Jury Duty
The audio magazine is going to be a few days late! I spent almost all day yesterday participating in the very American debacle of jury duty. Here in Colorado, there are no exceptions or exemptions to jury duty. Everyone, including judges, famous actors, and the governor, has to do jury duty if they are registered to vote. (We had a City Council person on our panel.)
Here in Colorado, it’s a one-day or one trial system. You must arrive at the courthouse at 8:00 am, get through security, and then go to a large holding area to wait. I worked on editing the audio magazine while I waited.
I was called with over 30 other people to see if we could be jurors for an auto-theft trial. Everything went along. One woman was excused because she was a police officer. One person was excused because her son was a police officer. The City Council person was an ex-police detective and said he didn’t like a couple of the detectives who were witness. It looked like I was going to sit on this jury!
Then the judge asked how many people had ever had damage to their vehicle through theft or had a car stolen. Of course, everyone raised his or her hand. Slowly but surely, there were fewer and fewer qualified jurors until there were too few to get a panel. We were all excused.
The judge was furious. I think most of us were relieved. I walked out with a woman who said that she had wanted to be on the jury panel and was disappointed that she was excused. I guess everyone is different.
How does it work in your neck of the woods?
Filed under: Update
start snippet…Everyone, including judges, famous actors, and the governor, has to do jury duty if they are registered to vote… end snippet
Being registered to vote isn’t a requisite… they draw from the Colorado Motor Vehicle Database (driver licenses). How can I confirm that ?
Well - being a resident alien (whatever that means) I have a Colorado DL but cannot vote (apparently the government likes my tax $’s but my representation ends there). I was called for Jury duty last year but my Canadian Passport and Green Card were a ‘get out of jury duty free’ card of sorts
After all, it is a Jury of one’s peers - and not being a US Citizen disqualified me in that regard.
Of course, all of this becomes quite interesting in light of recent reports where Colorado DL’s were being issued (illegally) to illegal immigrants. What happens when they’re called for Jury Duty? When they fail to show a warrant is issued for the arrest - if they get pulled over they’re busted but hey, they were busted anyway as they’re illegal immigrants. If they show and try to get disqualified (since they’re immigrants like myself), their lack of proof gets them in hot water. If they decided the best way to continue hiding is to blend in - well - then is it grounds for mistrial since the jury wasn’t made up of one’s peers?
Better still, what happens if I were to ever be put on trial in the US? In light of the jury rules - does it mean I should be extradited to Canada or that the Jury should be made up solely of legal immigrants (who aren’t allowed to sit on a jury)? Clearly neither one will happen but is it such an unreasonable stretch (international law not-with-standing)?
I know — never apply logic when it comes to Government in any country - but still… it is food for thought.
Bottom line, to get called for Jury duty only requires you have a Colorado DL — being registered to vote isn’t a requirement but should it be?
Cheers
Brian Huculak
The Open Grove