Like voting, I view jury duty as a civic responsibility. I have a law enforcement background, so that gets me tossed from criminal trials summarily, but I always show up and am ready to do my part.
What's got to be maddening for everyone involved in bringing violent criminals to trial and incarceration is watching so many of them go free after serving minimal sentences comparative to their crimes.
That was my knee-jerk reaction, too.So evidence of criminality, or lack of it, doesn't come into consideration?
Hm. But then how could you "have found them easily not guilty"? They sound guilty as hell.Case 1. Defendant: auto repair shop. Quoted the plaintiff $800. Told plaintiff they would call if higher. Never called. Hit the plaintiff with a $2600 invoice. Plaintiff stole car off the lot and never paid. Defendant refused to admit any wrong doing. So we found them guilty of fraud and ruled the plaintiff owed them zilch
Case 2. Defendant was a chef. Drove drunk into a tree after work. No one hurt. Probably get just a slap in the wrist and lesson learned until his perry mason lawyer inferred the fault actually laid at the feet of the restaurant for providing staff with a free cocktail at the end of their shift. The real criminal in the case, he said, was the restaurant. Didn’t matter that his client admitted to three drinks in a one hour period. Not to mention he told us the alcohol odor the police detected at the scene was spilled cooking wine. Didn’t matter he had changed his clothes before leaving.
Both cases could have decided less harshly, but when the jurors were treated like immature juveniles their fate was sealed
I rest my case
...I am on my second month of Grand Jury duty.....
I was “dismissed”. Selection was for 7 jurors. I was numero 6. Two day trial, the accused was a 60 year old Central American who did not speak English. The judge refused to excuse me based on my employment status (sole business owner...if I’m not there I lose money...she didn’t care.). She read and explained the charges to the jurors and asked if there were any questions. I raised my hand and she said “yes?” I asked the immigration status of the accused. She glared at me and said that wasn’t relevant. I politely said I think as jurors we are entitled to know if the accused has any outstanding charges or warrants against him (we’re not, I knew that but I asked anyway). She repeated it wasn’t relevant to the case. The defending attorney approached the bench, a few whispers were exchanged, and I was dismissed.