Gaming and Jury Duty Discrimination?

[takasi]

Next week I may have jury duty. One of the players in our group is a prosecutor (and not surprisingly the biggest rules lawyer you'd ever meet too) and we were talking about jury selection. Prosecutors don't want teachers, defense attorneys don't want ex-law enforcement and no one wants engineers.

He also said that if they ever asked someone their hobbies and they mentioned D&D, they would have no chance at jury duty. So I thought I'd ask here. Has anyone here ever mentioned D&D or another game as their hobby during jury duty selection? What happened?

 

[frankthedm]

This sounds a tad too political for en world.

 

[Creamsteak]

I know nothing of jury selection, but that's an interesting comparison. "Nobody wants Engineers." Hrm...

 

[cougent]

Hmmm, since I am from a huge law enforcement family, and an engineer, and a D&D player can I just get my permanent "Get out of Jury Duty" card now please?

I do know there is a great deal of psychology used in picking jurors, both sides want a group that is predisposed to think their way, so their may well be some perceived psychological reason to not select fantasy gamers.

 

[Victim]

no one wants engineers.

Really? Why?

 

[Howndawg]

Maybe engineers and D&D players are too smart to see through an attourney's emotional appeals.

Howndawg

 

[wolff96]

Really? Why?

Engineers tend to be way too analytical and pay attention to the evidence, rather than emotional pleas. They actually pay attention to the days and days of physical evidence and trivial stuff like DNA. There is also a tendency for engineers to be unswayed by fellow jurors in divisive cases, leading to a better chance of hung juries.

That makes us terrible jurors. At least, it does in the eyes of lawyers. Or so my sister, the lawyer, tells me.

 

[the_myth]

Next week I may have jury duty. One of the players in our group is a prosecutor (and not surprisingly the biggest rules lawyer you'd ever meet too) and we were talking about jury selection. Prosecutors don't want teachers, defense attorneys don't want ex-law enforcement and no one wants engineers.

He also said that if they ever asked someone their hobbies and they mentioned D&D, they would have no chance at jury duty. So I thought I'd ask here. Has anyone here ever mentioned D&D or another game as their hobby during jury duty selection? What happened?

For those unaware of how juries get selected [and a lawyer might wanna chime in here...]

"Prosecutors don't want teachers" probably refers to the invocation of the teacher as empathetic instructor, wishing for the student to learn and grow. A prosecutor wants to win, wants the jury to convict, wants the defendant to lose. Someone in a profession perceived to involve empathy does not fit with their agenda.

"defense attorneys don't want ex-law enforcement" because they don't want a conviction. Law enforcement professionals deal with crime everyday and may have a bias to 1/ presume guilt or 2/ see the facts of the case and recognize guilt. Defense attorneys work to ensure their clients are not found guilty or responsible, so having people who might see through legal obfuscation does not fit their agenda.

"no one wants engineers" or anyone with a science background. Scientists, engineers, the well-educated are trained to weigh facts and make decisions based on evidence. In a perfect world, these SHOULD be the sort of people we all want on juries in order to ensure fair and just trials. But, well, that damn scientific method can get in the way of convictions, mistrials, and emotional pleas of innocence. It is said that the OJ jury was compiled of people who had no higher than an 8th grade science background. In a case that depended on an understanding of forensic science, that might explain the outcome.

Now D&D players...well, we're all thought to be anarchical freaks with tenuous grasps on reality. If a trial is high-profile, this hobby can be exploited to make the trial and its outcome a farce in the media.

 

[Jeysie]

Tell you what: I have jury duty in December, so, if the question comes up, I'll test the assertion and let you know.

Would be fine with me. I have trouble understanding speech unless it's spoken clearly, and, while my memory for things I see written are excellent, my memory for things I hear is rather poor. So I'm not looking forward to the thought of having to render a verdict on a case when I can't hear/remember half the testimony.

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[Stormborn]

This sounds a tad too political for en world.

Why, might I ask, would you think that? Jury Duty is a legal as opposed to a political process in the US. Yes, it can get political but it doesn't have to be.

To the OP: Did your friend give a reason for the assertion that DnD players don't get picked? Is it the purported questionably grasp on reality? If someone said they collected comic books would it be the same? How about Video Games?

In the community I lived in most of my life a Masters degree and above of any kind was a sure way of getting cut from jury selection.