Jury Duty

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Years ago I was on the Grand Jury investigating Lockheed’s bribes to get their Tristar plane sold.

Marion Knott, daughter of Walter Knott of Knotts Boysenberry fame was on the jury with me.

We got to talking during breaks and she was surprised a young guy knew so much about the history of the Boysenberry, her family and especially her dad Walter.

Walter was a renown farmer way before the Boysenberry was developed or the amusement park.
Honest dealings, quality products and he was the first to adapt Clarance Birdseyes freezing and shipping of produce methods.

Well, I got to meet Walter. He still wore those sew-up to the knee, Wicked Witch Of The West boots and gave me his card. It simply read Walter Knott. Farmer.

Lockheed, well they didn’t fare so well.
On the Grand Jury you simply decide yes or no if a crime was committed. And Yes, the go between “Jonny Hotlink” spread some serious cabbage around to get some planes sold.

I loved flying on the Tristar. Quiet, comfortable and roomy but the company made so many business mistakes, some far beyond the mess Jonny Hotlink got them mixed up in, the plane had no chance in the highly competitive aircraft market.

 

[epicuric]

I loved flying on the Tristar. Quiet, comfortable and roomy but the company made so many business mistakes, some far beyond the mess Jonny Hotlink got them mixed up in, the plane had no chance in the highly competitive aircraft market.

There is one sitting abandoned on the runway of Nicosia airport. It's been there since the war in 1974 when the airport was sealed off and placed under UN control. Quite an eerie sight.

 

[caseydog]

I've been asked twice to attend, I said as I was self employed I didn't have time as I never knew where I was from day to day. I was excused. I would attend now though as my time is more free.

Russ

Self employment doesn't work here. I know, I'm self employed. It has to be something like you are a single parent, and only caregiver. I got out of jury duty while I was going through cancer treatment. It has to be a major situation to get out of jury duty here.

A few years ago, I went through two days of voir dire (jury selection). They started with over 100 jury candidates, so I knew it was something big. I got eliminated in the final round.

When it was over, I looked the defendant up online. He was already serving prison time for another conviction. He was a serial rapist.

CD

 

[GadgetGuy]

Everytime that I'm called for jury duty, either the appt. gets canceled, or I'm forced to wait there for several hours there and told to go home!! Did anyone know that when you turn 70, you do not have to go to jury duty any more? I found this out the other day!!

 

[rascal]

Everytime that I'm called for jury duty, either the appt. gets canceled, or I'm forced to wait there for several hours and told to go home!! Did anyone know that when you turn 70, you do not have to go to jury duty any more? I found this out the other day!!

New one on me, maybe ageist? Don't think that rule is here.

Russ

 

[GadgetGuy]

I didn't know that one either!!

 

[caseydog]

New one on me, maybe ageist? Don't think that rule is here.

Russ

You are excused from Jury Duty, but not prohibited from serving -- at least here. Some retired seniors like jury duty. It is something interesting to do when you no longer have a job to go to.

CD

 

[caseydog]

My county (jury duty is by county here), has a pretty good system. If you are not expected to be needed the next day for duty, you can get a robocall or text message the evening before. You can also call an automated system the evening before duty to find out if you are needed.

CD

 

[ElizabethB]

Maybe because I served in the USN and USNR I think of Jury Duty as a civic responsibility and not a burden. Yes it can be inconvenient, yes it can be boring and annoying (Personal Injury cases). The trade off is participating in a process guaranteed by our Constitution. Serving as a Juror is an education.

Monday I woke up thinking about the trial and the child. That happens frequently. That child will haunt my dreams for life. It has been over three months since the conviction. What if the sentencing is today or tomorrow? I called the Federal Court. The woman who answered the phone told me that it was a coincidence that I called at that time. The case file was on her desk. Sentencing was originally scheduled for yesterday - Tuesday. Sentencing has been rescheduled to January 28th. 2020.

I want to be there for sentencing. I NEED to be there. I need closure.

The victim and her two younger brothers live with their Mother and her husband in Barksdale, CA. The Court can not force them to provide her with the counseling that she desperately needs.

That precious child will live with me forever.

 

[rascal]

Self employment doesn't work here. I know, I'm self employed. It has to be something like you are a single parent, and only caregiver. I got out of jury duty while I was going through cancer treatment. It has to be a major situation to get out of jury duty here.

A few years ago, I went through two days of voir dire (jury selection). They started with over 100 jury candidates, so I knew it was something big. I got eliminated in the final round.

When it was over, I looked the defendant up online. He was already serving prison time for another conviction. He was a serial rapist.

CD

Just reread this, sorry you had cancer, hope you're cleared? I hate the word!!

Russ

 

[rascal]

Maybe because I served in the USN and USNR I think of Jury Duty as a civic responsibility and not a burden. Yes it can be inconvenient, yes it can be boring and annoying (Personal Injury cases). The trade off is participating in a process guaranteed by our Constitution. Serving as a Juror is an education.

Monday I woke up thinking about the trial and the child. That happens frequently. That child will haunt my dreams for life. It has been over three months since the conviction. What if the sentencing is today or tomorrow? I called the Federal Court. The woman who answered the phone told me that it was a coincidence that I called at that time. The case file was on her desk. Sentencing was originally scheduled for yesterday - Tuesday. Sentencing has been rescheduled to January 28th. 2020.

I want to be there for sentencing. I NEED to be there. I need closure.

The victim and her two younger brothers live with their Mother and her husband in Barksdale, CA. The Court can not force them to provide her with the counseling that she desperately needs.

That precious child will live with me forever.

I started watching a murder channel the other day, it was about a wee girl, when I heard it, I changed channel. It does my head in how an adult can hurt a child!!

Russ

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I changed channel. It does my head in how an adult can hurt a child!!

My (ex) step father was a criminal lawyer. He wad a crown prosecution lawyer (CPS). One of his cases was a particularly awful murder. The father of the child (18 months old) stabbed the mother to death and then some (128 stab wounds, knife tip broken off in vertebra), in front of the child on the sofa, then put the child to bed as though nothing had happened. And left.

It was a neighbour thay called the emergency services the following day because she could hear the child crying and crying which she knew wasn't normal. The kid was still wearing the blood soaked pjs...

That's one case that will haunt me for a long time.
Another is a sexual abuse case I was helping CPS on. I won't cover that. It's too bad.

 

[rascal]

My (ex) step father was a criminal lawyer. He wad a crown prosecution lawyer (CPS). One of his cases was a particularly awful murder. The father of the child (18 months old) stabbed the mother to death and then some (128 stab wounds, knife tip broken off in vertebra), in front of the child on the sofa, then put the child to bed as though nothing had happened. And left.

It was a neighbour thay called the emergency services the following day because she could hear the child crying and crying which she knew wasn't normal. The kid was still wearing the blood soaked pjs...

That's one case that will haunt me for a long time.
Another is a sexual abuse case I was helping CPS on. I won't cover that. It's too bad.

Giggle arthur Allan Thomas , he was tried for murder and left 1 or 2 ? Kids in their beds overnight as well. One of nzs famous murders.

Russ

 

[caseydog]

Just reread this, sorry you had cancer, hope you're cleared? I hate the word!!

Russ

Thanks Russ. I've been cancer free for about 12 years now. I would have been in the middle of daily radiation treatments at the time of my jury duty date, so there really was no way I could have served on a jury at that time. The court excused me, with a letter from my treating doctor.

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Giggle arthur Allan Thomas , he was tried for murder and left 1 or 2 ? Kids in their beds overnight as well. One of nzs famous murders.

Russ

I actually saw the autopsy photos as well as tbe crime scene photos. The first are the ones I will remember for the rest of my life. I was a teenager at the time (still at school but used to work holidays attending court for my now ex step father (it was his firm)). They were an eye opener. Still would be tbh.