Jury Duty

This week I have had jury duty. Monday and Tuesday involved sitting in a room and reading for awhile then being sent home. Then on Wednesday I was actually sent to the courtroom. As we entered the courtroom my number was called and I was juror number 9 in the box. I don't like voir dire as an attorney and I don't like voir dire as a juror.

I have one piece of advice for the prosecutor who voir dired me: ask more questions. The following is a near transcript of the voir dire.

Prosecutor: I see you are a student, what are you studying?
Petition: Law
Prosecutor: What year are you?
Petition: 3rd

Prosecutor then sat down and accepted the panel. Defense attorney got up to do her part.

Defense attorney: Do you have an idea what you are going to do after law school?
Petition: I don't have a job offer yet, but I know what I want to do.
Defense: What is that?
Petition: Public Defense

The prosecutor visible reacted to that answer. Needless to say I made the jury.

I was very disappointed when we had a directed verdict. I really wanted to see deliberations. Mr. Prosecutor seemed to forget that drugs are required to prove a possession of drugs case. He couldn't find them. Moot point really since he also failed to prove possession. I did a quick poll of the jurors to find out how they were leaning. They were all leaning not guilty but for a different reason. They didn't find the possession issue that I concerned myself with interesting. They keyed in on the minor inconsistencies in the officers testimony.