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One technique that worked for me was during jury selection for a murder trial. Prosecutor mentioned that maximum penalty would be life without parole. I raised my hand and asked, “Why is this not a capital murder trial?” Prosecutor smiled wryly and answered, but I noticed the public defender scribe an X on his legal pad, doubtless over my name on his chart.

One need not be a genius to get out of jury duty. One only needs to have a certain contempt for our justice system. Recently, I even had a personal injury attorney talk himself off a jury I was picking. It is certainly nothing to be proud of.

Juries are important. Anyone that saw the difference between the hard-working Scooter Libby jury and the out-of-control judge in the Anna Nicole Smith matter appreciates that.

–Eric

People are definitely missing the point if they think that we approve of the fact that lawyers systematically move to exclude educated people from juries, and that others can take advantage of that fact.

“One need not be a genius to get out of jury duty.”

No, but being a genius will be a serious hindrance in getting on. At least one side’s lawyers in almost every case will want people who are incapable of thinking for themselves.

Tell the Judge that you’re a physicist. You will be ejected from the jury panel at warp speed.

Brad

Working for an insurance company is also an easy out from a personal injury case.

I must be the only person in the country who wants to be called for jury duty. At least once! In my fourth decade, I’ve only been called once– by a state I had weeks before moved out of. But then, I am a scientist so chances of serving are slim, I gather.

Is being a regular Overlawyered reader grounds for jury disqualification?

“Is being a regular Overlawyered reader grounds for jury disqualification?”

If the plaintiff’s lawyer is familiar with it, there’s a very high liklihood you’ll not serve on the jury, one way or another (preremptory strike, however you spell that – our system allows FAR too many of those).

Peter – probably, in my personal experience having been called for jury duty in NY is that I tend to get kicked off juries pretty fast. Generally speaking the people that were picked the last time I went were generally people who where older than I (I’m 25) and also did not attend college. This is only my personal experience though.

It would be funny if Walter Olson were called for jury duty.

When I picked juries in New York, people would get out by pretending not to speak English. Then you’d hear them on their cellphone in the hallway speaking English.

I think I’ve mentioned at some point that not just one but two friends of mine have told me they’ve carried a book of mine with them to the courthouse because they didn’t want to be selected for jury service. One of them told me he thought the ploy worked; I forget what happened to the other.

Eric,

There was a lady on the Libby jury who was very sympathetic for the defendant. The defendant did not take the stand, and there was no testimony about Libby’s character, except that he was a Mr. McGoo with great responsibilities. Her concern seem to come from the air.

According to another juror, the jury developed the case from the exhibits from the evidence on hand. That behavior would be consistent with “hard working”. It is also consistent with a jury having members who did not, or would not, follow the evidence presented during the trial. The man was guilty as sin; It was not a difficult case. And his crime was significant.

Mr. Rove argued that Mrs. Wilson was fair game in a political scuffle, and many go along with that. Some scuffle! Mr. Libby must have been involved with the material fed to Secretary Powell for his February 2002 speech, as that material came from the office of the Vice President. Mr. Libby is NOT a nice guy.

If I ever got stuck in a jury pool, it has always been a fantasy of mine to tell the judge and attorneys during voir dire that I was an alien from another planet. And the laws of that planet forbid me from interfering with earthly affairs. I could observe, but not affect the outcome of any decision.

Just to see the look on their faces, mostly.

Speaking of non sequiturs, do you feel better now that you got that off of your chest William? If case you hadn’t noticed this thread has nothing to do with the Libby trial. And no, my comment is not an invitation for you to continue your rant.

By the way you must be the only person on earth who refers to Valerie Plame as Mrs. Wilson. I had to think twice before I realized whom you were talking about.