Good morning Mossberg owners. Today I have to do my taxes. I didn't pay enough and I will have to send in about $3,000.
@Scoop
I am 100% certain that if, in court, one can say the phrase, "computer network administrator for a group of Consulting Structural Engineers", or a similarly complicated and impressive phrase without a stutter, then you will never get on a jury.
When I was working for Vendo I told them, "as a programmer I use custom modeling software to generate computer numerical control data from engineering drawings in a manufacturing process development office. "
LOL.... you should have seen the heads spinning at that one! (The truth is that all the real calculations required in that work I could have done in the 8th grade. A little basic algebra and geometry. General knowledge of metalworking tools....)
Normally I make it long enough so that the judge has to actually look at me and ask me to repeat myself, as they generally aren't paying that much attention to the jurors and lose track halfway through my monologue.
But the attorneys are listening very carefully, and I will make some fun by Leading them down a very conservative rabbit hole and at the very end I say, "design and race custom-built skateboards." At that point at least one of the attorneys will gag and you can tell who was paying attention.
My opinion is that juries are by and large filled by people who were not smart enough to avoid being chosen. They They promote it as one's civic duty to serve, and then they reduce that service to a sad joke.
Anyhow the first time I went on jury duty I discovered is that the American legal system is not just a world class Hollywood dog and pony show at the very highest levels, but it is ironic, inane, mundane drudgery at the lowest.
In most ways it's better than what the British had in the 1700s. In the most important ways that hasn't changed enough.
I think a jury should represent civilization at large and therefore should be larger and chosen by Lottery only. If you draw a ticket you serve.
Letting the attorneys choose jurors is a long and ridiculous process that we should dispense with.
The idea that we make the system more fair to the accused by having small hand selected juries is simply impossible!
In my mind, the only fair way is random selection.
