My jury duty ended today. The trial was long and complex - there were three defendants, each with his own attorney and jury. They were all tried in the same courtroom, at the same time. It's very unusual to have 3 juries hear evidence, together. Including alternates, there were 45 jurors in the courtroom each day. There was one victim and here are the charges against the three perpetrators:
Carjacking
Kidnapping
Robbery
Rape
Sodomy
Forcible Oral Copulation
Arson
Attack with a Deadly Weapon
Attempted Murder
Torture
At the time of the crime, the defendants were 15, 20 and 35 years old and the victim was 19. The men were loosely related; nephew, brother-in-law and uncle! Only one admitted guilt, but said he really didn't know what he was doing, because he'd been drinking! He was the oldest one, my defendant.
Our jury found him guilty of all counts, including some enhancements, except one. We didn't accept his defense regarding the drinking, nor did we accept his attorney's deflection that stabbing some one 22 times was just poking them. The one count we didn't find him guilt of was Torture; the entire experience was torturous for the woman, but didn't meet the legal definition of premeditated torture. He will be sentenced at a later date and I hope he gets a life sentence.
I can't think of anything to say...I don't understand how one person can do this to another.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, that must have been stressful for you. I bet you are glad it's over. What a list of charges. I had to do Grand Jury 2 years ago. Some of the defendants were right from the jail followed by a policeman with his gun handy. It was very different, and I didn't realize just how much people try to get away with. It's amazing what they will try. I loved it though, and would go again IF they only would ask.
ReplyDeleteB.
OMG! Jan, that was a tough jury to be on! I congratulate you for serving your country. So many people just brush off jury duty... I've served every time I've been called! :)
ReplyDeleteOh my God what a monster!!! Eww!
ReplyDeleteI don't envy you having to serve on such a case. When I did jury duty I was lucky enough to always be on civil suits. Unfortunately I did sit through a murder trial for the boy who stabbed my older sister to death. I didn't envy his jury either. Even when someone is guilty, it's a terrible thing to sit in judgment and make such profound decisions.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I congratulate you on getting through this. How stressful this must have been I can only imagine. How a human being can treat another in this heinous way is beyond me.
ReplyDeletethanks for doing your part, so many people weasel out of jury duty yet complain about our system
ReplyDeleteit must have been horrendous to hear the facts of the case
It must have been very difficult to listen to all the facts. EW! You must be exhauted.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of crap that keeps you up at night thinking! It's hard to think people do this kind of thing to one another!
ReplyDeleteI've come to dislike jury duty thanks to the last case I was on. I feel for you and what you went through. I don't like that they leave certain facts out that you need to reach your decision, I don't like that after posting my thoughts on the case after it was done, someone found me online and called to ask me about my comments. I don't like that sometimes what they attorneys think you need to know are harped on and what you want to know isn't addressed.
ReplyDeleteDo you know what happenned to the 15 and 20 year old?
Being on a jury ... is something that people just don't understand, unless they've been there. Have been, for attempted murder with all sorts of enhancements, and it was a guy who'd tried to kill his gay ex-lover, and who was HIV-positive. It's not an experience I'd care to repeat.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a trial! Glad you're free now! :)
ReplyDeleteYou must be relieved that it's over and have a great sense of accomplishment.
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