For your consideration: Buffista Castle. [link]

I remember being surprised at how narrow the judge's instructions to the jury were. A lot that was presented in testimony wasn't much relevant to the actual questions we were to deliberate.

Seriously.

I've been called to report for jury duty three times, once in NY for an drug-deal-gone-wrong kidnapping trial (thankfully, not selected, because it was set to take at least six weeks over Christmas time) and twice in SF. I was never even interviewed for the snatch-and-grab iPhone case, but was selected for the other trial in which a man hit a parked car in Golden Gate Park at 10am. An otherwise minor infraction, but this dude managed to do this 1) in front of a construction site where the workers were on a break, 2) fled the scene for hours, 3) came back to intimidate the witnesses, and 4) fled the police when they came, but did it by running into the construction site, where he was immediately caught. So ultimately the charges were pretty serious.

It was a pretty open-and-shut case but somehow managed to go on for over a week because there was a lot of Spanish translation involved in the testimony and then the deliberations went on forever because half the jury just "knew" he was drunk when he hit the car. We decided to convict on the three more serious charges fairly quickly, but the forewoman and I refused to convict on drinking and driving because the prosecution couldn't prove he was drunk at the time of the accident (his blood alcohol test was done hours later and he had fled the scene). We were like, "Yes, we think he was drunk too, but maybe he went to drink somewhere afterward because he was shaken up. We have no idea what he did. And it doesn't matter anyway because we are convicting on three other more serious charges and this dude is going to prison." We managed to convince most everyone, but the two teetotalers just couldn't see why someone would go for a drink at 10am (even though they just "knew" he was drunk for the accident?) and refused to budge. We actually had to go back to the judge saying we were hung on that charge, and the judge was like, no, you're coming back next week and finish this. And then they still refused. So there ended up being a mistrial on that count, which ultimately made no difference, but I found ridiculous.

Luckily, I was being paid the whole time by work with no requirement to make up the time and the trial was actually closer to my apartment and gave long lunch breaks so I could hang out in the park, go home, whatever. So I was able to find it fascinating, although it still bugs me that two people just blatantly refused to follow the judge's instructions about evidence. I can't imagine what it must be like if it was something that would make a difference in sentencing.

For your consideration: Buffista Castle.

California reaction: Huh, only $2 million. Do it.

Atropa, if it were only a matter of finding an appointment I'd suggest that you come over here, as the clinic at the high school this weekend still has slots open - but there is Boaty to and from, and it's a mile and a bit from the terminal to the site.

We managed to get appointments booked! First shot on Saturday, wheeee!

I served on an aggravated sexual assault case. That was fun. But once the jury was selected, everyone took it very seriously. No complaints about having been selected, no indication that anyone wasn't paying attention or resented the loss of their time (three days).

I used to get called regularly, but that seemed to stop when one of my dates to appear was when I was still breastfeeding. In MD, it's not considered an excuse, so I wrote to the court and let them know I was willing, but would need accomodation. They excused me anyway, and I haven't been called since (10 yrs).

For years, I was called every two years for the city court and once every few years for the federal court. Small population, many transients, many people who were either lawyers or in law enforcement, so automatically got tossed out. They lost me for a few years but I expect it will start up again, since I got a new driver's license (a Real ID! so I'm a real girl, right?) which included voter registration.

Most went nowhere, but for one I was dismissed because it was for a place I'd lived where management knew that one of their workers was using his master key to go into apartments where single women lived and rape them. He tried my apartment, but I had the chain on, so he never got in. And I didn't know about it, because building management didn't warn any of the tenants. And, yes, the case ended up setting a precedent for what management companies owe their tenants.

$2mm/6BR is still too rich for my blood, but that is a nice castle. I have been feeling like maybe instead of (or in preparation for or in addition to or something) Buffista island/compound we should have a club like is always cropping up in 19th century novels where members can stay and eat when they are in town (for whatever values of "in town" might be practical, I guess). I haven't thought this through very hard, it just sounds so nice. Sort of a timeshare, I guess, although that doesn't sound nearly as pleasant.

I've only gotten as far as being interviewed for jury service once, and was dismissed from that civil case. And have only had to call in to see if I needed to report a few times. I used to move pretty frequently, though.

the prosecution couldn't prove

Yeah. My two take-aways from my jury duty experience were:

1) The trial mostly comes down to the quality of the prosecutors' preparation and presentation, and whatever holes the defense can poke in it. Not "did he do it," but rather "did the prosecution prove that he did it."

2) A defendant should never take the stand. In the one criminal case, the prosecution left open several areas of reasonable doubt. Then the defendant took the stand, and promptly removed them all.

I've been called four times--twice I went in for the day but wasn't selected. For the other two, one time I had an international flight scheduled that very day, so I was excused, and the other time I'd just moved across the country but was still in the process of changing my address and voter registration, so they just wished me well and took my name off the list.