Been on both sides, serving and selecting. After serving and complaining, one of my law partners told me it was necessary. He’s . . . I hate to admit it . . . right, but I still complain. The good judges keep the lawyers moving, keep the jury pool informed.
I agree with you. I think it’s really important. And it’s awful… if you’re a juror. I think what bugged me about this recent experience is that the judge didn’t really respect our time. More than 40 of us had to come back for a second day, but if the judge had risked *maybe* going ten minutes over, on day one he would’ve found his alternates.
Have you seen the sitcom Jury Duty? It’s hilarious. It’s a partially scripted comedy about an off-kilter jury, where one member of the jury is a real person who doesn’t know they’re on a sitcom. Highly recommended.
My favorite star in the LA Jury Duty waiting room is “Weird” Al Yankovic.
I loved the sitcom Jury Duty so much! My favorite sitcom in a long time. And I loved that the hero was basically a good guy trying to do the right thing, which impacted the production in a positive way.
12 Angry Men is always billed as a Henry Fonda picture but it’s Lee J Cobb who steals the show. Also Sidney Lumet is my favorite director. I have not yet served on a jury.
I honestly want to serve on a jury sometime. I want to see how different the reality of a trial is from all the movies and television I've seen. So far, I've only been called to the courthouse once. All the other times I either got out of it because my boss needed me to work or because my name came up but I wasn't called in.
For me, killing time is easy. I either murder it by reading a book or I stare into space and imagine murdering evildoers.
David, I’ve got some good news. I’m going to talk about a different time when I actually served on a jury on my podcast. I’ll absolutely discuss the difference between TV and real life. Also, if you ever want to see everything, just go to a courthouse and find a trial. Jurors see a lot, but there’s plenty that happens when they’re in the waiting room killing time.
I served in LA a few years ago on a bribery trial - the defendant was charged with attempting to bribe a witness (who was wearing a wire) IN THE COURTHOUSE. We were sent to deliberate at 3:30 (court shuts at 4) Foreman said we could deliberate now and take a straw vote before the end of the day or come back the next morning. And the foreman (or maybe another juror) said they would bring doughnuts (asked bailiff if it would be ok, I think). So, wanting to ensure a thoughtful and full deliberation, we came back for a second day and were done in about an 90 minutes, and the doughnuts were delicious.
I served on a second-degree murder trial in Southern California that involved a gang member as a victim, but not the shooter.. Unfortunately, the shooter, after having shot the victim, had a glimpse of future reality and in doing so, did CPR on his victim. By doing CPR, he hastened his victims death according to the Coroner. Nonetheless, the guy died and the shooter was convicted of second-degree murder. I don't want to ever be on a jury again, and if I do, hopefully it won't be a murder case.
That sounds like an awful situation all the way around, Gayla. I don’t blame you. Also, if you serve on a murder case or something equally awful, I feel like you should be excused for life.
I spent eight years in the Criminal Court as a Magistrate (Justice of the Peace), which is a voluntary role in the UK. Fortunately we do not have juries in these Courts (they exist only in the Crown Courts) and decisions are made by the bench, a collective term for three unpaid magistrates. Whilst I considered it a privileged position to hold, your expression of time being killed or wasted struck me to the core Michael.
All cases are heard first at the Magistrates Court. Very serious cases, like murder and serious fraud, are passed on by the Magistrates to the Crown Court because the Magistrates' power to sentence is more limited. This leaves 95% of all criminal cases being dealt with by the Magistrates. It's quite a responsibility. It's dull in the periods of waiting, but very interesting while the court is in session.
And you don’t get paid for this? What’s the time commitment. Our federal system has magistrates, but they’re paid. I don’t think California has them, although some courts assign judges to handles preliminaries like arraignment.
No pay, only minimal expenses. We do have some paid Magistrates - they're lawyers who run a court on their own. But the majority of courts are run by a bench of three unpaid lay Magistrates. Rotas usually ensure that you can keep a paid job going as well (if you're lucky).
Literally never had to serve jury duty beyond showing up to the courthouse long enough to be dismissed. I don't even get to the asking questions about whether you have the "stay awake and still breathing" credentials.
I've been saving this to read because I knew it would bring back all kinds of memories.. Back in the eighties I served on a jury in Newark , NJ. I received my summons the week before I started a new job, the one that was supposed to justify the past two years of business school and the associated loans that loomed like an avalanche that could go at any moment.
My new boss said just do it, get it out if the way thinking it would be a few days. Three and a half weeks later the trial sputtered to a close..I won't tell the whole thing here be ( you e inspired a future post,) but the case involved a prostitute who had been robbed by two addicts. After sitting through the wait to be chosen, the weeks of sitting in the box with 13 others , paying for extra babysitting I couldn't afford, and hearing the chill in my new boss's tone grow chillier, the day came to deliberate..Before we entered the chamber the judge asked the bailiff to draw two names for alternates. I was one. I had to sit in the court room wrestling with a strange frustration and disappointment that made me uneasy later as I thought about it. Why was I so disappointed instead of relieved that it was over and that I no longer had any influence over the defendants' futures? Now I'm thinking about it all over again.. I'm looking forward to hearing your hurry duty story .
I can't wait to read the full story whenever you write it. There's something really interesting about that turn you experienced where you should've felt relieved, but instead felt disappointed. I know that feeling well. Part of me thinks it's because sitting in judgement of others comes easy to humans, but maybe that's not it. Maybe we just want it to mean something, whatever it is.
I don’t know how I’ve managed to avoid jury duty still. I only in my young 30s, but so far so good. I’ve lived between a couple of states and held on to ID cards I should have given up. Currently in Alabama, with a NJ license. You had some really beautiful sentences over this one with some lines of humor I loved. Looking forward to catching up on the podcast!
Thanks Marc! I think you know why you've escaped jury duty: the ID cards. I'll bet you that once you get that Alabama ID and register to vote (assuming they don't register you at the DMV), you'll get that summons.
I've spent several days in various courtrooms around LA but was always sent home due to the one day or one trial rule. Closest I got to a courtroom was my one line as a judge in a friend's legal training film and as a defendant in another.
Counting the letter values TIME + 47 and in KILLED = 53, so TIME cannot be KILLED. On the other hand, based on my gardening skills, Thyme can be killed!
Okay A) thank you for mentioning me and B) I lol'd at this: "One woman said she couldn’t be a juror because she didn’t speak English. But her argument fell flat because she spoke to the judge, at length, in English"
I don’t mind doing my civic duty, but I was called in December to report exactly ONE WEEK before Christmas Day. I get it…they can’t just go cancelling court because it takes me three weeks to do everything I need to do to get a southern mama holiday meal on the table. Thankfully, I got a call the Friday afternoon prior that court WAS indeed cancelled and that was a very good thing because if I’d had to show up that Monday morning SOMEBODY was going to have to serve some time. (Not really…)
1. Still waiting my turn. Gonna be an excellent piece of field research if/when it finally happens.
2. Not well-versed enough to comment here.
3. Time is an imaginary human construct. Can imaginary things be killed? Are imaginary things real? Presumably I can be killed, but I haven't been killed yet, which begs the question: am I real?
4. A standup comedian for sure -- someone who will lighten the mood. I'll say Patton Oswalt since Dave Chappelle turned heel.
I saw Patton Oswalt live recently. He did 10 minutes on the moral and ethical considerations of going to Hobby Lobby to buy a decoration for his daughter's birthday cake. It was very funny. But also revealing. He really grappled with it, so he'd make a good juror. That said, if you're on trial for being a serial killer, be warned. Patton Oswalt's previous wife (she passed away) was a reporter who helped bring The Golden State Killer to justice.
I love Patton. I often recite parts of his specials to myself throughout the day. It's such a gut-punch about his wife. She seemed like a pretty amazing person.
Highly recommend reading "I'll Be Gone in the Dark." It's a great piece of true crime reporting, but it's also a very moving book because she didn't get to finish it. A colleague finished out the last few chapters based on her notes and Patton wrote this really beautiful epilogue about she was a real life super hero who worked to put real bad guys away.
Been on both sides, serving and selecting. After serving and complaining, one of my law partners told me it was necessary. He’s . . . I hate to admit it . . . right, but I still complain. The good judges keep the lawyers moving, keep the jury pool informed.
I agree with you. I think it’s really important. And it’s awful… if you’re a juror. I think what bugged me about this recent experience is that the judge didn’t really respect our time. More than 40 of us had to come back for a second day, but if the judge had risked *maybe* going ten minutes over, on day one he would’ve found his alternates.
Have you seen the sitcom Jury Duty? It’s hilarious. It’s a partially scripted comedy about an off-kilter jury, where one member of the jury is a real person who doesn’t know they’re on a sitcom. Highly recommended.
My favorite star in the LA Jury Duty waiting room is “Weird” Al Yankovic.
I loved the sitcom Jury Duty so much! My favorite sitcom in a long time. And I loved that the hero was basically a good guy trying to do the right thing, which impacted the production in a positive way.
12 Angry Men is always billed as a Henry Fonda picture but it’s Lee J Cobb who steals the show. Also Sidney Lumet is my favorite director. I have not yet served on a jury.
That’s a good point about 12 Angry Men. I do love that movie.
I honestly want to serve on a jury sometime. I want to see how different the reality of a trial is from all the movies and television I've seen. So far, I've only been called to the courthouse once. All the other times I either got out of it because my boss needed me to work or because my name came up but I wasn't called in.
For me, killing time is easy. I either murder it by reading a book or I stare into space and imagine murdering evildoers.
David, I’ve got some good news. I’m going to talk about a different time when I actually served on a jury on my podcast. I’ll absolutely discuss the difference between TV and real life. Also, if you ever want to see everything, just go to a courthouse and find a trial. Jurors see a lot, but there’s plenty that happens when they’re in the waiting room killing time.
Thanks for the reminder that the public can watch trials. I might go watch one the next time I have time to kill on a weekday.
I served in LA a few years ago on a bribery trial - the defendant was charged with attempting to bribe a witness (who was wearing a wire) IN THE COURTHOUSE. We were sent to deliberate at 3:30 (court shuts at 4) Foreman said we could deliberate now and take a straw vote before the end of the day or come back the next morning. And the foreman (or maybe another juror) said they would bring doughnuts (asked bailiff if it would be ok, I think). So, wanting to ensure a thoughtful and full deliberation, we came back for a second day and were done in about an 90 minutes, and the doughnuts were delicious.
I like this story a lot, Mimi.
thanks!
Now I want to try a horchata latte. Never seen such a thing in Massachusetts but I'll be on the lookout.
5. Yes, I would listen to your tale of serving on jury because I'm sure it would make me laugh.
Thank you for the vote of confidence! Good luck with your horchata latte search.
I served on a second-degree murder trial in Southern California that involved a gang member as a victim, but not the shooter.. Unfortunately, the shooter, after having shot the victim, had a glimpse of future reality and in doing so, did CPR on his victim. By doing CPR, he hastened his victims death according to the Coroner. Nonetheless, the guy died and the shooter was convicted of second-degree murder. I don't want to ever be on a jury again, and if I do, hopefully it won't be a murder case.
That sounds like an awful situation all the way around, Gayla. I don’t blame you. Also, if you serve on a murder case or something equally awful, I feel like you should be excused for life.
I spent eight years in the Criminal Court as a Magistrate (Justice of the Peace), which is a voluntary role in the UK. Fortunately we do not have juries in these Courts (they exist only in the Crown Courts) and decisions are made by the bench, a collective term for three unpaid magistrates. Whilst I considered it a privileged position to hold, your expression of time being killed or wasted struck me to the core Michael.
Wow! I’m so impressed by experience! It’s important work, but also dull. Curious: what sorts of cases does a magistrate court hear in the UK?
All cases are heard first at the Magistrates Court. Very serious cases, like murder and serious fraud, are passed on by the Magistrates to the Crown Court because the Magistrates' power to sentence is more limited. This leaves 95% of all criminal cases being dealt with by the Magistrates. It's quite a responsibility. It's dull in the periods of waiting, but very interesting while the court is in session.
And you don’t get paid for this? What’s the time commitment. Our federal system has magistrates, but they’re paid. I don’t think California has them, although some courts assign judges to handles preliminaries like arraignment.
No pay, only minimal expenses. We do have some paid Magistrates - they're lawyers who run a court on their own. But the majority of courts are run by a bench of three unpaid lay Magistrates. Rotas usually ensure that you can keep a paid job going as well (if you're lucky).
Literally never had to serve jury duty beyond showing up to the courthouse long enough to be dismissed. I don't even get to the asking questions about whether you have the "stay awake and still breathing" credentials.
You live a charmed life.
I've been saving this to read because I knew it would bring back all kinds of memories.. Back in the eighties I served on a jury in Newark , NJ. I received my summons the week before I started a new job, the one that was supposed to justify the past two years of business school and the associated loans that loomed like an avalanche that could go at any moment.
My new boss said just do it, get it out if the way thinking it would be a few days. Three and a half weeks later the trial sputtered to a close..I won't tell the whole thing here be ( you e inspired a future post,) but the case involved a prostitute who had been robbed by two addicts. After sitting through the wait to be chosen, the weeks of sitting in the box with 13 others , paying for extra babysitting I couldn't afford, and hearing the chill in my new boss's tone grow chillier, the day came to deliberate..Before we entered the chamber the judge asked the bailiff to draw two names for alternates. I was one. I had to sit in the court room wrestling with a strange frustration and disappointment that made me uneasy later as I thought about it. Why was I so disappointed instead of relieved that it was over and that I no longer had any influence over the defendants' futures? Now I'm thinking about it all over again.. I'm looking forward to hearing your hurry duty story .
I can't wait to read the full story whenever you write it. There's something really interesting about that turn you experienced where you should've felt relieved, but instead felt disappointed. I know that feeling well. Part of me thinks it's because sitting in judgement of others comes easy to humans, but maybe that's not it. Maybe we just want it to mean something, whatever it is.
I don’t know how I’ve managed to avoid jury duty still. I only in my young 30s, but so far so good. I’ve lived between a couple of states and held on to ID cards I should have given up. Currently in Alabama, with a NJ license. You had some really beautiful sentences over this one with some lines of humor I loved. Looking forward to catching up on the podcast!
Thanks Marc! I think you know why you've escaped jury duty: the ID cards. I'll bet you that once you get that Alabama ID and register to vote (assuming they don't register you at the DMV), you'll get that summons.
I've spent several days in various courtrooms around LA but was always sent home due to the one day or one trial rule. Closest I got to a courtroom was my one line as a judge in a friend's legal training film and as a defendant in another.
Counting the letter values TIME + 47 and in KILLED = 53, so TIME cannot be KILLED. On the other hand, based on my gardening skills, Thyme can be killed!
Who among us hasn't killed thyme?
Okay A) thank you for mentioning me and B) I lol'd at this: "One woman said she couldn’t be a juror because she didn’t speak English. But her argument fell flat because she spoke to the judge, at length, in English"
I don’t mind doing my civic duty, but I was called in December to report exactly ONE WEEK before Christmas Day. I get it…they can’t just go cancelling court because it takes me three weeks to do everything I need to do to get a southern mama holiday meal on the table. Thankfully, I got a call the Friday afternoon prior that court WAS indeed cancelled and that was a very good thing because if I’d had to show up that Monday morning SOMEBODY was going to have to serve some time. (Not really…)
Haha! I’m glad it got canceled.
1. Still waiting my turn. Gonna be an excellent piece of field research if/when it finally happens.
2. Not well-versed enough to comment here.
3. Time is an imaginary human construct. Can imaginary things be killed? Are imaginary things real? Presumably I can be killed, but I haven't been killed yet, which begs the question: am I real?
4. A standup comedian for sure -- someone who will lighten the mood. I'll say Patton Oswalt since Dave Chappelle turned heel.
5. Hell yeah.
I saw Patton Oswalt live recently. He did 10 minutes on the moral and ethical considerations of going to Hobby Lobby to buy a decoration for his daughter's birthday cake. It was very funny. But also revealing. He really grappled with it, so he'd make a good juror. That said, if you're on trial for being a serial killer, be warned. Patton Oswalt's previous wife (she passed away) was a reporter who helped bring The Golden State Killer to justice.
I love Patton. I often recite parts of his specials to myself throughout the day. It's such a gut-punch about his wife. She seemed like a pretty amazing person.
Highly recommend reading "I'll Be Gone in the Dark." It's a great piece of true crime reporting, but it's also a very moving book because she didn't get to finish it. A colleague finished out the last few chapters based on her notes and Patton wrote this really beautiful epilogue about she was a real life super hero who worked to put real bad guys away.
Will check it out.
I was almost on jury duty but was able to get excused. So I just sat and read my book at home
But what was the book?
I would love to say that it was ‘Runaway Jury’ 🤣🤣🤣🤣 but I don’t remember.