Wednesday, January 19, 2005

DA Confronts Jury Pool from Hell

This news article is hilarious. It's a brief summary about what happened to an attorney in Tennessee while trying to pick a jury.

MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Defense attorney Leslie Ballin called it the "jury pool from hell." The group of prospective jurors was summoned to listen to a case of Tennessee trailer park violence.

Right after jury selection began last week, one man got up and left, announcing, "I'm on morphine and I'm higher than a kite."

When the prosecutor asked if anyone had been convicted of a crime, a prospective juror said that he had been arrested and taken to a mental hospital after he almost shot his nephew. He said he was provoked because his nephew just would not come out from under the bed.

Another would-be juror said he had had alcohol problems and was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover officer. "I should have known something was up," he said. "She had all her teeth."

Another prospect volunteered he probably should not be on the jury: "In my neighborhood, everyone knows that if you get Mr. Ballin (as your lawyer), you're probably guilty." He was not chosen.

The case involved a woman accused of hitting her brother's girlfriend in the face with a brick. Ballin's client was found not guilty.

2 comments:

Aisha said...

Hi there, saboteur of elevator-catchers --
this link is way cool.
Mostly where I live, people are excused from jury duty for boring reasons: by defense lawyers for being CEOs of companies (tough on crime) or by prosecutors for being teachers (bleedin' hears) and by all for being old (likely deaf and given to loud naps).

Anyway-- I found you thru Weblog Review and linked to you today in my blog -- I do miss New Orleans. Had a wonderful week there last summer.

Aish-ooo

Laurie said...

Thanks Aisha! I'm on my way over to check out your blog now. You better tidy up a bit.