Reply #123: Sounds like you and I [View All]

[marions ghost]

could trade jury horror stories, Raine.

Absolutely I'm with you about choosing a judge (no jury) if possible.

Thanks for weighing in. I realize my opinion is not a popular one, as people like to think the system works, and they may have had one or two experiences that went OK.

I would be more in favor of the system if the lawyers were not able to hand pick the jury and everyone who agreed to do it was on it, no matter what their occupation or background. It could make all the difference in the world. The way it is, a lot of time and money is wasted while lawyers jerk everybody around trying to pack it the way they want it. And then you've got 12 people who are supposed to agree. Jurors who might differ from the pack are always persuaded to give in because everyone wants to go home. There's no way this is fair to those seeking justice.

Like I said, though, it's an educational experience because everyone needs to see how the system is gamed on a daily basis. For civil cases it's very antiquated and I argue does not work well. There are legal people who will agree, though they won't say it very publicly.