I would hope being on a jury is stressful; you have someones life/money in your hands! I've been summoned, but never picked. Either knew someone involved in the case, had something similar happen (been prejudiced), etc.
I would hope being on a jury is stressful; you have someones life/money in your hands! I've been summoned, but never picked. Either knew someone involved in the case, had something similar happen (been prejudiced), etc.
The case that I sat on might have been more stressful had the case itself not been so patently ridiculous--it was one of those "frivolous lawsuits" that Republicans are always complaining about. The plaintiff was suing two neurologists whom she claimed had mistreated her for Lyme Disease, when it was abundantly clear that she had MS, just as the two doctors had diagnosed. As the trial progressed it was obvious that not only had they treated her correctly, they'd even gone to extra mile to try and track her down when she disappeared after several visits. (One of the docs was still expressing concern to me about this woman getting proper treatment when we spoke after the trial had ended.)Originally Posted by ToomuchStuff
The plaintiff's craziness became manifest so early in the trial that it was much easier to view the whole thing as an academic exercise--while still feeling badly about what the two doctors were being put through-- since the final outcome was never in doubt.
Just got home in one piece. Thankfully, the "group" I was in was never even called into a courtroom. The neighborhood, though, is seriously scary. I'm very glad I was able to carry there and back. I had about a 2.5 mile drive on city surface streets once I got off the highway. The neighborhood needs to be burned and razed.
The people in the security line this morning would have fit right in with the People of Walmart videos. Sheesh. What a freak show.
And remember, that's going to be *your* juror pool if you are ever tried.... :-)
I have had jury duty multiple times, the experience has varied between good and horrid, but it is a duty.
One civil case went on for over 3 weeks, it involved injuries from a traffic accident. Weeks of medical testimony and accident reconstruction testimony. What a nightmare, as it was in Silicon Valley, the jury contained several engineers and an actual rocket scientist, and it was evident 10 minutes into the case that the accident simply could not have happened in the way described, and that this was purely an attempt to scam the other side's insurance company.
The winning testimony was the injured party's long-time doctor, who had been mysteriously out-of-town for months on vacation, until he got brought in by the defense on the very last day as quite a surprise, and who testified that all of the injuries were pre-existing conditions that the plaintiff had been under treatment for decades for.... Surprise!
I have jury duty in another week or so, I doubt they will select me this time, as I am pretty sure the defendant is a guy I spent an evening subduing, tranquilizing, strapping to a gurney, and evacuating by helicopter to the mainland for treatment. It is possible I would have a bias, since I saw the house full of women and children he had beaten and abused before we bagged him that night. Still, I'd keep an open mind...promise :-)
Bae, the freak show participants were there for other trials, to support friends/family. They were NOT the folks I sat in the huge jury waiting room with. Crook is a pretty big county and there were lots of nice looking suburbanite types.
Around here if you aren't called in but left to sit in the waiting room they can still call you back over the next few months.
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
When we lived in Harris County (Houston), I was called almost every other year. I have been on several juries, both civil and criminal. I consider it one of the responsibilities of citizenship. Tradd, I'm glad you made it safely there and back. We are out in the country (Fort Bend County) now and I've been called twice but not put on a jury either time.
Nope, for Cook County, even if you're not called, you're set for the next year.
I'm glad you got it over with Tradd, safely and in one piece. (though I simply cannot imagine living in such a city).
I've always considered it very weird that in 37 years of "adult living", I've only been called for jury duty once. In a rural county of maybe 40,000 souls. I got called up in 2001 or so, and since my employer was required to pay me for having jury duty, I was kinda looking forward to playing hooky from work and seeing how it all worked and all, you know? But alas, after getting picked for the jury, a DUI case, and the selectants adjourning for coffee and doughnuts while (other stuff happened? I didn't know.), we were told that a settlement had been reached and that was that.
You have to understand that there are parts of Chicago that are relatively nice and crime free, there are other parts that are, well, ghetto. All the shootings you might hear about - mainly on the south and west sides.
I live 25 miles out in the burbs.
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