The first time I was called up for jury duty in the United States, I was very excited. To me, this is literally the only thing that any American is required to do as part of our citizenship, so I was stoked to get to serve.
They didn “t tell us anything about the case, they just had us sit in the jury pool, then pulled us into the courthouse and started asking us disqualifying questions as a group.
I remember them asking:
“Does anyone here believe that marijuana should be legalized?”
I raised my hand instantly. I looked around me, and I was THE ONLY ONE.
Seriously, guys? Really?
I am not a marijuana user. I personally take any medication via prescription from a doctor.
This was Florida, and I had just recently lost three friends to cancer in that state – cancer that would have been made slightly easier on them if they “d been in California or another state.
So I was most definitely biased.
And that was what the defending attorney was looking for, apparently. I was selected immediately.
The case turned out to be rather strange –
A DEA agent was on loan to the local department and was working undercover, trying to catch some big drug lord or something.
Along the way, he offered money to the defendant to go purchase drugs for him.
She took the money, then waved it in his face and said she wouldn “t do it, because she was going to keep it for herself, and he was a sucker (or something like that.)
It was all on video.
So, to sum up –
She was high. She stole less than $20 from an undercover Federal Agent to buy some weed.
Guess what happened?
We actually had to deliberate for around 3 hours on this one.
We wanted there to be a semantic difference in the law between theft and stealing (was there intent or just opportunity?)
We wanted this to be entrapment.
We really didn “t want to convict her.
We couldn “t find a way.
We had to find her guilty.
Minimum sentence was 1 year in jail.
For less than $20.
Because she committed a felony and had drugs in her system when arrested.
Our Legal System is borked.
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/Do-officers-ever-feel-bad-for-arresting-people-who-are-otherwise-honest-for-selling-marijuana-and-then-seeing-judges-put-them-in-jail-for-years
Originally Posted On: 2016-09-18