After not being called for 12 years, I finally got the recording that my group WOULD report for duty. I nearly forgot, was en-route to work and had to turn the car around, but I made it, just in time to watch 8 episodes of Property Virgins on HGTV (score). I won't go into a long narrative about the actual crime myself - that's all below if you want to follow along (I'm happy to let the news media help out there).
Here are my findings:
1. Out of a pool of 50, at least 30 of the Norfolk residents had in some way been affected by gun violence, myself included. The question was broad and unbiased - just merely a show of hands if you or a family member, friend, or acquaintance had been in some way affected.
2. Jury of "your peers" is really not at all a jury of your actual peers.
Really it's a group of 13 humans with: modge-podge availability; that do not watch the news; and are not stricken with diabetes, IBS, or just bullshit in general. The latter being the most common ailment.
3. You cannot leave the courtroom to pee (or poo) until court scheduled recess. Gross, but legit concern.
4. Our lifestyle, backstories, and upbringings are as wildly unique and different as snowflakes. I can see where Dick Wolf (l&o) draws his endless piles of source material.
5. You can go to court and watch almost any trial if you are interested in the judicial process. The Judge implied and encouraged it! You cannot bring your smartphone.
So here's the case I would have sat on had I been chosen:
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/
and here
http://www.wvec.com/my-city/
and video of the actual event:
WARNING: 13News Now has decided to show only the confrontation that led up to the shooting --> http://bit.ly/1jB66A3
and the end?....
http://hamptonroads.com/2014/02/judge-declares-mistrial-norfolk-rite-aid-slaying
My opinion - totally preventable at any point in the storyline.
I imagine myself just saying - 'scuse me were you in line? or even just seeing someone agitated pacing around and maybe thinking
- I'd come back later.
If you remove the guns - maybe this is just a mismatched tussle with two douchebags arguing and knocking over some iron supplements.
What say ye OEF?
