I just got done with 2 days of jury duty. The whole process was really interesting. Not only because of all the interesting characters I met, but the whole judicial process. I took the bus into downtown Portland on Tuesday morning (which was actually quite nice!), went through a metal detector and scanner (like at the airport, I even had to take off my shoes) then waited in a large room (holding pen) with about 200 other potential jurors. We got instructions on how to be a good juror and then the waiting began. Every so often an official would come up to the front and announce a group of jurors names. It was dead silent in the room like waiting for our execution. We waited silently to hear all the names called. Not mine! They called a second group, not me again. They call a third group, not me again, dang! They call a fourth group of 35 people and they finally call my name. We are told to go to the fifth floor of the courthouse and wait. We all file up the stairs and catch breath as we reach the fifth floor (mental note I need to do more cardio).
Once in the courtroom we are then questioned. Everyone had to state their name, what they did for work, who they lived with and their occupation, did we know any police officers, and have we been on a jury before. It was fun hearing about all the people in the room and their answers. One very gay man said in a sassy voice with pride that he lived with his partner of 17 years and he had dated a few police offices, I had to laugh a little. Maybe you had to be there. We were all told to wait in the hall as they picked their 12 jurors. Waiting. We came back into the room and waited for then to call our names. It felt like being picked for a basketball team. You wanted to get picked, we came all this way and waited so long already. They started calling names, Smith, Richardson, Young, Cottam Yes!!!
I took my place on the second row of the jury box. They thanked everyone else for coming as they left and then we were alone with the lawyers, judge and the defendant Mr. Dude. The judge has a long name Youlee Yim You? She explains to us that this is a criminal trial. Mr. Dude has been charges with being in possession of stolen merchandise & Meth. Our job to decide if Mr. Dude was knowingly in possession of a stolen laptop & Meth.
The trial begins. First witness is Frank a local college kid who got his laptop stolen from his car. He tells us how his laptop was stolen and what day, which he cannot seem to remember too well (You would think he would of looked this up before making a court appearance)!
Then came in the police officer that made the arrest. Officer Jensen told us how he was on patrol on Saturday night and found me Dude parked in a parking lot at 2am in an empty parking lot. He asked what he was doing and he said he was cruising the web on his "new" laptop. Yea Right! He made him get out of the car and he searched Mr. Dude. He pulled out of his pocket a pipe, and Mr. Dude said "o yea that is my crack pipe"! Officer Jensen then searched his vehicle and found an electric scale, 150 small Baggies, 3 cell phones and the laptop. Officer Jensen asked Mr. Dude where he got the laptop and other items from; he said he got them at a garage sale? OK. He could not remember where the garage sale was (Conveniently). Mr. Dude is arrested!
A man form a lab comes and tells us how he tested the pipe and scale that were found on Mr. Dude. They test positive for meth, (Duh). We wrap for the day.
Day 2.
I don't have to be to court until 9am yea! The bus is overly crowded this time and I have to stand sandwiched between to bad smelling men! Really would a little deodorant kill you? I climb the five flights of stairs and wait in the juror room to be called into court.
It is fun when you walk into court and everyone is standing for you! The Defense calls their only witness, Mr. Dude. Mr. Dude tells us that he was at a garage sale when a man came up to him (that was not part of the garage sale) and asked him if he was interested in buying a laptop computer out of the trunk of his car. Isn't that a cliché, buying stolen items from a trunk of a car? Anyways, he said he did not ask he why he was selling it or his name, he just thought he was getting a "great deal".
The prosecution cross examines him and makes him look dumb! The both do their closing arguments and we are sent in to the small Juror room to decide Mr. Dude’s fate. It is rather an odd thing being asked to judge someone! We start off doing a vote of guilt vs. not guilty. It is 8 guilty 4 not guilt. What! I thought it would be a slam-dunk! We went around the room and each individual was asked to explain why he chooses what he did. I said that I chose guilty because, anyone who buys merchandise out of a trunk should know that the item is hot! If you honestly had something to sell you would use other channels! Also the computer still had files, photos and programs of the college student Frank. Even if he honestly did not know he bought a stolen item the first time he turned on the computer he would of known something wasn't right.
After one turn around the table 2 jurors turn their vote to guilty. In a criminal trial you only need 10 out of 12 jurors to agree. The 2 that chose not guilty, honestly must not of understood the charges or something. Never the less we filed back into the courtroom to deliver or verdict.
The scene plays out like a scene from Law and Order. We the jury fined the defendant Mr. Dude guilty on all charges! Mr. Dude looks pissed, so does his scary crack head girlfriend! The defendant asked to pull the jury to see who said guilty and not guilty. I was a little reluctant to raise my hand, I don't want to get beat up outside the courthouse! We are then dismissed the juror room.
The Nice judge with the long name comes in and thanks us for serving on the jury. I asked her what is going to happen to Mr. Dude now? She said he would most likely get 18 months probation and possibly 2 months in jail. That doesn't seem too bad! We are free to go! Its is about 330pm so I make my way home on the bus. This time there are no smelly guys squishing me.
The whole process was so interesting to me. It makes me wonder why people are so reluctant to go to jury duty. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend it! Believe me it is highly out of the ordinary! And if you get on another jury for Mr. Dude, tell him hi for me! :)
10 years ago
