I will not try to get out of it bc I understand the importance of it. DONT LIE! If I’m not chosen that’s okay but I am aware as an American citizen this is my duty to this country. To play my part for its democracy from which I benefit daily.
That is fantastic! That is the perfect attitude to have when attending jury duty. Hopefully you get picked, but if you don't, then don't be discouraged because getting enough people to merely show up is a necessary part of the process.
After i served once I tried to volunteer for another ! Hell I could be a full time jury member if they would let me! It unfortunately doesnt work that way!
Never excited about missing work for $12 a day deciding whether someone is innocent or guilty.
Its 30$ a day now
This is exactly what I need to know to get OUT OF IT!!!!!
Did you see our other video about How to Get Out of Jury Duty?
I guess you don't wanna snitch on your own people.....I get it
how can i protect my face from the killer see me? can i request to cover my face?
@@cupidok2768 what lol
It’s just that my jury duty experience was an absolute waste of a day and several other jurors felt the same way. A man was accused of stealing a 5 dollar pair of sunglasses he was caught on CCT and he defended himself. The jury foreperson made our waste of a day quite clear to the judge. That case never should have been a jury trial.
Well, criminal cases automatically go to a jury trial. The only way to avoid it would have been for the Defendant to waive his right to be tried by his peers. You can blame that pesky Constitution. 😉
I know it might have felt like a waste of a day for you, but we have to hope and pray that the man accused of this petty crime would hear the wake up call of 12 peers telling him that he's guilty so he can turn his life around. If your day of service changed his life, then it wasn't a waste.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Forgot to mention he was a carrier criminal.
@@thunderdeed1 Oh, so the chances of turning him around were slim. In any case, we have to fight to protect the rights of the most heinous, otherwise those rights won't be there for when the rest of us need them.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC A very good point. My biggest discontent for serving on a jury again is my employer does not pay for time off. And truth be told that is a financial burden I do not need even for one day. I know this may sound conceited but I believe in payment for services rendered. Truthfully everyone in that judicial system is paid why not the jurors and I don't mean 9 dollars a day ?
You may feel differently if you are every accused of a crime.
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, wants to spend $1,000,000,000.00 on a new stadium but can't find enough money to pay jurors minimum wage .Where are our priorities?
My dad is a software engineer and has never gotten picked, but he's been summoned a few times and dismissed at the courthouse. I think the reasoning is engineers are smart and logical thinkers (biased) and the sides aren't going to like that.
No lawyer wants a smart person on the jury...
Oh hack! that could be the case im pursuing a software developer and they picked me.. I have no idea what that even is.
Damn it @@Chad_Max
@@Chad_Max Not only the lawyers but the court as well, In fact if you admit to watching a lot of jury trials on TV or claim to have knowledge of legal or litigation process you will will be struck by the bench ( Judge) and out of the court room before you can get another word in. Courts don't like people who are knowledgeable and or difficult to persuade.
Logical thinkers are probably the most unbiased people out there. The lawyers probably want someone who is easily manipulated which is what they normally do especially when the defendant is actually guilty.
I became a juror in a civil trial after correcting one of the attorneys who had misquoted one of my answers during the voir dire process. Never make some lawyer look foolish in front of everyone if you want to stay off a jury.
I’ve been selected twice to be a juror! If it was any way possible, I would be a juror for life! I ALWAYS want to serve
Why is jury duty so financially punitive? With the pittance jurors are paid, most will find jury duty a financial hardship. I imagine many people would not mind jury duty nearly as much if, when selected to serve on a jury, they were paid as much as they would be at their jobs.
You're preaching to the choir here! I would love to see an increase in Juror pay to encourage more people to participate.
100 percent agree. The judge sure doesn't do it for 9 dollars a day so why should we? They say the jurors are important well pay them the money they miss for not working.
@@thunderdeed1 It's hard to comment on this as there are51 legal systems in the USA. Some states may pay well, others a pittance.
In the UK, your employer is legally bound to pay you as normal while on jury system-so when I did jury service, I got my normal salary for two weeks.
I reckon the pay should be based on your annual leave rate with a minimum guaranteed payment rate for retirees and people on unemployment benefits.
Being on a jury is not a cause for being a pain. Actually you might learn something. Use it as learning experience and you'll be ok.
That's the spirit! I always enjoy going to jury duty. I feel like that's the best way for the rest of the community to keep their finger on the pulse of the citizens.
Someone in my family from an older generation admitted to me a few years ago that he would judge someone was "trash" by their race/class status and would vote them guilty based on that because even if they didn't do that crime he figured that they committed other crimes and got away with it. He also said they sometimes already had a criminal record so he felt like whether they did or didn't do the crime in question wasn't important. He also seemed convinced that paying attention to the evidence wasn't necessary because he felt if someone was on trial for something "they must have done something". He should have been struck from the juries but unfortunately the voir dire didn't reveal his severe bias in time.
I was completely appalled. I want to get on a jury to be able to get the chance to undo some of the damage he did. That doesn't mean automatically finding someone innocent. It means going in there and carefully weighing what both sides have to say and really listening and paying attention and not coming to a conclusion about guilt or innocence before hearing all the evidence including the closing statements. I really want to do a good job as a fair person because I feel so ashamed at how he behaved.
This is the information I want
Well buckle up because there's more on the way!
I work at night, and I have a problem focusing in the morning. There is no way that I can stay awake or pay attention to critical arguments from either side. will I be strike from the panel?
That's a great question. If you inform the attorneys, and the judge, of this then they will probably strike you from the panel. It is important to be able to pay attention and stay awake.
Sometimes I begin by asking if anyone has a medical condition that would prevent them from being able to serve. This would be a GREAT time to bring that up because a nocturnal sleep schedule would definitely be relevant.
I told the judge I was from the planet Krypton and had super powers to determine guilt or innocence
"Umm, your honor, we don't need the other 11 Jurors. This man has super powers!" "Agreed, counselor! the rest of the jurors are dismissed. Call your first witness." 😆
I really like your work. You give great information! Opinion: The background in some of your videos are distracting - looks different than your moving image.
Thanks for informing us
Thanks for the tip! We've learned a lot about videos since producing this one. (especially when it comes to background music) Are the newer ones better?
I got jury duty now and I want to get selected. Thanks for the video
Awesome! We need more people like you who are willing to answer the call and serve the community. Cheers!
I was chosen once. The case was just stupid though. A couple guys robbed a convenience store. As they fled the store a police car was at a stoplight facing the store entrance and watched them flee. A high speed chase ensued across town resulting in a horrific head on collision. After sitting through their ridiculous defense, I ended up an alternate.
Wow! Well, as ridiculous as their defense was, sometimes Defendants have no choice but to face the trial if the State doesn't offer a viable plea agreement. I've seen the State essentially offer "heads I win, tails you lose" which only guarantees a trial.
True. I never heard their sentencing. I’d probably fight too, but the evidence against them was pretty strong.
@@katrina2931 I'm willing to bet that their ultimate sentence was better than, or at least equal to, what the State had offered prior to trial. You can't win if you never gamble. lol
If you don’t want to serve tell them you’re a Republican! Gone! 3:28
I worked with a guy who was an older ex military guy. He was selected for a jury on a murder trial. He was off work for quite awhile while serving on the jury. When he returned he said he was traumatized by the case, the photos, etc. He said it was very graphic and horrific. I hope to never serve on a jury, whether it be civil or criminal.
The judge spends his life studying the law and they let 12 people who don't know anything about the law decide the verdict. The judge should decide the verdict.
That's the way it USED to be. We explain more here: 😁 ua-cam.com/video/n0mM09un5ZQ/v-deo.html
if it was you and you were charged with murder but you absolutely didnt do it, would you want 1 person to decide if you get put to death or 12 of your peers who heard the evidence in court and sat around for several hrs discussing it? beyond a reasonable doubt means even the tiniest doubt in your mind ! so that means if you have any doubt whatso ever ,by law, you have to find that person not guilty! Out of 12 people the chances of 1 of them having a reasonable doubt is pretty good! on the other hand if they honestly dont have even the tiniest of doubt out of 12 people you are most likely guilty.
@@StonemanRocks I was once in a jury trial. The evidence on my side was overwhelming. The only witness against me was proven to have lied on the stand. There was no way any reasonable jury could have decided against me. The jury brought back a verdict against me. I wish the judge had decided the case.
@@joebolz how do you know the judge would have seen it differently? I dont know I wasnt there so I cant say either way! Did you appeal the decision? What was the final outcome?
@@StonemanRocks It was a civil case. I settled with the other party. My point is that I have a lot more confidence in the judge making the right decision than a jury.
Iam not a lawyer, however, there are points everyone needs to remember. 1. Court trials are boring, not like on T V. Unfortunately not! Don't fall asleep, you get in trouble. Breakfast before you go! No coffee, ( makes you go), eat light, drink water, no juice, makes you go, you can't be exused. It's like going to MEPS. Get a good night sleep ,go to bed early! What can you eat? My MEPS experience, eggs, a few hashbrowns ,yogurt little fruit, and a slice of toast. It worked for me, no runs, no falling asleep. Just try it. My neighbor had jury duty, I simply went to a military recruiter and asked. It worked for him, but hecwas young, an old person can't do but just Google MEPS requirements . It's all the same, its government.
I have jury duty in 2 days. Hope its not a long day....
I was just picked to serve on a jury in the UK, and 100 per cent agree with these points! The 'no falling asleep' policy is really important as the barristers might notice and will not call it out at the time, but instead, at the end of their case, they could use it to get a re-trial if the outcome wasn't to their liking, so staying awake really does save other people from being called up, if you get what I mean🤣? But, yes, jury duty isn't like the movies, and 99.99% of the time, it's just boring.
I been on juries three times since the early 1980's. All three have been DUI's. I could never understand why I was even selected as I had 2 brothers that are alcoholics and I have never touch alcohol since the 1979. I recently was summoned again for jury duty but this time I had to request a exception from jury duty as I am the primary care giver for my wife who has dementia and I was informed that I am released from jury duty this time.
You probably were picked because you'd be biased towards the prosecutors side that wants to convict the drunk driver.
@@sophieminter0 You would think that the defense attorneys would not me on the jury and remove me. Every time they asked if anybody in my family had a DUI or had problems with alcohol and I answered yes every time and then the follow up question was who and when I answer truthfully every time.
also, can you visit the court clerk the day before the summons date and explain your situation to avoid having to discuss it publicly? I genuinely cannot get enough rest to be present properly but don't like to say in front of a room full of people
There's nothing that would stop you from doing that, if the clerk will talk to you. However, if you do find yourself in jury selection, don't be afraid to tell them that you have an issue that you want to discuss privately with the judge and attorneys rather than the whole room.
They'll pull you up to speak privately. 😁
I got summoned but i have social anxiety have had it for 14 years now but i never got it professional looked at. I get panic attacks around people literally 24/7 what can i do?
Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. You should see a professional to get it diagnosed, and perhaps treated. If you're summoned to jury duty, perhaps call the clerk to see if they will excuse it without a diagnosis, and if not, then you may have to explain it to the Judge.
Good information!
The secret that most people don't realize is that the REAL tips on how to get out of jury duty are found in THIS video.
Not for me…the heck with that !
Why not?
To be a jury should be voluntary not mandatory. Just leave it to those who studied law or to those student studying law.
Oh no, we definitely don't want that! That's what we fought the Revolutionary War for. The King (and his cronies) would decide all cases and the people had no voice.
Could you imagine if one political party got to choose all jurors in the Country? We'd never have fair trials or justice.
Better idea make people on state assistance serve on juries. Let working people who have a hard enough time making ends meet work. Better yet pay us what we miss from working.
Then it won’t be fair bc the people who are in the hot seat need their peers in jury. Bc it’s a more broad understanding. It’s like saying make only mathematicians judge an art class.
The whole point is that it’s a jury of your peers.
@@EB-om6xx What exactly are your peers? If a homeless person stole food would he be judged by 12 homeless people? To me a jury of your peers are people who have been in your situation. A person very well off is not going to have sympathy for someone trying to survive in this world.And truth be told there are people you don't want to judge you.Sorry but given a choice I'll support making jurors voluntary, make jury duty a profession or pay a juror what he will miss in lost wages. Truthfully a professional is going to know the law backwards and forwards less chance of not getting it right which would eliminate retrials. Win win.
I'm Juror #2. Does that mean I have higher odds of being chosen?
It sure does! We actually did a more recent video with a more in-depth explanation. ua-cam.com/video/BauuB5m17nE/v-deo.html
I have trouble focusing, my brain likes to go on little adventures and before I know it I missed everything someone just said. Should this be something I mention or will they ask? Or would it not make a difference?
You should definitely mention it. Also, you should see a Dr. about the possibility of adult-onset ADD. I've had friends get late diagnosis and treatment made all the difference.
Thank you much. I'm going into jury duty today for voir dire. I take my civic duty seriously, because what if I was the one looking for an impartial jury?
Dang, we actually have a BIG video coming out tomorrow about Jury Selection! I hope you enjoy the process, and THANK YOU for your commitment. We need more people like you.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Thanks. I ended up as the foreperson on the jury. Despite everyone in the jury agreeing the defendant was an idiot and the witnesses were all liars, we also agreed there wasn't enough evidence to charge the defendant with any crimes. Interesting experience.
Here in the UK, Jurors are chosen, at random, from the Electoral Register.
Really?! That's wild! Is there any sort of selection/deselection process, or just the first 12 chosen?
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC You can be barred from Jury service, if you have certain convictions, or have certain jobs (eg. police officer, Magistrate, Lawyer etc.), or are above a certain age.
Between certain ages, you are allowed to serve, but are not compelled to serve.
You can also ask to delay your Jury service (for example because you are going on holiday), but you can only do that once, for each time you are called.
Once actually on Jury service, you wait (sometimes for several days) to be called to a trial. They take 15 of you down to the court room, and take a selected 12 (each juror has a number, and the clerk shuffles a set of cards, each with a number on it) into the Jury Box.
If a Juror cannot serve on that trial (they may know one of the defendants, or a witness), they are replaced with one of the 3 reserves.
I don’t mind serving the jury duty, but I do mind though that the parking at the parking garage in downtown is too expensive for 8 hrs. Taking the bus cost 💲2:50 cent one way only.
Did you ask whether they will reimburse for parking?
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Can't you get a weekly pass on US urban bus systems? Much cheaper than 7 x 1 day tickets
Is very important that you do Jury Service, if you are chosen to do saw. Is your Civic Obligation.
Amen! FIST-BUMP 👊
No it's not
There is no obligation to serve on a jury
I send an email to the judge and the jury manager explaining to them that I have no respect the court system trying to interrupt a day of work for me and taking money out of my pocket to pay taxes I already have to pay and I will purposefully be biased in order to get out of being a juror ASAP. …It works every time . I’ve never served on a jury and I never will and there isn’t a thing anybody can do about it. Hopefully more and more people will adopt this mindset.
Matthew, can you do a video on "what to say to get on a jury?"
You know, I gave that some thought, but it seemed like it would be a short video since the things you say don't get you CHOSEN for a jury due to voir dire being about de-selection rather than selection.
I'm not sure what advice I could give other than: Just don't hold any strong beliefs? lol
I'm definitely open to suggestions. 😁
? Do you have to go there or I can cancel because my religion doesn’t allow? Should I call them and tell them that?
Are you thinking of "Judge not lest ye be judged," perhaps? I suggest you go on to the very next thing Jesus said: "for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall also be judged." Serving on a jury is an act of loving your neighbors, and of serving the True God. You must employ the most Christlike judgment you can, complete with tough love, ruthless compassion, and boundless mercy... not only for your neighbors and the victims, but especially the accused. If the accused is guilty, it is far better they atone during their lifetime, than in eternal h-fire. And if the accused is NOT guilty, will you abandon this innocent to the will of those who bear false witness? ... The "officers of the court" make no promises to tell the truth. The attorneys are there to WIN the case, and the judge, at best, is there to be tough on crime. YOU, the jury folk, are the only ones ABLE to be interested in the truth, let alone give prayerful, mindful discernment to the service of the True God, whatever Name you call Him, Her, or Them by!
@@LudmilaMigalyuk I don't care
Show up at court and just refuse the illegal search getting into the court building because as a citizen you have the Constitutional right to refuse any search.
Just like how our “we” are in DEEP debt, this whole process of selecting is a serious misallocation of valuable resources.
What if you were selection for the courtroom but never picked to be in jury box? I was never asked any questions and one other person also was outside the gate watching the potential jurors get asked questions.
So I was in this situation in a county court basically you’ll get kicked out and if they need to excuse someone else you’ll be an alternate. Otherwise you only go into the courtroom 1 time, they pick the 12 then you leave.
second question - I have recently quit drinking alcohol and have not yet been able to sleep properly. I am getting only a couple hours sleep a night and unable to focus. Also, I have been successful quitting and have no intention of starting again but can the judge do something like order me to rehab?
I don't know that you can just get a Court to order to you attend Rehab unless you've committed some crime and the rehab is a condition of probation.
I got my jury summons, and then when I entered their questionnaire in Pennsylvania, I was told I didn’t need to appear and I was. There were several reasons why I might not have needed to appear, but one of them was when I was 18 I took paralegal courses. I did not end up finishing the program, but I took a lot of legal courses and had some legal knowledge, I wonder if that was what got me excluded my experience may have been a bias.
can you be held in contempt for the following - 1) asking the attorney for jury nullification to be explained - and on further question state that you believe it to be a right? 2) expressing a bias against the legal system because you consider the penalties meted to be ultimately destructive and result in more criminal behavior in the future rather than rehabilitation? thanks
If you are honestly asking questions and not being disruptive, then no you cannot be held in contempt for answering questions and asking about the process.
Life lesson - you can be held in contempt for any reason. If it’s not a legal reason, nothing’s going to happen to the judge other than possibly a slap on the wrist from some ‘ethics’ committee. Judges are some of the most contemptible humans in the country (who chooses to work very hard in order to gain massive power over others with virtually no accountability?) - don’t do anything to annoy them when they’re in a position to hurt you. If you doubt me, just look up the judges who use shock devices on defendants in their courtrooms.
The life lesson is to stay far away from contemptible people and, when forced to interact with them, stroke their ego and get away as fast as possible.
Are you given a days notice to come in or is it on the spot? I’ve had 3 jury summons, but I’ve never been selected to even go to the court.
I want to be on a jury.
I first registered to vote in 1980.
Callled once but not selected.
That the point show them you are biased , the defendant is either guilty or innocent in your mind no matter what is said or shown in court .
Well, if that's the way you truly feel, then yes you should share that. If you're saying it just to get out of jury service, then that isn't honorable. However, it is just about guaranteed to get you excused!
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC when you get intimidated into having to serve on jury duty and get a whopping $13.00 PER DAY . I hardly consider I have to be honorable to any judge or court .
Believing in innocent till proven guilty might be considered a bias.
That's true because believing that someone is innocent "until" proven guilty presumes that they will eventually be found guilty. The law actually says innocent "unless" proven guilty. We did a whole video on Why You're Not Guilty that you might also find interesting. ua-cam.com/video/WryztzcpQG0/v-deo.html
I have been summoned, im nervous a bit but I shouldnt be cause theres over 400 people who habe been summoned. , 150,000 people live in the city. Alot of people.
I have received a notice.
My fear is I wouldn't be able to hear everything as I'm deaf out of one ear. (Childhood illness).
If a person is talking to me one on one I do pretty good but if their back is turned to me or if a room is real big or noisy I will very probably not be able to understand what is being said.
I don't want to be chosen and be embarrassed because I might not be able to hear what is going on.
After 7 years of watching more or less a half dozen Voire Dires a year. I am convinced both sides want the most ignorant jurists possible, who would not understand proof beyond a reasonable doubt if it smacked them between the eyes taped to a sledgehammer. Of course, the jury instructions on what comprises PBRD in Florida are guaranteed to muddy the issue for any juror who thought they knew what was going on!
That's impressive! Where have you had the opportunity to watch half a dozen voir dires a year?!
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Court Deputy Ninth Judicial Circuit Florida. Got tours in Traffic Court, Family Court, Circuit Civil, County Civil, Circuit Criminal, County Criminal, Child Support, and Juvenile. Good times, lots of stories!
Interesting! I never got that feeling at all here in my state! In fact all involved were most concerned about doing it the right way. In fact the jury I was on had some pretty intelligent mentally present folks who really thought it through along with some very good informative instructions from the judge! I think we made the correct decision as well although going in I had the guy guilty in my mind before hearing any evidence at all! The guys neice accused him of raping her . She ended up pregnant but it was her boyfriend! She wasnt even allowed to date! She saw an opportunity to pin it on her uncle as he was left in charge of her one afternoon while her Mom went shopping! The poor guy had spent almost a yr in jail lost his job, got his car repoed etc. Needless to say the look on his face was priceless after hearing not guilty! And i gotta say to how good it felt to have a part in righting the wrong that had been done to him if even in such a small way!
@@StonemanRocks Your mileage (as always) may vary, but mine is based on hundreds of Jurys observed over seven years. I am not saying all Jurys are trainwrecks. Just most of them. And that is no fault of the citizens reporting for Jury duty. It is the direct fault of the Lawyers trying to exclude (during voire dire) anyone they think might be intelligent enough to render a cogent verdict. They want easily manipulatable Jurys on both sides of the bench. Prosecution and Defense both play this game. If I had the law and the facts on my side I would ask for a "Bench Trial" where the Judge would decide my guilt or innocence. Of course, there may be "political" trials where you are going to be screwed to the wall no matter what, so there is that also!
I was on a jury ajd it was a he said she said domestic assault case in a public parking lot. One witness and they didnt get a witness statement from thr 16 year old son. All character witness form the state. It was a mess. Also happened in paeming lot and no bruse phoros or nothinf or security camera. We found not guilty
"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" is a very high standard to meet. Personally, I'd rather 100 guilty people go free rather than convict a single innocent person. If you couldn't overcome your reasonable doubts, and found not guilty, then you should be proud of your verdict.
Thank you for your service to your community! 💟
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC yea agreed. Funny I could of been disqualified as well. Seeing I used to go the the school district he taught at a few years before the trial but moved my senior year. But I never had him as a teacher or even whent to that exact school he taught at.
The lawyer didn't ask if I whent to school in that district only if I knew him in any way and I said no. All question where awncers honestly
i'm one of those weird people who actually liked jury duty! I even asked if I could volunteer for another one only to be told it doesnt work that way! lol! I was on a child rape case that I found extremely interesting because the guy who was accused was found not guilty which was obvious after listening to the testimony!
Go in for me tomorrow cause I don’t wanna go
That's true
He’s so cute ❤
I got called for jury dute earlier this year. During questioning I volunteered that I had a cousin who was (probably still is) wanted for failing to register as a sex offender as a result of a conviction of soliciting a minor.
The strange part is that I was selected as a juror on a case where the defendant had multiple sexual assault charges.
My only explanation for this is that the defense misunderstood my statement and thought that my cousin was only wanted for failing to appear at trial. This assumption on my part is based on her asking me how I *knew* my cousin had commited the crime he was convicted of since I had "not witnessed it" and my information on his conviction had come from my family.
Still strange to me that I was selected, but details of the case aside Im glad I had the experience.
Or by the time they got to you they had run out of challenges. Did they ask you that despite that if you could still be impartial?
Thank you for your service to your community! Honestly, it depends on what your answers are AFTER disclosing your cousin's circumstance. If they ask you, "Does that mean that you will hold a bias against the Defendant or the State?" and you answer No, then your cousin's circumstance is irrelevant. Everyone has a black sheep (or a few lol) in their family but that doesn't mean that the rest of the family should the shunned for their bad acts.
My jury duty we all wanted to get out and home so we just voted not guilty and got the women 5 yrs
Posting for algorithm
Be still my heart! 😍
I got picked for jury selection lol
Woo Hoo! Have you seen our latest video on getting "picked" for jury duty? ua-cam.com/video/BauuB5m17nE/v-deo.html
I’ll use your tips if I EVER get called … I want to serve . I’m in Florida
Found you Matthew from Recovery Addict live stream !
The Sunshine State! You've gotta come back and let us know if any of our tips help. 😁
I just finished up being on a jury for a murder trial. It was traumatic I don’t recommend it.
I'm so sorry it was traumatic for you. But I sincerely appreciate your service on this jury!
Can you get out of jury duty if you are pregnant?
If you are anticipated to go into labor during the course of the trial, then most likely yes. Otherwise, unless it is a high-risk pregnancy that leaves you bed-ridden, then probably not.
Wait...what? The leftovers off the panel? I don't get what this guy is saying.
No, you got it right. Juries are not "selected" but instead are comprised of those who are left over.
Just got my summons and I so want to do it! I’m ready!
Woo hoo! Jury trials are a lot of fun! Would you mind coming back to share your experience? (after the trial of course)
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC yes of course! I’m very excited. The summons says it’s going to be a week long trial 😬
@@luckylaura12 I'm excited for you! Have you seen our video on How to Get Out of Jury Duty? Not that you'd actually want to get out of it, but it also explains a little more about the voir dire process. ua-cam.com/video/kNdStXAlwBU/v-deo.html
What I don’t understand is they choose people that are foreigners that are naturalized and let’s be real a citizenship exam doesn’t cover on how the law works.
Why is it that a foreigner that became a citizen get this letter when most of foreigners don’t understand the constitution and the law even worse what the legal words that is used on a court house I believe this is so wrong and another thing most foreigners don’t even understand what the letter say not because they don’t speak English is because they don’t have an idea what jury duty mean they believe you are in big problem.
And in a moral stand point I find this so wrong because it seems that on those cases when the USA government or court system that choose foreigners that became citizens is with the intention to put the person on trail straight to jail, due to the lack of understanding of the people picked to be a jury.
Because if the lawyer ( defense for the state) say yes all the foreigners answer yes automatically because they think this is this lawyer work for the state he is correct. And in many cases I heard that sometimes they put innocent people into this trials and is so unfair to choose people who don’t even have a clue.
What I believe jury duty should be for the people who study the law ( lawyers) or paralegal those will be a great fit for this because they fully understand everything the legal terms and also the constitution.
That's the absolute beauty of our jury system! You don't have to know any law whatsoever in order to serve on a jury. Here's why.
The jury does not decide or interpret the law. The jury decides facts while the Judge decides the law. The jury is provided all of the law that they need to know by the Judge, and then are only asked to answer Yes/No questions in most instances.
Does that change your perspective?
It depends on the state. My wife is a naturalized citizen but has limited understanding of English (my wife also has dementia now) My wife had a jury summons and she did request an exemption because of her limited understanding of English. she was given a permanent exemption because of difficulty understanding and speaking English.
NJ PAYS 5 BUCKS A DAY.
I was in a pool of 22 jurors. The defense attorney asked us, who had been divorced. Only 3 of us raised our hands. That's only 13.6 percent. These were all middle age adults. The national divorce rate is almost 60 percent and higher for second marriages. I pointed this out. Guess what, I was rejected. Pointing out that you're sitting in a room with a bunch of liars WILL get you rejected!
🤣 You hit 'em with math and statistics?! THAT'S the REAL reason you were dismissed! 😆
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC Yeah, you're right. I had better things to do with my time anyway!
Lies, damned lies and statistics.60% of marriages end in divorce. That doesn't mean 60% of people have been divorced. Many people are serial divorcees, married and divorced repeatedly. A lot of these people are disqualified from the jury pool because they're felons. Lots of people stay married for life.
If you're liberal, and not a generally carceral minded or prison/punishment thirsty person, it's best to reveal as little as possible, and act like a normie bobblehead if you get selected for potential jury duty. You could save someone innocent's life or at the very least,
lighten a sentence for trumped up charges.
why do they refer to jurors by number and not their actual name? to me that's very insulting
Great question. I actually go to great effort to refer to jurors by their names because it helps to personalize the case and put a human element on it. However, sometimes in high profile cases it is necessary to protect the anonymity of the jurors from the public, so the Judge may institute a gag-order to prevent their disclosure.
From what I understand, it’s to protect the juror from possible retaliation from people in the case
I just got my traverse jury summons in the mail for the first time and I have no idea what to do at all and I’m scared
Don't be. I am in the same position your in. I have a lot of anxiety about this. But, I am not worried. You need to face your fears or trepidations.
I just got my letter and am happy to serve!
I will not try to get out of it bc I understand the importance of it. DONT LIE!
If I’m not chosen that’s okay but I am aware as an American citizen this is my duty to this country. To play my part for its democracy from which I benefit daily.
That is fantastic! That is the perfect attitude to have when attending jury duty. Hopefully you get picked, but if you don't, then don't be discouraged because getting enough people to merely show up is a necessary part of the process.
I actually want to be on Jury Duty. Its my civic duty and I believe in it.
That's outstanding! I love it when people are excited to serve. It makes jury trials just that much more enjoyable.
@@MatthewHarrisLawPLLC I did not get selected 😒🙄😮💨
After i served once I tried to volunteer for another ! Hell I could be a full time jury member if they would let me! It unfortunately doesnt work that way!
Our system is corrupt
On way to not be on a jury saying you support Donald trump!