tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post2195408275011169629..comments2023-07-30T04:17:57.421-06:00Comments on Beth Groundwater: Three Days on a Jury: Day OneBeth Groundwaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-2562029635350212312012-07-10T17:45:48.158-06:002012-07-10T17:45:48.158-06:00Thanks for your comments, Carl, Heather, and Life ...Thanks for your comments, Carl, Heather, and Life After Death! I hope you'll come back tomorrow to read Day 3.Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-62560240176637559772012-07-10T12:30:59.300-06:002012-07-10T12:30:59.300-06:00Interesting series here, Beth. I've been on tw...Interesting series here, Beth. I've been on two murder juries and am very interested in the parallels with your experience.carl brookinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16400731716746662544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-55924885940592350332012-07-10T09:59:03.282-06:002012-07-10T09:59:03.282-06:00Thanks for sharing your experience, Beth. I look f...Thanks for sharing your experience, Beth. I look forward to reading the rest.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17700809709293636333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-28935492740792892022012-07-10T00:38:32.834-06:002012-07-10T00:38:32.834-06:00I've read your article & thanks for sharin...I've read your article & thanks for sharing this kind of unknown info.Life After Deathhttp://whatslifeafterdeath.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-22963479978238964302012-07-09T17:01:38.250-06:002012-07-09T17:01:38.250-06:00Yes, GB and Deb, the story was a sad one, and as y...Yes, GB and Deb, the story was a sad one, and as you'll see in my report tomorrow on the second day of the trial, the domestic abuse expert also said that the victim recanting is very common.<br /><br />Pat, you're excused! ;-)<br /><br />Leemarie,<br />Yes, during voir dire there was a lot of discussion about what reasonable doubt meant. We were also given a written definition in our jury instructions.Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-9534711392620573002012-07-09T16:04:32.099-06:002012-07-09T16:04:32.099-06:00Fascinating, Beth. I went through voir dire but wa...Fascinating, Beth. I went through voir dire but was dismissed. Hmph! Wonder what I said to make the defense attorney give me the boot. One thing the judge emphasized during voir dire was the the meaning of "reasonable doubt." I wondered if your judge or the attorneys spent any time clarifying this point.Leemariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07000580274626421981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-75204096785286627042012-07-09T14:49:50.272-06:002012-07-09T14:49:50.272-06:00Very interesting experience, Beth. The victim reca...Very interesting experience, Beth. The victim recanting her original statement sounds sadly accurate. Abuse is so psychologically traumatizing as well as physically.Deborah Sharphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575491644343480392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-56093397903549197582012-07-09T13:46:35.475-06:002012-07-09T13:46:35.475-06:00Don't know where my mind went with my comment....Don't know where my mind went with my comment...the defense attorney was probably overjoyed.Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-72264171292274357682012-07-09T13:44:08.034-06:002012-07-09T13:44:08.034-06:00From C.C. Harrison:
I’ve been called for jury dut...From C.C. Harrison:<br /><br />I’ve been called for jury duty twice within the last couple of years, but the cases were dismissed before the day to report. I am one of those overeager jurors, and would probably have been dismissed because of it, so thanks for the tip. As a side note, I used to live in Summit County, lived and worked at Keystone. Those were good, fun years.!!Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-19140889402312102272012-07-09T13:40:50.756-06:002012-07-09T13:40:50.756-06:00Real cases are always so sad and often pathetic. I...Real cases are always so sad and often pathetic. It's seldom like what we read in a book or see in a movie. I prefer the fictionalized versions as an escape from that harsh reality. And I can punish the bad guy when they might get off otherwise. Sometimes that is the only justice. But your story is intriguing and am looking forward to the conclusion.GBPoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190573764848658894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-44098629211729509332012-07-09T13:35:30.105-06:002012-07-09T13:35:30.105-06:00Hi Barb,
The questions were listed on a writing pa...Hi Barb,<br />The questions were listed on a writing pad on an easel in front of the jury box, and we each answered them orally in front of the judge, attorneys, defendant, and everyone else in the courtroom.<br /><br />Hi Mary T,<br />I WISH I'd been able to be a juror for a murder trial! We were not sequestered, but were able to leave for lunch and the evening and could stay in our own homes.<br /><br />Hi Mary S,<br />The whole time I lived in Colorado Springs, I was only called for jury duty once and never made it into the courtroom. But here in Summit County, CO, I received the call just six months after I moved into the county! And someone else who was called also received it just 6 months after moving in.<br /><br />Thanks, Julie! I hope you come back to read all 3 parts of the story.<br /><br />Hi Pat,<br />It wasn't the defense attorney who was annoyed, but the Asst. DAs who were prosecuting the case. When the judge came in to talk to us after the trial, she said this was the most blatant case of lying on the stand that she had seen. She said she would carefully consider whether or not to charge the victim with contempt of court. The problem with doing that, though, is the victim would be punished even more than she already has been by this horrible experience.Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-65483717122593275512012-07-09T12:49:27.571-06:002012-07-09T12:49:27.571-06:00Isn't it amazing what people will say on the w...Isn't it amazing what people will say on the witness stand? I'll bet the defense attorney was annoyed, to say the least.Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-36872910959411318212012-07-09T10:26:55.307-06:002012-07-09T10:26:55.307-06:00Thanks for this post, Beth. So far, my sympathies ...Thanks for this post, Beth. So far, my sympathies are with the prosecution. It's a "crime" for the victim to change her story and make their job so difficult. I'm hooked, and looking forward to your next post.Julie Goldenhttp://vagilantes.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-80362403051810367782012-07-09T10:11:32.654-06:002012-07-09T10:11:32.654-06:00Well, now you know why the prosecution asked how c...Well, now you know why the prosecution asked how comfortable with a witness that was expected to lie to you. I'll be following this with interest. I was only called for jury duty once in my life and I never made it to the selection process. I find that surprising given it's been 20 years since I became eligible to serve and I've lived in Allegheny County since 1996.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-53499284053110382002012-07-09T09:33:04.842-06:002012-07-09T09:33:04.842-06:00What an interesting experience, Beth. I, too, had ...What an interesting experience, Beth. I, too, had the honor of being picked as a juror. This invlved a murder of a deputy sheriff, but really a "criminally insane" case. It was a change of venue, but the jury went there, so we stayed in a hotel for 3 weeks, but were able to come home for the weekends. It was a most interesting experience. I felt honored to serve.Mary E. Trimblehttp://www.marytrimblebooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-70340650770824889232012-07-09T09:31:39.851-06:002012-07-09T09:31:39.851-06:00The victim in this case wouldn't be the first ...The victim in this case wouldn't be the first victim of domestic violence who feels badly for her abuser soon after reporting him to the police and decides to lie on the stand and claim she caused her own injuries so he could get off and they could resume their wonderful lives together. It's an unfortunate part of the cycle of violence.<br /><br />In other news, Beth, I was interested in this: "Next, each juror answered a standard set of questions, such as which town we lived in and for how long, if we were married or had children, our occupation and those of our spouse, children and parents, if we knew anyone in law enforcement, our hobbies, sports and interests, what we liked to read and watch on TV, and what sites we visited on the Internet."<br /><br />Did you answer these questions on paper, with the answers only seen by the attorneys and judge, or did you answer them orally in open court? If it's the former, I'd feel very uncomfortable being asked to reveal so much personal information in a public forum.Barb Goffmanhttp://www.barbgoffman.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-71754263239253780672012-07-09T08:25:34.656-06:002012-07-09T08:25:34.656-06:00It's hard to believe that any life is stranger...It's hard to believe that any life is stranger than yours, Mario! ;-)Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28839948.post-87845627641791300402012-07-09T07:00:21.568-06:002012-07-09T07:00:21.568-06:00Wow, proof that life is stranger than fiction. Can...Wow, proof that life is stranger than fiction. Can't wait to read the rest.Mario Acevedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02269656174447760157noreply@blogger.com