Why You Were Not Selected for Jury Duty - LL Ep. 5.256

I hear from professionals who fear they were left off of juries because the attorneys didn't want smart people on the jury. That's probably not the reason, though.

[chuckcurtin]

The last time I went for jury duty, it was a DWI case. There was no breathalyzer or blood test taken. When they asked for questions, I asked "so all we have is the police officer's word, right". Bam ! I was gone.

[Thoringer]

I have a MS in Counseling Psychology. Bet you, my peers and I have all the Get-out-of-jury-free card. It is so simple: "Do you know the defendant or was he your client?" - "I can neither confirm nor deny he was my client." HIPAA is strict on us.

[DarinMcGrew]

The time I served on a jury, one of the potential jurors was a director-level manager. Neither attorney wanted him on the jury because they didn't want someone who might take charge of the jury. They wanted a jury of 12 peers, not a jury of 1 director and 11 subordinates.

[JeffRyman]

I'm a retired engineer. I know a lot of other engineers who were rejected for jury duty. We all believe that most attorneys do not want people capable of critical thinking on a jury. They want people who are easily convinced by their arguments (logical or not).

[cedarshoals]

I was asked during jury selection if I knew any police officers on a personal basis. (I live in a very small town with only 3 cops at the time) I said yes. Lawyer said how many? I said all of them in my town. The courtroom broke out in laughter, possibly because I was very nervous...and I blurted out "I know criminals too!" The judge had to bang the gavel several times to get people to stop laughing.

[norezenable]

Based on a George Carlin joke:
I would make a great juror because I can spot a guilty person just by looking at them.

[Jodyrides]

I was called for jury duty. when the two attorneys were sitting there with the clerk of courts and they asked me if there was a reason that I thought I would not be able to render an impartial judgment. I told the clerk, as I pointed to the well-dressed attorney, I already picked this guy to win. Look how professionally he has dressed, he takes this seriously, and look at the other attorney, he’s got a T-shirt under his suit coat on and no socks, how could anyone take this guy seriously.
I was the first prospective juror dismissed

[manycatsforadime]

I was on a jury and after going to deliberations and talking with the other jurors I thought to myself. "God help me if I were ever unfortunate to be judged by a jury". It was dreadful.

[wntu]

I got put in the pool some years ago. When I received the questionnaire in the mail it asked about organizations I belonged to. I knew right then I would never get called and so happily (and truthfully) admitted to being in the NRA. In the two years I was in the pool I was never once called in. :)

[justabill]

I was once told by a lawyer, "If you're guilty, have a jury trial. If you're innocent, request a bench trial".

[AZStarYT]

That's what a 'trial' is about: who can present the most persuasive "STORY" - and NOT the "truth". They do NOT want people who can think rationally. I helped a friend with an accident hearing (state prosecuting for 'excessive speed' leading to an accident). It was OBVIOUS the other driver had cut in front of my friend to pull into a driveway, and so quickly that my friend's brakes locked up, she swerved to avoid, but STILL hit the other car's bumper - but NOT so hard to trigger airbag deployment. The other driver claimed whiplash, back injury, etc. . . from a bumper tap, that didn't even scratch the paint. Cop wrote my friend up for excessive speed (over 25 MPH, the posted speed limit). I calculated the speed - from the trial lawyer associations own formulas that they use - to calculate what her speed would've been and it was UNDER 25. We got the police report and that's when things went weird. The cop had literally transposed almost ALL of the facts: color of cars, owners, ending position of cars, etc.

I was allowed to give 'expert' witness testimony because of my background in engineering as well as subsequent university lab research.

The magistrate IGNORED all those facts on the report - which OBVIOUSLY went to the credibility of the cop, who didn't "witness" the accident, but wrote it up AFTER the fact. The magistrate listened to MY testimony, but wound up IGNORING everything I'd said, math proof with their own formulas, etc., AND that the officer couldn't even get the written report straight - and found AGAINST my friend. Made NO rational sense whatsoever. Courts CANNOT handle rational arguments. What's worse is that once they make a decision, they stick to it any way they can - because they'll lose money if they don't. So this is what happened next.

When my friend appealed, which cost $200 in filing fees alone, she was told that she'd be notified of the appeal hearing date. The court NEVER gave her Notice of the appeal hearing, and so it was denied when she didn't show up. Can't trust courts OR cops.

[chemech]

I've been an engineer for quite some time. I have not been selected for a jury since my student days, because during voir dire I give my profession as engineer.


Mostly in the criminal courts building here, sometimes in the civil courts. My colleagues almost all have the same experience, to the point where we joke about being called for jury duty as being just a single paid day off under our state's "one day or one trial" system.


Steve, maybe *you* would be OK with having a technical person who thinks analytically in the jury box, but I assure you based on both my experience and conversations with attorneys, that *most* attorneys do not want that in any kind of case going to trial.

[tdgdbs]

My small town in Texas; if you have a graduate degree, your chance of jury duty is slim. If you have a Hispanic last name; you are screwed.

[danielczech]

I've been summoned for jury duty nearly every year after retiring from the Marine Corps. I've never been selected as a juror. Normally I'd have no idea why I was dismissed. On one occasion I had a defense attorney say that he doesn't like veterans on juries because we are too stringent and look at things in black and white and don't see any gray areas when it comes to deciding cases.

[arinerm]

Steve, while sometimes I submit comments that can best be attributed to the class clown, this time I want to be absolutely clear:

This is the best video you've uploaded, by far. It is a brilliant and factual representation of a nuance of jurisprudence that I'm absolutely delighted to see. Also, opposing counsel in your used car dealer case should have seen you handing that juror an agenda from a mile away. Well done!

[rudytexas]

Here's my golden rules:
1- if you want to get off jury duty, ask questions and raise your hands up all the time.
2- if you want to be on a jury to get out of work, don't ask questions just remain silent.

[kevinclark]

I served jury duty twice. Then I saw how the system really works when a family member had to go through the process. I WILL NEVER VOTE TO SEND SOMONE TO JAIL AGAIN! The truth plays a very little role in the justice system. The jurors have no idea what the truth really is.

[cashstore]

I was asked what I did for a living and told them I was an electrical contractor. This case was a customer/building contractor dispute. I told them that I understand that contractors can do shoddy work, but I also understood that customers will use a trivial excuse not to pay. I knew that would get me kicked off, and it did.

[twothreefour]

I have lived in the same county for 30 yrs. When I first moved here I got the questioner letter for jury duty. At the time, I could not afford more than a day off. I replied. " You can count on my guilty verdict. I support law enforcement 100%". Haven't heard from them since. :)

[jbs.]

I'm an engineer, and gone through voir dire. Basically, from the questioning that I got, they assume that an engineer's definition of 'proof' is different from a lay persons. This is true. I wouldn't call what goes on in a court proceeding 'proof' in most cases.