Well, it seems I won't get my cup of coffee just yet; I didn't get called up to the big show (wasn't needed for jury duty).
9 thoughts on “April 2, 2024: Stuck In AAA”
I was called up to the courtroom for voir dire and it was a fascinating experience (if not a long ass day...). The counts were domestic battery including strangulation, entering a domicile without permission, breaking a restraining order, and some brand of child endangerment (resulting from a child being present with the alleged battery took place). I gather that Louisiana does things differently than other, say more progressive states, because the first instruction was that witness testimony was considered the same as physical evidence and that a single witness's testimony should be considered enough to convict if we found them credible. The most interesting part, imo, was the lack of understanding our fellow citizens have of the justice system. The prosecution asked the. jury panel if anyone would hold it against the defendant if he didn't take the stand to defend himself. Lots of people raised their hands with responses that boiled down to "if he didn't do it he needs to say it out loud because that's what I would do". Being a domestic battery charge there were a line of questions regarding who had seen violence at home. A shocking number of potential jurors had very tragic stories of abuse at the hands of partners. Absolutely gut wrenching. I also found it strange that many of the potential jurors affirmed that they couldn't believe that the defendant was innocent until the state proved the case. Many folks said that if it had reached this level, gone this far he must have done something to warrant a trial therefore he wasn't innocent until proven guilty. One dude even said that he had been falsely accused and a judge had to review the case to throw it out, but he wasn't willing to believe that the defendant was innocent........ ugh, one of the pillars of our justice system, folks. (also, have these people not watched endless hours of Law and Order?)
What wasn't shocking? The general public of NOLA has a very negative opinion of the police department (Narrator: the NOPD are currently under a consent degree).
Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I wasn't chosen and was the last juror to be cut free. The weight of a decision got a lot more real as the afternoon went on.
also, have these people not watched endless hours of Law and Order?
I would bet they have. Nothing like watching a show where the justice system is Good and almost always Right.
And where they've skipped over the preliminary 99% tedium prior to the trial itself
Sooooo much tedium. It's why I have no desire to be a judge.
The judge in this case got agitated with the lawyers for dragging out the voir dire process through lunch and then into dinner. However, judging by the cars in the honorable's parking spaces ..... seems a lucrative profession.
I was called up to the courtroom for voir dire and it was a fascinating experience (if not a long ass day...). The counts were domestic battery including strangulation, entering a domicile without permission, breaking a restraining order, and some brand of child endangerment (resulting from a child being present with the alleged battery took place). I gather that Louisiana does things differently than other, say more progressive states, because the first instruction was that witness testimony was considered the same as physical evidence and that a single witness's testimony should be considered enough to convict if we found them credible. The most interesting part, imo, was the lack of understanding our fellow citizens have of the justice system. The prosecution asked the. jury panel if anyone would hold it against the defendant if he didn't take the stand to defend himself. Lots of people raised their hands with responses that boiled down to "if he didn't do it he needs to say it out loud because that's what I would do". Being a domestic battery charge there were a line of questions regarding who had seen violence at home. A shocking number of potential jurors had very tragic stories of abuse at the hands of partners. Absolutely gut wrenching. I also found it strange that many of the potential jurors affirmed that they couldn't believe that the defendant was innocent until the state proved the case. Many folks said that if it had reached this level, gone this far he must have done something to warrant a trial therefore he wasn't innocent until proven guilty. One dude even said that he had been falsely accused and a judge had to review the case to throw it out, but he wasn't willing to believe that the defendant was innocent........ ugh, one of the pillars of our justice system, folks. (also, have these people not watched endless hours of Law and Order?)
What wasn't shocking? The general public of NOLA has a very negative opinion of the police department (Narrator: the NOPD are currently under a consent degree).
Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I wasn't chosen and was the last juror to be cut free. The weight of a decision got a lot more real as the afternoon went on.
I would bet they have. Nothing like watching a show where the justice system is Good and almost always Right.
And where they've skipped over the preliminary 99% tedium prior to the trial itself
Sooooo much tedium. It's why I have no desire to be a judge.
The judge in this case got agitated with the lawyers for dragging out the voir dire process through lunch and then into dinner. However, judging by the cars in the honorable's parking spaces ..... seems a lucrative profession.
Indeed!
About 50 degrees and partly sunny for the Twins home opener first pitch. I hope I get a post someplace where the sun does shine.
That's a touch different than the weather for the Brewers home opener. (although they didn't get the snow like we did 90 minutes west)