re: any OTers have interesting jury duty stories?

I was picked in BR for a criminal case. Guy was charged with armed robbery at an apartment complex somewhere around Florida Blvd, I think.

First memorable thing happened while listening to the jury interviews. One potential juror was asked if she had ever experienced a crime, and she talks about how she was in a bank while it was robbed and she had a gun pointed at her face. She was dismissed. Another potential juror recently retired as a nurse from Angola. The nurse was picked for serve.

Our jury was decently mixed, young and old, men and women, black and white. It was expected to be a two day trial. A couple of hours into the trial the prosecution called an EBR Sheriff to the stand. We could tell he was coached a bit in how he answered the prosecutors questions. Well, the sheriff said something he wasn't supposed to say, the public defender immediately requested to approach the bench. The judge sent us back to the jury room for further instructions and declared a mistrial.

Later we found out from the prosecutor, defense, and the judge (Chip something or other) this was not the first time the defendant was on trial for the crime, but the sheriff kept saying the same thing to juries resulting in mistrials. Both the prosecutor and public defender admitted the defendant should be found guilty. They were also interested to see how we would have voted, which was probably 60-40 guilty based on our show of hands.

I think my jury duty experience was not typical of others who serve. Nice thing was that I was exempt from jury selection (EBR courts) for something like a year or 18 months.

Was jury on a case out of Donaldsonville where a guy broke into the house of a suspected drug dealer and robbed the family of cash and jewelry. DA presented a terrible case. Defendant's lawyer was tearing her a new one.

I felt he was guilty but couldn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. It all hinged on the fact that one of the family members said the robber had a visible tattoo on his forehead between the eyebrows even though he wore something to cover his face

His lawyer had him stand in front of us and he stood right in front of me. I couldn't see his tattoo from a few feet away, not sure how she could.

Before we deliberated for a verdict, it just so happens that I was the alternate juror and was sent home. Never knew what happened.

Drug manufacturing and Trafficking case. State minimum 25 years if convicted.

Defendant was a passenger in a vehicle that ran from the police. They pulled into ghetto apartments, bailed, were eventually found and arrested. While searching the premesis, they found a kilo in the woods.

No prints were found by the state crime lab.

The only evidence that one of them had possessed it was that it had rained earlier in the day, and underneath the kilo the ground was wet, so the kilo had to be thrown there later in the day. That was their evidence.

It was a joke.

When it was the defense's turn to make their case, the lawyer stood up and said "The defense rests". They didn't even make a case!

Of course, all but two people wanted to acquit, one older white guy starts getting pissed "and we wonder why our community is trash! why we have all this crime! It's revolving doors of justice, you can't ever send anyone to jail!" The room was all black ladies and three white guys. It was uncomfortable this old white guy wanting to convict when there was literally no shred of hard evidence on this guy.

That said... alot of those ladies were going to vote Not Guilty regardless of any evidence because of race.

I had 2 horrible cases, one of child abuse, the next aggravated assault of a woman.

The first guy we convicted and the second took a 40 year plea bargain, when the victim showed up to testify.

There were people on the 2nd jury making up alt stories that had never been presented as to how it might not be him..

I was on a Federal jury where the Judge, who I assume was having a bad day, issued warents and sent US Marshalls to round up 3 people who decided to skip.

Just served for 4 days this week in a criminal trial in Houston. Aggravated Robbery.

This is 3 times in a row I've been picked for a trial. I need to start speaking up more during voir dire.

You saying all the right things baw. Why they liking you so much? You must genuinely believe in presumption of innocence and have a noticeably good grasp of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

That's good tho. If the prosecution and defense were ok with you 3 times you must stick out as a straight shooter.

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This is 3 times in a row I've been picked for a trial.

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No offense, but they view you as gullible as frick.