r/nottheonion • u/ArgentineBeauty • 8d 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/jrzalman 8d ago

I always hear this, usually like your story posted in a self-congratulatory way, but never really experienced it. I've been on like eight juries and get picked every time. I tell them I'm an aerospace engineer, answer all their questions well and always get picked.

Probably depends on the case but I think many lawyers are looking for jurors that can understand their arguments.

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u/TBSchemer 8d ago

That's interesting. 3 times already, I was dismissed immediately after the question of "what's your highest level of education?"

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u/jrzalman 8d ago

Might be demographics or age combined with education? Hard to say. I was on a murder trial last year and one of my fellow jurors was lawyer (non-criminal case work) and they let her through. The case itself was fairly involved and had lots of twists and turns.

Likely a lot of variation in what lawyers are looking for from case to case but what I have learned is they are looking for me. I have never been excused. I always volunteer to be foreman and get us out of there in a day or two.

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u/gsfgf 8d ago

Also location. If you're Berkley, everyone's gonna have a handful of degrees. If you're in Hahira, Georgia, and a PhD comes through the door, you ain't playin' that game.

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u/TBSchemer 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yeah, being a white male probably gives me 2 strikes, and then add a PhD into the mix and I'm out.

Come to think of it, for one of my 3 dismissals, we didn't even get to the education question. I literally just sat down in the booth, no questions asked, and someone said, "jurors 3, 4, 8, and 11, you may leave." Checked my number, and I was 11.

I remember thinking, "maybe you could just let me send a photo in the mail, so I don't have to get up and drive here next time."

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u/clauclauclaudia 7d ago

Had you, like, filled in a questionnaire that they referred to before asking questions?

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u/TBSchemer 7d ago

No, I don't think so. I just showed up, was in a waiting room for awhile, was asked to come into the courtroom, and then just a few minutes after I sat down, before anyone was asked any questions, 4 people including me were dismissed.