[speaker001:] well um I don't know I'm have only been um selected for jury duty one time and it was sort of a a rude awakening to our judicial system um after having served on the jury and uh come to a decision uh and and really it was a case that was cut and dry the uh the defendant on uh the witness stand admitted he was guilty and then uh the first thing that was done was after um we we found him guilty his attorney jumped up and uh started going through the procedure you know routine for filing an appeal which you know I I I know that that's the right uh but the defendant but I mean it makes you wonder why go through it one more time when you know he admitted he was guilty of the crime so um I don't know that it was a little bit disgruntling to me
[speaker002:] it right I have never served on a jury I have been called like only twice in my life and and uh at the time I've been a legal assistant and nobody wanted me on their jury so I've been excused but uh I uh I don't know I look at the people who get excused and and it's supposed to be a jury of your peers and I'm not sure it always is uh
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] and it is a lot it is a huge burden to put on people who don't know the law uh you know that especially in criminal cases when you're deciding someone's life
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] I I'm not so sure that you know that that's something that is that you can really really have the knowledge to do as as just a lay person
[speaker001:] oh not I agree with that and certainly um I think that uh I know that uh I have heard of people being you know in on a on a criminal case and uh saying that you know and I think you've got this option that if you want if you are found guilty by the jury that you can choose even before the trial begins for the judge to sentence you uh and that I I think I think I'm correcting correct in that but uh
[speaker002:] well a lot of states the judge can set I mean they do set the penalty you know the the judgment at once it's rendered guilty you know the sentencing is done by the judge in in a lot of the cases um some cases it is up to the jury but
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] you you know you're told if you find them guilty then this is the choices that they have to make it's either life or death you know
[speaker001:] right right
[speaker002:] but uh I don't I don't know it just it it seems like in some of these cases I don't know that you could really have an impartial juror because of the media given
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] and I don't you know in today's age of television the coverage like it is there's no way that you can be shielded from it
[speaker001:] well I I understand what you're saying and at the same time I'm afraid that there are people out there that walk are walking around that have no more conception of what's going on day in and day out than if someone came down from Mars and and unfortunately those people who my in my book I would I would consider them to be terribly uninformed might be deemed the most eligible people to be put on the jury while like like you said earlier I don't necessarily would I don't think I'd consider them to be a jury of my peers
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] you know so I but that's well you know one of the reasons why I hope I never have to be in a position to have a jury listen to what a case of mine and I hope I never you know am in that situation
[speaker002:] well I know when I've been you know called to jury duty they had to stand up there or stay you know until they dismissed me and I look at the people and the reasons that they get dismissed um before they even you know the selection is is even started it is your profession you know nine tenths of them are your professional people
[speaker001:] right right
[speaker002:] who are out in the world you know the rest are retired or they're housewives or uh