"Adam Albright" <AA@ABC.net> wrote in message
news:2pfb24dflgsotds15bavr0jphm6itfnqgc@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 10 May 2008 14:42:00 GMT, "Canuck57"
> <dave-no_spam@unixhome.net> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Adam Albright" <AA@ABC.net> wrote in message
>>news:rkp924lhen1k1pis4738llad3mugteub4f@4ax.com...
>>> On Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:24 GMT, "Canuck57"
>>> <dave-no_spam@unixhome.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>"Adam Albright" <AA@ABC.net> wrote in message
>>>>news:96o92454l1b6ve7gh31sh9c6lbfjop9pro@4ax.com...
>>>>> On Fri, 09 May 2008 16:35:01 -0700, Frank <fb@signm.crt> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>spankydemonkey@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On May 9, 4:02 pm, Adam Albright <A...@ABC.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On Fri, 9 May 2008 14:23:35 -0700, "Bill Yanaire" <b...@yanaire.com>
>>>>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>"Adam Albright" <A...@ABC.net> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>news:h1g924hs3fk5glhklkp1v4l9am1l7ot8ib@4ax.com...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On Fri, 9 May 2008 11:26:14 -0700, "Bill Yanaire"
>>>>>>>>>><b...@yanaire.com>
>>>>>>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Maybe that's Alias's way of "meat tenderizing"!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Say Bill, you have a life outside of sniffing around Frank's rear
>>>>>>>>>>end?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Yes, I work to get predators off the street. Better watch your
>>>>>>>>>back!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Oh, you're a wannabe vigilante. I figured you'd be some kind of
>>>>>>>>lowlife.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So you think that someone who gets predators off the street is a
>>>>>>> lowlife? You must be a predator yourself! You probably hang around
>>>>>>> the elementary school Sicko
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Ask mr drunken pig what he was recently locked up for?...LOL!
>>>>>>Frank
>>>>>
>>>>> Well doofus while you were flapping your gums and making an ass of
>>>>> yourself I was serving on a jury in a felony case this week.
>>>>
>>>>So were they guilty?
>>>
>>> Young guy accused of domestic violence claimed to have punched/slapped
>>> his wife. Seemed like a reach. The wife did NOT testify against him.
>>> Over zealous states attorney didn't do a very good job, only had the
>>> cop that responded to neighbor's call and a couple pictures that
>>> really didn't show much of anything. Wasn't even a he said, she said.
>>>
>>> Funny, normally the 100 odd people in the jury pool would have been
>>> left go by 3:30, they picked 30 of us at the last minute, this guy
>>> deciding very late he wanted a jury trial. His lucky day, the judge
>>> was a real no nonsense hard ass with a record of throwing the book at
>>> everybody. I looked up the Judge's record when I got home and he was
>>> overturned by the Appeals court more than once, in one case for
>>> failing to remove a shock belt on someone else accused of a double
>>> murder. Judge said, that's the Sheriff's call. Appeals court said NO,
>>> judge's job to decide if or not it was proper on a case by case basis
>>> since he obviously could be an influence to any jury seeing any
>>> defendant wearing such a device.
>>>
>>> Was our guy guilty? Maybe. The state didn't prove it. Not even close.
>>
>>Then I guess made for a quick decision, let him walk. Does not surprise
>>me
>>the wife didn't testify for or against him. Probably was guilty but no
>>proof means a freebee. Never sat on a jury before, wouldn't mind as long
>>as
>>it isn't one of those year long ordeals.
>
> Overall it was an interesting experience the actual trial lasted less
> than three hours. The only downside which I suppose is common and
> unavailable is the long waits in the Jury Pool Room.
>
> The process begins when the County (I live in Illinois) selects people
> from voting rolls and registered drivers. You are required to serve
> one week or the length of the trial if selected which ever is longer.
>
> You get an official looking summons. Off the bat they tell you it is
> your "duty" and response is obligatory, not optional. The next step is
> to fill out a brief online questionnaire. Basic questions, like if
> you're over 18, live in the county, ever been convicted, or were a
> witness or a party to a civil or criminal trial, stuff like that.
>
> Then you wait. In my case I got the first notice in early March, then
> got the official summons a couple weeks ago. You are instructed to
> report to the main jury room in the County Court House. About 120
> people show up at 8:30 AM.
>
> You just sit there and can't leave the room. Very crowded, chairs
> right on top of each other in rows. Nothing to do. Around 11:00 AM a
> judge shows up and apologizes for the poor conditions, thanks you for
> coming and explains the procedure then one of several times you take a
> sworn oath. Then you wait some more.
>
> You can not leave the jury pool room, expect to go to the bathroom and
> then you still need to go through metal detectors each time. You do
> get a couple hours for lunch then back to waiting. Around 3:30 PM or a
> little later you are released for the day and told to check in online.
> You do this twice a day, after 8:30 AM and again after 4:30 PM. You
> receive instructions what time to report the next day or if you're
> excused for the morning and/or afternoon session.
>
> Cycle Repeats. If you're lucky a Bailiff from one of the courts comes
> down with a list of juror numbers. Between 30-35 are picked and lined
> up out in the hall. You're marched off into a couple elevators, always
> marshaled by several Bailiffs and/or Sheriff deputies that never leave
> you out of their sight, unlike Traffic Court where Bailiffs tend to be
> rude and obnoxious they are highly respectful of potential jurors and
> watch over them like mother hens.
>
> Again the potential jurors are lined up by juror number in the hallway
> outside the courtrooms. The Bailiff tells you where to sit, you just
> file in the jury box and gallery and march in. Out of respect as you
> were told before everyone in the court room hears the clerk say all
> rise and the accused, his attorney and the DA as well as everyone else
> except the judge stands as the potential jury marches in. The judge
> asks some basic yes/no questions, like can you be impartial, will you
> follow the law as I've instructed you, etc.. Then you stand and take
> another oath.
>
> You see both attorneys have a printed version of the questionnaire you
> filled out in front of them then several of the potential jurors are
> asked probing questions, some rather personal. The judge, accused and
> the attorney leave the court room and return about ten minutes later.
> The judge excuses the people that have been excluded. Each side can
> reject up to five jurors without case or anyone with cause.
>
> The judge thanks everyone, the impaneled jury gets told when to report
> the next day, and the trial begins.
>
> The Court takes potential jurors showing up seriously. You are given a
> ID badge with bar codes you must wear and it gets scanned
> electronically. If you don't show or skip at the lunch break and don't
> come back the clerk tells you doing that you are in deep trouble.
>
> In my group the Bailiff counted noses downstairs and came up first
> with 29. He recounted and got 30 or the number of potential jurors he
> was suppose to deliver to the court room. Once upstairs, he lined us
> up, counted again, again getting only 29. The first thing the Bailiff
> did after the rest of us were seated was inform the judge who skipped.
> I wouldn't want to be that guy.
>
> They will make a quick search for you in the court house, if not
> found, will call your home once, you employer once. Not located, the
> judge may issue a bench warrant. Those that "forget" to show up or
> sneak out at lunch time face a stiff fine or up to five days vacation
> in the county jail.
>
> All and all a interested experience of our judicial system.
I guess then witnesses have it better. Just got a warrant some 20 years ago
to show up. Walked in, reported. Sat around for 2 hours and got called in.
Was on the stand for 5-10 minutes and done. But it was only a traffic case.
Saw a person do a red light and t-bone someone. Learned later about 5
people saw it like I did, so the guy was cooked.
