[nfb-talk] jury dudy

Sun Jan 6 13:03:57 CST 2008

Dear Dewey,

This is the very reason I did make the effort to serve.  I got dismissed on 
other occasions for I am sure, was because I was blind.
In fact, they did not even ask me a single question the same as they asked 
every other juror.  They instead, focused on nothing but my blindness and 
nothing else to the point of absurdity.
That is why I thought about it and had my answers ready the next time.  I 
also told them that I have to judge the worthiness and motives of other 
people every day as a blind person.
I have to deal with people just the same as anyone else does.
  I just do it differently because I am blind.  That's all.

I hope that more blind people will make the extra effort to do the same.
If we ever want to be accepted as equal citizens in the eyes of our sighted 
peers, we need to show that we deserve it and that we are going to hold up 
our end of being a good citizen which means taking our duties as a citizen 
seriously.  This means letting the public see us voting independently in 
elections instead of just filling out absentee ballots.  It means serving on 
Boards and Committees, taking part in the PTA at our children's schools and 
yes, serving on juries.
Every time we duck our responsibilities and let them put us in a place we 
don't belong, we deserve it when we don't fight back.
Until we say, "we don't deserve to be treated this way and we aren't going 
to take it anymore," things won't change for us.
We will always be a group from which little is expected and little is given.
I reminded the judge that Justice is Blind so therefore, I must fit right 
in.  One minute later, they seated me on that jury and I served.

David Evans, NFBF

Serving Member:
Palm Tran Service Board (12 years- past chair)
Para-Transit Sub-Committee  (Chair -4 years)

MPO Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board (Since 1993)
South Florida Regional Transit Authority/Tri-Rail ( Since 1995 - past chair)
City of Boca Raton Committee for the Physically and Mentally Challenged ( 
since 1994)
Work Force Alliance Transportation sub-Committee ( 3 years)
Palm Beach County ADA Advisory Board- Chair (1992 to 1995)
Governor's Select Task Force on Voting Access ( ( 2001 to 2003)
HAVA Florida State Planning Committee ( 2002- 2004)
Board of Director- Florida Outreach Center for the Blind ( 3 years)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "dewey bradley" <dewey.bradley at att.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 2:16 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] jury dudy

> thanks for the comments!
> what's really messed up is that this guy was called and he wont, go in and
> see If he can but Julie Deden the director of the Colorado center for the
> blind, well I think It was her.
> she has been called in like 3 or 4 times, and when she shows up to serve,
> the judge sends her home, because she is blind.
> It might not be Julie I'm thinking about, but I'm pretty shore.  Julie If
> you are on this list, then was that you?
> but the point is that when people want to serve and be like everyone else,
> they tell you no, but when people like my friend get called, he says that 
> we
> can't do It.
> I just wonder If I ever get called and show up, witch I will do, they 
> might
> send me away because of him telling them that we can't do It.
> I do agree that we shouldn't make someone do It, but I don't know of any
> other way of doing It.
> My friend Joe, I didn't call and ask If I can talk about him, that's why I
> wont say his last name.
> but It was in June of 06 and the Denver post made a big deal out of It.
> that was so wonderful, he's blind and he can breeth by himself.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Evans" <drevans at bellsouth.net>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 11:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] jury dudy
>
>
>>
>> Dear Dewey,
>>
>> I think that William is right.
>> Dependence is learned just the same way as independence is learned.  If
>> you
>> have always been put down and told that you can not do things as well as
>> other people, then you won't.
>> He is like the whipped puppy.  When any crisis or situation comes along 
>> he
>> feels he can't handle he cowers and makes a puddle.
>> Anything that challenges him and he withdraws and puts on the pity face
>> until someone comes along to cut his meat, show him around the bathroom 
>> or
>> helps him to cross the street.
>> It will take something terrific to get him to change himself and his 
>> life.
>> Just don't let him drag you down with him.
>> As for serving on a jury.  A blind person can do it just the same as
>> anyone
>> else can.
>> I have been called several times.  I told the judge and the lawyers just
>> how
>> I would handle each piece of evidence and testimony.
>> I said that I would listen to the evidence, examine the exhibits and 
>> think
>> about what I heard to the best of my ability.
>> Paperwork, I said, could be looked at with a CCTV or by scanning it with
>> Open Book and read for content.
>> I told them that I might not see people clearly , but I got impression of
>> people by their body language and the inflection in their voice.
>> They seated me and we found the guy guilty of armed robbery.  They caught
>> him red handed with the loot still in his pockets and his face on the
>> video
>> tape doing the robbery.  Open and shut.  He hurt a lady when he robbed 
>> her
>> and she identified him.
>>
>> If I ever do something wrong, I hope William will be on my jury as I know
>> he
>> will let me go, even if I am a axe murderer.  Grin.
>>
>> David Evans, NFBF
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Wm. Ritchhart" <william.ritchhart at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 10:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] jury dudy
>>
>>
>>> Well, I think when I was taking Criminal Justice in college, the
>>> professor said the jury is to hear the evidence.  I too, however would
>>> not serve on a jury.  Not because of my vision.  But because of the way
>>> our system does not work.  And were I forced to serve against my will, I
>>> would not vote guilty.  No matter the evidence.
>>>
>>> As for your friend calling you an NFB Nazi, there is not much point in
>>> arguing with him.  Your best approach would probably be to teach by
>>> example and hope he wakes up and makes some changes.  Don't hold your
>>> breath.  Once people like your friend learn how to be helpless, they
>>> generally do not unlearn it.
>>>
>>>
>>> William
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On Behalf Of dewey bradley
>>> Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 8:41 PM
>>> To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: [nfb-talk] jury dudy
>>>
>>> I wanted to ask everyone a question.
>>> some people agree, and some disagree with me on this one.
>>> I have a friend, I wont say his name because I'm not on this list to
>>> slam anyone.
>>> but this person.
>>> twice he has been called for jury dudy, and both times he has call and
>>> told them that he's blind and therefor can't serve.
>>> He says that blind people can't serve, because if he was a lawyer he
>>> would move for a mistrial, because the jury can't see the evidence is.
>>> When I try to tell him about my friend Joe serving 2 years ago and they
>>> convicted the guy, and It's still uphelt.
>>> He just calls me a NFB notsey,what ever that means.
>>> so what do you guys think about that.
>>> maybe he calls me that because when I need to cross the street, I just
>>> do It instead of standing there and waiteing for someone to help me,
>>> like he does.
>>> what would you respond to him when he says that?
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-talk mailing list
>>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nfb-talk mailing list
>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk 