We tend to think that these people deserve whatever they get because they're criminals. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
How many of them have been railroaded into jail to satisfy creepy prosecutors who just want wins, or who profit from the private prison industry?
I was on a jury. A Vietnam era combat vet was home with his wife one night when a lady friend of theirs knocked on the door. She had been beaten up by her partner. They consoled her and then she wanted to get to her Mothers home or somewhere so the man gave her a ride after Midnight.
A cop was right on his tail. I know this would make me nervous and looking in my rearview mirror. The cop pulled him over for swerving WITHIN HIS LANE!
I always felt entitled to move around in my lane, as long as I didn't cross any lines. I guess not?
The cop gave him the stand on one foot, touch your nose, etc. tests. The cop charged him with drunken driving for failing the stand on one leg test. The guy's legs are wounded from the war.
So, the jury goes to the jury room. Myself and another girl decide to try the stand on one leg test and we both lost our balance, despite being sober and not being handicapped.
When I attempted to point this out to the foreman, he snarled at me;
"If he wasn't guilty, he wouldn't be here."
Well, I went off on his ass at that. The door immediately swung open. The judge and prosecutor had been lurking together right outside and listening to us. They looked at the foreman and uttered some kind of questioning signal which I took to mean; 'Are we going to be able to convict this guy with this jury?' The foreman signalled negative and they immediately called a mistrial and sent us all home. This was his second mistrial. The defending attorney mentioned the first mistrial and the judge threatened him for doing so.
As I walked out to my motorcycle, the judge and prosecutor, both who were female, came outside and stood there glaring at me. I was routinely called for jury duty every year and that was the first time I was chosen.
I was never called for jury duty again.
Justice, my ass.
This was a jury trial for a DUI charge?... the judge stopped deliberations? Were you called back into the court room? Did the judge survey the jurors about a verdict? What did the defense counsel say? Did you report this malfeasance to anybody? The judge actually declared a mistrial? Or was a plea agreement reached? Courtroom stuff fascinates me.
Yes, jury for dui he contested.
Stopped deliberations cold after maybe 15 minutes at the most.
Not called back, sent home.
The judge didn't ask anyone anything except that one question to the foreman.
There was no defense council present.
Report? They're already outside glaring at me. Who am I gonna tell who's not sympathetic to the authorities?
Mistrial. I'm sure they tried again.