Did I over-react? Jury duty experience-long

[bonzarella]

I had to serve on jury duty this week on a case of Operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing a death. A person from the def. side of court room followed us out on a smoke break. I was dead leafing flowers on the break as I had done all week. It was alittle joke with my fellow smokers. One of the girls said to me you can come to my house, I have lots of those. I replied she may not want me too cause most of my things were dead too. Well this fellow says (to no one directly) "yah, you don't want her to come, everything at her house is dead". I was stunned, scared & VERY upset. I could not continue w/o reaching my 80 yr old parents who were watching my DS's 6&7.
Held up court for almost an hour, Dh says I made a big deal out of it. Did I?

 

[DawnCt1]

I had to serve on jury duty this week on a case of Operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing a death. A person from the def. side of court room followed us out on a smoke break. I was dead leafing flowers on the break as I had done all week. It was alittle joke with my fellow smokers. One of the girls said to me you can come to my house, I have lots of those. I replied she may not want me too cause most of my things were dead too. Well this fellow says (to no one directly) "yah, you don't want her to come, everything at her house is dead". I was stunned, scared & VERY upset. I could not continue w/o reaching my 80 yr old parents who were watching my DS's 6&7.
Held up court for almost an hour, Dh says I made a big deal out of it. Did I?

Yes. You did over react.

 

[Allison]

I think so but I wasn't there.

 

[agnes!]

I wasn't in your shoes, so can't quite say, but gee, this person sounds like a real creep. What was this jerk trying to do...get the case thrown out of court and a mis-trial declared so the case would have to be tried all over again ?!? Inappropriate at the very least and maybe could have (depending on tone of voice, etc.) almost bordered on harassment or witness tampering...

If someone from the defendant's side had said this to me while I was on a jury I think I would have been freaked-out too.

agnes!

 

[paigevz]

Well, the way you've told the story, I guess I'd have to say yes. Maybe there is something you left out?

 

[Nancy]

I think he was just being funny (or thought he was). How would this person know who you were or where you lived or where your parents lived? That information is not handed out in court at all, they don't even give anyone in the court your name (except for the lawyers that did the interview process)

Was he a witness for the def? Or just sitting on that side? It could be he took offense to your comment about everything being dead at your house when the trial involved the death of someone, so he was being a bit sarcastic? Hard tro say cause we weren't there.

 

[momrek06]

I was dead leafing flowers on the break

What exactly is dead leafing flowers?

 

[disneynutt1225]

What exactly is dead leafing flowers?

When you pull the dead leaves and flowers off the plants.

 

[minkydog]

I would have been a bit creeped but not enough to hold up court. I think you over-reacted too, but then perhaps anybody would if they had been listening to horrible things in court all morning.

 

[pearlieq]

I've got to say I don't get it either. Maybe I'm missing something from the story?

If it actually happened exactly as you described, yes I would say you totally overreacted!

 

[CEDmom]

Based on what he said I can't imagine thinking he'd killed your family. How would he know where you lived and what would be the motive?

 

[momrek06]

When you pull the dead leaves and flowers off the plants.

OT : Sorry, then what exactly do you do with the plants?

As you can so tell I do NOT have a green thumb at all. And is this a hobby for many?

 

[Aimeedyan]

If that's all that happened, yeah you overreacted. How would he know who you were or where you lived?

 

[bonzarella]

I appreciated all your comments. I am still very disturbed by the photos of the deceased & I was on edge. I told them in the interview process I was an emotional person and was not sure I could handle this. And I did not take it as a personal threat, just a very insensitive comment. My nerves got the best of me & I needed reassurance my family was ok. Hope I don't have to be placed in that situation again. Thanks to all but I won't tell DH.

 

[WDWfan36]

I wasn't in your shoes, so can't quite say, but gee, this person sounds like a real creep. What was this jerk trying to do...get the case thrown out of court and a mis-trial declared so the case would have to be tried all over again ?!? Inappropriate at the very least and maybe could have (depending on tone of voice, etc.) almost bordered on harassment or witness tampering...

If someone from the defendant's side had said this to me while I was on a jury I think I would have been freaked-out too.

agnes!

I know I would panic too.

 

[Sparx]

OT : Sorry, then what exactly do you do with the plants?

As you can so tell I do NOT have a green thumb at all. And is this a hobby for many?

I'm a gardener.

Plants grow better without dead things attached to them. so you pluck off dead leaves. its like how you lose hair and dead skin. except youre just helping the plant along a little.

 

[momrek06]

I'm a gardener.

Plants grow better without dead things attached to them. so you pluck off dead leaves. its like how you lose hair and dead skin. except youre just helping the plant along a little.

T.Y. ...now I get it, the OP was doing this OUTSIDE while having a cigarette!!! OKAY!!

 

[Geoff_M]

I don't think you over-reacted. Personally, I don't think jurors and people associated with either side in a case should have any contact beside a polite "Hello" or "Thanks". At a lunch break of a civil case I was on this May I started to enter an elavator when I realized that the Plantiff and his lawyer were already in the car. I opted to take the stairs. Also, if you think something happened (even if you may have over-reacted) that you feel might have impacted your impartiality in the case, you should have reported it to the judge and let them decide if it's material or not.

 

[grlpwrd]

I think it's understandable especially under those circumstances.

I get "wigged out" when my 3yo says creepy things like "mommy, I'm dead."

 

[Becky2005]

I don't think you over-reacted. Personally, I don't think jurors and people associated with either side in a case should have any contact beside a polite "Hello" or "Thanks". At a lunch break of a civil case I was on this May I started to enter an elavator when I realized that the Plantiff and his lawyer were already in the car. I opted to take the stairs. Also, if you think something happened (even if you may have over-reacted) that you feel might have impacted your impartiality in the case, you should have reported it to the judge and let them decide if it's material or not.

Yes, I was a bit confused but I see they were outside. I just had jury duty not too long ago and basically you have to be rude as a juror. You are NOT supposed to even say a simple hello/goodbye to anyone really (except the baliff, that's your go to person) -- just in case something gets mistaken. That's the way I understood it, that's one reason you have a juror badge on too so that people will know not to talk to you. In the juror lounge you can talk to other jurors there just not about any cases but anywhere else in the courthouse, nope. Our courthouse has a smoking room in the juror lounge so wasn't thinking outside.

I didn't quite know what the OP was doing either, so I'm glad someone explained it. I was confused.

I think you did over-react but I wasn't there and I know for a fact how emotionally drenching court cases are and depending on how things had come out in the case, could have freaked you out a bit (I got stuck as an unwilling witness in a case and basically never want to set foot in the courthouse ever again! Perhaps irrational --since I obviously did have to for jury duty but never made a case or I would have probably had an anxiety attack or something being back in a courtroom!)