Do you ever feel slimey about something you did?

[demgurl]

Within the last week I did a gig for a marketing research company. They asked me vague questions and then offered me around $150 for being at their disposal for a day. The gig included meals and the cash at the end of the day.

I went in and as it turns out we, the focus group, listened to a bunch of lawyers for a trial and had to give verdicts. (Can't be much more specific as I signed a nondisclosure form) I will say that the people holding the mock trial were not the plaintiffs and I sided with the plaintiffs for damages, etc.....

As it turns out, the lawyers were trying to get a read on the trial situation to bolster their arguments and try to come out on top. That is their job. Fine. I hate that in the end I was actually helping the people who I felt were in the wrong. Then again, a little over 3/4 of the "jury" felt the plaintiffs were in the right and they should be rewarded money. So perhaps, after the mock trial, we will have forced the lawyers to settle the case out of court. They came in poking and prodding us trying to figure out what wording it would have taken for us to let off the defendants.

None of us were told what it was about before we went in. And given the evidence I am astounded that some people felt the plaintiffs had no case at all. I kind of lumped them in with Bush supporters. Some of them found the defendants non-guilty just because they did not like the plaintiff!!!! I just kind of feel weird about possibly helping people try to get off who I feel are definitely guilty. I did manage to sway a few people who at first wanted to vote not guilty so at least there is that. I bet the lawyers are happy I am not on that jury. However, I hope I have not helped bolster their case and let them see hurdles that they will now be able to try and overcome before the trial.

Who the lawyers represented was kept quiet until right before we left for the day so I had no way of knowing who was in charge or who I was helping. I do feel kind of slimey though.

[panader0]

1. Yeah, but I'm trying to quit.

[demgurl]

9. I wish I could read minds sometimes. nt

[terisan]

2. Interesting.

[IsItJustMe]

3. Yep, happens quit often. I have a big conscience and a big heart. But this is the price we pay for

this thing called life. When it happens, you forgive yourself and resolve not to get stuck in that situation again. And that my friend is all that one can do.

[demgurl]

7. That is so wonderful.

Thank you for making me feel better.

[cabbage08]

4. Wow... I didn't know that was done n/t

[sendero]

15. It should be illegal..

... it is clearly a perversion of the justice system.

[blonndee]

5. I've never heard of this! Did you guys "deliberate" like a real jury would?

Sounds like you did, since you describe some of the others' positions.

[demgurl]

8. Yep....

We had a foreman and everything. We took votes and deliberated and took votes again. Everything was videotaped so the lawyers could go over it with a fine tooth comb. The real trial takes place within two months so I guess they are really trying to be prepared.

It was done exactly as a real trial would have been. We were not allowed to talk about anything until we went to deliberations. Even during breaks they had their employees around us making sure we did not talk and we were reminded of it at every turn.

I honestly thought it was pretty clear cut and we would get to deliberations and everyone would find for the plaintiff but when talk came out they were against the plaintiff because of how much money the plaintiff already had. Just assume it had come out that the plaintiff spends $200,000/month. (I can not divulge real details) A lot of people were against the plaintiff because they felt they already had enough money not even considering that they had to take the facts of the case into consideration. Even the ones who found the defendants guilty said that they could not believe the amount spent per month!

[blonndee]

10. Wow. I wish I could say that I'm surprised, but from what I've heard from

a woman I used to work with I'm not. After her comments after her jury duty, she made me hope and pray (and I don't even pray) that I never have to go on trial for anything.

BUT...the primary reason I asked was that I wanted to suggest, if you guys were able to deliberate, that perhaps you had an impact on some of these idjuts. Maybe your comments made or will make (more likely) a difference in the way someone on that "jury" judges others and sees the world. Who knows!

[demgurl]

12. I hope it will have an impact.

As I said, above, some people who said the defendants were not guilty did change their minds after hearing what I had to say. I did take a ton of notes during the time each of the lawyers were speaking. I was honestly shocked at how many people held it against another person that they had money. It didn't matter if someone had done something wrong, to them it was a sin to have money. *sigh*

Yeah, I hope I am never on trial either.

[sendero]

16. Good for you...

.. justice is justice and the rich and the poor both deserve equal justice.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. No. nt

[dorkulon]

11. Sounds pretty interesting at least.

I can see what you're saying, but I think I'd just be interested in the process of the whole thing.

[swoop]

13. You participated in the democratic process of a trial.

(Yes, mock trials are part of it, in this day and age.) Thus, the only question I have is did you tell the truth? Did you add things up fairly and reach the best conclusion you could have? As long as you weren't doing it for self-interest, or in order to sway the parties to a specific agenda, I'd say you made a good-faith effort to be a part of the democratic processes allowed in this country, and leave it go at that.

[demgurl]

14. Yes, I did tell the truth.

There was really no way of truly knowing who the trial was being done for. I figured the plaintiff was going to do the trial no matter what so I was wondering which of the many defendants were the ones sponsoring the study. So I had an inkling I was doing it for one of the bad guys but I had no idea it was the people I felt held most of the responsibility.

Most of the "jurors" did not take notes so I had a lot of my notes to back up how I was feeling.

It was good faith but I feel as if I helped the Green Goblin instead of helping Batman. I try to think of myself as helping those who are truly in need and I hate that I ended up helping some people who are just trying to save a few million dollars of what someone else should be getting.