December 1, 2005
IF THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T EXPLOIT THIS THEY'RE WASTING AN OPPORTUNITY:
President Bush Is Called to Jury Duty (AP, 12/01/05)
President Bush could get a new title: juror No. 286. The president is among 600 potential jurors who have been summoned to report to court Monday in McLennan County, where his 1,600-acre Crawford ranch is located.State District Judge Ralph Strother said he expects to get a response about the summons but doesn't expect Bush to report for duty.
Why not? Posted by Orrin Judd at December 1, 2005 1:35 PM
Interesting that Kerry was also called for jury duty very recently, and showed up -- after all, it's not like he ever attends to Senate business.
Couldn't be a set-up, could it? I mean the news pieces would write themselves. Senator of the People vs. President who shirks his duties as a citizen.
Nah, couldn't be.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at December 1, 2005 1:55 PMKerry was even foreman, no?
Posted by: oj at December 1, 2005 2:00 PMfore-president, if you don't mind.
Posted by: alfred e kerry at December 1, 2005 2:04 PMForesk*n.
Posted by: jdkelly at December 1, 2005 2:12 PMWhile Waco is one of the more Democratic placed in Texas not named either Austin or the Rio Grande Valley, Strother is a Republican who gained a little noteriety last year when he handled the Patrick Dennehy Jr. murder case lawsuit involving Baylor University. So I doubt there's any alterior motive going on here, and the call was just the luck of the draw, since Bush has been a McClennan County resident since the late 1990s and odds would be his name would come up on the juror lists sooner or later.
Posted by: John at December 1, 2005 2:53 PMJohn has a point. I've been on my voter roles at home since 1980 (Yes, my first ever vote for President was for Reagan). I was never called until 1990, and then twice in the next 7 years. Not since though.
Posted by: Bartman at December 1, 2005 3:33 PMHe should show up, make some nice little one-paragraph statement on the glories of the jury system and the importance of doing one's civic duty, and then patiently wait for the inevitable preemptory challenge to bounce him off.
Posted by: Mike Morley at December 1, 2005 4:02 PMKerry had nothing better to do, he's just a minority Senator. Maybe the President doesn't do things merely for PR purposes. For every person who thinks it great that the President of the United States shows for jury duty, there is at least 2 people who think that it is a stupid waste of time, which of course it is.
Can't the local judge sua sponte quash the summons?
Posted by: Bob at December 1, 2005 5:36 PMBush needs to be on the road for the next two weeks delivering versions of his wednesday speech. He won't be running for office again anyway.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at December 1, 2005 10:01 PMCourt room drama:
Prosecutor: "Juror 286. This trial will be about a theft. Have you ever been accused of theft?"
Juror 286: "Why, yes I have".
Prosecutor: "What were you accused of stealing".
Juror 286: "Florida".
Posted by: AllenS at December 2, 2005 4:59 AMIsn't there some kind of conflict in that he can pardon whoever he wants? Or is that a positive?
Posted by: RC at December 2, 2005 5:44 AMAllenS:
Great. But you left out the next question.
Judge: "Were you convicted?"
286: "Only by the press, and even when their studies exonerated me, they still treated me like a criminal."
Judge: "Will that influence your thinking if you serve as a juror?"
286: "Only if the defendant watches Hardball and Keith Olbermann".
Posted by: jim hamlen at December 2, 2005 9:30 AMRC: It is a state court so he cannot pardon anyone. That was the reason for his excuse from duty while he was Governor.
Posted by: Bob at December 2, 2005 9:58 AM286: "let me clarify, your Honor, I didn't actually steal Florida, only their electoral votes"
Posted by: JonofAtlanta at December 2, 2005 10:13 AM