A man who was supposed to be a member of the jury might instead find himself put in a situation where he’s the one being judged.
The incident in question took place in Great Britain and it all began when officials were set to pick a jury for a case involving assault and reckless driving charges. The jury selection process reached a hiccup, though, when one of the men selected to preside as a juror on the case cited an unusual reason for not being able to fulfill his duties.
The presiding judge read a letter from the man in open court. In that letter, the potential juror explained how he could not be unbiased due to his deep-seated prejudice toward foreigners, homosexuals, and black people. He said the court would be doing itself a disservice with him in the box, as not only would his views cloud his judgment, but he would purposely neglect the facts of any case and side with the opinion of the majority.
Well, the man got his wish and was dismissed from the case, but now he could be involved in a case of his own. The barristers on both the prosecution’s side and the defense’s side were so chagrined that they have jointly filed a complaint against the man. If found guilty of violating the Contempt of Courts Act, prison might be on the horizon.
Whether the man’s claims were true or not, it raises an interesting question about the legal system. Who do you think was in the right? I know that I, for one, will be keeping a watch on this story.