A Vermont judge sent his sheriff to the mall to round up a jury that could fairly try a child molester.
They stopped passers-by and asked if they were residents of Caledonia County; a “yes” answer won a summons to appear at the courthouse for jury duty immediately, right now, this minute. They rounded up 45 people that way in all, to join the 34 already at the courthouse.
Most people apparently did not mind being summoned for surprise jury service. According to the sheriff, “99.9 percent were just excellent” about being summoned on a sidewalk and ordered to report to the courthouse immediately.” Deputies were also dispatched to the local post office and supermarket.
The defense attorneys were less than thrilled with the idea of sidewalk jury.
Defense attorney Sleigh filed a motion to quash the impromptu jury pool, saying the proper way to proceed would be to simply postpone the jury draw and then draw from an all new jury pool during the next round of jury draws. Sleigh was not sure the new jurors were unbiased and he had questions regarding the method used by deputies to pick jurors. He also questioned whether picking jurors in front of the St. Johnsbury post office could provide geographic representation.Eaton noted the Charron case is 574 days old and is one of the oldest cases on the District Court docket. He rejected Sleigh’s objections and told the parties the jury draw would begin.
Dredging malls for juries is a surprisingly common tactic for judges in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Next time you see a sheriff in the mall, walk the other way unless you want an impromptu civics lesson.
Sheriff Rounds Up Jurors [The Caledonia Record via The Lede]
More From Consumerist
-
Did A Retailer Make You Buy Accessories With Your iPhone 5?
-
Report: Sears Is Failing Because It Spends Next-To-Nothing To Maintain Stores
-
Woman May Have Scored Renoir Painting For $60 In Lucky Flea Market Find
-
How To Save Money By Not Using Your Health Insurance
-
JCPenney Already Done Apologizing, Moves On To Celebrating Customers’ Return
As others have stated, it’s part of being a citizen! Be happy you don’t have to serve in the military for 2 years when you hit 18. It seems employers aren’t very sympathetic to jurors though and I got guilt tripped many times when my name was called. I never made it to any trials unfortunately.
@trai_dep & @rockergal: Not being able to pay the rent because employers don’t pay you when you’re out on jury duty is more than inconvenient.
@ninabi: That would be awesome!
Jury Nullification is just as valid as Prosecutorial Discretion and Judicially Directed Verdicts. It’s just that the system doesn’t want you to know that.
wouldn’t this violate search and seizure, particularly the seizure part.
And it would be “Ich spreche English nicht” iirc.
I am seriously LOLing at some of the outraged huffing and puffing here, and all the legal theories from the armchair lawyers.
Just because most jurisdictions issue jury appearance notices doesn’t mean that they have to do that all the time — it’s a convenience, though a widely adopted one for obvious reasons. The court and/or county can assemble a jury pretty much any way they want, and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.
But good luck standing in front of a judge and arguing that being summoned for jury duty unexpectedly is a violation of your constitutional rights. lolz.
The “pay jurors more” crowd needs to realize that the money doesn’t come from thin air. Taxes will need to increase to offset, and you will _lose_ money. I almost think they may as well force people to do it for free at this point.
I’d love to be on a jury.
Unfortunately, I have only been summoned twice. Once while I was in college (away from where I was technically a resident) and I got an automatic exemption. The second time when I was out of the country on business and by the time I got word of the summons I had already missed the contact deadline (but a very understanding court clerk didn’t give me any trouble when I did contact her).
I haven’t been summoned in 6 years. Some of my co-workers seem to get jury duty summons twice a year.
The “send the sheriff to the mall and get a jury pool” procedure was creative. And necessary because of those who whine and complain and won’t serve on a jury.
To those of you who think that was an act of a police state, I invite you to use your brain and think a little harder on this one. If this really were a police state, the government would say “to hell with a jury, let’s convict the bastard anyway”.
I do have it lucky though. If i do get called to be on a jury, my employer will still pay me, but I have to sign over any jury duty wages to them.
@CumaeanSibyl: Not registering to vote won’t necessrily keep you from being on a jury. You can be called from any public government database. Voter registration databases just happen to be the most convenient.
@Buran: Wow! You and I actually agree on something?
Hey, I guess we both are human. To an extent, anyway.
Jury Duty needs to be done, so whine all you want about how it ruins your plans and all that crap. If you were the one on trial you would want your right to a jury.
Simple answer: “I’m so annoyed at being solicited at the mall I have anger at the defendant, so I’m already biased.”
“I’m not a legal US citizen”
“That officer, is NONE OF YOUR F*CKING business.”
“If you want to see my ID or talk to me, call my attorney”
@inkhead: I understand that sentiment, believe me. But I’ve seen far too much of the courthouse end of the legal system to ever dare try to screw with the judges and clerks on their own turf. Having contempt of court leveled at you, about the only advice you’re going to get from your attorney is “Apologize, and look sincere.”
SUCK IT UP. it’s part of being a citizen