well, why didn't Wu just wait to be excused when they looked at his "record"? Typical politician-
wants special treatment while the rest of us try to do the right thing. Jury duty is fascinating-and I never tried to avoid it.
Geez. What a maroon.

I'd rather see him at town halls than sitting on jury duty. There are too few opportunities to speak with your Congressman to begin with; why waste a recess that way?

"the rest of us try to do the right thing."

20% of the rest of us, anyway.

In my observations, jurors are regularly excused when a trial is expected to last as long as seven days; to that end, the bizarre thing is that he asked for some special treatment. I think all he would have had to say was that he had hundreds of people scheduled, and more than a few days couldn't be rescheduled ... "normal" people get excused on those grounds all the time.

You guys got it wrong. He got out of jury duty because he had to be back on board the Enterprise before star date 2007.07.20.

This was a rape/sexual assault trial? Perhaps Wu wanted out because he didn't want any uncomfortable questions asked about his years at Stanford, hence the need for an attorney.

The Chimp In Chief pulled a similar move a decade ago.

Whatever his excuse is, it's absolutely not acceptable. Somebody ought to file a complaint with the State Bar.

I read the article, and was under the impression that he didn't want to answer the question about whether or not he'd been involved in a rape. From the Oregonian article referenced:

Sprague's defense lawyers drafted a questionnaire aimed at eliciting jurors' knowledge of and opinions about sex crimes. The second question on the survey says: "Have you or has anyone close to you ever been a victim of rape, attempted rape, date rape or forced sex of any sort?"

In 1976, Wu was investigated after his ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault while they were students at Stanford University, but he was never charged. In October 2004, shortly after The Oregonian reported on the matter, Wu released a written apology acknowledging that he had "hurt someone I cared very much about."

Wu did not fill out the questionnaire in the Sprague case.

Wu was investigated after his ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault while they were students at Stanford University

I do not believe that is accurate. My understanding is that the alleged assault was *not* sexual.

"Somebody ought to file a complaint with the State Bar."

That's the solution for every political gripe in Oregon, which is why it's such an insular and minor league state. The bar is not a replacement court where a secular bureaucracy of "reasonable liberals" pass some sort of community judgment based on their replacement religion morality. But too many people in Oregon think it ought to be. To everyone else, it just looks like a convenient resort to self-righteousness by people who don't believe in what they are saying enough to pass an actual law that might apply the same standard to themselves. Like anyone here has never tried to get out of jury duty...

Lawyers have a special duty to the justice system. They shouldn't be pulling strings behind the scenes to get out of jury duty. Doing so reflects poorly on their qualification to practice law.

As for your personal insults, that's your last one on this blog.

I'm getting the impression that you didn't care too much for Wu even before this jury duty escapade. True?

Have known him for years. Never liked him much. The sellout of the Pioneer Court House was a reason to like him even less. Now this.

Jack,

OK, then...

...relax, it's Friday.

WU, WU %-)

%-) = (if it's not taken) comment from those who've imbibed Red Hook Long Hammmer IPA - and lived to tell about it........

3 thumbs way, way up, BTW - look out, Bridgeport...

please excuse the superfluous "m" in Hammmer...

I blame Chris (don't call me Christine) Gregoire - the French governor of Warshington...

Have to disagree on this one.

Juries are intended to keep common folk involved in the law and to prevent the complete takeover of the system by lawyers and government officials. We're already seeing idiots running around saying that we shouldn't have juries on med-mal cases and such because they are so complex -- let "experts" decide, says the siren.

If anything, I would argue that NO elected officials or government workers should be allowed on juries -- I'd just exclude them from the start, so that the jury pool is entirely people who do not depend on or absorb the government view with their bread and milk.

(Also, another reason I think that electeds should be ruled out because of separation of powers; even though Wu is a member of the federal legislature, that's enough for me to think he should not be part of the jury in a state case; similarly, people who work for the legislative or executive branches shouldn't be on juries, because then they have blurred the boundaries.)

None of which means Wu is or isn't a jerk, I have no basis to say anything on that score. He certainly displayed a tin ear for appearances with this clumsy maneuver.

If anything, I would argue that NO elected officials or government workers should be allowed on juries -- I'd just exclude them from the start, so that the jury pool is entirely people who do not depend on or absorb the government view with their bread and milk.

Fine, and when those are the rules, Wu won't have to show up. As it stands now, however, everyone is supposed to serve -- even Supreme Court Justice Steve Breyer showed up when he was called, and didn't ask for any special deal.

He could (and should) have asked to reschedule his service for a time more convenient to him. Mult Co graciously allowed me to do that when I was summoned for jury duty during finals week.

[I]I do not believe that is accurate. My understanding is that the alleged assault was *not* sexual.[/I]

Really?

You thought differently here. Has something else changed your mind? I've continued to think it was sexual in nature. Is there something else I should know?

I don't care much For the congressman From across the river However Every time I get A Jury Summons I Tell Them I am an Interstate Trucker and i cannot Guarantee my Presence at The "proceedings"

Is there something else I should know?

Not that I'm going to tell you about.

Well THAT's cryptic.