When Hollywood Meets Reality – Jury Duty on Amazon FreeVee

One of the buzzworthy shows of the spring and summer has been Jury Duty on Amazon FreeVee.

Jury Duty is a docu-style comedy about – you guessed it – a mock jury trial. The twist is that everyone except the protagonist – the judge, the “defendant”, the lawyers, and even the other jurors, know that the trial is fake. The protagonist, believing he is part of a real jury panel, experiences the truly ridiculous.

As a trial lawyer, I am regularly asked by friends and family if what they see on TV or in movies is even close to being real. The answer is that when it comes to Jury Duty, there is some resemblance between Hollywood and reality!

Jury Selection

The first episode focuses on a pool of jurors, who are waiting to be questioned by the court and attorneys in a process we called Voir Dire.

That is a very real process that happens before every trial. Potential jurors are given the opportunity to express reasons why they may not be suited to serve as jurors in the given case, either because of past experiences, inconvenience, or inability to be impartial.

Do potential jurors offer excuses every bit as crazy as those on Jury Duty? Absolutely! I have heard excuses ranging from the very mundane to the rather extraordinary about why people do not believe they can serve as jurors.

Celebrities

Because Jury Duty takes place in Los Angeles, one of the plotlines is a D-list celebrity who is part of the jury panel.

Do celebrities get out of jury duty?

Not necessarily. In the DC area, we have our own particular kind of celebrities.

My personal celebrity sighting was a journalist who contributes to a significant cable news network. Unlike Jury Duty, there were no paparazzi, sorry to disappoint! She did not find her way onto the jury panel, so there were no crazy disruptions to the court proceedings (though I do not think that would have been anyway).

Here in Montgomery County, a favorite story of members of the bench and bar is the day Chief Justice Roberts was summoned for jury duty. He appeared, did his civic duty, and alas, was not selected for a panel.

Technical Difficulties

Jury Duty also pokes fun at attorneys for not being the best when it comes to courtroom technology.

Yes, this absolutely happens. I have seen attorneys have incredible difficulty operating video, equipment in court rooms and have to play videos on much smaller screens. I also have seen projectors almost catch fire to the courtroom, the culprit may or may not having been my partner (Editor’s Note – Jeremy Rachlin denies any recollection of this event).

Attorneys are strongly encouraged to coordinate with courthouse staff to ensure familiarity with their technical services, but sometimes even that does not lead to a flawless presentation of evidence in the heat of a court case.

Unpredictability

One of the most true-to-life aspects of Jury Duty is how unpredictable the courtroom can be and how judges often are called upon to keep order in their courtrooms.

As a trial attorney, I bring a steady poker face, good improvisation skills, and a gentle touch to the courtroom. You never know what you might see or hear!

In addition to being Bulman Dunie’s resident TV critic, Dan Shaivitz leads Bulman Dunie’s personal injury practice. Feel free to contact Dan at (301) 656-1177 x304 or dshaivitz@bulmandunie.com if Dan can help you or a loved one (or if you have a TV show you think Dan would like).