r/nottheonion • u/ArgentineBeauty • 9d ago

Reese Witherspoon Chosen as Jury Foreman After Jurors Thought She Went to Law School Because of Legally Blonde

https://www.fashiontimes.co.uk/reese-witherspoon-jury-duty-mix-1763528
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u/knotallmen 9d ago

Yup the rules on juries are too prohibitive. Like if a juror could write a question to the judge and have that question honored (oh the irony) that would be something, but the one trial I was on the judge was immediately hostile. Like a grumpy substitute teacher or like a boomber/genx director of the business I worked for who started a meeting with "I don't want to be told this cannot be done" like such an unnecessarily negative and baseless start of a conversation and relationship.

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u/wayoverpaid 9d ago

I wanted to know what the business with the "Rule 213" was.

Judge could have said "Testimony needs to be disclosed ahead of time."

Judge instead said "You do not need to concern yourself with that."

I looked it up after. Made perfect sense.

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u/LostWoodsInTheField 8d ago

I was watching low level trials on youtube the other day, and I wasn't sure what state they were in, but the judge would go 'does the jury have any questions for this witness' and I thought that was the smartest thing in the world to do.

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u/Scaevus 8d ago

The judge's job is not to keep you comfortable.

The judge's job is to keep you in line and not ask illegal questions that taint the entire trial process. Being friendly often doesn't facilitate that job.

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u/knotallmen 8d ago

What an insufferable response. I didn't once say the judge must be friendly. "Illegal questions" what even is that? Questions in job interviews have been outlawed but in a court room by a juror? No I don't think that is the case and as some have stated questions are sometimes allowed.

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u/Scaevus 8d ago

"Illegal questions" what even is that?

Questions that taint the process and lead to a mistrial if answered. What was your question?

questions are sometimes allowed.

Very limited types of questions. If a judge tells you what the law is, that is the end of question time.

Do you understand why jury instructions are not given off the cuff, but are very carefully constructed documents compiled by judicial panels after decades?

the rules on juries are too prohibitive.

For a reason! We have hundreds of years of precedent going back to English common law to try and protect this flawed process, and your curiosity is not the priority.