Thursday, December 08, 2005
Now that the trial is over, I can tell you what it was about.
It was a civil case regarding a private sewer system. After a cumulative two days of solid expert testimony, I now know more about sewage pumps and pump lift stations than I ever wanted to know. The outcome? Suffice to say the defendants could have saved themselves time and money by answering the phone and taking care of the problem.
During the trial, I was thinking it was too bad there wasn't a CSI-type show about what goes on in the jury room. There are and have been tons of shows about cops and lawyers, but in these shows the jury deliberations always occur ob scena, except for the odd one-off movie like Twelve Angry Men, which frankly wouldn't have given me a realistic expectation of my own jury service. No, a realistic jury show would have to be something more like The Office. I think the reason it's never been done is that you'd have to have an entirely new cast with each show.
Fun fact: Jurors at the Maricopa County Courthouse were once sequestered on all trials until they came up with a verdict. The shell of the old bunkhouse still exists at the Courthouse, though all the bunks are gone. According to our judge, they got verdicts a lot faster in those days.
Another fun fact: Your baliff is a great source of juicy details on the more interesting cases you didn't get assigned to.
2 comments
It was a civil case regarding a private sewer system. After a cumulative two days of solid expert testimony, I now know more about sewage pumps and pump lift stations than I ever wanted to know. The outcome? Suffice to say the defendants could have saved themselves time and money by answering the phone and taking care of the problem.
During the trial, I was thinking it was too bad there wasn't a CSI-type show about what goes on in the jury room. There are and have been tons of shows about cops and lawyers, but in these shows the jury deliberations always occur ob scena, except for the odd one-off movie like Twelve Angry Men, which frankly wouldn't have given me a realistic expectation of my own jury service. No, a realistic jury show would have to be something more like The Office. I think the reason it's never been done is that you'd have to have an entirely new cast with each show.
Fun fact: Jurors at the Maricopa County Courthouse were once sequestered on all trials until they came up with a verdict. The shell of the old bunkhouse still exists at the Courthouse, though all the bunks are gone. According to our judge, they got verdicts a lot faster in those days.
Another fun fact: Your baliff is a great source of juicy details on the more interesting cases you didn't get assigned to.
2 comments
2 Comments:
Did you REALLY mean to say "solid expert testimony" for the sewage case?
By 
, at
9:23 AM
Such a waste. - J.D.
By , at
8:50 PM
