Memorable experiences as jurors

[Therealbubba]

A black guys driving to work in a white neighborhood and the pole-eeese take notice and stop him for “failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign”. They decided to search his car (he was acting nervous) and found a crack pipe. No crack, just a pipe that had residue. They charged him with possession because there was enough residue to do so. The two black women and myself (a white boy) saw that this guy was getting hasseled for driving while black and should have never been stopped in the first place. We stayed hoplessly deadlocked until nine that night and he walked out free and was not retried. The arresting officers were soooo POed, but I left feeling good.

Once before that I served on a DUI that the guy refused to take a BAT. They wanted us to go on the cops testimony that he was drunk. I was the lone holdout, case dismissed. He did lose his license for refusal, but no conviction for DUI.

Therealbubba

[dougie_monty]

Last year–about the time Laker fans trashed the neighborhood around Staples Center–I was being screened for prospective jury service in the Superior Court (a civil case). One of the lawyers asked each juror if he/she had ever taken anyone to court in a civil matter.
When it came my turn I told about a small-claims case concerning a tow-truck company and my car trapped up in the hills around Topanga Canyon in 1986. I added, "It got on People’s Court." The people in the courtroom reacted mildly.
The judge asked, “Who was the judge in that case?”
I answered, “Joseph Wapner.”
He asked, “Not Judge Judy?”
I answered, “NO, THANK GOD!” (everybody laughed.)