Jury duty is the major civic obligation that we all have. Without jurors there would be no justice. The right to a jury trial is a sacred and guaranteed by the Constitution.
Our San Diego personal injury attorney advises that if you have the honor of serving as a juror, it is imperative that you avoid juror misconduct. You must follow the judge’s instructions. Someone’s life, livelihood, and well-being may depend upon it.
Edward’s life changed when his car was struck by a driver who wasn’t paying attention. He was no longer able to work. The jurors’ job was to award damages for loss of earning capacity according to the evidence presented during the trial.
The jury knew that Edward has served in the Navy and therefore had a Navy pension. During the jury instructions, the judge specifically instructed the jury to disregard the pension because it had nothing to do with Edward’s loss of earning capacity caused by the serious injuries he sustained when his car was hit.
As soon as they got into the jury room a couple of jurors didn’t want to give the Edward anything for lost earning capacity, because as one juror literally said, “I know we’re not supposed to talk about it, but he does get a pension from the Navy.”
Justice demands the jurors avoid misconduct and explicitly follow the judge’s instructions. It is, in fact, the only way justice can prevail. If you were in Edward’s situation, wouldn’t you want the jurors to act appropriately?
Our San Diego personal injury attorney thanks you for serving as a juror.