Tainted for Life?

[FloraBama Kid]

I'm not a BOLD member since my service was for only 4 years but it appears I have been tainted for life; that is for Jury Duty selection.

Yesterday I sat through almost 8 hours of the selection process before I was asked a question that "nailed" my previous service at a law enforcement officer. Then of course after I was labeled as such I was not selected for duty.

The case involved among other things a charge of resisting arrest. And I was asked if I had ever witnessed disrepsect toward a law enforcement officer and if I had to give the details. On patrol in Atlanta in the 60s&70s disrepect was seen daily!

Have any of you retired/former LEO served on a jury?

[Uncle Eph]

in the small county (population wise) that I live in I have been called up for jury duty six times in the last twenty years and have been excused everytime, almost always because of working in law enforcement.  once because the defendent knew me as a CO from the joint that he had paroled from!

[Capt. Jack McQuesten]

Kid,

I don't think you have to an active trooper to be a member of BOLD. It's for any pard that has carried a star and "rode the river".

I am still carrying a badge (26 years strong) and will be "In the saddle" for a few more years. I have been called for Jury duty several times, but never selected once they discovered I was a law dawg. In my county now they have a box to check on the jury summons for "Active Peace Officer" and you are exempt from having to go to the court house at all.

[Advertising]

[California Lawdawg]

Kid,

you get right over to the BOLD web site and sign up pronto. You are eligible to become a member.


Lawdawg

[FloraBama Kid]

Lawdawg that sounds like an order I can't resist.. On the way.

[Texas Lawdog]

Ive got a jury summons for 0604.  Iam an active Officer with 34 yrs and I still get called. Last year I made the jury panel but wasnt picked for the final cut. Our jury form has a question?  DEo you have any relatives in Law Enforcement?  After 34 yrs as a Cop, Im goina believe the PO leese before I believe the crook.

[Wiley Desperado]

Don't seem right,does it? I know most of us could be as objective as the next fella! I've been called several times, never got past the first cut... something wrong with the system!! wonder if it was like that back in the real old days...guess so
wiley

[Brazos Bucky Smith]

Well, I'll be the first one then that was selected!  I wrote it down, was asked during the selection process, gave my background, Two P.D.'s, and DOJ experience.  The Defense Lawyer kept looking at his note pad, The Judge looked at me, I looked at him, we both looked at the Defense lawyer, nada!

No challange, guess what?   GUILTY!

lOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

[Texas Lawdog]

My poor wife gets called for jury almost as much as I do.  She got picked for a Murder trail and both of the ADAs knew she was married to a  cop.  They also knew me personally because I had taken cases to them to be filed.

[ladylaw45]

I got called when I was 19 and served on a murder trial.  Later after I graduated from the Acadamy and was in my year of probationary duty, again I got called.  My donkey of a LT. would not call to the city court to let them know I had to work 3-11pm that day, so he made me go to Jury Duty IN uniform and sit around for 8 hrs. knowing no one defense lawyer in his right mind would allow me on a panel.  Finally got let go-go out to County where I worked, and this "lovely" LT. lets me stew at the station about a hour (didn't have a patrol veh.) THEN says I could have the night off cause of jury duty!!!

I'm not called anymore.....

Ladylaw  

[Cuts Crooked]

Never been called for JD. But I had a partner who was, and who served on several cases.

[Utah Bob]

Called twice, rejected twice. I just assumed it was my deodorant.

[Tascosa]

Living in a fairly small city I am called at least once a year. I've only served on one jury and that was before I retired. It was to determine if the defendant needed a physco evaluation before trial. The DA and the defense Atty, (I knew them both) were both in agreement that the defendant needed to be evaluated so the just was just a formality. They even picked me as the jury foreman!!
28 years in LE and t he frist time on a jury!!!
Tascosa

[Irish Red O'Toole]

Only jury duty I've ever seen was on a civil case....medical malpractice.  Every other time I get summoned, I make it through the "state your name and background" stuff and I get thanked for coming and get excused.  The last time was a drug arrest.  The arresting officer was a girl I dated after the academy, the prosectuing DA was one of my former watch commanders, and two of the other officers involved....well, let's just leave it at "I was at their wedding" and move on.  The defense attorneys broke records dumping me.

[Cutwires Al]

I got called a few times before I moved...It was actually pretty amusing since I knew, and worked closely with most of the Prosecutor's Office Detectives..Get 3 nights off of work, sit and read all day, and maybe twice a day get called into a Pool to hang for about 5 minutes until I was asked if i knew any of the parties involved...."Why Yes Your Honor, I know Det So-and S-..How you ask?? well we had a double Homicide where I was te initial Officer, and assisted the detective for the rest of the Investigation"  hehehehe...I LOVE watching Def Attys cringe!!!!!

[Marshal Guinness Stout - Life SASS #3334]

In my 35+ years of law enforcement service, I'd been called for JD
numerous times.  The closest I'd come to actually serving on a jury was for a murder retrial on a defendant/current state prison inmate (it was a prison murder), in which I had worked with all the involved law enforcement personnel, deputy district attorney,
and D.A. investigator, as well as the prison correctional staff.  They all knew from day one that I was active law enforcement, and I immediately made them aware of all my connections with the other law enforcement/correctional/D.A. staff involved, yet they had me appear for 5 days before "Thanking & Excusing" me.
My office gave me a real hassle over missing 5 days work over it, and still not actually serving on a jury.  Typical of my life.

Marshal Guinness Stout

[Iron Mule]

hello all this is first time for me not sass or bold member yet checking to see if it will be for me first looks real good so far  ...... now to subject at hand  i am retired from one of the fed alpha bit-orgs and to let you know how dumb some of the politicians are i was the investg off of this case sorry not allowed to give too many details but in long run was pulled for jury duty on same for some reason told the pros and def teams who i was they understood but the judge said he was ashamed that some one would use an excuse like this to get out of jury duty that people in law enforcement should set the example for the citizens took about six days and another judge to get him to see the error of his ways..... you all have a happy and safe holiday and thanks for what you are doing or have done for this country

[El Peludo]

Good day, y'all,

I just dropped by to see what was goin' on with my Lawdog Pards, and read this thread, and it struck a chord for me; I have wondered many times, if having been a badge packer in the past made one inelligible to serve civic duty as a juror.  In some venues, I think it must; I think I have been "tainted for life".

I was a "San Bernardino County Sheriff's Reserve - Search and Rescue" officer from 1964 to 1968, when we moved from SBCounty to Orange County.  S&R members were sworn and badged "non-enforcement" Deputies, at that time - no academy or formal LE training; in addition to our S&R duties, we were on tap for traffic and crowd control during parades and such, and were welcome to "ride along", if we were so inclined, and interested.

After we moved to OC, I got called for JD about every two years, and one of the first questions that any attorney, prosecution, or defense asked, was if any prospective jurors were, had ever been, or were related to, or friends with any law enforcement officer, policeman, or sheriff or marshall.  Of course, I answered in the affirmative, and was always promptly excused from empanelment.  The jury commisssion would not quit calling me, though; a real waste of my time, my employers time, and the county's resources.

Just an interestin little observation from an old "non-lawdog".