[nfb-talk] mistake made in jury duty pool; would like advice

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

Blind people cannot be automatically excluded from a jury panel. Asking 
whether or not a person can read or write the English is potentially a civil 
rights violation. I would suggest you contact the Alco in your state as this 
would be a case they may be interested in. Here in California weave elderly 
people who can barely walk called for jury duty.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] mistake made in jury duty pool; would like advice


> mailing is not at all an option.  Remember, we're talking about 
> documentation presented during the trial.  No way they're going to take 
> the chance of mailing that.  You have to remember that in order to gain 
> access to that stuff, you must be sworn to the trial.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>
> Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!
>
> Skype name:
> barefootedray
>
> Facebook:
> facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1
>
>
>
> On Mar 27, 2012, at 7:22 PM, Joshua Lester wrote:
>
>> Ray, here's the deal!
>> If you could have the doccumentation E-mailed to you, you could read
>> it in Braille, if you have a notetaker, with a Braille display, or you
>> could Braille it out, with an embosser, if you have one.
>> I'd prefer not to do the whole jury thing, based on the visual questions.
>> I could do civil cases, but stuff like murder trials, where everything
>> is visual, I wouldn't even do it!
>> JMHO!
>> Blessings, Joshua
>>
>> On 3/27/12, Ray Foret Jr <rforetjr at att.net> wrote:
>>> Frankly, I feel like shit.  I really screwed up.  I won't bore y'all 
>>> with
>>> every detail of what happened; but, it boils down to this.
>>>
>>>
>>> The judge started asking question, and everything was going well.  Then, 
>>> he
>>> asked if we could all read and write the English language.  Here's where 
>>> I
>>> fucked up.  YOu see, if your answer was yes, you kept your hand down; 
>>> if
>>> no, you raised it.  forgetting that for the moment, I raised my hand. 
>>> The
>>> judge then confirmed that I was blind and had counsel approach.  I was 
>>> then
>>> dismissed.  didn't even get a chance to explain how I could handle 
>>> stuff.
>>> So, I tried to save the situation by having it officially entered in to 
>>> the
>>> court records that I wished for my name to remain in the potential jury 
>>> pool
>>> for next summons.  My only recourse, now, as I see it, is to write the 
>>> judge
>>> a letter explaining how I would deal with things like that as a blind
>>> person.  When I said to the judge, "I want to make it clear that I do 
>>> NOT
>>> want to have my name removed from the potential jury pool!", the judge 
>>> said,
>>> "I will certainly not have your name removed.  I wish more people had 
>>> your
>>> attitude.".
>>> that's why a well written print or typed letter might, I feel, make an
>>> impression on the mind of the judge.  e-mail will just simply not do; 
>>> and, a
>>> phone call would be even worse.  What I would like to know is this. 
>>> Given
>>> the circumstances, such things as the KNFB reader are just not feasible
>>> because I don't have nor can afford one.  Human readers seem doubtful
>>> because one would have to be sworn to the trial before dealing with
>>> documentation and other visual evidence.  Would it be possible for other
>>> blind people who have successfully served on juries before give me 
>>> advice on
>>> what I can do to convince the judge of our competence?  I suspect that 
>>> with
>>> the right approach, the judge might be willing to consider what I have 
>>> to
>>> say.  It seems that it always hangs on the visual question.
>>>
>>> So, there's my sucky day.
>>>
>>> Oh if only I had kept my damn hand down!!
>>>
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>>
>>> Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!
>>>
>>> Skype name:
>>> barefootedray
>>>
>>> Facebook:
>>> facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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