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Home Front: WoT
HLF Jury Room Bullying
2007-12-11
Not sure how much of this is true, so take some salt. But it does demonstrate how one contrary, nasty juror can change a jury room.

I was on a jury in a murder case some years back, and it was an enlightening experience. I can easily imagine a person like William Neal.
Posted by:Steve White

#8  Today's jury system is nothing but theater anyway. Want real justice ? Then give IQ tests and pick only the smart for the jury, and don't allow the lawyers to have anything to do with jury picking.
Posted by: wxjames   2007-12-11 14:08  

#7  If this story is correct, the job of the prosecution in the retrial should focus more on the type of jurors and less on simplifying the evidence.
Posted by: mhw   2007-12-11 13:08  

#6  I'm thinking that about the time this Neal asshole said "fuck your opinion" was about the time he needed to be either taken off the jury or punched into the middle of next week. I'm for the latter option, myself.
Posted by: Jomosing Bluetooth8431   2007-12-11 09:15  

#5  Next thing you know they'll make a movie about it. Starring Henry Fonda, maybe.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-12-11 08:51  

#4  This isn't a bug, it's a feature.

Maybe, but lying during voi dire is not. When you are challenged by the prosecution and the defense, as allowed by the judge, on what you've experienced or what you believe, you must tell the truth. If during deliberations it becomes clear another member of the jury was untruthful, through commission or omission, in that part of the trial process, it's time to call the bailiff and let the judge know that a fraud was committed.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2007-12-11 08:17  

#3  Leftist grassroots movements will doubtless affect future trials in this manner. By indoctrinating potential jurors in views sympathetic to jihadists and other anti-American ideologues, they will be setting the stage for jury nullification on a wider scale in "politicized" cases.
Posted by: Grumenk Philalzabod0723   2007-12-11 07:52  

#2  This isn't a bug, it's a feature. The ability of one person out of twelve to stop either acquittal or conviction forces the jury to slow down and ponder further, something most people don't want to do.

Most people will convict a person because they are ugly, and acquit a person because they are pretty.

Most people are swayed far more by lawyer razzle dazzle than by evidence.

But the bottom line is people lamenting how they have to give up a few extra days, when their decision may put someone in prison for years. Yeah, bullying and being uncooperative isn't nice, but it's a heck of a lot better than putting someone in prison because of a bad complexion and being overweight.

Which happens a lot.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-12-11 07:33  

#1  If we go by the report William Neal is a real piece of work.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2007-12-11 01:00  

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