[Stylist] Jury duty Re: Stylist Digest, Vol 177, Issue 6

Thu Jan 10 18:31:37 UTC 2019

My husband showed up for jury duty a couple of years ago, and the clerk told him blind people can't serve on a jury because of that very reason- we can't "see" evidence. He told her that legally he can serve, and she fought him on this, saying there's no way a blind person can legally serve. He diplomatically asked her to check into it, and she refused. He didn't relish serving, but he wasn't going to back down to discrimination, which this is. Eventually, she was proven wrong, which shut her up. He was not selected after-all, and who can say if it had anything to do with blindness- likely, but difficult to prove at that point. But every time we are told we can't do something by sighted people, and if we cave, let it go, the world never changes, and the next blind person who wants to serve just has more work to do to fight this systemic discrimination that's abundant in society.

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Vejas Vasiliauskas via Stylist
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2019 12:28 PM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas <alpineimagination at gmail.com>; Kishia Mason <kishia.mason at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Stylist] Jury duty Re: Stylist Digest, Vol 177, Issue 6

Hi Kishia and Joseph,
I think the main reason that blindness is  currently considered an excuse is because of the concern that judges have about watching video evidence.
It's too bad you feel this way, Kishia, but I also understand that I got very lucky to be selected while still a student during my summer break. I know it is much more stressful if it happens in school or while working.
Vejas

> On 10 Jan 2019, at 08:54, Kishia Mason via Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Any reason I could have for justifying getting out of jury duty I would take it. I’m sure that if most people could use something as an excuse to get out of jury duty they would and since blindness has been established to be justifiable to not be considered for jury duty, that’s good enough reason for me to avoid it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
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>> Today's Topics:
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>>  1. Vejas - jury duty (Chris Kuell )
>>  2. Re: Vejas - jury duty (Vejas Vasiliauskas)
>> 
>> 
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> -
>> 
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 16:04:08 -0500
>> From: "Chris Kuell " <ckuell at comcast.net>
>> To: "'Writers' Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [Stylist] Vejas - jury duty
>> Message-ID: <00df01d4a85e$deb6ef70$9c24ce50$@comcast.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"
>> 
>> Hey Vejas,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I just read your article in the Braille Monitor and wanted to 
>> congratulate you on a great job. Your description of your experience 
>> was clear and concise and well written.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On a side note, I'm one of those rare individuals who actually wants 
>> to be on a jury. I got called in the fall and was so excited. I knew 
>> I could get to the courthouse by bus, and I had my son bring me 
>> inside one day so I could investigate it and learn where the rooms of 
>> interest were, where the bathrooms are, and I even met a blind vendor 
>> who was selling coffee and sandwiches, so I was psyched to get called.
>> 
>> I called the night before and was told to report. I did, but right 
>> away they told us they didn't need us and dismissed us.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Maybe next time.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 15:24:21 -0800
>> From: Vejas Vasiliauskas <alpineimagination at gmail.com>
>> To: Writers' Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Stylist] Vejas - jury duty
>> Message-ID: <7DB1D21A-9677-46B7-AF62-5F55F676C7C2 at gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
>> 
>> Hi Chris,
>> I'm so glad you enjoyed my article. (I have another that should be out soon). 
>> That's unfortunate that you didn't get called but very encouraging that there was a blind vendor. I think that their choice not to ultmimately have me as an alternate was for two reasons. First, since my teacher was also one, they were probably concerned I'd be influenced by her even though I clearly stated I would not be. The other reason was because of an honest response to a question that I was given. I was asked if I would judge someone who had already committed multiple crimes and my answer was yes.
>> Yes, next time!
>> Vejas   
>> 
>>> On 9 Jan 2019, at 13:04, Chris Kuell via Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hey Vejas,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I just read your article in the Braille Monitor and wanted to 
>>> congratulate you on a great job. Your description of your experience 
>>> was clear and concise and well written.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On a side note, I'm one of those rare individuals who actually wants 
>>> to be on a jury. I got called in the fall and was so excited. I knew 
>>> I could get to the courthouse by bus, and I had my son bring me 
>>> inside one day so I could investigate it and learn where the rooms 
>>> of interest were, where the bathrooms are, and I even met a blind 
>>> vendor who was selling coffee and sandwiches, so I was psyched to get called.
>>> 
>>> I called the night before and was told to report. I did, but right 
>>> away they told us they didn't need us and dismissed us.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Maybe next time.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Chris
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
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>> End of Stylist Digest, Vol 177, Issue 6
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