A judge can kick you off the jury panel, but he or she doesn't have to let you just mosey on your way. Yes, you will get kicked off, but you are still ours for the day. Other people are going to repeat the same ridiculous statement. If the judge says, okay, you're excused, just guess what's going to happen. We have called in 50 to 100 people on average to hear a particular case and someone blurts out some crazy opinion. Make your politically incorrect statement and you WILL be kicked off the jury. The one that writes some totally outrageous statement on the juror questionnaire about their view on world order. Private only means that you are not disclosing private issues in front of the entire courtroom. What you say will be written down by the court reporter as part of the public record. Private means that you will go in the judge's office with the attorneys, the clerk, the court reporter and any parties related to the case. Slip it to court staff and the judge will see it. You can write a note to the judge about any concerns you may have. Not every person is gifted with an outgoing personality and disclosing a private issue in a packed courtroom full of strangers can be difficult. The jury selection process, Voir Dire, can be quite intimidating. Something that is distressing and does not allow you to concentrate. You may have something going on in your personal life that has consumed your attention, a divorce for example. You may have been the victim of a crime and being in another courtroom is traumatic for you. Examples are overactive bladder issues, attention deficit disorder, mental health issues, cognitive delays, health concerns, pregnancy, and so on. Private issues are another way to get removed from a jury. Hats can loosely be defined as anything that covers the head. Also, women who are wearing hats as part of an outfit are usually allowed to do so, especially older women. Anything on the head that has a religious association is acceptable and no one should ask you to remove it. HATS: Hats are NOT allowed in the courtroom as it is considered disrespectful to the system. You don't have to wear your Sunday best, but be clean and cover up. Have you ever seen that roving e-mail depicting Wal-Mart shoppers? Court is errily similar to that. For jurors there are no dressing guidelines. The Judge hates it, but he knows how crabby I get if I don't have my caffeine =)ĭRESS CODE: Wear layers because courtrooms are generally cold. I always sneak a Diet Coke in under my desk. SNACKS & DRINKS: Fine in the orientation room not the courtroom. You really don't want to find out if this particular guy in the robe is a confiscate for the day or forever kind of judge. Most courtrooms have sophisticated sound systems that will buzz and hum when a cell phone goes off or is logging on to the internet. The juror was given a piece of paper and a pencil and told to write an apology to the judge.ĬELL PHONES: Fine in the orientation room not the courtroom. I once worked for a Chicago judge that had someone taken into custody for doing this. Never read when the judge is on the bench and speaking. However, judges tend to be a traditional group of people and reading in the courtroom is considered disrespectful. You will send the deputies into a tizzy and they will confiscate your afgan for the day. For example, you can knit to your heart's content in the orientation room, but in the courtroom a knitting needle is considered a weapon. The second part is the questioning in the courtroom. You will probably be tortured with some terrible movie on your civic duty and the system. The jury selection process is in two parts.įirst is the orientation room. Remember, you will be going through security. Expect this process to take all day and pack a bag with things you may need.
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