Comments on: The 173rd Way to Get Out of Jury Duty http://www.thebloggersbulletin.com/2010/01/18/way-out-jury-duty/ "The Bulletin For The Business Blogger" Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:06:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Peter Neibert http://www.thebloggersbulletin.com/2010/01/18/way-out-jury-duty/#comment-1904 Peter Neibert Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:21:23 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=2471#comment-1904 Bad news: my jury duty was cancelled -- apparently due to lack of interest. This means I've not been able to test out my 173rd way -- well, maybe next year. pcn Bad news: my jury duty was cancelled — apparently due to lack of interest. This means I’ve not been able to test out my 173rd way — well, maybe next year.
pcn

]]> By: Jeff http://www.thebloggersbulletin.com/2010/01/18/way-out-jury-duty/#comment-1777 Jeff Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:10:12 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=2471#comment-1777 I got out of jury duty because I could not afford to be paid $5 / day for days, weeks, months. And even though rarely do cases go for months, mostly a week to ten days, I couldn't afford a single day off with the cost of living so high and need to make payments on cars, house, etc. Also, the trial I was involved in was a murder trial in which one gang member shot another. Since gang members by and large are law breakers, immoral, and unethical, and since my wife and son had been threatened by gang members, there was no way I was going to give this guy a fair trial. Fair, that's a joke. This guy uses intimidation and threats like other thugs and he expects a fair trial. The "system" works a certain way, depending mostly on the political leanings of the judge. And far too often the system is liberal and literally lets people get away with murder. There's a lot right with our country and the system, but there's a lot wrong too, especially the way in which the main offenders often times get the biggest breaks. Now THAT'S not fair, is it? I got out of jury duty because I could not afford to be paid $5 / day for days, weeks, months. And even though rarely do cases go for months, mostly a week to ten days, I couldn’t afford a single day off with the cost of living so high and need to make payments on cars, house, etc. Also, the trial I was involved in was a murder trial in which one gang member shot another. Since gang members by and large are law breakers, immoral, and unethical, and since my wife and son had been threatened by gang members, there was no way I was going to give this guy a fair trial. Fair, that’s a joke. This guy uses intimidation and threats like other thugs and he expects a fair trial. The “system” works a certain way, depending mostly on the political leanings of the judge. And far too often the system is liberal and literally lets people get away with murder. There’s a lot right with our country and the system, but there’s a lot wrong too, especially the way in which the main offenders often times get the biggest breaks. Now THAT’S not fair, is it?

]]> By: Peter Neibert http://www.thebloggersbulletin.com/2010/01/18/way-out-jury-duty/#comment-1764 Peter Neibert Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:34:51 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=2471#comment-1764 You are right to consider it a civic duty only if you believe in jury trials (aka the jury system)and many people do. I don't. I believe that so-called "benchtrials" (trials by a judge) return superior justice to the system, which is to say, the people. In Medieval England the King appointed judges who served at his pleasure, subject to hiss obvious influence, etc. In the year 970 A.D.(more or less, I wasn't there) the nobles rose up against the King, Ethelred the Unready, demanded a jury system of peers (meaning themselves)and borrowed the number 12, as it was used by Viking tribal councils across the North Sea. In modern America our judges are elected by the people for a fixed term of years, they are subject to recall or impeachment and individual cases are subject to appeal or review. I maintain this is preferable to Ethelred's deal-cutting, quasi-Viking raider/peers. I think most people have forgotten that is where the jury system comes from -- a power play against Ethelred the Unready, who was nonetheless ready to cut a deal. You are right to consider it a civic duty only if you believe in jury trials (aka the jury system)and many people do. I don’t.
I believe that so-called “benchtrials” (trials by a judge) return superior justice to the system, which is to say, the people.

In Medieval England the King appointed judges who served at his pleasure, subject to hiss obvious influence, etc.
In the year 970 A.D.(more or less, I wasn’t there) the nobles rose up against the King, Ethelred the Unready, demanded a jury system of peers (meaning themselves)and borrowed the number 12, as it was used by Viking tribal councils across the North Sea.

In modern America our judges are elected by the people for a fixed term of years, they are subject to recall or impeachment and individual cases are subject to appeal or review.
I maintain this is preferable to Ethelred’s deal-cutting, quasi-Viking raider/peers.
I think most people have forgotten that is where the jury system comes from — a power play against Ethelred the Unready, who was nonetheless ready to cut a deal.

]]> By: Jeannette Paladino http://www.thebloggersbulletin.com/2010/01/18/way-out-jury-duty/#comment-1763 Jeannette Paladino Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:31:30 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=2471#comment-1763 Coincidentally, I've been called for jury duty on Jan. 25th. In New York State, they are very strict about excusing people. Maybe we shouldn't try to avoid it. Consider it a civic duty. Coincidentally, I’ve been called for jury duty on Jan. 25th. In New York State, they are very strict about excusing people. Maybe we shouldn’t try to avoid it. Consider it a civic duty.

]]>