Jury Duty Part II: The Trial Day 1

If you missed Part I go here

After we were selected around 11:45 AM, the six of us on the jury were told to come back around 1:30 PM after lunch.

We met back in the Jury Room after lunch, and read through a notebook outlining what we were expected to see and do for the trial. We also got to know each other a little until we were called back into the courtroom shortly after 2 PM.

The Judge welcomed us and then had the clerk read the charges:
1. Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol
2. Failing to use left turn signal

Then the trial actually began with Prosecutor stating her case in opening followed by the defense attorney.

The prosecutor's story was that the guy had been drinking and initially was pursued by a police car because they believed he had gone through a red arrow, and then made a left turn into a development without using his turn signal. They then stopped him as he pulled up to a large holiday party at a house in the development. He refused roadside tests.

Defense: The defendant was returning to the party after taking home a drunk guest from the party, when he made a legal left turn before the police followed him. He had not had a drink that night. He emphasized that the roadside tests were voluntary.

The prosecutor's first two witnesses were the police officers who stopped the defendant. They were from another city working with Douglas County on a DUI Saturation, looking for Drunk drivers primarily.

At one point they were driving westbound and were facing a red arrow with a green light when an eastbound car turned north. The officers assumed the eastbound side also had a red arrow and that the driver ran the light and pursued him north. He then made a left turn without using his signal. They then turned their lights on and the car drove a little bit further, turning right, and then parking. The first officer went up to the car and talked to the driver and smelled alcohol on him. He asked him to get out and go to the back of the car, where the second officer saw him and also smelled alcohol. The driver refused to take the roadside maneuvers so they took him to the police station nearby.

After the two officers testified, we took a break and went back to the jury room. About a half hour later, the clerk came back and told us we were done for the day. Apparently the lawyers were having a hearing over something.

So we were dismissed until the next morning.

Next: The Trial Day 2