I stopped to get mail today and there was a love note, summonsing me to jury duty.
In US District Court.
Why go halfway? :)
I won't fib. I'm actually kind of excited by the prospect. You can fill out the jury questionnaire online, which took me about five minutes, and ... well, in two weeks I have to call to find out if I have to appear.
14 comments:
People have been arrested outside courthouses for giving out fliers talking about jury nullification. Check out http://fija.org (Fully Informed Jury Association).
Anon - I consider myself a relatively informed citizen already, including the concepts of nullification... but I'm not going to stir the pot and get arrested the day I show up. ;-)
Let me know what the court guard says when you ask to check your carry gun!
Weerd - now THAT has already crossed my mind. District Court is in Rochester, the third-largest city in the state, with more than double the national average for violent crime. If they think I'm going to leave a piece at home and go wander downtown there ... they're nuts. I am planning to call and ask.
@ZerCool: Don't call and ask. You don't ask permission to speak freely. You don't ask permission to worship any particular God or no God at all. You don't ask permission to carry a firearm with you either. :)
Meh... It's not all it's cracked up to be, and you will see some STRANGE people in the jury pool, trust me! As soon as I identified myself as military (and now retired military), I've been summarily released!
Anon: Perhaps you missed the part where I live in NY. And that this is FEDERAL court.
Call and ask....its NY!
I’ve done jury duty twice over the years and while some parts were interesting mostly it was just waiting. Better bring a book or laptop.
Forget the Gun. And if you have to park in a Federal Lot, taking it off your belt and putting it into the Trunk is in itself a Federal Crime, because you are on Federal Property. Knives are a No-No also, even little SWAKs. In fact, I'd check your key ring, your car, and set up a set of clothes that are Sanitized. Remember, these are the Federales. Only Mexican Drug Cartels are allowed to have Firearms!
@ZerCool I didn't miss that you lived in NY or that it was federal court.
Would you have to ask permission from the judge if you wanted to pray to God during one of the breaks? Would you need to get permission from a security guard if you wanted to say "I personally don't like policies of the President"?
The answer is "No". You have a RIGHT to speak freely and a RIGHT to worship how you chose. Most people suddenly forget that they have a RIGHT to keep and bear arms.
If you are asking permission, it's not a right--it's a privilege. You *DO NOT* ask permission for a right.
Blacks Law Dictionary says: "Natural rights are those which grow out the nature of man and depend upon personality, as distinguished from such as are created by law and depend upon civilized society" (p 1038)
The right and your basic nature are intertwined. You can't take one away without losing the other.
Yeah--I know that means you'd probably get harassed and/or arrested. I face the same risk every day. But how else will you stand for your rights and freedoms?
I know that means you'd probably get harassed and/or arrested. I face the same risk every day. But how else will you stand for your rights and freedoms?
I'm not Nelson Mandela; I'm not going to be doing it with no income and from the inside of a jail cell.
Idealism is great until it costs you everything.
/thread.
@ZerCool: I see your point. In my case, it's not about me. It's about freedom in general. And it's about the freedom of my children specifically.
To probably badly misquote Thomas Paine--if there is trouble, let it be in my day so my children will know peace.
I love the blog--keep it up.
Did you know that you can carry a stout hickory stick (otherwise known as a cane) into a court room, onto an airplane, or into a government building because it is not, repeat not, a weapon--it is a medical device. Check out youtube for cane based self defense techniques (cane-fu). I like the models from Canemasters with the semi-sharpened point on the end of the crook. Hell, they might even open the door for you...
Post a Comment