Thoughts on Crime Punishment, and Jury Duty.

Part I

May 1, 2019

I was at Court yesterday for Jury selection.
This brought certain matters to mind.
Justice, and law very rarely meet. Both are multifaceted, and usually contradict. One the arbitrary rules of civilization built up over many generations. The other instinctive rightness. Which is intuitive, and eternal.
In it's more extreme circumstances matter, and anti-matter. Which has an inevitable reaction when they meet.

Part II

On this grey chilly May Day I went for Jury Duty. The Brooklyn downtown Supreme Court Building. No personal photos they took my camera while I was there. Met a bunch of nice folks.
It was like getting drafted. You meet the whole cross section.

There was a "pony show" where they explained our rule of law how it applied. The nature of our sort of democracy,...such as it is. Mostly we just sat, and waited.

It was a bit anti-climatic for me.
In the approval interview I was excused for medical reasons. Apparently health matters more now. Before if you were breathing you were in. My recent surgeries, and ongoing conditions were an issue.
So no Perry Mason event. I think this is my last call.
I may be too old in the next round-up. We'll see.

Btw: Back in about 1995 I was excused from a vicious murder case. I told the interviewers that I had a contempt about that sort of killer...I really could not be impartial...who could? Not just a killing,...a butchery. Defense really didn't want me. The prosecution did in they tried to get me to modify my statements. Such is the law.

Comment:

Cassady Smith

“It appears to me that, in this savage murder, there were fine people on both sides.”