Computer Geeks and Jury Duty in the US?

Stan Schwarz asks: "I just spent a day doing jury duty here in Los Angeles, and it was a colossal waste of time. I've been called for jury duty five times over the last 18 years, and I -never- get picked for a jury. I answer the five questions (name, where you live, marital status, occupation, spouse's occupation) and they throw me out. My lawyer neighbor says this is because they don't want computer people because we think logically and are not emotional. Have other slashdot readers had similar experiences with the judicial system? Or should I just develop a complex about this?"

Comments

Re:huh?

[michael_cain]

In the United States, trials are adversarial proceedings. The attorneys are supposed to exercise every opportunity to "win" for their client, within the restrictions imposed by law. Hence juror profiling, motions to disallow evidence, etc. This contrasts sharply with the role of trial attorneys in France, for example, where the purpose of the court is to establish the truth. Trial lawyers in the US are excellent at invoking the "right" emotional responses in jurors -- it's one of the things that makes a good trial lawyer versus an attorney who's good at research, prepping witnesses, writing briefs, etc.

My father was called for jury duty frequently, but never sat on a jury in over 30 years. He was an accountant and an engineer by training, so defense attorneys did not want him in criminal cases because he had been trained to think in terms of the facts. He worked for an insurance company, so plaintiffs' attorneys did not want him in civil cases because there was usually an insurance angle to where the money would come from.