Jury trial
So, I just got back from my jury duty, which was juritastic. After being 25 minutes late then finding out that I was supposed to really be at the courthouse down the street, I finally showed up for my 8:30 appointment at 9:05. The security people were a tad unsymphathetic to my plight, but the good people upstairs were kind enough to let me just serve, since the orientation video had just started.
After the video, I had just enough time to read most of the first of the class readings that I brought along (a less than fascinating look at the birth of European Socialism) before we all got herded into the court for the first jury selection. Since I was panel 2, juror 4, I didn't think I would be selected for this trial. Given how few potential jurors were there, however (only around 32--who were all, strangely enough, white, with the exception of one Middle Eastern woman), my fate was sealed. I was empanelled on the first jury as juror #3 of 7.
It was a civil trial and surprisingly brief. A man had been riding on his motorcycle a few years ago and was struck from behind by a woman. He claimed that this accident aggravated his back problems into unbearable. No one disputed that the woman was at fault (which made finding her "negligent" rather easy). But, what was hard was figuring out whether there was a preponderance of evidence to suggest that this accident was what sent his back over the edge. After all, the guy was listed as 6'3" (though he didn't seem that tall when he walked by me) and over 300 lbs (which I can easily see). He had been in accidents before and had been seen before for back problems prior to the accident for which he had been medicated. After this accident, he didn't see his primary doctor for months, relying on what seemed to me like a shady chiropractor for help. He also didn't get any real examination until over 10 months *after* the accident.
The seven of us reached a unanimous decision, which we all agreed was common sense in very little time. Since only the plaintiff and the defendant were witnesses (though their testimony about the accident varied greatly), the whole thing lasted only an hour and a half. Because of the lunch break, we were stuck there until 2.
All of us in the jury really did feel for the guy. He was clearly in pain and all of us wanted to help him, but we just didn't think it was the woman's fault, nor should she have to pay for his problems. It's a shame, but I am sure we did the right thing. It did feel a bit weird, however, when I went to pay for parking and I was stuck with her in front of me and him behind me in line to pay. Neither of them even looked at me...
After the video, I had just enough time to read most of the first of the class readings that I brought along (a less than fascinating look at the birth of European Socialism) before we all got herded into the court for the first jury selection. Since I was panel 2, juror 4, I didn't think I would be selected for this trial. Given how few potential jurors were there, however (only around 32--who were all, strangely enough, white, with the exception of one Middle Eastern woman), my fate was sealed. I was empanelled on the first jury as juror #3 of 7.
It was a civil trial and surprisingly brief. A man had been riding on his motorcycle a few years ago and was struck from behind by a woman. He claimed that this accident aggravated his back problems into unbearable. No one disputed that the woman was at fault (which made finding her "negligent" rather easy). But, what was hard was figuring out whether there was a preponderance of evidence to suggest that this accident was what sent his back over the edge. After all, the guy was listed as 6'3" (though he didn't seem that tall when he walked by me) and over 300 lbs (which I can easily see). He had been in accidents before and had been seen before for back problems prior to the accident for which he had been medicated. After this accident, he didn't see his primary doctor for months, relying on what seemed to me like a shady chiropractor for help. He also didn't get any real examination until over 10 months *after* the accident.
The seven of us reached a unanimous decision, which we all agreed was common sense in very little time. Since only the plaintiff and the defendant were witnesses (though their testimony about the accident varied greatly), the whole thing lasted only an hour and a half. Because of the lunch break, we were stuck there until 2.
All of us in the jury really did feel for the guy. He was clearly in pain and all of us wanted to help him, but we just didn't think it was the woman's fault, nor should she have to pay for his problems. It's a shame, but I am sure we did the right thing. It did feel a bit weird, however, when I went to pay for parking and I was stuck with her in front of me and him behind me in line to pay. Neither of them even looked at me...