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I just took six years of a man’s life.

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flamin lib Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:54 PM
Original message
I just took six years of a man’s life.
Criminal district court Ft Worth, TX. Theft with priors, 2-10 years and a fine of up to $10,000.

Yes he was guilty, so said we all. But I was Foreman and it was my signature that certified the sentence.

It is an awesome and humbling thing.

I will probably not sleep tonight.
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spanone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
1. thanks for the duty
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Drale Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
2. Don't think about it
This guy dug his own grave and now he has to sleep in it.
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slackmaster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:57 PM
Response to Original message
3. You didn't take years of his life. He did that by making poor choices.
Thank you for your jury service. I've always found it to be rewarding and interesting.
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Avalux Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:58 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. You are correct. My thought exactly. n/t
Edited on Wed Jul-13-11 04:59 PM by Avalux
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indepat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:58 PM
Response to Original message
4. Just one of the prices of citizenship. Sleep well, my friend, in the realization you performed your
sacred patriotic duty admirably. :patriot:
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Forkboy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:58 PM
Response to Original message
5. Been there. Not a good feeling, even when you feel it was the right decision.
It happened to me over a decade ago and I still wonder about the guy. There's time when being a bleeding heart liberal is a real pain in the ass.
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barbtries Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:03 PM
Response to Reply #5
12. lol
the only time i served i was the last hold out, still trying to give the guy the presumption of innocence. however he was guilty and i said so aloud when the jury was polled. no idea how much time he served.
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socialist_n_TN Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 07:54 PM
Response to Reply #5
19. Bingo. 2 years ago they picked me for a murder trial
and it was pretty close. The DA's office did NOT do a very good job IMO (and others on the jury), but they DID fine ONE piece of consistent evidence that allowed me to feel OK about a 2nd Degree verdict. I'm sure the guy still got 20+ years though and yep, I STILL think about it.
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Enrique Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:58 PM
Response to Original message
6. it sounds like they picked the right foreman
:toast:
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Rowdyboy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 04:58 PM
Response to Original message
7. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is the right thing.....several years ago in the same situation
I helped take away 2 years of a man's life. It was very hard but he was clearly guilty. You do what you have to do.
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barbtries Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:01 PM
Response to Original message
9. he did it to himself, you did not do it to him.
thank you for serving.
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ZombieHorde Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-14-11 12:33 AM
Response to Reply #9
23. That is clearly wrong. The man did not sentence himself.
Edited on Thu Jul-14-11 01:29 AM by ZombieHorde
Those who lock up people in cages are the ones who lock people up in cages.
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barbtries Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-14-11 01:06 AM
Response to Reply #23
26. ha
subtlety.
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MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:02 PM
Response to Original message
10. You didn't "take" six years--the guy did it to himself.
What you did do, though, is give the fine citizens of Greater Fort Worth six years, minus time off for good behavior, of freedom from having that asswipe steal from them.

You did a good thing, and you should sleep like a baby.
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moondust Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:02 PM
Response to Original message
11. You did your best with great deliberation.
Let it go.
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Taverner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:05 PM
Response to Original message
13. Wow...at the risk of sounding maudlin
With great power comes great responsibility
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Cereal Kyller Donating Member (400 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:05 PM
Response to Original message
14. You did what you had to do
We have all performed tasks we found to be distasteful. Don't beat yourself up.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:07 PM
Response to Original message
15. Think instead what a favor you did for the community, putting him
out of circulation. I say this as a victim of more than one theft over the years, including my beloved Honda Accord, age 22.

They used to hang thieves. He should be glad they don't anymore.
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proud patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:14 PM
Response to Original message
16. Thanks for preforming your civic duty
it's a heavy but needed burdon.
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H2O Man Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:16 PM
Response to Original message
17. Nope. You didn't.
He did it, not you. But, because you have a conscience, you are feeling the responsibility for doing the correct thing.
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 05:26 PM
Response to Original message
18. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
11 Bravo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 08:00 PM
Response to Original message
20. Sometimes citizenship can be an awesome responsibility. Thanks for doing your duty.
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OwnedByFerrets Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jul-13-11 08:03 PM
Response to Original message
21. The sad thing is that....
it's "possible" that if the man had a chance at work he would not have felt compelled to steal from another person. I will never know for sure, nor will most of us, but I am always reticent to condemn without knowledge. Thanks for posting and rest well knowing that you did what was right under our laws.
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ZombieHorde Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-14-11 12:28 AM
Response to Reply #21
22. Slavery was right under US law, yet slavery is considered unethical.
Laws do not determine ethics, except perhaps for authoritarians.
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rainbow4321 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-14-11 12:40 AM
Response to Original message
24. You did not TAKE the years, HE threw them away


He is the one who brought it all on himself and he needs to live with the consequences.
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flvegan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-14-11 01:02 AM
Response to Original message
25. Problem is, you'll never know WHY he did it.
You didn't take it. You did your civic duty. That time was his to lose. A thief faces that every time they set out.
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Commie Pinko Dirtbag Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jul-14-11 01:14 AM
Response to Original message
27. You feel like any decent person would feel. -nt
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