What would you do?

[MossRoad]

I don't disagree with you, but it's just like I told the DA.

1 - Red car hit church van
2 - Red car stayed in parking lot for 10-15 minutes with another guy out of his car talking with the lady (no clue at this point what she looked like).
3 - Red car left, I couldn't believe it, so I pulled out of the parking lot to follow.
4 - Car caught on fire somewhere, couldn't believe it.
5- Followed car so many miles on back road to driveway where it pulled into (out of sight from the road, did not follow).
6 - Call 911, took troopers an hour to get to end of driveway where I was waiting.
7 - Troopers took my statement.

Now, if I called it in, and the description of the vehicle looked like I told them and they saw the damage of the church van (about 3 miles away), the red car had white paint (from the church van I would assume) and the lady apparently didn't pass a sobriety test, I'm sorry, other than the facts of 1 through 7 above, nothing is going to change nor added to what I reported. Pretty cut and dry IMO.

At this point, I can't even remember how many doors the car had (2 or 4 door), have no clue who the guy was that stopped, nor can't even remember the lady or where the fire was in the car, other than thinking it was the engine (and I could be wrong there).

I phoned in a crime, and the state police verified that it did happen, apparently arrested the person and take my statement. Should be enough IMO as this isn't a murder who done it case.

Probably since the police didn't witness it, they need you to confirm it.

I was on a jury for a robbery and stabbing at a 7-11. The 7-11 had security footage of a purple lincoln pull up, the driver called a guy over to the passenger window, they talked for 30 seconds, then the driver reached over across the front seat passenger and stabbed the guy in the face through the open window. Then they backed out and drove away. The stabber had unique facial features (looked like a neanderthal), and his mom owned the purple lincoln. Pretty cut and dried.

Yet we had to hear from the store clerk, the store owner, the stabbing victim, the victim's young son, the passenger in the stabber's car, a kid that the stabber and the passenger picked up later and made dispose of the 'alleged' knife, the detectives and a couple more people. All you had to do was look at the tape. Clearest one I've ever seen.

So....

 

[Sigarms]

Its cut and dried, yeah. The seriousness of the charge by the DA against the defendant is not. The simple act of you showing up I to give testimony adds to the seriousness of the nature of the charges and helps make their case.
Look at it this way, if the DA presented testimony from you as “Joe Blow called and said X-Y-Z” then it wouldnt carry the weight of hauling your butt downtown and giving testimony in person.

Again, I don't disagree with you, but if it's so important, at least verify somehow in writing that I will show up to testify.

Honestly it ticked me off that a sheriff called me with the date only when I had to be there while I was driving and couldn't write the information down.

Worst case, send the dang court subpoena via certified mail with the the date, time and courtroom.

You call me via phone while I'm driving and give me the date over the phone that I need to be there, I don't show up, there are more holes in that than Swiss cheese.

 

[Sigarms]

View attachment 734507

Apologies, I took 10 phone calls prior to the deputy calling me and at least 15 phone calls after the deputy called me. Forgot what they told me, and I was driving at the time.

Go after me if you must, but hopefully you get the point.

If my testimony is so important at least cover your ass that you contacted the witness other than a phone document that shows you talked to the witness for less than a minute on the phone where no one knows exactly what was said (by NC law, both parties must be aware if the conversation is being recorded). Heck, at least record the call to cover your butt.

I mean how hard can it be to send a calendar invite? I accept or ignore it. I accept it, it goes on my phone and I no excuse to be there and they can see my response (or lack of).

 

[NCL4701]

Apologies, I took 10 phone calls prior to the deputy calling me and at least 15 phone calls after the deputy called me. Forgot what they told me, and I was driving at the time.

Go after me if you must, but hopefully you get the point.

If my testimony is so important at least cover your ass that you contacted the witness other than a phone document that shows you talked to the witness for less than a minute on the phone where no one knows exactly what was said (by NC law, both parties must be aware if the conversation is being recorded). Heck, at least record the call to cover your butt.

I mean how hard can it be to send a calendar invite? I accept or ignore it. I accept it, it goes on my phone and I no excuse to be there and they can see my response (or lack of).

Yeah, I was kind of shocked first time I was subpoenaed as a witness. Deputy just called to serve me. I asked him if he didn’t have to show up to hand me a paper or send via certified mail or something like serving a warrant or civil complaint. He said nope, just call. I asked him if he got hurt or if he royally screwed something up to get stuck with that crap duty. He said he broke his left hand in a fight with perp so he was stuck at a desk hating life for a while.

 

[Sigarms]

Yeah, I was kind of shocked first time I was subpoenaed as a witness. Deputy just called to serve me. I asked him if he didn’t have to show up to hand me a paper or send via certified mail or something like serving a warrant or civil complaint. He said nope, just call. I asked him if he got hurt or if he royally screwed something up to get stuck with that crap duty. He said he broke his left hand in a fight with perp so he was stuck at a desk hating life for a while.

For work verification on important projects, I don't phone or fax, I email. Written documentation from start to finish, in writing, with time stamps.

I would like to think getting subpoenaed in a court of law is pretty important.

 

[Topzide]

This is one reason why I have a dash camera now! Never know what it'll catch and sure beats having to deal with insure back and forth. Pictures and video put an end to the he said she said arguments! Plus the people that love to cut you off in a small car and I'm in a Ram diesel dually!

 

[Sigarms]

This is one reason why I have a dash camera now! Never know what it'll catch and sure beats having to deal with insure back and forth. Pictures and video put an end to the he said she said arguments! Plus the people that love to cut you off in a small car and I'm in a Ram diesel dually!

Ironically enough, I actually took pics from my truck as it was a interesting sight at the time. Problem is I can get so many texts for work, that I set up my phone to delete any text messages over a year old as it was taking up too much storage on my phone (I sent a pic to my wife). I checked my photos in my phone and I must of deleted them after a year because I thought I'd never need them. I went back about 16 months on my wifes phone and gave up as it would help if I knew the actual date of the incident because that's when I would have sent them to her.

My wife was on a jury for a DWI trial last year (innocent due the ball being dropped by the state troopers) and from the date of the incident to time of trial was like 3 years.

 

[BravoXray]

Probably since the police didn't witness it, they need you to confirm it.

I was on a jury for a robbery and stabbing at a 7-11. The 7-11 had security footage of a purple lincoln pull up, the driver called a guy over to the passenger window, they talked for 30 seconds, then the driver reached over across the front seat passenger and stabbed the guy in the face through the open window. Then they backed out and drove away. The stabber had unique facial features (looked like a neanderthal), and his mom owned the purple lincoln. Pretty cut and dried.

Yet we had to hear from the store clerk, the store owner, the stabbing victim, the victim's young son, the passenger in the stabber's car, a kid that the stabber and the passenger picked up later and made dispose of the 'alleged' knife, the detectives and a couple more people. All you had to do was look at the tape. Clearest one I've ever seen.

So....

View attachment 734507

It always pisses me off when they catch a perp in the act, on video, with witnesses, and he is still the "alleged" law breaker.

 

[MossRoad]

It always pisses me off when they catch a perp in the act, on video, with witnesses, and he is still the "alleged" law breaker.

To top it off, 1 juror said she didn't think the prosecution proved their case.

 

[Ken45101]

Add another thing in life that is nothing like the movies. At least being subpoenaed for court appearance as a witness for a DUI case, a sheriff deputy calls you to inform you of the date only.

Deputy calls me while I'm driving (hands free, for work) and informs me of my court date. No time, no courtroom. I told the deputy to send me something in the mail so I can keep for my own records (court date is in June). Sorry, they don't do that.

Funny thing is if I miss the court date, I can be held in contempt or some other charge.

I'm sorry, we live in the 21st century. At least send me a calendar invite via along with the court room to my email and let me put it on my calendar.

I had a summons, the deputy didn't bother driving up the driveway, he just put a yellow stickie on the mailbox telling me to pick it up at the sheriff's office. So I drive the 25 miles to the SO, deputy and summons aren't there, he is in another county doing something! Geesh!