From: miranda@cs.umass.edu (Message Mistress) Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 09:26:34 -0500 (EST) In honor of my having been called for jury duty this week (grumble grumble), today's offering comes from a helpful publication sent to me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, entitled, "Trial Juror's Handbook." The pamphlet contains questions and answers about jury duty, but I thought the answers were boring, so I'm only including my favorite questions. Feel free to make up your own answers and send them to me; I will compile them and sumbit them to the court as suggestions when I report for service. (Well...or maybe I will just use them for next week's coffee message.) At any rate, enjoy the questions, and don't forget to perform your civic duty by reporting to the lounge at 10 for coffee, etc. -MM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- What should I wear? Will I be informed if a trial is going to be a long trial? Are many people excused from serving on a jury? Why is a jury required? Why does the court need juries to decide cases? What is a court? What is evidence? What are jury deliberations? How should I act during deliberations? Being a juror is very difficult. What if I am not smart enough to be a good juror? Suppose there is a lawyer or other professional person on the jury with me. Should I agree with whatever the person says? What are the most important qualifications of a juror? May I take notes during the trial? How should I act as a juror outside the courtroom? May I discuss an ongoing case with anyone? Why do judges allow cases to be settled after they have begun? Doesn't this cause much jurors' time to be wasted? Will I learn anything as a result of being a juror?