I think I would challenge the legality of this

jimpeel

Well-Known Member
There is no way that I would simply allow the authorities to walk up and serve me with a John Doe subpoena. Another town in another state made the news a few days ago when they did the same thing to their residents. This is just crap.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=84623

Emergency jury duty leaves people stunned, calling their bosses

written by: Adam Chodak , 9NEWS Northern Reporter
posted by: Sara Gandy , Web Producer created: 1/16/2008 2:14:12 PM
Last updated: 1/16/2008 5:51:11 PM

Emergency jury duty leaves people stunned, calling their bosses. 9NEWS at 4 p.m. 01/16/08

GREELEY – They roamed the streets of Greeley Wednesday morning with stacks of paper and an eye out for people they could summon to emergency jury duty.

Weld County and District Court staff handed subpoenas to more than 50 unsuspecting people, telling them they had to report for jury duty Wednesday morning because many of those summoned by mail did not show.

Some of the people were just walking around town. Rosalee Rice was at the Post Office.

"It's been one heck of a morning," says Rice, who had to call her boss at Colorado Pain and Rehabilitation with the news.

Her initial ire rose when she found out the on-the-spot court order was needed because less than 40 of the 200 people summoned to court by mail turned out.

"As a resident, if you are summoned to go, you should go because it really interrupts everyone else's lives," she said.

Court administrators agree, adding there were trials that were ready to start, but were still in need of a jury.

They say this is the third time in the last two months they've had to take such extreme action. Before December, they believe it had not happened in 15 years.

Judges and administrators will be meeting to discuss what to do with all those no-shows.

(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)
 

jimpeel

Well-Known Member
This was the other story from January 11, 2008

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,321972,00.html

Vermont Deputies Round Up Potential Jurors on Post Office Sidewalk
Friday, January 11, 2008

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. — Faced with a shrunken jury pool, a judge resorted to some sidewalk justice in hopes of filling it out. It worked.

Judge Harold Eaton Jr., discouraged when a 34-person pool of potential jurors for a sex case was reduced to 20 people, sent sheriff's deputies into the street Wednesday to summon people to join them.

Caledonia County Sheriff Michael Bergeron and three uniformed deputies stopped people on a sidewalk in front of the post office, asking if they lived in the county. Those who did and were 18 or older were given a summons to report to the courthouse.

According to Bergeron, "99.9 percent were just excellent" about being summoned.

"They were great. We certainly appreciate that," he said. "We hope it won't happen again."

Defense attorney David Sleigh objected to the impromptu jury pool, telling Eaton he should postpone the draw and start with a new pool. Eaton denied the request.

The 12 jurors selected will hear the case of a man charged with two felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.
 

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
There is no way that I would simply allow the authorities to walk up and serve me with a John Doe subpoena. Another town in another state made the news a few days ago when they did the same thing to their residents. This is just crap.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=84623

Shouldn't they be going to the houses where they didn't get an answer first?
Doesn't matter to me, of course, as I'm immune due to military service, but I'd just tear the damned thing up. My name isn't on it, is it?
 

Professur

Well-Known Member
I'd have told them to go fuck themselves. Go harass the people you've already selected. They don't want to show? Well fuck you, neither do I.
 

SouthernN'Proud

Southern Discomfort
Personally, I want to see y'all tell the deputy to go fuck himself or that you wish to challenge the legality of it. Funny how our reactions change when the man with handcuffs and a gun is present. And to challenge the legality, you better have deep pockets. Lawyers willing to take that one on won't be cheap.

But hey, by all means, bluster away. Don't mind me, I'll just be sittin over here quietly watching.
 

Professur

Well-Known Member
I'd be happy to let you witness it. The only place in the world I can be made to stand jury is 3000 miles from where I sit, and even there they can't make me anymore.

Sorry sherrif, but if I'm to be ordered without warning to stand in the place of one of 160 people who 'had better things to do', it had damn well better be for one of their trials.
 

paul_valaru

100% Pure Canadian Beef
Personally, I want to see y'all tell the deputy to go fuck himself or that you wish to challenge the legality of it. Funny how our reactions change when the man with handcuffs and a gun is present. And to challenge the legality, you better have deep pockets. Lawyers willing to take that one on won't be cheap.

But hey, by all means, bluster away. Don't mind me, I'll just be sittin over here quietly watching.

I'll join you.

I don't feel like playing internet tough guy today.
 

Gonz

molṑn labé
Staff member
Hell, I'd join Deputy Fife on his quest. When they got to me in the courtroom, they'd ask me to leave by the time I ranted & raved about the lack of due process.
 

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
strange how the authority mongering falls silent when inconvenience arises.

You missed the point. They sent out letters that weren't answered. Those are the people they should've gone to first with the warrants. They already had their names. To stand in the street handing out 'John Doe' warrants shows a distinct lack of preparedness.

Lack of preparation on your part does not equal an emergency on my part.
 

jimpeel

Well-Known Member
Personally, I want to see y'all tell the deputy to go fuck himself or that you wish to challenge the legality of it. Funny how our reactions change when the man with handcuffs and a gun is present. And to challenge the legality, you better have deep pockets. Lawyers willing to take that one on won't be cheap.

But hey, by all means, bluster away. Don't mind me, I'll just be sittin over here quietly watching.

While s/he is wasting time harassing me -- I don't live in Weld County, I live in Boulder County -- s/he is not harassing anyone else. By the time s/he discovers that I am ineligible several others can escape their illegal actions.
 

2minkey

bootlicker
You missed the point.

why? because you want to point to someone else's weaseling to justify your own hypothetical actions in resistance to state tyranny and oppression through a morning of inconvenient jury duty, and i'm not entertaining that idea in the way you'd prefer?

you so funny.
 

SouthernN'Proud

Southern Discomfort
I'm not disputing that they should go after the people who shirked jury duty. I just wanna be there when certain people get approached. And I want a cut of peel's lawyer fees.
 

BlurOfSerenity

New Member
LMAO i can see people like trying to run away from deputies. "NOOOO YOU CANT MAKE ME BE A JUROR!"

but if i got served for duty on the streets, i would just go, and when being voir dired, explain that i would have an undue hardship if i served, assuming that was true. and if it wasn't true, i'd shut my mouth and perform my civic duty. other people skipped out on their duty, and i do think thats wrong and they should be punished -- i believe they're SUPPOSED to be, but in the meantime, me not showing isn't going to help anything.

*works in a circuit courthouse where there are juries*
 

jimpeel

Well-Known Member
I'm not disputing that they should go after the people who shirked jury duty. I just wanna be there when certain people get approached. And I want a cut of peel's lawyer fees.

There wouldn't be any lawyer's fees. Remember, I work for Wal-Mart so I would likely qualify for a PD. :angel:
 

BlurOfSerenity

New Member
or fall somewhere in that all-too-common awkward grey area where you make just over the maximum to qualify for the PD, because it isn't a very hight limit, but still not make enough for private counsel!
 

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
why? because you want to point to someone else's weaseling to justify your own hypothetical actions in resistance to state tyranny and oppression through a morning of inconvenient jury duty, and i'm not entertaining that idea in the way you'd prefer?

No. Because I want to point to the fact that somebody elses weasling should not be used as an excuse to put their responsibility upon someone else. If I charge you with the minor job of washing my car on the week-end, and you don't do it, am I justified in grabbing the next shmoe walking down the street to discharge your duties?
 

SouthernN'Proud

Southern Discomfort
There wouldn't be any lawyer's fees. Remember, I work for Wal-Mart so I would likely qualify for a PD. :angel:


And this is voluntary legal action on YOUR part, thereby disqualifying you from public defender services. PD does stand for DEFENDER, as in charged with a crime and defending yourself. That does not cover challenging the legality of being served a subpoena.

Next.
 

2minkey

bootlicker
No. Because I want to point to the fact that somebody elses weasling should not be used as an excuse to put their responsibility upon someone else. If I charge you with the minor job of washing my car on the week-end, and you don't do it, am I justified in grabbing the next shmoe walking down the street to discharge your duties?

last time i checked you didn't have the legal authority to summon anyone to your automobile. weak analogy. and there's really no moral weight to the task. let's see...

"jury duty"
"washing the audi duty."

hmmmm yeah not quite the same ring to them.

people get out of jury duty all the time. i bet i could get out of it eventually through jury selection, by just being a total weenie and getting tossed by counsel. in fact i'm pretty sure i would get tossed anyway because of my academic background (at least according to what i'm told by colleagues). but would i try to get out of it?

nope.

would i get all righteous in the face of some sheriff deputy and pissy about "the other guy?"

nope.

you can rationalize your own motivations however you want. and it's obvious that "the other guy" is a weasel. but at some point, the cycle must end. and somebody needs to say

"well gee, i'd planned on spending the next few days sqaundering my family fortune on prostitutes and high-grade corn chowder, but you know, as a conscientious adult citizen, and one who recognizes court authority, i think i can put off suzy wong and creme fraiche, stand up, and do my duty. thank you deputy, and good luck filling the remaining slots."
 
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