The million-dollar trial of two alleged drug conspirators was aborted when the judge realized almost half of the jurors were playing Sudoku while testimony was being given. What gave them away? "Taking notes" vertically.We've been on long stretches of jury duty, so we sympathize with these jurors, who had been serving for 65 days already. But this was a serious breach of ethics. How were they going to make an informed decision about these mens' fate if they had tuned out half of the evidence? And now the $1 million the government spent on the trial is down the drain.
What's the weirdest thing that ever happened to you on jury duty? For us, it was when the guy we'd been chatting with for the whole break revealed in voir dire that he had been convicted of killing someone. That, or the time one of our fellow jurors kept yelling commentary during the trial, like "No way!" when he heard a wacky piece of evidence. At least it kept us awake.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Those madcap Australians. I'd like to think that if that had happened in the U.S. (I'm assuming it hasn't) that they would face some sort of contempt charges.
Captain Negative at 2:35PM on Jun 13th 2008
2. I too have been on jury duty - a medical malpractice case, that dragged on and on. Yes, some of it was tedious, but I and others took it seriously. One juror used it as his nap time - during testimony. And yet no one dismissed him - even when another juror told on him!
David S. at 2:58PM on Jun 13th 2008
3. they should make a production out of the evidence like CSI or NCIS or Law and Order. It would keep everyone engaged and give out of work actors a job. Who ever makes the best production/show and presents the facts in the most believable way, well that's who wins.
TJ at 4:23PM on Jun 13th 2008
4.
Heck, TJ, they probably wouldn't have to go to such extremes.
Just keep the jurors in another room and let them watch the trial on TVs.
It would be just like Court TV.
Anon at 8:29PM on Jun 13th 2008
5. The one time I served on a jury caused me to mistrust the system big time.It involved a father who had gone to his ex,es house to pick up their child for weekend vistation with him.When he left the house his ex wife called police and said she thought he was under the influence. They did not locate him till he pulled up in front of his house. He refused a sobriety test and they arrested him, saying that he appeared to be "high stepping' a term used for the way a person under the influence of drugs walks.. The defense said that the wife was angry because she had wanted the boy to take him to Disneyland for the weekend and had made up the story about him being on drugs. Anyway, when the trial was over we were given the usual instructions and sent to deliberate.As soon as we got in the room several people were ready to declare him guilty without even going over the evidence. By the way, on the jury was a prison guard and the wife of a sherrifs sargeant. I protested and said we should discuss it. I was of the opinion that since the police had not stopped the guy until he was in his driveway that he could not be charged with public driving under the influence, and it was their word aginst his . Anyway, after a while I reluctantly agreed to give a guilty verdict. Then a young woman on the juror laughed and said, I went to have dinner at the Restaurant where the guys wife worked and she told me what ajerk he was. I said, wait a minute you were told not to discuss this case outside the courtroom much less with the defendants wife. Every p[ooh pooh this and voted any way to convict him. I was angry but did not speak out and I regret it to this day . whether the guy was guilty or not, he did not get a fair trial. The bailiff knew that I was upset and he came up to me afterword and said, if it makes you feel ny better, this guy has been in here before on the same charge . No I did not feel any better. It has haunted me these last 20 years and I hate myself.To make matters worse the judge who presided over the trial was caught giving a sentence break for a young gal for doing a hoochie dance for him in the courtroom. It was his idea. God help that is true. I have never had a good feeling about the jury system since.
audrey hobbs at 3:50PM on Jun 14th 2008
6. audrey,
Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing that story.
Captain Negative at 4:29PM on Jun 14th 2008
7. It's been my experience, from being in enough staff meetings, that people don't need a Sodoku puzzle to tune anything out.
What they should do is administer the jurors a quiz after each day's deliberations...I bet that would be a "wake-up" call. ;)
Cadeaux at 12:00AM on Jun 15th 2008
8. Audrey, I was that defendant, and I don't blame you for sending me to my execution. Even worse, instead of killing me, the judge sent me back to live with my wife! Talk about eternal damnation!
david michael at 2:52AM on Jun 15th 2008
9. A 65 day trial with 2 defendants? I'm surprised the jury even came in after 2 weeks.
IRONBLUEEYES at 6:06PM on Jun 15th 2008