Jury Duty

I survived my first day sitting on the jury pool.  The worst part is really getting there, parking in a parking garage which I hate and then getting back out of downtown.  I am not at all familiar with downtown Columbus.

I was surprised that they called three groups, not me thankfully.  I don't know how many were actually seated and how many cases actually went to a jury trial.  I was also surprised that one of them was in Juvenile Court.  I didn't think that Juvenile cases went to a jury trial.

I think it would be interesting to be on a jury, although I can imagine that the worst part is just hanging around, waiting to see what's going on.

I didn't luck out today, I got called for a civil trial.  I don't go until 2:00 and the rest of the pool got to leave at 12:30.  Somehow I knew my luck wouldn't hold out.

I really didn't luck out.  This trial is expected to last 2 weeks.  They do the jury selection tomorrow.  The judge went around and asked people if there would be issues with them being there for 2 weeks.  If even most of the excuses rather than all of them are accepted my chances of not being on the jury aren't very good.

I've been called to jury duty a number of times, the worst thing was getting back and forth and having to park a few blocks away.  I was called on a case  just one time and I found it interesting, once there I was ok but the traveling I didn't like at all.

I am now 70 and I believe here in NJ, I will no longer be asked to serve, that's good.

I hope you're not called for the 2 week trial, Denice :cross: You never know, you might get lucky.

I was called several times for jury duty. One was federal jury duty and involved a mafia case. Thank goodness I didn't get picked, but had to stay there the whole day. Another time I was picked for a jury, and while it was interesting it still was a pain, with the traveling to the courthouse, parking, just sitting there, etc.

I got so bored I was reading the articles tacked up on the bulletin board in the jury pool room.  They had one from Philadelphia and the lady went for her third time on jury duty.  She said they had not only coffee and tea but also donuts, bagels and bottled water.  Philly had started fining people  for not showing up for jury duty and they were using the money from  the fines to pay for the goodies for the people who do show up.

I agree the worst part is dealing with driving downtown and parking in a garage.  I went right by the street this morning and had to find my way back to the street that the garage is on.  I do not know downtown at all.  Of course there was more traffic this morning then yesterday,  probably a lot of people took Monday off to get a 4 day weekend.

We don't have a jury here we have judges. I can't remember if it's 3 or 5.

I think it is an honor to serve on a jury.  I have been up for selection three times and chosen once.  DH has been up for selection three times, and has been passed over on all three.  One was for the Grand Jury.  He would like to have been picked.  Ours is the poorest county in the state, and he thinks he was passed over because he was too well dressed:  dress slacks and a white long-sleeved shirt, no tie or sports jacket.

It's a hassle and time consuming, but a necessary one to try to keep our system of Justice in some semblance of order.  It  is being eroded all the time.

I'm going to dress a little better tomorrow.  Not dressed up but a little better.  We were only in there a little less than an hour today but everyone at both attorney tables were in suit, tie or  nice dresses.  I am uncomfortable if I am dressed several rungs below other people in the room.  I am still going to wear jeans, but I have a next to new pair that's still real dark blue.  I am also going to wear a better top than I had on today.

Really getting there, parked, and then back out of downtown is the worst part.  I am not at all familiar with downtown so I get turned around very easy.  Of course like most downtown areas in larger cities there are a lot of one way streets which makes it harder when you don't know the area.

I called my manager and warned him that I may be out longer and he seemed okay with it.  I am going to get it in writing, scan it and e-mail it to him if I am selected.

:cross: that you won't have to drag downtown for two weeks! I was called once and unfortunate enough to be chosen. We were given a list of witnesses and asked whether we knew any of them. I said no because I didn't recognize any names. It turned out that I did know one by his first name only, so I was dismissed.

I got selected.  We didn't get out today until almost 5 and everything was like a parking lot.  It took me over an hour to get home and it normally takes 30 minutes.  it's going to be a long 2 weeks.

Oh no. Hope its not too dreadful

We should finish tomorrow thank goodness.  I have been so frustrated with this whole thing and I haven't been able to vent because I can't talk about it until we get to deliberations.  One of my pet peeves is unfounded lawsuits clogging up the system.  This one has been dragging on for years and the trial has been going for over a week with lots of money spent on expert witnesses.  I don't think the lawsuit should've ever been started and definitely should never have gotten to this point.

Denice. At least the end is in sight, and you won't have to go through this again for a while.

Sending a   from here, too. Hopefully it will be over soon and you can get out of there. FWIW, I agree with you about frivolous lawsuits. The only ones who really make any money from them are the lawyers.

Maybe now you can tell us what it was all about now that it's all over?

It was a medical malpractice suit.

Case was against the primary care physician who is an internist.

The patient went in the first time with a headache.  He also said that he had a tick bite from a camping trip 2 weeks previous.  He had swelling in his nasal passages, post nasal drip so her first diagnoses was sinusitis.  He had this tick bite 2 weeks previous so there was the outside possibility of Lyme disease.  She prescribed an antibiotic that treated both but is not the first antibiotic for sinusitis.

Patient went back 3 weeks later said headache had gotten better but was now back and was also complaining of what felt like muscle spasms in his neck.  He had been in an auto wreck a year earlier and no x-ray had been taken at the time of his neck.  She had the neck x-rayed and it showed no abnormalities but back of neck felt tight on examination  She then prescribed the first antibiotic that is normally tried for sinusitis.  She also referred him for physical therapy.  She gave him a routine 3 month follow-up but told him to return if symptoms didn't improve within a few days.

Patient finally went to  PT 1 1/2 months later once.  Physical  therapist sent report that he was going to do 8 sessions of PT, patient never returned.

On no exam were any neurological deficits reported or seen by primary care physician.

Patient went back to routine follow up scheduled for 3 months later.  Said he was still having headaches but they had changed, they were less painful but on one side of his head.  Now it sounds like migraine.  Primary care doctor gave him medication for migraines as well as list of neurologists for a referral.  There was some question about which insurance coverage he had.  This is an immature 22 year old still living with his  parents.  He never showed list to his mother who probably still had him on her  insurance.  Didn't hear from  him again for 2 months.  Still no neurological deficits on exam.

When he went back 2 months later he was much worse.  Primary care physician called central scheduling to get him in for an MRI as soon as possible.  Central scheduling made appointment and then couldn't get ahold of him.  Patient and his mother returned to primary care doctor 2 weeks later still no MRI, excuse no one called us. 

Primary care doctor got him in with Neurologist on emergency call that day, MRI done and patient had a tumor in one of the ventricles of the brain.  Tumor was removed and reoccurred a short time later.  Tumor removed second time with what is called a Gamma Knife which is not a knife but focused high powered radiation.  This damaged healthy tissue which caused a mass of necrotic tissue which was removed with conventional surgery.  Patient now has permanent neurological issues because of the Gamma Knife procedure.

The patient is suing the primary care doctor for not meeting the standard of care.  It is his contention that had it been removed a little earlier it wouldn't  have returned which is also disputed.

I held out for the  primary care physician meeting the standard of care.  There was only two of us and a civil jury only needs 3/4 of 8. 

The case ended up settling right before the verdict was turned in.  There were 7 interrogatories beginning with Was the primary care physician at fault.  The plaintiffs attorney had not turned in some paperwork that was part of  damages requested so he  had an incentive to settle.  There was a sentence misworded on the last interrogatory which was damages.   We sent out a  question about it so the attorneys knew that money was being talked about so  the defense attorney had an incentive to settle.

I'm glad it's over for you. How much easier would it have been if they'd settled in the first place though