Yes, being an alternate is all of the aggravation with no closure.
]]>Being an alternate juror sucks though, you don’t get to sit in the juror conference room and listen to the discussions, and you don’t know whether he would be found guilty or innocent until the end. (I understand why, but it would have been interesting to hear.)
Now that I’ve served, I know I will be called regularly. They must put a star by those who serve without complaining…
]]>The only murders that don’t get solved are generally turned over to the Feds because they involve people who own large “fishing” boats that never smell of fish.
]]>Regarding 2-day murder trials, yeah, murder trials tend to be short when they consist of one drunk redneck stabbing another drunk redneck in a bar in front of two dozen witnesses, or a drunk man shooting his wife when she throws all his shit out of the house after he comes home drunk one too many times with all the neighbors as witnesses, which is what murder trials tend to be about in those parts (I’ve lived in that area of the country, remember? Heh!). I dunno, something about the (fire) water in those parts seems to make folks act stupid, like, murder other folks in front of a dozen witnesses. Hrmmm….
– Badtux the Redneck Penguin
]]>The local system isn’t bad. You get a juror number and a telephone number to call the day before the due date. They have a recording telling you whether you are required to show up. I’ve had high numbers the last two times and there are a lot of 6 person juries for civil cases and misdemeanors.
It’s unusual for even a murder trial to last a week in this county.
]]>They finally got me last year after over thirty five years of being a registered voter who actually still lived in the jurisdiction, and I ended up – on the LAST DAY of call-up – being selected as juror for a two-day two-bit criminal assault trial that was mostly spent in the jury room and ended with an out-of-court plea agreement. The Good News is that I’m free from any chance of another notice for another two years. I’m feeling good about my chances…
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