Jury Duty
& Courthouse Games
I received a summons in the mail that demanded I report to the Weld County Courthouse for jury duty at 7:45 am. Fine and jail time are threatened, should I fail to report.
Others were arriving there at the same time, walking in with their summons in hand, and we all formed a line that zig-zagged inside, and extended outside and down the sidewalk.
There were lots of signs at the entrance telling us what to do, and what not to do, and here’s a list of personal items and defense weapons you can’t have in your purse or on your person. When arriving at the scanner, you must take off watches, jewelry, jackets, belts, etc.
Then a couple of contracted security guards, and an armed law enforcement officer process the human herd, rifle through our personal belongings, and make demands without any pleasantries. Wait there. Walk here. Stand there. Spread your legs, so I can slide this wand up in between them, etc.
Listen Linda, none of us want to be here anymore than you do, so at least give us the courtesy of being pleasant as you violate us!
They even make you open your water bottle and show them what’s inside. I’m not sure what happens if it’s not water, but I don’t appreciate anyone sniffing my drink. Don’t they feel weird doing this?
If you leave the building on a break, be prepared to undress and have your privacy violated again on the way back in, as that security man noses through ladies’ purses as if his mama never taught him better.
And if you are elderly and/or need a walker to get around, well, you’re going to have to figure out how to get through this scanner without it. Best of luck.
Don’t they feel weird doing this?
After this morning mistreatment, we all get dressed again, and access is granted to this place that none of us want to be anyway. Once inside, there are more signs posted…
But nobody obeys these signs, and there's no enforcement, of course, because only a select few are still playing silly covid games.
But don’t think I didn’t notice that 6-6-6 on the floor as I followed the yellow brick road to the Jury Selection Room, where at the entrance we turn in our information cards that will be given to legal counsel on both sides, and used to help them decide who they might or might not want on the jury, based on our sex, occupation, marital status, etc.
The clerk, as she is collecting these cards, is asking individuals, out loud, “Do you identify as male, female, or other?” Some respond by stating the obvious, some chuckle at the absurdity, some silently roll their eyes, and some call BS. I'm sure there are a few “others” in the community, but I didn’t see any.
I feel like I may have accidentally wandered into a downtown clown show. Am I in the right place? Is this an official courthouse? Another voice from down the line jokes that this is our real life now.
I guess we all have to find that line between our job duties and maintaining self-respect, but don’t they feel weird asking this? Don’t they care about maintaining credibility?
In the jury selection room, there are only as many seats as there are summonses. Hats must be removed when you enter. Find a seat. No standing, and shut off your phone. We are specifically told that we cannot even use our phones to look up word definitions. Oh, and you will need to raise your hand and ask permission to use the restroom while you are here.
Words matter. Why hadn’t I thought to bring a dictionary with me? At least I brought a notebook. Be advised that if you are taking notes, you may be pulled aside and asked if you are doodling or taking notes. What difference it would make remains a mystery, as “taking notes” appeared to appease the warden. I continued taking notes as the prerecorded video presentation defined a few terms and conditions, and reiterated how important my role as a juror is to this justice system. We could be called upon to decide the fate of a fellow man or woman - a peer, who stands accused of a very serious crime.
Once we are done watching the video, they reveal “the act” and the charges against the accused in this case, informing us that if we are selected as a juror we’re expected to be able to devote the next 7 business days of our lives to this judicial process.
They then call 25, 4-digit numbers, and the men and women identifying as these numbers begin forming a single-file line. It is not revealed to them, or to us, where they are going when they are silently escorted out of the room. A short while later, with a strange sort of sadistic humor, the women facilitating our experience return in ritualistic fashion, to our quiet room, and banter with us “You don’t even know if that’s a good or bad thing yet.” Hahaha.
We all wait, quietly wondering what the...
Is this a game?
These professionals, seemingly stalling for dramatic effect, eventually go on to tell us that those 25 people just got released from duty. The rest of us should plan on being here for at least the remainder of the day.
Without explanation, they call out 28, 4-digit numbers, and the men and women assigned these numbers have to line up in the order they are called. They are then taken out of the room. Then another group of numbers is called, but these men and women don’t have to line up in order, though they are also taken out of the room.
As our neighbors left their seats in the Jury Selection Room, people relaxed a bit, able to spread out. It no longer felt so crowded. But that was short lived because next we were all shuffled to one side of the room, and the warden moved her rolling table to the end of our new boundary. We would go on to spend the day sitting in hard plastic chairs, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, watching a live stream of the games being played inside the actual courtroom.
And this is all after they just got done telling me I should take this seriously.
Given the severity of the crime, you would think we would get to know why someone may have committed “the act” they are accused of. But for some odd reason, the prosecution isn’t required to prove motive, nor are we to consider it in rendering a verdict. So, any mention of any events leading up to “the act” will not be admissible? What if said events should actually be given very serious consideration?
I mean, what if this happened to your child?
By the way, that has been reported to multiple authorities and elected officials in Weld County, but as our justice system would have it, the father who reported it is now an inmate at the Weld County Jail, his fate played out, right here, in this very courthouse.
Why is the audio missing from the public 10/9/23 Greeley-Evans School District 6 Board of Education meeting on YouTube? Some of what was said can be heard at the very beginning of this podcast: https://rebel-patriot-radio.simplecast.com/episodes/rpr-episode-35-hmlt-q1h
John Gates, the Chief of Safety & Security for Greeley-Evans School District 6 (since retired), is a former law enforcement officer and our current Greeley City Mayor, assured us that a thorough investigation was done.
Was it though?
Why has the 2/6/24 public Greeley City Council meeting been set to private, again, on YouTube? Why would the City of Greeley only make it available on the city portal at timestamp 15:30? Specific questions were asked of the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the City Attorney. Our City Attorney retired before the next City Council meeting.
So, I ask - since when does a thorough investigation, or a fair trial, not include all the evidence? And since when is a jury of our peers a stacked deck of men and women, selected by, and for the benefit of, the main actors, the attorneys, who have nothing to lose one way or another?
A peer, by definition, is a person of the same standing - an equal, usually of the same age and social status. A jury of our peers should consist of people we know, who are aware of our circumstances, are from our own neighborhoods, around the same age, and maybe even in the same line of work, or school.
Instead, if you know anyone involved in the case, you will be dismissed from the panel. If you are a member of law enforcement, or are related to one, or are friends with any, you will be dismissed from the panel. If you are a juror with strong convictions or a solid sense of right and wrong, you will be dismissed from the panel. If you have a vacation scheduled, you will be dismissed from the panel. And if you tell the judge you have pink eye, you will be dismissed immediately.
However, if you have a long-scheduled pre-op appointment for an upcoming surgery, you will be asked by the judge to try to reschedule that. If you have trouble with memory, you will be asked if you can take notes to help you remember important details. If you are hearing impaired, you will be issued a device that you have to hold to your ear, for every word, of the entire trial. If you have a business trip planned, the judge will ask you to call your boss on the next break and see if you can skip it. If you have children to tend to, you will be asked to arrange 7 days of rides to and from school, and/or childcare for them.
…but this is only if you are 1 of the 28 in the jury box who get to speak. They only need 14 of us (12 jurors and 2 alternates).
Of the 150 of us left, there are some who are eager to be considered, and available to take the place of the people who’ve publicly proclaimed their personal disabilities and hardships. But never mind that. This seems to be more about control, mind games, oaths, blind obedience, and ritualistic behaviors, than it does about reality, justice, service, or the good of mankind.
Come here. Get in line. Stand there. Undress. Remove that symbol of your sacred wedding vows. Step through this portal. Follow the 6-6-6. How do you identify? Just keep playing along. Now go sit down. All rise. Pledge your allegiance. Raise your right hand. Repeat after me. Solemnly swear. Take this oath. Sit down. Shut your mouth. Thanks for coming. Enjoy the show.
It’s like watching My Cousin Vinny, only it’s not funny and there’s no popcorn. And someone’s future, and thus, their children’s futures, hang in the balance of what feels like a real shady game show.
As some of the 28 men and women in the jury box are relieved of their duties, with agreement of the judge and attorneys, others from the 3rd group, who are now sitting in the courtroom audience pews, take their oaths, and their seats in the box, and the attorneys from both sides resume irrelevant questioning of the new potential jurors, on matters unrelated to the case.
Pictures are only shown on the screens in the courtroom, and not the Jury Selection Room. It’s as if they already know those of us in overflow will never need to see them anyway. They paint silly scenarios for us as they attempt to gauge our willingness to play games, and follow orders, even if they’re not based on fair principles. In this audience participation portion of the trial, the attorneys are sizing-up the panel to decide who will be sent home next, like it’s an episode of Survivor.
You have a voice in the verdict, but not the sentencing. Will this affect your ability to render a verdict? Can you make a judgment without hearing from the accused? Do you think for yourself? Will you render a verdict without knowing the “why”? Will you stand up for what is right? Do you trust your government? Can you apply only the law as it is written in statute, and leave emotions out of it? Do you jump to conclusions? How do you feel about risk? What are the odds? A fool always thinks they can beat the odds. Are you a fool? Do you play against the odds? Or do you calculate risk? Are you comfortable assuming someone’s intent if you don’t have the details of events preceding “the act”? Do you assume easily? Can you handle peer pressure from fellow jurors in long deliberations?
So, let me get this straight… The prosecuting attorney just has to prove a state of mind (knowingly vs. recklessly)? And prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that “the act” was committed by the defendant? And the defense attorney has to try to argue the case without exposing any information that may reveal a “why”? This sounds like a losing battle from the start. Something tells me this isn’t going to end well for the accused.
It reminds me of those suckers who rigged carnival games, and hold out hope for a win, even though the odds always favor the house. Or the courts, in this case.
A man in the back row was snoring and an elderly woman in front of me had been shifting in her seat for a while, clearly uncomfortable and in pain, and needing to stand and move around, when the warden announced that the judge had just given his permission for us to use the restroom. A voice in the room said “?Thank you?”, vocalizing warranted confusion.
Right?! I mean, who thinks it’s okay to demand our appearance, require our employer pay us $50 for this day of duty, while also losing productivity in our absence, then violate us on the way in, insult us, and our intelligence by asking our gender, require our all-day attendance, demand our compliance, time and attention, impose kindergarten classroom rules on us, and then make it seem as though we should be grateful for this permission to urinate?
After arriving in the morning, ..and after lunch, ..and after each 20-minute break, we all followed the yellow brick road back into the Jury Selection Room. Attendance roll-call follows, and all 100+ of us yell out “here” when our number is called. Then the chosen ones line up when their numbers are called, again, and they are lead back into the courtroom, again. Imagine the time this process takes.
The attorneys jumped back into the game after each break, and at the end of the day, each side could vote 7 jurors out of the jury box, without giving a reason. The final 14 were decided upon at 4:45 pm, and the rest of us were released to go home. What a waste of a day.
I feel sorry for anyone who gets wrapped up in the claws of this system. It appears, based on reviews, that a good number of other men and women have experienced Weld County justice, too.
I learned some things about our elected Weld County District Attorney, Michael J. Rourke, from this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2_C6z8E7jU
