Posted on 06/21/2005 2:33:42 PM PDT by lainie
BALTIMORE - On Day 2 of deliberations in a city murder case, the jury foreman passed an unusual note to the judge: "After arriving home from jury duties I found out my son had been [shot] in the head."
There was more: "I am prepared to continue if this is your will."
Even as his only son lay dying in the hospital, Bobby Anderson Sr. kept deliberating with 11 fellow jurors. A day later, Anderson came to court with another message for Baltimore Circuit Judge David Young.
His son had died overnight.
He still didn't want to give up jury duty. "I wanted to see this through," Anderson said in an interview about the trial that ended this month.
...
Perhaps that's why many of the jurors became agitated when one holdout juror wouldn't change her mind.
Everybody took a turn trying to convince her, Anderson said, and they pressed her for reasons why she didn't feel there was enough evidence.
She wouldn't budge.
Anderson said he spent about three hours discussing the case with the woman.
Finally, she told him she didn't feel as though she could sit in judgment. She quoted Scripture.
Later that afternoon, the deadlocked jury sent a note to the bench. "Judge, we are still unable to reach an agreeable verdict as one of the jurors states she cannot judge the defendant because of her religious beliefs."
After receiving the note, Young declared a mistrial and reset the case for August.
Some of the jurors cried out of frustration. Anderson went home to bury his son.
(Excerpt) Read more at myrtlebeachonline.com ...
This deference for a Baltimore circuit judge? (shaking head)
I thought one of the questions they ask you about jury duty is if you have any problems rendering a verdict. If this woman had religious objections to sitting judgement, she should have stated them during voir dire.
Isn't it one's relationship to God that we are not supposed to judge? There is nothing wrong with judging someones earthly activities.
Next time they ask if there is any reason you can't serve, open your piehole.
I've always wanted to serve on a jury but I've never been summoned. =(
Wanna take my spot in Georgia on the 27th? :)
This woman should have never been seated on a jury. Can't sit in judgement? Sheeeeeeeesh.
I"d be happy to have shared one of the 5 summons for jury duty I've received over the last 10 years.
I don't know about elsewhere, but in this neck of the woods once you're on a list you're more likely to be called again (and again and again.) Seems strange when so many haven't even been called once.
They should have dismissed that "christian" twit and let an alternate who knows what jury duty means finish it out. Isn't that what alternates are for?!
Does not seem to matter, around here, whether the summons is for State or federal jury duty. Can't say I've been tapped by either to the point of annoyance, but I am about to receive a federal summons for the third time. No one I know has ever been called by the feds.
With respect to this post, I'm afraid if I were that juror, the judge would have received a call from the hospital. "Sorry, your honor. This is a bit more important. Call one of the alternates."
That anxious to fry somebunny ? :-D
As someone who's done a lot of work with trials and the court system, jury deliberations are the one part of the system I've never seen. Likely, I never will; having worked in a prosecutor's office for ten years (and about to become an attorney), I will probably get bounced quickly. I hold out some hope for a civil case, though...
Same thing happened with another Baltimore Jury I sat on in the early eighties. Senior citizen could not convict a rapist because he could not send that young man to prison.
It was frustrating, but he eventually gave in.
LOL!!!! LOVE your tagline!!!
Persoanlly I think he's a lame ass excuse for a father. What the heck kind of man would leave his family to suffer thru the death of his child to sit on a frikkin jury. I'm totally disgusted by this moron.
I only have had to do a 2 week stretch. I had to be on 7 juries during that time though.
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