G'day Everyone.
There is a debate going on about being a Deaf Juror on the jury in a court trial. Mishka Zena ought to be thanked for posting this article directly to the news paper it had on:
http://projects.newsobserver.com/tags/sb293_09
It pisses me off that some political person wants to change the ADA law and preventing us, a deaf citizen from doing our obligation by law if we are called for jury duty.
While it's rare to happen in a small to mid-size town for a deaf person to be called, it can often happen in a major city.
Yes, it's a headache for a court when they realize a deaf citizen is called to jury duty. Often a judge has an option to dismiss the deaf from jury duty. I got fortunate a few months ago, when I was called to duty, the court had forgotten about me, despite the number of times I've asked for an interpreter for selection.
Not to be outdone, I relied on the kindness of strangers and many visual cues that I had to pick up on as well as paying hard attention to all the details. I could have sat quietly and ignored it all and not been called. I got called, got seated, and posed a challenge. I could have made the trial wait for an interpreter. Instead, I relied on the phonic ear system which I was used to early in my life and did quite well.
Just one thing, if you are on the jury: watch out if you are picked to be the FOREPERSON. That is, the jury leader. No hearing person wants to be the person that has to read the "DREADED VERDICT". It's ugly thing to do.
I'm not going to recount my entire days of my jury duty other than how glad I am that it's over and don't expect it to happen again in my life.
But how do you feel, my dear readers, if you were called to jury duty. Would you do it? or would you do what you can to avoid it? I'd like to hear comments from you.
Semper FI.
Update: Here's another info about Deaf Jurors going on. Just shocking!
http://www.nad.org/blogs/lindanelson/north-carolina-legislators-oppose-deaf-jurors
3 comments:
Thanks, Steve, but I cannot take the credit. Someone else asked me to post it, which I very gladly did.
I would love to serve in a jury. I was told by an insider in the county judical system (MD) that many Deaf people tried to duck their jury responsibilities and that the county was more than happy to excuse them, in order to save money on interpreters. Oh, well :/
Whoa.. the quote from Ronnie is just way of showing how an ignorant he is! How can he comparing us to a quadriplegics running on track? It doesn't make any sense, ugh.
I was picked once for jury duty but was let go only because not of my deafness but because I was underage which I was still at high school. They randomly picked me by a mistake, ha ha.
If I get picked, I would go only because I believe in equal as everyone else, simple as that.
-SG
Seek Geo and Mishka zena, thanks for your input. But sad to hear about the deaf in Md. ahh well. One of the best stories about jury duty was of Micah Brown who posted his experience in his blog some time ago.
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