Jury Duty....

[gringo pistolero]

I don't try to avoid my civic duty and honestly I have more respect for draft dodgers than jury jumpers.

[JALLEN]

You mean everyone doesn't dress that way to go downtown?

You are confusing Houston with Dallas.

Maybe I won't have to buy all new clothes after all.

I do need a raincoat, and one of those whatchacallits, though.

[Dadtodabone]

You mean everyone doesn't dress that way to go downtown?

You are confusing Houston with Dallas.

Maybe I won't have to buy all new clothes after all.

I do need a raincoat, and one of those whatchacallits, though.

No brolly. Second best felt and a slicker.

[aggie67]

At 70, I have been called more times than I have fingers and toes--served on my first jury at 23. There is a large difference in jury pools and selection depending upon size of the county and the number folks on the jury wheel/county role. In small counties, it seems like I was called every 6 months and 3 days and served more often. But often times you knew the District Judge, DA, defense lawyers and probably the janitor. I now live in a more urban county with large population (Smith) and the jury panels are usually 400 or so and multiple juries and I have only served once and been put on a panel twice in 20 years.

Don't know why, but I have served on a grand jury twice for 6 months at a time and that takes a lot of your time when you are busily self employed and it is 30 miles to the courthouse. As a farmer, you could lose a crop almost. My wife, a school teacher, served on a federal grand jury and the fed court was 75 miles away. Her school superintendent did not like but serve, she did if only for 3 months. They did pay a whole lot better in the San Angelo Federal Court and paid mileage and per diem also. It is not fun or always convenient, but it is what we sacrifice to live in the good ol USA.

[The Annoyed Man]

I had an interesting experience related to my Jury duty today....

First, I got a reminder email from the court:

Juror ID: 00013XXXXX

Dear THE ANNOYED MAN - 00013XXXXX,

This email contains court assignment reporting information and a link for the second questionnaire.
Please click the link below to complete the second questionnaire.

https://eresponse.tarrantcounty.com/pub ... ahBlahBlah" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please report directly to:

WHO:
Judge Robb Catalano

WHEN:
=====> Monday, June 17, 2013 at 1:00 PM <=====

WHERE:
Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center
=====> Criminal District Court #3, 7th Floor <=====
401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth, TX, 76196

Bring this email and your entire summons with you. You will report directly to the court listed above.
This email allows you to bypass the Central Jury Room and go directly to the courtroom at the time listed in this email.
You do NOT need to go through check-in at the Central Jury Room at the time on your summons.

Attendance is mandatory. Failure to report may result in a bench warrant issued by the judge. If you need additional information, you may reply to this email or call Jury Services at (817) 884-3820.

Thank you,

Paula Giaimo Morales,
Tarrant County Jury Bailiff

Here was the list of questions:

Juror Number: 00013XXXXX
Juror Name: THE ANNOYED MAN


1.
List your date of birth.
Month: Day: Year:

2.
State your educational background:

3.
List your employer, occupation, and scheduled work hours.

4.
Select your marital status.
SINGLE
MARRIED
SEPARATED
DIVORCED
WIDOWED

5.
List your spouse’s name, employer, occupation, and scheduled work hours.

6.
List number and ages of children.

7.
How long have you lived in Tarrant County?

8.
Have you ever served on a jury?
NEVER SERVED
NOT SURE IF SERVED
CRIMINAL
CIVIL
GRAND JURY

9.
Please list any physical or mental problems which would make jury service difficult for you.

10.
What is your religious preference?

11.
List hobbies and personal interest.

12.
What TV shows do you enjoy or watch regularly?

13.
List newspapers, magazines, or other publications that you read.

14.
List clubs or groups to which you belong.

15.
Have you ever been a witness in a case? If yes, please describe:

16.
Have you or someone close to you ever had an unpleasant experience with the police. If yes, please describe:

17.
Have you or someone close to you ever been a victim (the person injured) of a crime. If yes, please describe:

18.
Have you or someone close to you ever worked as a police officer or in law enforcement? If yes, please describe:

19.
Have you or someone close to you ever worked for a law firm or private attorney. If yes, please describe:

20.
Have you or someone close to you ever been arrested for or charged with any crime? If yes, please describe:

21.
List any military service?

22.
Please describe your use of alcoholic beverages.

23.
In the event a case does involve child testimony, how do you think a child’s testimony compares to an adult’s testimony?

24.
Rank the following highest to lowest according to what you believe the goal of the criminal justice system should be: • REHABILITATION – to reform the offender • DETERRENCE – to prevent or discourage other crimes • PUNISHMENT – to punish for the crime committed

25.
Do you swear or affirm that all the answers to this questionnaire are true and correct?
Yes No

I answered all of the questions truthfully, but I have no idea how my answers will be viewed. on #24, my answer was: "1—Punishment. 2—Rehabilitation. I have no illusions about deterrence."

[AEA]

I'm glad I don't live in Tarrant County and received one of those. They would have to put me in jail as I would not answer all those foolish questions.

[Rex B]

I did jury duty in Tarrant Co. this week. filled out that same form
Criminal trial Tuesday and Wednesday
A positive experience with 11 good citizens

[srothstein]

I think I would have been arrested for my answers. Number 10 would have been "Decline to answer based on my First Amendment rights". Number 24 would have been 1- Punishment, 2 - Protection (incapacitate the criminal to protect society from him), 3 - Deterrence, and 4 - Rehabilitation.

I have no illusions about any of them working, but they asked the goals, not the accomplishments.

[Abraham]

My gut reaction to questions 11. thru 14. and 22. is: None of your business.

Of course, such an answer could engender a harsh response, so I guess I'd have to answer as I saw fit..

I wonder if these highly intrusive questions were asked just a few years ago or did expert jury gurus lobby to get them asked so they could more easily customize juries?

On a side note: I haven't been called for jury duty in years and wonder what constitutes jury dress code now?

[gringo pistolero]

If I got a questionnaire like that for jury duty, I would do my best to get on that jury so I can vote not guilty.

[HankB]

Got called several times for jury duty when I lived in MN - never got to voir dire, was dismissed.

Got called once in Tx once for county court, got dismissed after voir dire.

Got called five times so far in my suburb - summarily dismissed once when the defendant pled no contest, dismissed once because of a plea deal, got tossed once for laughing at the prosecutor during voir dire, and actually served twice as a juror for traffic offenses.

Laughing at the prosecutor? It was a traffic case, and he asked me what I thought about the speed limit on a road I drove every day; I told him it was too low. He asked "What if I said that under the law, the posted speed MUST be regarded as reasonable?" That's when I laughed (joined by much of the jury pool) and said "Counselor, the best evidence I can think of that something is Unreasonable is a legislature that feels a need to pass a law stating that it is!"

In one case I was on, the defendant - accused of speeding - was defending himself. He was doing OK until the final arguments, when for some reason he said that he respected the police - including one officer who was in standing in the back of the court who'd been out to his house five times to arrest him for domestic abuse. The realization of what he'd said on his face was priceless, especially when he said "Uh - none of those were my fault!!"

Even the judge laughed then.

BTW, I never got paid a cent for any of these.