Sign up for our weekly newsletter Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings. What makes a good citizen? Voting, paying taxes, following the law top list. Naturalization rate among U. Most U. If they could, how many unauthorized immigrants would become U. Follow Us. It was just like high school: the jurors got to know each other, had lunch together, shared some laughs during recess.
During the six-week trial, things could get frustrating, too: Each of us had our own beliefs and ideas—and prejudices. Mix that in with the people who were in a rush to get back to work or tired of jury duty, and we got a dead end.
This could have been the end of it. I would go on with my fashionable life, return to my husband and being a mother. But something happened for me. I found out after the trial that at the re-trial, the district attorney was seeking life-without-the-possibility-of-parole sentences for both James and Robert. It was such an awful, confusing, impossible notion to me. So I kept in touch with both attorneys. Less than four months later, in October, it began — and without James beside him, all eyes were on Robert, tattoos and all.
Another juror from the first trial, Jill, and myself decided to attend this new trial. At the opening arguments, he saw us, and, I think, recognized us, giving a small nod in our direction. I observed the new set of jurors, seated as we had been, listening to all of the same pieces of evidence.
They mostly seemed older, some a bit stone-faced, which gave me a strange feeling. I was so anxious for Robert. Later on that day, I heard from his attorney that the jurors had asked to review some evidence, which gave me a surge of confidence. Less than 24 hours later, I got a text saying there was already a verdict. When we got there an hour later, we sat down, the jurors came in, and none of them looked towards the seating area—except the last one. My heart sunk. I was floored.
Then I started to call every lawyer I could in California, then other states, getting to know the law and how sentences work. Some lucky employees often public servants will get full pay even when it isn't required by law. But, if you don't have access to these generous perks, you're a casual worker, or if you're assigned to a particularly long trial, there's a real chance you could be left worse off financially for serving on a jury.
Jurors typically serve on trials that take between seven and 12 days, though more involved matters — such as those for alleged terrorists — can take months or even a year or more, says Professor Tait. Jurors are often asked about their availability in advance if they could be selected for a particularly long trial. In court, the role of the juror is to be a "fact finder", Professor Horan says. In a jury trial, jurors are asked to decide upon the key facts of the case and return a verdict of guilty or not guilty.
In judge-only trials, the judge also takes on this responsibility. Consider someone on trial for allegedly driving a getaway car in a robbery: the jurors have to decide whether the accused intended to rob something, the extent of their involvement and whether they were acting in concert or alone, Professor Tait says.
The judge's role in jury trials, by comparison, is to deal with questions of law, such as what evidence can be presented to the court. When jurors are empanelled, they are usually given stern instructions not to talk to anyone about the case or to look up information online.
The reason is fairness, Professor Tait says. In a court room, the defence lawyers have an opportunity to explain or question any evidence that's presented to the jury. When a juror is searching around online in their private time, they might be reading something mistaken or misleading with knowing it.
The defence doesn't have an opportunity to point this out, which could lead to a miscarriage of justice. Similarly, jurors are often warned to keep off social media. The fear is that jurors could become aware of information that wasn't heard in court, that they contact people involved in the trial, or that they use social media to discuss the trial with others.
Judges take this stuff very seriously, and have even dismissed jurors who have researched online or posted about their cases on social media. Get our newsletter for the best of ABC Everyday each week. While most people are initially apprehensive about serving on a jury, those who have gone through it often value the experience.
If you're serving on a sexual assault or murder trial, you are likely to encounter confronting evidence. Don't simply ignore the summons. Contact your county's Jury Coordinator to acquire information about juror pay in your county.
The law prohibits any employer from preventing an employee to serve as a juror. The law also prohibits an employer from depriving a juror of benefits because of jury services, such as requiring you to use vacation time to serve.
If you work for the government, your employer must pay you. If your work in the private sector, your employer does not have to pay you. More people are called than actually serve because it is not always possible to estimate accurately the number of jurors who will be needed to serve each day. Criminal trials do not usually last longer than two to three days. Generally, civil trials do not last longer than three to four days. Jurors almost always go home at the end of the day.
Sequestration is a term used to describe jurors staying at a local hotel at the county's expense during the trial. Sequestration occurs rarely. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations must be made for people with disabilities. If you have a disability, contact your Jury Coordinator regarding accommodations. There is no limit. In Pennsylvania, however, anyone who has served on a trial fewer than three days does not need to serve again for one year.
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