Jury Duty

[Ahall]

Done it
Called back too soon, excused
Called again, but had a conflict and had it deferred
Was not seated on the deferment

Serving was not a bad experience in my case.

Learned I never want my fate in the hands of a jury.

If selected and seated keep any documents they give you ( proof of payment for your time for example) and hold onto it. If you get called again, and it’s too soon that will get you excused.

Just take the records to the court clerk

Don’t assume the will have them or have the time to look into it if your records are not in order.

 

[JH47]

I got called once for a murder trial.
When they asked if there were any convicted felons please come to the front to be excused, a girl stood up and exclaimed "YESSS!" and proudly strutted to the front of the room.
The next thing they asked was if anyone was too bothered by blood or dead bodies to see pictures during the trial. Another lady I knew had worked as a nurse for over 20 years stood up and said she couldn't function around blood.
I ended up on the jury.

 

[BillM]

Don't want to do Jury Duty? This is a 50/50 shot, just stand up and say at the top of your lungs GUILTY GUILTY GUILT during the voir dire...

Seriously though, only asked t go once years ago. Actually think it is an honorable thing to do.

For some reason I feel that would get me 30 day for contempt of court.

I'm a serious 2A guy. Made no bones about that, during questioning to be the 13th juror. Still got selected. And the second day, one of the other jurors missed her ride (had disclosed she didn't have her own transportation) and got excused. Good thing I'd been paying close attention the previous day.

The prosecution's case hinged on the shooter having armed himself with a .22lr Wrangler because he was afraid the other guy was going to beat him to death. They passed each other under the street light, shooter thought he saw a small auto pistol in the other guy's right hip pocket as they passed, and both turned to face the other. Witness about 2 or 3 houses down the block was behind the shooter, but thought he was the one shot. He said the other guy reached for his hip pocket, he pulled his gun and fired one shot. Then both of them turned an ran away from each other. He passed the witness, who yelled at him for scaring her so bad. She thought it was a prank. Other guy ran to the end of the block, crossed the ditch, and fell. It was nearly an hour before anyone called the cops. Dead guy had a broken home-made taser/stungun thing in his pocket. Expert witness who examined it refused to try to make it function because he was worried it could kill him working on it.

Shooter was there to try to recover some of his girlfriends stuff. She'd been another girl's roommate, and the other guy was the other girls boyfriend, so they'd known each other.


Dead guy's GF testified by affidavit. Said they'd been watching defendant on their video system, which did not record. Said he decided to go outside, track the defendent down and "Line him out." And left by the back door, not visible from the street. Prosecutor tried to downplay that. Defendent said the guy was known in the neighborhood to dangerous. Dead guy was found wearing a backpack with a couple of the big fancy lighters or torches that are often used in workshops for soldering, other light heating tasks. I have a couple in the house myself. Apparently the drug makers use them for small batches of meth. Also had some other precursor chemicals, and had been selling meth out of the house. No gun, but the crime site was uncontrolled for over an hour and a half...

Took about 2 or 3 hours, and lots of reference to the Oklahoma laws. Prosecutor wanted to say shooter premeditated because he stayed around the house. Could have been safe at home. Didn't seem to think it mattered that the guy who was killed could have either stayed safe in the house or left and gone elsewhere. All the jurors finally agreed that the prosecutor hadn't proven his case. The cops also wouldn't have arrived when they did if the shooter's grandma hadn't talked him into calling the cops.

I've left out import details, and my memory isn't as good as it used to be, but the shooter had already been in jail for over a year when he came to trial. Cops & prosecution both failed miserably. They didn't do things like test for gunpowder residue. They kept trying to discredit the one real live witness they had. And they're the ones who called her to testify. Every one of the jurors there found her testimony very credible. And she was PO'd at the cops and OSBI for not doing more investigation based on what she saw, among other things.

 

[DB44]

I've been called three times. After they find out i am a retired cop, "thanks for your service, goodbye.

Also if you are 70 yes old they cut you loose. I guess they think you are senile.

 

[Snattlerake]

If....I ever get on, I'm taking a rope with me ....just in case the judge needs one.

Judge:

"Bring that guilty SOB in here, we gonna have us a trial!"
Looking at his watch
"My Tee time is at eleven."

 

[crapsguy]

Just found out this is a murder trial.
Great huh?

I got called a couple times - one was a murder case
somewhat notable in that a couple guys in Norman murdered a guy out east of town that took his wife and kid home and went back and tried to help them with a car problem - damage caused running from a burglary
was called "good Samaritan murder" - you can probably still find info about it
one was obvious leader the other a follower [leader had actually killed another guy w/a knife in a fight]
took a long time - spent nights in a motel sequestered - a couple of people on the jury just couldn't
find it in them to give either of them the death penalty - easy choice for me on the "leader"
some decisions are not so easy though

 

[BillM]

I got in lots of trouble in '78 when I was called (state court, in OKC) for a murder trial.

I honestly wasn't trying to just 'shirk' civic duty, and I offered to sit on a civil trial or perform community service as an alternative. But I clearly stated that I was neither wise enough nor smart enough to determine the fate of another human being. The judge scolded me, and reminded me that I would not be alone in the decision-making process. I despairingly mentioned that a camel was a horse that had been put together by a committee. That statement didn't sit very well, but I was still not excused. So when asked if I had any "preconceived notions" about the case, I responded with an ethnic slur about the defendant (and his obvious guilt). I was physically escorted out of the courthouse!

I was never called again, and I'm now well-past the state's legal age limit (70). Interestingly, I recently learned from the County Clerk's office that Oklahoma does not allow anyone - not even people who do have the time and interest - to volunteer for jury duty.

Yep. That's true. Computer picks from registered drivers. Gotta say the Court Clerk has things organized now. Last time I was called, they had something like 400 people show. Was a serious goatrope.

This time they had a single place for us to gather, sign-in sheets, and a PowerPoint presentation that was short and to the point. I was having medical problem with feet swelling, and taking Lasics to deal with it. Wasn't a problem. They'd let me take a break anytime I needed. That was stated by the judge presiding over the case. I've already described the trial, so won't carry on too much more. Did run into the the guy running things, and complemented him on how much better it was this time. And he gave me a Challenge coin. That is the first Challenge coin anyone has ever given me. Every other I've ever had I bought. And I've given out more than a few.

 

[Jgibs0321]

Who all has done it?

Sitting here watching a lady breastfeeding her baby in the jury pool room.

eta: her partner is here with her, so I don’t know if she’s serving, he’s serving, or both.

Ive been waiting my whole life to go do that and Ive never gotten the call. What gives?

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Ive been waiting my whole life to go do that and Ive never gotten the call. What gives?

You have never seen a woman breast feeding?

 

[Jeff Rasberry]

Don't want to do Jury Duty? This is a 50/50 shot, just stand up and say at the top of your lungs GUILTY GUILTY GUILT during the voir dire...

Seriously though, only asked t go once years ago. Actually think it is an honorable thing to do.

Tell em not guilty no matter what because you don't trust the system