I guess opinions vary... what is yours?
Recently, I got a notice in the mail. Yes, @papa-pepper has been selected for jury duty. For about the next three months, I am on standby in case jurors are needed for a trial. My first potential opportunities are coming up later this week, and personally, I'm excited.
AN INCONVENIENCE?
I understand that while there is no guarantee that I will even have to serve, jury duty can still be seen as an inconvenience. I would even have plans for the end of this week if it wasn't for the potential of me needing to go to court. It seems that many people generally feel negatively about jury duty, but I think that there is a real opportunity here.
While many may see jury duty as a foe, I do not. Since I live in this country and can only change so much, I feel that it is best for me to do the most I can with the opportunities that I am given. Therefore, I view jury duty as another opportunity. I think that the fact we even have the option to jury trials is a huge plus, and ultimately, it is supposed to be part of a checks and balances system to help the people not be oppressed by the government.
Even if it pales in comparison to what it used to be, we still have the opportunity to be an educated people and understand more fully exactly what some of our rights and freedoms are. I will go deeper into the potential benefits of jury trials as I continue this series.
RARE OPPORTUNITY
Ultimately, the people have the capability to use things like jury trials as a way to defend themselves against tyranny and bad laws. I realize that this doesn't always work, but it stands a greater chance at working when people really understand what it going on. I am not going to try to find any valid excuse to get out of this opportunity, but will rather embrace it.
I know many people in this area who have been here for decades and never been selected for jury duty. Some would say that I am "unlucky" to have been selected after only living here for a couple years. However, I believe that there may be a reason for it. Perhaps I will have the opportunity to help an innocent person. Perhaps I will be used to make sure that "justice is served." Perhaps I won't get selected at all. Perhaps I will have an opportunity to protect someone from a "bad law." (More on that next time.)
TO BE CONTINUED...
Maybe this situation is just to prompt me to share more about this topic with others, like my children, or even all of you. It's been a while since I really studied some things like this out, so I am also glad to have the opportunity to research some more and refresh my education.
Have any of you ever been selected for jury duty? Do they even have such a thing where you live? If you have been selected, what was your response? Do you view jury duty as a friend or foe?
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
bad law=Jury Nullification....
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Part 2, I agree.
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you'll never get on the jury if they find out you know about jury nullification.
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Yeah, I figured I could use it as an easy way out if I wanted out, or I'd have to hide that fact to stand a chance at actually getting selected.
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If you ever want to get pick for jury duty just SHUT up and don't express your opinion! Lawyers deliberately select uneducated people so they can manipulate them during trial. If you show any intelligence then your likeliness of being selected as a juror is almost none!
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yes, so sad. i learned this at an early age, as my grandpa was kicked off a jury for knowing about trucks, and yet the case was about trucks.
as if the people that understood it best wouldn't be the best at understanding and deciding the case, but they don't want you to think, they want you to do what they tell them, to understand it as they present it...
it really represents a injustice to justice in my mind.
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I always point out during the selection process that I am a proponent of jury nullification. Haven’t been seated for a trial yet though.
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Probably why you're not selected. They want an obedient jury
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Interesting. How many times have you been called in for jury duty?
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Three total, but the last time no one called in was needed and we were all released before 10:00 AM. That was Colorado where you phone in every day for one week. At the end of the week, or if you have to report and aren’t used, you’re done for the year. I believe professional jurors might be a viable option.
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You should learn to shut up if you ever want to be part of the jury...........
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True. Better to keep quiet about it.
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Was going to post the same thing
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I bin the letter, ignore it and hear no more. If they did come back to me by phone I would just say I never got the letter, but it doesn't happen.
And that is an example of why you have 2.4 million followers and are the most popular person on Steemit, while I'm a totally negative tool, but we are all different!
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Lol, funny on the last part, but I should have read the first part before posting on the blockchain, huh?
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The blockchain is all just a fictional world! :)
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you could also possibly have possession of some children under the age of << insert your local laws age >> which makes it impossible for you to help cage your fellow man.
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My brother-in-law was arrested for contempt of court doing just that.
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I know I wouldn't want to live in a country where everything was decided by government officials.
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Yeah, you have to deal with the hand that you were dealt sometimes until you get other options. Thanks @azurejasper!
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Your post has been resteemed to my 2500 followers
Upvote this comment if you like this service
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Cool, thanks!
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Jury duty carries great responsibility. It is the footing to any legal system and needs to be dispensed with great thought, care and caution remembering it's up to the prosecution to prove guilt not the defense to prove innocence. Good luck. I have confidence you will be dispensing the responsibility well.
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I agree. Thanks @brian-rhodes!
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Be well.
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Acá en Venezuela en un tiempo fueron seleccionado jóvenes mayores de 18 años para servir de jurado en la corte, y a mi me seleccionaron, vi tanta injusticia que me esquivé y no participé más. y se siente mucha impotencia ver como amenazan a una persona si no apoya un juicio favorable, es tanta la tensión que temes hasta por la seguridad de tu propia familia. No sé si será cobardía, pero es mejor que digan: "aquí corrió un cobarde"; y no, "aquí murió un valiente".
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Maybe check out the work of David-Wynn: Miller before you report for duty, @papa-pepper! He has an enormous amount of knowledge in this area. You can find him at: http://dwmlc.com/. The important issue is that these are kangaroo courts, fraudulent corporations and anyone who voluntarily participates gives consent to fraud. The only Constitutional Court in America is The United States Court of International Trade, which is a national court established under Article III of the Constitution. The US Corp was forced to form this court bc other countries would not trade with the US Corp without having a true legal Constitutional Court for redressing peaceful trading concerns. Here is a sample of Miller's work:
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Wow, thanks! I figured some advice to check out info would come in. Thanks!
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Sure thing! Best of Luck! Looking forward to hearing what happens. If you where a civil American flag pin (our true flag that represents America as a peace-time nation of traders, not US Corp in perpetual war doing commerce) then you would most definitely be dismissed on the first day, FYI. You can find one of those here: http://uscivilflags.org/products.html#pins
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LOL - go figure! Thanks!
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Anyone who isn’t intelligent enough to get out of jury duty ought to be barred from serving on a jury.
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LOL, you are not alone in those thoughts.
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Trying to get out of jury duty is great material for comedy. One comedian said, "Being on trial is scary, because your life is in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty."
Once when I was in the selection pool, I came within 1 person of being selected. I almost wanted to be a part of it, just for the experience, but on the other hand, unpaid time away from work would not have been good. It was informative to see the process up to that point.
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That's funny!
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Jury nullification!
Spot on!
;-)
Namaste!
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Absolutely!
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Friends
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I think I would call it a civic duty. Go and do the job to the best of your ability as you would any other job that has been assigned to you.
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Yeah, I try to be a faithful steward of whatever I am called to do. Thanks!
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You get the opportunity to serve the community. Also, you are forced to participate with threat of governmental punishment.
The Best Point of View: It's a positive inconvenience :)
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I agree, I can't change it all, but I don't have to ignorantly participate.
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I was summoned twice when i was living in Georgia but i was a student and that was my get out of jail free card
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Wow! Twice?
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Yep, it was weird both times because I was still a student lol
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Oh where to begin... oh at the Bullying that they use tO command your presence... do it or go to jail. They should make it voluntary as there are numbers of seniors that are retired with little else to do, this would be a great benefit for them and us as they tend to be more simple, honest and have experienced a lot.
Well I could go on, but here is an old rant IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED: https://steemit.com/life/@kyusho/jury-duty
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That is a good point, and thank you for the link.
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This is my thought Papa P : https://steemit.com/story/@goldmatters/turning-civic-duty-into-gold-with-goldmoney
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Thanks! I guess I could wear my GOLDMONEY shirt too!
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Only if you want to look even MORE AWESOME THAN YOU ALREADY ARE!
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Oh this too: https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@goldmatters/turning-civic-duty-into-bitcoin-with-goldmoney
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If you are selected, I hope it won't be a long drawn out case for you and your family's sake. But you are right that it is your opportunity to have an influence and a means of serving others. I am curious to find out how it will play out.
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This sounds like an exciting opportunity. Personally I’ve never been selected, but look forward to it if ever called!
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We will see....
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I was called twice. At first I wanted to get out of it. Then thought it is my civic duty and important part of any freedom we have here. When I found out it was a murder trial I wanted to get out. The reason being it might last a long time and I might get sequestered. Can't be away from my cats you know. Luckily the Judge rejected me. Good luck with your adventure Papa.
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If things seem really bad, I think I can get rejected pretty easy.
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I bet you can. lol
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I actually think it’d be neat to get called to jury duty. I like a good debate, so I think it’d be right up my alley.
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Which means you'd be thanked and dismissed before the trial starts. My hubby's the same way. He eventually got chosen for a lesser trial but he was disappointed when he got passed on for the big one!
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I never really gave it much consideration until now, but figured I can make the best of it.
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I wouldn’t like to feel the fate of someone else’s life would be in my hands. But you gotta do what ya got to do.
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I can understand that.
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Well, I used to believe in jury duty.
But, now I know so much about law, and the shenanigans courts play that I would probably have the really strong urge to burn the joint down if ever I was forced to be in that building.
Things like the courtroom being on water. Look for the flag. If it has frills around it, you are on a ship on the seas. (judgements often about currency = current sea = the flow of the sea) Thus, it is not an american, or a state court.
Courts also have training manuals to let 3% of the cases win, so that they are not instantly seen through. To give everyone that "golden ticket" chance.
The propaganda I was fed when I was a juror now makes me sick to remember. However, now that I know about jury-nullification, I might be able to make it through a case.
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Yeah, jury nullification is what I will talk about next time. If only one juror on every jury knew about it...
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I agree with all of the commentors who have spoken about the opportunity for jury nullification but I would add that there is not a man, woman or organisation of any sort in existence who can summon me, you or anyone else to jury 'duty'.
I have had similar letters in the past making demands on my 'person' but I simply ignore them as I am a 'man' with my own free will nad would rather not sit in judgement of another man or woman for any perceived crimes they may have committed or not.
Actually, there is no demand on you to attend jury duty. It is simply a request dressed up to appear like a demand. You have a choice in every decision you make so if you choose to go, it's your choice. :)
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Interesting. Thanks @tonyr!
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Alex Jones at Infowars.com has a very good handout explaining jury nullification, which is a constitutional right as a US citizen!
I used to buy these small packets and hand them out, which includes our US Constitution and jury nullification.
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I was once called to serve on a jury. I was quite keen to do it, but my boss had a fit and refused to give me the time off. The court went along with my boss's wishes.
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Wow! The court bowed to the boss? Interesting...
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I agree! I have never been called to serve, but would do so willingly. As a naturalized citizen, I understand that iit is my duty as a good citizen to serve if called.
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It certainly places one in an interesting position. I figured since it exists, and if I wind up being selected, then I may be able to at least use it for good. We will see.
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I've found that defense lawyers do NOT want me on a jury.
can't imagine why.
Every time I've been called...I've been dismissed.
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LOL! Should I try to look like you then?
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I don't think it's the looks so much as the attitude.
I despise lawyers..and make no secret of it.
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The last time I got a notice for jury duty I was to go in on my Birthday! Needless to say, I didn't go :/
One cool thing about jury duty here is that they have a phone number you can call and enter the case number in and it will tell you if you need to report in or not. Saves lot of time sitting around and waiting.
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I grew up in Wisconsin and never got a jury selection notice, but after moving I seem to get one almost once a year. Like you, I look forward to being selected, but unfortunately every time I have been notified that I don't need to show up. In college one of the required courses was Business Law, and we had to sit in on a trial at a nearby courthouse. It was a federal case involving multiple counts of fraud and was very interesting. I wish I could have sat in on the entire trial and learned the final outcome.
I hope that if I do ever get selected that it won't be a depressing case, especially one involving children. I'd much prefer a white collar crime or civil dispute.
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My husband recently got a jury survey in the mail, our daughter who just turned 18 got one a few months ago right after she left for college. Thankfully the judge excused her. My husband hasn't heard anything back yet if he had to serve but he hopes he doesn't because he makes what they pay in a day in a couple of hours working. But I too believe it is a friend it is the ultimate responsibility to ensure justice and to prevent government overreach with Jury Nullification.
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This post has been ranked within the top 25 most undervalued posts in the second half of Dec 05. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $52.40 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Dec 05 - Part II. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
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I've never known someone that was selected for jury duty, I don't know whether to wish you luck or not. :D I would be happy to serve on a jury, if they actually let you sit on something more comfortable than the rock hard wooden seats they give you. I'd be in so much pain after the first 30 minutes that I wouldn't be able to get up. I hope it works out whichever way you'd like it to. :D
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Friend
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I have been called for jury duty a couple of times and both times I was selected. I think it is interesting to be part of the justice system and get to actually see how things really work. The other interesting thing is to witness people's prejudices and learn how the legal system attempts to work around that. The jury is advised on applicable law, but it is up to the members chosen to be able to convince the entire jury to apply the law as directed. That in itself can be an interesting thing to witness. If you are selected, I wouldn't be surprised if you get elected as the head juror and chair all the deliberations.
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I can tell a guilty person by taking just one look at them
Thus I'm unsuitable for jury duty ;)
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Welcome to the pool, I have been selected twice, and each time the trial was postponed, so as yet I can't tell you what happens next.
While a jury system may not be the best I think it is way ahead of any alternative.
I wish you well in your deliberations.
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I've never been called up for jury duty, but I don't really understand why so many get so dramatically put out by it.
There's something I call 'Pink Floyd syndrome'. When I was in high school, it seemed like everyone loved Pink Floyd. I couldn't understand it. I just don't like them. Well, come to find out, most of them couldn't name any of their albums or songs. (Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall don't count.) They just went along with everyone else, who were just going along with everyone else.
I think that might be the deal with jury duty. I think we're just supposed to dread it, because all the cool kids dread it.
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Wow jury duty ! I know you will do an awesome job if and when they choose you @papa-pepper ! 👍👍👍
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You are right. Good citizens need to serve to watch out for their neighbor's rights.
Doing it may suck sometimes....but it is a part of being American isn't it?
Hope you get it soon, but it is a short case ok!?
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I have been selected for jury service, so has my wife and a couple of the guys I work with.
It was a major pain in the butt, and very inconvenient. Not as inconvenient as going to prison for a crime you didn't commit however.
Jury trials are not so common here. So I was actually interested to see what goes on. It was dead boring really. Lots of sitting around doing nothing in a hurry.
And then being told to go home because they don't want you. Why not? What's wrong with me? Am I not tall enough? Is my "f##k the police" t-shirt not cool enough? (I'll wear my @papa-pepper t-shirt next time)
I never got selected, so I never found out what is behind door number 3.
Being on a jury is part of the responsibility part of rights and responsibilities of being a citizen. A lot of people want the rights, but are not so keen when it comes time for the responsibilities bit. But they are happy to watch it all unfold on TV and second guess everyone as if they would do something different.
So good on you @papa-pepper for being involved in your democracy. and for giving a damn about how it works and doing your bit to make it work as well as it can.
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Mentioning jury nullification might excuse one from jury duty. I suppose that it might also get one in trouble. The last time I was called, I told the judge that I believed that all drugs should be legal. Since it was a drug related case, I was promptly removed from jury duty. It is good to be a good influence at trials but in my experience, they do not want people who really think about the process and answer their questions with any real thoughtful honesty.
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I can imagine how that would work. I'm going to cover jury nullification and part 2, and it is unfortunately one of the least known about or Practiced Things in modern Jury trials.
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I wish there was a one jury duty for wall street crooks. I will be more than happy to get stuck in it for ever. This concept is like a beautiful flower on a dump of garbage.
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