Grahf Zero

Review of Blackwell-Thurman Travis Count...

Went here for jury duty. I weep for any poor soul ...

Went here for jury duty. I weep for any poor soul that gets snagged in our criminal justice system.

We were asked for a DWI case by the judge if we would want to hear the defendant testify. I was one of a few people who said yes. the judge went on to explain that just because a person doesn't testify, that doesn't mean they are guilty. Unfortunately, the judge failed to realize that their question didn't necessarily imply that the person wanting the defendant to testify would consider that to be a guilty action if they didn't.

Later on, the defense attorney asked whether we strongly agreed or disagreed that a person who didn't testify on their own behalf was guilty. I chose strongly disagree. During the individual questioning, she thought she had me in a gotcha moment where I was saying one thing at one point and a different thing at another point. So I was having to explain to a presumably college-educated woman that those were not the same questions.

On top of that, I told the judge that I would easily consider just the evidence and facts in the case, but I could not account for any unconscious bias I may unknowingly have when viewing the information, given my experience with DWI. An honest answer, I thought. Apparently he thought one could just set aside something they were unknowingly processing or doing without thinking about it. Sounds like someone could use a couple of viewings of Orson Welles' discussion on cold readings.

Also they were almost 2 hours late starting the jury selection process. To ask me to show up on time and then waste my time is kind of frustrating.