contempt for court October 23, 2009
HammHawk is more put out by his New Orleans jury experience than I am.
I have not been too bothered by it, because I find it somewhat interesting. I’m a sucker for things that are somewhat interesting.
I do think it’s a little unreasonable to expect people to come in for eight days in their jury “month.” Most non-New Orleanians that I’ve talked to say that their parish does not do jury duty that way. You come in for one day only unless you get picked for a jury trial that lasts more than one afternoon.
I’m lucky enough to be able to rearrange my life for jury duty, but I can see how it would be a bad strain on some.
I’m not as hard on the judges as HammHawk. While I imagine there are some inefficiencies, I don’t see how it’s the judge’s fault if a defendant decides to plea bargain or plead guilty after a pool of jurors has been called up.
My one experience of actually being on a jury this month was positive. Judge Pittman called for a jury very early in the morning. I was on the first panel, so I did not have to wait long. I was chosen for the jury, so I did not have to go back to the jury room.
Judge Pittman moved things along as best she could, considering that there are procedures that have to be followed. The ADAs and the defense counsel were fine, in my opinion. The only annoying thing was the repetitious questioning. The judge did cut it off when it got to be too much.
- Posted in : main
- Author : dangerblond
Comments»
Yeah, I’ve actually been surprised at how much it’s bugged me. I waste plenty of my own time, but for some reason I stew about it while I’m there. I think I’d be more tolerant if I wasn’t trying to get out in time for my afternoon class; if I’d written off the entire days, then I could sort of savor the leisure.
I guess it’s good not to blame the judges entirely, but I see it as if I were holding a class, told the students to show up for it at 9, then about 9:30 I start preparing, come down at noon because I’m ready to teach. Seems crazy, but that’s how the system feels to me.
Did you interview for a capital case? After I clearly stated my anti-death penalty views on the questionnaire, I was still in the pool for that jury, but they interviewed us individually, at 30-45 min each. So it’s clear they can’t get through too many in a day, but still, 25 of us sit up there waiting.
It frustrates me (and maybe it’s my dislocated coccyx that makes it less pleasant), but thanks for giving me a little perspective!
I still have a week to go. They have not interviewed me for the capital case, yet. I also clearly stated on the questionnaire that I would not apply the death penalty under any circumstances, so I was wondering if that was why I have not been interviewed.
Neither I not She have ever been called.