McDivitt Law Firm breaks down the hilarious show Jury Duty and discusses elements that are relatable to a real-life courtroom experience.
In this episode of Jury Duty, we are exposed to the jury taking a series of field trips. First, they are taken to the Cinnamon and Sparrow factory to do a site visit and see for themselves where the alleged incident took place. Then after that they are treated to a night out at Margaritaville. There are two themes that stand out in this episode, the first is how the jury is able to learn more information about the case due to them being on a visit to the site of the incident. The second theme that is on display during the episode revolves around the jury becoming more comfortable with each other and beginning to become friends and not just random people on a jury.
Visiting The Scene Related to the Case
The first theme that we are exposed to is focused on the jury being intentionally exposure exposed to the scene of the contested events outside of the courtroom. The visit to the factory is something that happens in real life in certain trials and the show gives a good representation of how a situation would go in the real world. The purpose of the trip to the factory is to give the jury a view of the scene where the incident occurred. The In real court cases, the decision to give the jury a view of the scene of the incident is entirely up to the judge and does not occur that frequently, because the information gained by the site visit can often be accomplished by the use of video or photographs. One aspect of the a real-life site visit that was on displayshown in the Jury Duty episode was that the attorneys are allowed to be at the scene with the jury, but they are not permitted to offer commentary on what the jury is observing while at the scene of the incident. This is on display when the defense counsel makes a remark during the visit and the judge tells him, “Tomorrow your client will have an opportunity to testify to any discrepancies.”
The judge’s instructions to instructed the defense counsel to hold off on making any statements until they are back in court is done in order to not cloud the judgement of the jury while they are observing the factory during the visit. The impartiality of the jury is one of the most important aspects of a jury trial and the rules regarding a view of the scene of the incident are put in place to ensure that the jury is able to not be influenced by either party until they are back in the courtroom.
How a Jury Bonds
The second theme on display is centered around the members of the jury beginning to create relationships with one another after spending so much time together. After the visit to the factory, the jury is taken on another outing to have dinner with each other at Margaritaville. This is the first time since the sequestration that the jurors have really been able to interact with each other outside of the courtroom since they were placed in separate hotels. Throughout their time at the restaurant the members of the jury are able to let loose and really get to know each other in a less professional setting. They begin to bond and become friends throughout the evening. This is a similar situation to what could occur with a sequestered jury in real life.
During a prolonged sequestration, jurors are sometimes treated to a night out at a restaurant or a museum provided that they are accompanied during their time out. In the Jury Duty episode, the bailiff accompanies the jurors to Margaritaville, and she is also able to enjoy a meal while keeping an eye on the jury outside of the courtroom. The trip out to dinner is a reminder that these people will start to develop relationships due to their close proximity with each other for a prolonged period of time.
