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Juror gets first-hand look at issues caused by inadequate court funding
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Thanks, Adam
this is a good report on jury duty. I had a similar positive experience the one time I was picked.
I thought I was going to
have a positive experience serving on a grand jury for Suffolk county superior court, only to be told they were convening a grand jury to issue subpoena's and that it would be 3 long months 9-4 M-F, hearing case after case to decide if they had merit to proceed and subpoena.
Safe to say there was no way work would let me have 3 freaking months off because Suffolk can't get people to serve a week, and thus stiffs everyone else they can. Worse is we were gearing up for a big transition project to boot.
Judge made me call my boss "to make sure" It would be a problem for my place of work. No buddy, I'm lying to a judge that 3 months is going to be a big problem, not to mention an unjust hardship for most normal people.
That's 1/2 a freaking semester at college, and full financial quarter!
long story short, WTF is the court thinking? Serving on a jury is one thing, but being the courts office bitch?
College students
That's the shameful thing about calling college students. Employees are guaranteed a certain amount of personal time, etc., and missing a week is a hardship but workable. A college student is paying to go to class, and missing a week is just not possible. Especially at $50,000 a year.
I wish I'd had an experience
I wish I'd had an experience like that in Dorchester yesterday. They started jury selection at 3:00, so we had to come back this morning for closing arguments and deliberations.
At least it's only every three years.
Was a foreman once
in a civil trial as part of a case that had been dragging on for a long time between a couple of neighbors. Neither of them had lawyers. The most mind numbing thing in the world to watch them try to present there own cases, one in their 70s and the other in his 60s who spoke mostly italian so needed his son to translate. Fortunately the judge cut off the complaintant when he wanted to show us a second hour of video tape showing various trucks/plows/etc parked by the defendants house with the comment "I think they get the point."
Looooong Story, But Fun
My 8 days as a juror. It may take you as long to read about the experience, but I think you'll find the effort worthwhile.
8 Days In Seat 10
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Suldog
Read your blog posts, that was hilarious.
I concur
Very nice write-up.
I served on a jury a few years ago at the Moak. It was a worker's comp lawsuit that arose out of an injury on a lobster boat while at sea. Extremely enlightening with regards to maritime law, and I enjoyed being part of the process. But the testimony... boy, the 18th time you hear the same thing stated a different way... I don't know how anyone could take more than a week of that.
Interestingly, our judgement (for the plaintiff/seaman, and against the boat's owner) was appealed, and our award was upheld. That made me feel good.
I get pinged every three years
Have yet to make it on to a jury. The judge asks me what I did before I retired. I give them my professional background and offer to excuse myself.
Works every time.