patrick.net

SunnyvaleCA says

Where do they find these prospective jurors? OMG most are mostly barely literate. And this is in the bay area!

Most don't work.

stereotomy says

because once you demonstrate your thinking skills, you are shitcanned from the jury, and have just wasted a day.

What do you do for a living?

Software Engineer

Ok...you are excused.

Trollhole says

SunnyvaleCA says

Where do they find these prospective jurors? OMG most are mostly barely literate. And this is in the bay area!

Most don't work.

More like: Most are incapable of (useful) work.

SunnyvaleCA says

Where do they find these prospective jurors? OMG most are mostly barely literate.

That is concerning, as jury pools are often selected from voter registrations.

Trollhole says

What do you do for a living?

Software Engineer

Ok...you are excused.

Didn't work for me: told them I was a scientist at a biotech company - maybe that's stupid though..

While selecting the defense asked me something along the lines of, "What I think". I don't recall exactly but I was trying to get out of it so I told him, "I think from what I've heard so far you've got an extremely hard job to try to convince me he's innocent"

Then the judge started yelling at me because we were told in the pre-view we weren't supposed to form opinions yet. I got selected.

I was able to get the jury to wrap up deliberations in under an hour though. One guy tried to hold out on innocence because he knows of bad cops in Oakland that frame people. (this was in San Mateo for an East Palo Alto crime)

But the idiot and his girlfriend kept speaking to each other about the crime over the jail phone that clearly stated it was being recorded and kept admitting to the crimes!

3rd strike too. (3 additional felonies after 2nd strike) He was fucked.

Got back to my regular job in about a week. Was sort of pissed off I had to be there mainly because even 15 years ago I realized CA was going down the tubes because of the Democrats..

In 15 years in the bay area I was summoned several times. In 10 years in San Diego 3 times. The last time was right before I moved to TX so I told them I wouldn't be living in CA when the trial happened (in return correspondence) but they kept mailing me shit in TX and I had to do it twice more. They were quite threatening too.

just_passing_through says

But the idiot and his girlfriend kept speaking to each other about the crime over the jail phone that clearly stated it was being recorded and kept admitting to the crimes!

3rd strike too. (3 additional felonies after 2nd strike) He was fucked.

Yeah, these types of criminals are not exactly the smartest tools in the shed. Dumber than your typical juror even.

just_passing_through says

Didn't work for me: told them I was a scientist at a biotech company

The lawyer likely though "Cool, all the biotech scientists I know are liberal enough to believe in masks and Covid shots, keep this one,"

I had jury duty earlier this year. I decided to do my civic duty and show up. It took a couple hours to get checked in and sworn and instructed and then they gave out assignments. Last time I did this, the jury pool room was utterly packed! This time I doubt it was a quarter full.
I got an assignment (civil trial), went to the courtroom, and waited.
And waited.
Finally the bailiff came out and said that the two parties had resolved the case and we were free to go.
Apparently, this is a common legal tactic. You threaten to go to court all the way, and when you follow through, suddenly the opposing side decides to be reasonable and the case gets settled.
Waste of my time.
But whatever.

Shaman says

I had jury duty earlier this year. I decided to do my civic duty and show up. It took a couple hours to get checked in and sworn and instructed and then they gave out assignments. Last time I did this, the jury pool room was utterly packed! This time I doubt it was a quarter full.
I got an assignment (civil trial), went to the courtroom, and waited.
And waited.
Finally the bailiff came out and said that the two parties had resolved the case and we were free to go.
Apparently, this is a common legal tactic. You threaten to go to court all the way, and when you follow through, suddenly the opposing side decides to be reasonable and the case gets settled.
Waste of my time.
But whatever.

That happened to me the last time I showed up, too. Only for a criminal trial. Dude raped a woman up against an ATM. Video caught it all. That's what we were told...and warned the footage would be graphic.

They were doing the selection. Then told us to go back to the waiting room and wait.

Later the judge came out and told us they took a plea.

HeadSet says

The lawyer likely though "Cool, all the biotech scientists I know are liberal enough to believe in masks and Covid shots, keep this one,"

I hadn't considered that, this is way before covid (maybe 15 years ago?) but I bet you're right anyway!

Shaman says

Finally the bailiff came out and said that the two parties had resolved the case and we were free to go.
Apparently, this is a common legal tactic. You threaten to go to court all the way, and when you follow through, suddenly the opposing side decides to be reasonable and the case gets settled.
Waste of my time.

I was in a pool of literally hundreds for a serious criminal trial. After 2 days of sitting there waiting for 6 hours each day, the case was settled and we were all done. I was annoyed that the state decided it was OK to waste 2 days of hundreds of people's time. It's really disrespectful of potential jurors.