I sat on a jury nearly 30 years ago, and determined a young man's fate for life. Armed robbery. One person already convicted for the crime was sentenced to 20 years, so this was a serious matter. The majority of this jury was people who simply had nothing else to do....their life revolved around soaps, TV talk shows, and who was visiting their neighbor. They tended to be myopic, petty, and absolutely devoid of the will to think critically.
If that were the case, I'd blame that on the attormeys. During voir dire, they have the opportunity to pass over any number for cause and a specific number for no cause, so they got the jurors they wanted. When I served on a capital murder jury (and was promptly elected jury foreman), I was the only retiree. There was one "housewife/stay at home mom" and the others were all gainfully employed. And I think they were all good people who wanted to do the right thing.
I believe the accused always has the right to wave a jury trial and take the judge's decision. If you are afraid of the quality of jurors, having the judge decide might be your best option.
I know that's true in Texas, and in at least some, if not all, other states.
since I was working on the enforcement side of the CRIMINAL justice system they did not want me on a jury
When I was a young officer in Dallas, when I got a jury summons, I was just supposed to call, tell them on the phone that I was an officer, and I was excused. They didn't want an officer to even show up. In later years, they decided we should show up because we might be selected for a civil trial. And in 1998, when I told the judge in the capital murder trial that I was a retired officer so I was sure they wouldn't want me, the judge and prosecutor promptly said I could go. Then the
defense attorney was the one who spoke up and said, "We didn't excuse him."
So, after questioning all the panel
individually with no one else in the courtroom, I was the second juror selected to serve.
Wouldn't it be a better system if we had " Professional Jurors " ?
We do have. They're called "judges".
Twice I was called and twice I drove two hours paid for parking gas and loss of pay for them to have me sit and wait for a few hours then inform me that the case has been moved to another date.
Well they did that to me twice and I felt that was enough. I ignored every summons after that.
Yep, that's the whole idea and the way they won. When I was doing enforcement work, I frequently got subpoenaed to court, but I very rarely testified; maybe one out of ten times I showed up at the courthouse. Defense attorneys routinely request delays or new dates. If all the witnesses show up every time, they eventually accept a plea bargain, but if some of the witnesses do not show up, they request an immediate trial or dismissal of the charges. It's a strategy that works.
In a period of 6 years I was called 5 times...I know people that have been registered voters longer in the same county that have never been called...
Here, at least, it's supposedly a random drawing, kind of like a lottery. Many years ago, they used the voter registration lists, but then later they added the drivers license list. Some people used to refuse to register and vote just so they wouldn't get a jury summons.
One of the 7 who showed up with my wife this time, just moved to Texas from Ohio, got his Texas drivers license last week, and promptly got a jury summons.
We've been here 4 years, my wife has served twice and I have not been summoned. But we also lived in this county from 1972 to 1977 and I got summoned 3 times and she never got a one.
