Drive to courthouse. Mill about waiting for instructions. Clerk herds possible jurors into waiting room and thanks us for complying with a mandatory summons. We fill out a survey one question in it asks what kind of media we consume. After more waiting we’re brought into the courtroom. The defense attorney, prosecutors, and judge have some last minute plea or settlement negotiations. More waiting as this happens. Jury selection begins. They ask each person if they can be fair. If they could convict based on solely police officer testimony. If they would only convict if the state met the burden of beyond a reasonable doubt. Between each answer the attorneys and judge confer close up behind the bar while turning on a white noise generator. Right before lunch the jury and alternates are chosen and the rest of us are released.
Ask HN: Have you been on jury duty? What was your experience like?
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Re: Ask HN: Have you been on jury duty? What was your experience like?
#12I ended up serving on a sequestered jury for a week. In Indiana at the time, certain crimes could warrant the death penalty, as in our case. We all took it very seriously. This was in the days before the internet, so we were effectively stuck in a nice hotel for a week. We lucked out with a fairly skilled foreman to keep us on track during our deliberations.
That week raised my faith in humanity, and in the jury system.