PUBLIC OPINION > Lying to Get Out of Jury Duty Should Be Punishable By Arrest
SodaHead News
2012/03/26 22:00:00
The American justice system simply wouldn't work without jury duty, but not everyone wants to participate. Every once in a while, you hear about someone trying to get out of jury duty by pretending to be undesirable -- crazy, racist, obnoxious, you name it. It's a popular sitcom topic. But when 57-year-old Susan Cole tried to fake post-traumatic stress disorder, it landed her in big trouble. Actually, she was successful. Then she bragged about it on a radio show. Now she's being charged with perjury in the first degree and attempt to influence a public servant. We asked the public if that's worthy of arrest.


If you ever do get out of jury duty by lying, you'd better be careful who you tell. More than half of respondents would be willing to send you off to the big house for it! They might not turn you in, but they'd definitely give you a dirty look. It all comes down to civic duty. As citizens of this great country, we should feel obligated to serve on an honest jury in hopes that we would receive the same benefit should we ever be tried. The biggest argument against an arrest was scope of punishment. A lot of respondents suggested maybe a ticket or a fine, but thought jail was too much.
Women Are More Sympathetic


The differences of opinion weren't enormous in any category, with most hovering very close to the overall vote, but there was a notable difference between the male and female vote. Men were typically harsher, with 62% calling for an arrest, while women fell just below the bar with 46% in favor of an arrest -- a difference of 16%.
Age Favors Arrest


Even the age difference was minimal, but it did show a visible progression. Young adults were the least likely to call for an arrest, with 48%, and the number steadily went up from there, peaking at 78% in the over 65 category.
Politics Don't Matters


Believe it or not, there was close to no difference between liberals and conservatives. With terms like "moral obligation" flying around, we expected some backlash, but both parties agreed jury duty is indeed an important part of being an American citizen. Not much religious difference, either.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about jury duty. We'd love to hear from you!






















Does anyone think that chick would have have been a fair, rational, and reasoning juror?
they havent called me back since ..been 30 yrs. now ..
Dude, you didn't need to do a poll. Look at the Drudge Report sometime.
Gibson guitar was recently raided by federal agents in SWAT gear and automatic weapons because the federal government claims the company is importing illegal exotic wood from a country which has told the U.S. federal government is NOT illegal. ALL other guitar manufacturers use the same wood from the same place but Gibson is the ONLY one raided.
Hence, laws for the sake of laws is merely a way to take power from the individual. Laws are interpretive, meaning that government can manipulate a law to fit their objective should they so wish to and there is not a thing you can do.
You people demanding a law and jail time for lying about jury duty should ask yourself if you voted for Clinton and didn't find his "perjury" before a federal judge to be a problem. Look the "injury" upon society ...
Gibson guitar was recently raided by federal agents in SWAT gear and automatic weapons because the federal government claims the company is importing illegal exotic wood from a country which has told the U.S. federal government is NOT illegal. ALL other guitar manufacturers use the same wood from the same place but Gibson is the ONLY one raided.
Hence, laws for the sake of laws is merely a way to take power from the individual. Laws are interpretive, meaning that government can manipulate a law to fit their objective should they so wish to and there is not a thing you can do.
You people demanding a law and jail time for lying about jury duty should ask yourself if you voted for Clinton and didn't find his "perjury" before a federal judge to be a problem. Look the "injury" upon society for lying about jury duty is minimal. In fact is it rational to "force" someone to do something that they desperately don't want to do if someone's life or freedom is on the line?
In other words, if YOUR Ass is on the line do you want someone just going through the motions because he wants to get out of there, or do you want someone that is thoughtful and serious about ensure YOU are treated fairly?
There are some folks that see themselves ("the people") as part of the prosecution process, there to support the state's case. As such the defendants are guilty unless they can prove their innocence beyond a reasonable. Which, of course, is ass backwards.
Additionally, with almost every case there are plea negoiations. Such pleas are usually much less than what a prosecutor would seek in a jury/judge trial. Why should I as a juror give the prosecutor more than he/she would settle for or would gladly accept fair punishment? I won't be manipulated in that fashion and I try to be honest about my views.
Hypothetical situation: you are on trial for something you didn't do. Your Jury are 90% pissed for having to be there, missing work, paying extra for child care, they are worried about loosing a job if they are freelance, English is their second language, ect. ( the negatives are endless).
This is YOUR jury. They don't want to be there. They don't understand the law (because some have only a 6 to 8th grade education). They are getting 15.00 a day and IF they don't have a car...they must take the bus.
Do I want my case in their hands? Hell no.
That's why people lie to get off. Courts don't allow hardships anymore. Maybe either more of an incentive to go? Maybe paid committees made of law students?
I don't know...there has to be a better system.
I'm a very responsible small business owner of two specialized companies and if I'm not there, my companies suffers and in some cases my guys don't work and if I'm not working I'm loosing thousands of dollars everyday, so I can go to court (jury duty) for $12.00 a day and watch some jerk (lawyers) get over paid to BS. the system; all the while I'm loosing money, my guys aren't getting paid, my customers are pissed because the work not getting done, What the hell are these liberal thinking? sorry, I forgot liberals don't think. Let me help you out, get retired people, this would give them something to do, and with all of their wisdom, they (for the most part) are intelligent people full of a life time of experience. Let them judge these people.
Leave us working people alone and when I retire; I'll do my part.
Not that it matters, but I was a senior auditor (now retired) and know first hand how you "small" business owners screw over your employees, partners, vendors, etc.. LOL!
you like that feeling don't you little man
And that emergency call that I would get would mean I have a payroll system down that Is causing thousands of people to miss a paycheck next week. Could you imagine? Do you think I would have a happy customer? sorry, do you think I would have a customer next week?
Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals; and
2. Conservatives.
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.
Some of these liberal men ev...
Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals; and
2. Conservatives.
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.
Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girliemen.
Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.
Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass. Webster definition: # 1 The demestic ASS! # 2 A person lacking in Judgement or prudence!
Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.
Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.
Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing!
Here ends today's lesson in world history: It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it. A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to piss them off.
One last thing; Move your dumb liberal ASS back to France and take your liberal friends with you!
Your friend the Conservative.
PS. Take this dumb ass you call President with you.
I guess you're too dumb to know ALL the founding fathers were liberal. VERY liberal considering they risked it all, life, limb and their considerable wealth to start the revolution and get us where we are now so some conservative moron can whine and bitch his ass off, think he can obey only the laws he likes, then calls those he don't unconstitutional. What a hoot!