Jury duty

It's always better to be naked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RS-cACBznc

I always get out of jury duty because I follow the Liz Lemon method!

I gave my nephew who had a few drug possession felony's a ride to court and he came out of the house all gang banger style with the hanging pants, sideways baseball cap with sticker, giant unlaced high top gym shoes, and a giant dollar bill t-shirt carrying his lunch in a plastic grocery bag.

Me: Don't you have to dress up to go to court?

Him: No, those are the old days. This is what the kids wear.

Me: Good Luck.

chuckles wrote:

friedgreencorrado wrote: Been called up four or five times..I just consider it a side affect of being registered to vote. Always turns out the same..called up to swear in: "Your Honor, could I Affirm instead?" Both lawyers perk up at that. If I'm actually called in, I get the "Mr. Roberts, do you believe in a (god/supreme being/etc.)?" When I say no, I'm always dismissed

This is very strange to me. I thought every court in the country used: "Do you swear or affirm...?" It seems obviously unconstitutional to inquire. Edit: Probably one of the lawyers inquires, right? Maybe that's not unconstitutional...just stupid.

I don't know the details of the law..I could be convinced that it's just because I'm in the South, and so few people choose to affirm. And yes, the inquiry is during the selection process. I don't raise a stink about it because I think there are better battles to be fought elsewhere. "Ceremonial Deism" has been traditionally ruled upon as Constitutional. I disagree, but I'd be stupid to single-handedly take on something with so much precedent in its favor.

pete240z wrote: I gave my nephew who had a few drug possession felony's a ride to court and he came out of the house all gang banger style with the hanging pants, sideways baseball cap with sticker, giant unlaced high top gym shoes, and a giant dollar bill t-shirt carrying his lunch in a plastic grocery bag. Me: Don't you have to dress up to go to court? Him: No, those are the old days. This is what the kids wear. Me: Good Luck.

so how did the nephew do in court?

he went before the judge and they rescheduled the hearing. finally he got 18 months at a Illinois prison in Danville, Illinois.

The lawyer that was dressed in a $1,000 suit reamed him out for being pissed off at the judge for not being able to get his DL back.

During our ride home I pointed out he needed to clean his life up and get some goals set. I pointed out that the lawyer was probably eating a nice lunch with his lawyer buddies and he was eating a mashed sandwich out of a plastic Target bag.

Sad thing is the drugs has pulled him deeper in legal trouble.

Maroon92 wrote: I always get out of jury duty because I follow the Liz Lemon method!

I served grand jury duty for NYC in January. They're not much kidding with the "look at these people" gag. It's pure lotto for grand jury duty and exemption for mental issues is purely voluntary.

We had one woman on the jury who was so far out of it, when she took a lunch break in nearby Chinatown with another juror, she actually thought she was in China...

In reply to pete240z:

Hope your nephew can turn things around for the better.

sad to say, Fasted... it will take a serious wake up call to turn things around. Not a talk, probably not prison, more like one of his buddies waking up dead from an OD.. or worse

fasted58 wrote: In reply to pete240z: Hope your nephew can turn things around for the better.

thank you..........it hurt to see my sister/b-i-law go through the drug problems; and then to see a second generation makes you even crazier.....

mad_machine wrote: sad to say, Fasted... it will take a serious wake up call to turn things around. Not a talk, probably not prison, more like one of his buddies waking up dead from an OD.. or worse

you called it. everyone is done talking.

four different stints in various Illinois prisons hasn't done much. Now he is 23 years old and at DuPage County jail with Cook County Jail waiting for him to get out to grab him for breaking parole.

Wow.

Back to the dressing up comments... I understand dressing up if you are a lawyer, prosecutor, defendant, etc. But juror? As a juror, your job isn't to impress or influence anybody. Why would it be necessary? You can be damn sure if I got called in, I'd be wearing the same thing I'd otherwise be wearing to work that day... jeans and a t-shirt.

The way you dress has absolutely zero to do with "taking the system seriously". If you think that, I'd be inclined to think that you do not take the system seriously as you are so quick to pass judgement on someone who isn't dressed to your arbitrary standards.

nice jeans I have no problem with.. but a shirt with buttons or a polo would be better.

Then again, I rarely wear just a Tee shirt.

I still think it is about respect. Not only to the system, the judge, the lawers, but to the defendant. This is one of the prime building blocks that our country was founded on.. the right to a Jury of your peers. A little respect for that principle never hurt anybody

Maroon92 wrote: I always get out of jury duty because I follow the Liz Lemon method!

People have been found in contempt for things like this. Get out of jury duty, but go to jail.

You can never be under-educated or under-dressed.

Words to live by.

Maroon92 wrote: You can never be under-educated or under-dressed. Words to live by.

Uhhhhhhhhhh

ProDarwin wrote: Wow. Back to the dressing up comments... I understand dressing up if you are a lawyer, prosecutor, defendant, etc. But juror? As a juror, your job isn't to impress or influence anybody. Why would it be necessary? You can be damn sure if I got called in, I'd be wearing the same thing I'd otherwise be wearing to work that day... jeans and a t-shirt. The way you dress has absolutely zero to do with "taking the system seriously". If you think that, I'd be inclined to think that you do not take the system seriously as you are so quick to pass judgement on someone who isn't dressed to your arbitrary standards.

What I'm hearing:

"I'll dress however I want. I don't give a berkeley what ANYBODY thinks."

"How dare you think less of me because I dress like a scumbag to court?"

Funnay. People who are serious about what goes on in a courtroom, regardless of what your role is in that courtroom, are going to double face-palm when someone walks in wearing shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt. As long as you're okay with that, what's the problem?

As a business owner, I've probably had 20-30 people come in asking if we were hiring in the last 8 years. Whether we're hiring or not, if you're wearing sandals and shorts to go looking for a job, my answer is automatically "No."

I would love to experience jury duty. Unfortunately working for a small business I don't get paid for it. Civic duty is great, but starving my family for it isn't going to happen. Maybe someday...

I grew up in this era where Ward "dressed down" by wearing a pair of khakis to do yard work........LOL

poopshovel wrote: As a business owner, I've probably had 20-30 people come in asking if we were hiring in the last 8 years. Whether we're hiring or not, if you're wearing sandals and shorts to go looking for a job, my answer is automatically "No."

Poopie for prez!

mad_machine wrote:

DeadSkunk wrote: I don't know how they select jurors in Michigan, but we've received at least 4 notices in the last decade and we're not citizens ! They can't be using a voters list because we're not on that. I'd serve if I could.

they use the license here in NJ

Same here - they keep trying though. A friend of mine refuses to register to vote because he is convinced that will get him called for jury duty. He can't see how they might be using the drivers license records given that I have one of those but am certainly not registered to vote.

poopshovel wrote: People who are serious about what goes on in a courtroom, regardless of what your role is in that courtroom, are going to double face-palm when someone walks in wearing shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt. As long as you're okay with that, what's the problem? As a business owner, I've probably had 20-30 people come in asking if we were hiring in the last 8 years. Whether we're hiring or not, if you're wearing sandals and shorts to go looking for a job, my answer is automatically "No."

They can do that, just as I can defend my choice to do so (although I wouldn't choose specifically that).

As a business owner you can do that. In fact, I would likely turn those applicants away as well - I expect them to show more effort. As an applicant I would also not be dumb enough to go door to door begging for a job in flip flops. But... apples to oranges, one of these is a situation where you are summoned to observe what goes on in a courtroom and reach a verdict on something, the other is a situation where you are trying to sway someone's opinion of you.

I do give a berkeley about what some people think... essentially when I'm in a situation where I have something to lose. Would I dress up for jury duty just so Mr. Wallens or anyone else on the internet summoned for jury duty wouldn't pass judgement on me? No. Would I dress up if I were anyone else in the courtroom other than an observer? Hell yes.

ProDarwin wrote: I do give a berkeley about what some people think... essentially when I'm in a situation where I have something to lose. Would I dress up for jury duty just so Mr. Wallens or anyone else on the internet summoned for jury duty wouldn't pass judgement on me? No. Would I dress up if I were anyone else in the courtroom other than an observer? Hell yes.

How do you dress at weddings/funerals/wakes/baptisms? Why?

mad_machine wrote: I still think it is about respect. Not only to the system, the judge, the lawers, but to the defendant. This is one of the prime building blocks that our country was founded on.. the right to a Jury of your peers. A little respect for that principle never hurt anybody

Why does respect require wearing uncomfortable clothing?

If I were to rank the qualities that I'd want to see a jury, it would go something like this:

1) intelligent 2) impartial 3) paying attention 4) thinking about the case 5) applying reason instead of emotion ... 1,000,000) properly dressed

--Ian

ProDarwin wrote: I do give a berkeley about what some people think... essentially when I'm in a situation where I have something to lose.

Apparently you believe you have the ability to deliberate the merits of a pending trial and adjudicating justice.

Why all the hubris and positions that limit your opportunities to exert your potential?