Jury duty in Scottsdale
When I got the dreaded summons for jury duty to Scottsdale Municipal Court six or eight weeks ago, I knew to almost a mathematical certainty that I would never end up on a jury in that court.
First, I am a practicing Arizona DUI Attorney. Second, I regularly handle DUI cases in Scottsdale. Third, I know all the prosecutors. Fourth, I know all the regular judges. Fifth, I know most of the forensic scientists from the Scottsdale Crime Lab. Sixth, I know most of the police officers who are regularly involved in DUI cases in Scottsdale. Seventh, I know and have interviewed most of the regular phlebotomists that are used by the Scottsdale PD for blood draws.
Since DUI cases are by far the most likely to be heard by a jury in that court, I figured there would be no chance that I would be accepted as a juror. I would be asked the standard "can you be fair and impartial?" No way to say "yes" to that one, no matter how curious I am as to what happens behind closed doors in the jury room.
So I got to court this morning for jury duty, and me and about 40 other people had been summoned for nothing. We sighed in. We filled out paperwork. We were told to leave.
The only eventful thing that happened was that an elderly lady almost stole my keys while I was getting shaken down by security for (heaven forbid) brining my laptop to court.
I was in street clothes. I have to say that the difference in the way I was treated by security in street clothes as compared to my normal Scottsdale security shuffle was stark. No wonder most "civilians" look angry by the time they make it through security.
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I guess that is just another reason why, if showing up in court as a defendant, you should always wear a suit to court! The stuff people where to court just baffles me sometimes.