Hello everyone,
Has it been a week yet?
Last week I received a summons in the mail. For those who don't know; it is equivalent to finding a losing lottery ticket. Most people respond with, " Again "? Or, " I just served a couple years ago ".
I am no stranger to receiving a jury summons with this being my 3rd or 4th in....well, many years. I was to report Thursday morning, the 18th of October at or before 8:15am.
There were many of us. Twenty four to be exact. For a misdemeanor crime, in a district court, they needed only six of us.
The State Prosecuting Attorney promised a quick ( open and shut case ). By lunchtime ( noon ) only the six jurors had been picked. Myself included.
We went our separate ways for lunch, as we were not bound to stay at the courthouse. By 1:30 pm, we were back and anxious for the trial to begin.
The case: Trespass
What happened: A guy and his friend were hunting with valid license and reflective clothing in an approved area for hunting. At issue was the vehicle they drove to the area through an unmarked gate.
To make a nine hour day ( story ) shorter, I will add that we eventually found the defendant "guilty". In terms of crimes and severity, misdemeanors are the least severe. The defendant will likely pay a fine and court costs and be done with it.
Would I be a juror again? Absolutely. Am I crazy? No. Do I believe in my civic, patriotic duty to serve on a jury? My rationale is that someone has to sit on a jury, whether for a day or many weeks, if only to ensure that a defendant gets a fair trial; so yes, if called again, I will go.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Trevor Dodge
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