jury trial day 5

We finaly get back into court after four days off.

The Defense calls the first witness. A mechanic. He testified that the defendent brought the car in 8 months before the crash. The mechanic was not able to diagnose the car, recommened taking the car to a dealership
Next up was the wife. She said she was scared to drive the car and described one time when it pulled to the left.
Final witness for the defense. A friend of the defendant that says he drove the car a few times and  had issues with it.

The defense rests.

After lunch we get into the final closing arguments. Nothing new of course, just a rehash. Both sides delivered a good closing argument.

Now it was time to send the alternate jurors home.  The Judge calls out the numbers. I am #9 remember.  First she calls 5, then 7. Ok, I get the pattern. Odd numbers. I am ready to go home. #10. I am going to have to do this.

The judge sends us back to the room, but not to deliberate yet. We come back out a little later and take our seats. The bailiff hands us each a big document. These are the Judges rules for the Jury. It describes our role and the legal definitions of the charges.  She reads them to us one by one. It takes a while.

We finally get back into the deliberation room. The bailiff takes all our electronics. We now have to elect a presiding juror.  Everyone is looking at each other, no one steps up, so I do. I nominate Martha.   She was floored, but accepted. Martha strikes me as an organizer. She also talks a lot and loudly.

We decide to take a quick poll to see where we all are at.  I state that I am ready to vote guilty.  Most do. 4 jurors are not ready to call it guilty. We go over the evidence again, and ask to see and hear some video and audio recordings. These must take place in the court room. We ring the buzzer for the bailiff. She comes in and gives us a Questions form. Martha fills out what we want to see. We asked to see four things. 20 minutes later the bailiff is back. They have agreed to let us hear one thing only. The taped interview at Harborview with the Defendant.   The Defendants family are the only ones in the pews.  As we listen, the Defendant is crying in the court room.

After this is over, we go back in to the deliberation room. It is getting close to 4. We are not going to get to a decision today it appears. The bailiff knocks to come in and then tells us the Judge is going to give us till 4:15 today.  Great, all that does is makes me miss my bus.  We agree to sleep on it, come back fresh tomorrow