If I were a superhero, I'd be The Lawsuit Settler

By adamg on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 3:55pm

Jury pool

Eager potential jurors await a case at Suffolk Superior Court today, not knowing their dreams will be dashed by The Lawsuit Settler.

Every three years, I get called for jury duty at Suffolk Superior Court (yes, always Suffolk Superior Court). Which means that every three years, I get to watch that video where the judge says that even if we don't get called for a jury, we will have still done our constitutional duty because our mere presence persuades the parties in many cases to settle.

Which further means that every three years, around noon, a court officer comes out and tells us we are dismissed for the day and that she'll see us all again in three years.

Yes, of course, that happened today. I have NEVER been put on a jury (once, I did make it into the courtroom before being dismissed). Lawyers for miles around can sense my awesome powers and go into chambers and tell the judge they're settling now - lest I get ahold of their case. What other explanation could there be? Next time, I think I should wear a cape.

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Comments

My powers

By B. on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 4:33pm.

I, too, get called to that same room every three years (even though the West Roxbury Courthouse is so much closer), and I, too, have the power to make lawyers settle. However, my abilities must not be at the level yours are at, as the lawyers are able to hold off through lunch break and into the early afternoon before running off to settle their disputes...

Nice Stephen Lynch

By tgic on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 4:56pm.

Nice Stephen Lynch reference;)

Getting rejected from juries

By Mister Goat on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 4:58pm.

A co-worker of mine was called for jury duty yesterday, but she was disqualified froma sexual harassment case because she knew people who'd been sexually harassed. Which makes me wonder--who sits on sexual harassment juries? Only the self-employed and the unemployed? It's sad, but if you've been in the workforce long enough, you've probably seen it, or at least heard about it from others you know.

Yeah, I've wondered that too...

By eeka on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 8:14pm.

I was on one where they struck anyone who knew someone who'd gotten a DUI, knew someone who'd been hit by someone under the influence, or was a member of any _______s against drunk driving.

This state doesn't have the expert witness exclusion, but I'm always immediately struck by the first person to strike jurors because of the whole working-in-human-services-and-the-medical-field thing.

http://1smootshort.blogspot.com

Jury Duty (yawn)

By Kat on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 6:07pm.

The one time I was selected was for a sexual harassment case. (Verdict - not guilty. If you're going to get a boob job, don't ask folks to check them out 'don't they feel real?' and then sue for sexual harassment.) I'm anxiously awaiting my August letter so I can do my civic duty and get a lot of knitting done.

Whoa

By Mister Goat on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 7:00pm.

She told co-workers to feel her boobs? Heck, they could have sued HER!

YA RLY

By eeka on Tue, 06/27/2006 - 8:15pm.

Was One TV in the Jurty Pool room not Working?

By Ross on Wed, 06/28/2006 - 1:22pm.

When you performed your jury duty at Suffolk County, was one TV that they used to show the infamous video not working? I was recently put on a jury in that courthouse (medical malpractice), and each day I went, one TV (to the left as you face forward), was out of comission. Each day one of the court officers would say, "One TV is not working; bear with us, for audio works in the entire room." I wondered if they *ever* planned to fix it.