re: OT advice on being an educated juror.

quote:

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Now there’s a sign saying if it’s seen or heard in the courtroom there’s a $75 (happy Terd?) fine and the device is siezed, but they let you take it through security and in the holding area and in the halls.

Just can’t record. Or be on it in the actual courtroom.

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I remember that from when I was called. They would let you into the courtroom for voir dire with your cellphone, but they were very clear that the judge would NOT look kindly upon you if you pulled it out or it went off in the courtroom in the middle of seating a jury.

When I've had to be in court as a party or a witness when court was in session, though, there definitely was a deputy there manning the metal detectors and ensuring you didn't get past with a cellphone because the courtrooms were a strict no-fly zone for cellphones unless you were an officer of the court.

It was kind of interesting because a lot of people never see a jury selection. It's not sexy enough to be on TV. I distinctly remember being struck by everyone on the other side of the bar, including the judge, standing as the jury pool entered the gallery. I don't know if that's standard or it was how that judge ran his courtroom, but the memory vividly stuck with me. I also very vividly remember how mind numbing it was three hours later as the attorneys each asked prospective juror number eleventy-threeve the same exact list of questions we'd all heard eleventy-twove times before.