Jury Duty

[stephbg]

A week or so ago I was called for Jury Duty again. Fourth time I think. On all previous occasions I've not been able to attend because of work reasons, but right now my work situation is fluid enough that I could have gone and it might have been interesting. Or it could have been four days of waiting and one trial about unpaid parking fines.



Unfortunately the reason my work situation is fluid is because I haven't been able to work a five day week in months (I write this from home, having only managed 2 days this week). That makes the business of attending a minimum of a week's worth of trials an unlikely prospect, and there's always the prospect of getting tapped for something longer. It wasn't difficult for me to get a medical certificate, and I just received my letter releasing me from duty. I waited to post until this was confirmed.

Such a shame, really. Dedicated fan of CSI though I am, I'm intelligent enough to realise that Real Life doesn't work that way so I wouldn't have expected forensic miracles. Unfortunately due to my background in psych I have zero faith in human memory and motivation, so I'm unlikely to trust any witness-based evidence. I'd have to say I'd also be pretty unsympathetic to a defence based on a "bad childhood" or similar emotional tack.

Actually I'm not sure what I'd do if faced with some 18-year-old career criminal facing his or her first session in adult court after a lifetime of car theft, house breaking and assault, who's clearly brain damaged from substance abuse and has never had a stable home.

I was going to say "and never had an opportunity to learn better" but I think that's the bit that sticks with me - so much effort goes into social services and yet people don't take advantage of it out of pride or stubbornness or fear or shame or whatever. It doesn't work. The world is not a nice safe place for everyone. And we're not even in a war/emergency/natural disaster/heavily urbanised zone!


Frankly I think a lot of idiots out there could use a thwack across the ear. I'm by no means claiming that prison is a "holiday camp" but it's not entirely a punishment for many people who's home life is full of fear and uncertainty (unless they re-open Freo Prison - now that was one nasty place all round). I do not have a solution.

I know you can't reveal case details, but what jury duty experiences can you share? Do my attitudes appall you? I am, after all, white, middle class, educated, privileged etc and very aware of how my upbringing (and seven years of daily exposure to a deeply unpleasant eastern suburb) has shaped my attitudes. I guess this is White Guilt.

Comments

[fred-mouse.livejournal.com]

the one case that I was on, the defendant was charged with an additional small thing, on top of the several large things ze had already been found guilty for. I couldn't in all honesty be sure that the accusation was true - certainly the prosecution didn't convince me. I was certainly convinced that the *other* charges were valid. I was completely appalled when 10 of the other jurors wanted to convict, because the defendant was obviously guilty of *something*, even though they weren't necessarily even sure what the charge was! Fortunately a) I'm a stubborn bugger and b) I had support from someone else who is a stubborn bugger, and eventually we argued the rest of the room down.

Thus, I have a suspicion that there are a number of people serving sentences that they don't deserve, even if they have been Very Naughty about other things.