Jury selection is an art form.

Mrs. TAC shows up this week for round 2. The lady decided to plea. It was a conditional plea awaiting a statement to the judge from her boyfriend Ernie who she called out for when she crashed, but denied knowing him when he showed up. She was also driving his car.

She took a $200 fine, 120 days suspended license, no jail time and has to do driving school.

Love to know what her lawyer costs were and what she spent by going thru the process she chose.

Time to update on this thread. Saw the defense attorney on derby day and he advises me she did not take the plea agreement. He has to appeal it due to the judge making the decision. Long story short.

So Mrs TAC has to go in for round 3. Prosecuting attorney wants a guilty plea of DUI and $500 fine and 6 month suspension. She refuses.

Goes back to jury trial today. She ends up with a $500 max fine and 10 days in jail. Why she didn't take what was offered to her is a mystery.

Time to update on this thread. Saw the defense attorney on derby day and he advises me she did not take the plea agreement. He has to appeal it due to the judge making the decision. Long story short.

So Mrs TAC has to go in for round 3. Prosecuting attorney wants a guilty plea of DUI and $500 fine and 6 month suspension. She refuses.

Goes back to jury trial today. She ends up with a $500 max fine and 10 days in jail. Why she didn't take what was offered to her is a mystery.

 

Did she end up with the suspension or no?

TAC, I have a question about the process.

 

Was your wife allowed to be present in the courtroom during the jury selection, opening statements and portions of the trial prior to her being called, or potentially called, as a witness? Or did she have to wait outside?

Must have been a bunch of drunks on the jury.

 

Probably at least one or two who have driven impaired.

 

She sounds like a real piece of work.

TAC, I have a question about the process.

 

Was your wife allowed to be present in the courtroom during the jury selection, opening statements and portions of the trial prior to her being called, or potentially called, as a witness? Or did she have to wait outside?

 

In one of the trials I sat on the jury, during the voir dire, they read the name of some of the witnesses...asking if anyone knew them. If you did, then they asked how so, and if it would affect their judgement of the testimony. But, I don't think that person was in the courtroom at the time.

 

Oddly enough, in the othe trial I served on...I don't remember them asking that question.

Did she end up with the suspension or no?

 

He didn't say if she got the suspension. I'm guessing she did if she got 10 days in the slammer.

Can't imagine what her lawyer cost her on top of this.

TAC, I have a question about the process.

 

Was your wife allowed to be present in the courtroom during the jury selection, opening statements and portions of the trial prior to her being called, or potentially called, as a witness? Or did she have to wait outside?

 

Thanks for bringing this up. I found the process very interesting. When the prosecution said they were going to use her as a witness she had to stand up and all potential jury members had to say if they knew her, where they knew her from and if it would influence their decision. First time about 5 recognized her. Non were excused . Yesterday only 1. She was not chosen to sit on the trial. But the first go around when the defense was going to bring witnesses, they did not have to go through the same process. They sat outside during the selection process? Not sure why they didn't go through the same thing? Maybe because they were not at the scene and only there to testify what she did or did not do during the day of the wreck?

Once a client of mine was on trial for some kind of issue where his bank was suing him for misrepresenting his finances in some manner. The bank had subpoenaed me as a witness for the prosecution. I showed up the day of the trial, took a seat near the back, and watched the lawyers go through jury selection, etc. Each one made opening statements and at some point the bank's attorney saw me in the back of the courtroom.

 

He tried to discreetly tell me I needed to leave the room. I ignored him, lol. After a few minutes he looked sternly at me and pointed at the door and mouthed "You need to leave". I blew him off and gave him a kind of an "Nah, I'm OK" look. So I stayed put.

 

After another minute or so, the lawyer stood up, made a big deal out of telling the judge that there was a potential witness in the court and asked the judge to have me removed. So the judge says "Is there a Mr. Watusi in the room". I said, "Yes, sir". And the judge makes me stand up and then gives me strict instructions to leave the courtroom and not return unless I was called by the bailiff.

 

So I had to take the walk of shame, albeit a short walk. :lol:

 

Two days later, after sitting in the hallway for 3 solid days, they settled the case and I never got to testify. I was ticked off by that. I thought I had earned my chance to speak.