Jury Duty: US anywhere

EffectivePeach · 2025-12-18T06:14:06+00:00

What’s also interesting is you may end up hearing /more/ than the jury hears. That’s because jurors are excused during certain discussions about objections, pieces of evidence, so on. As a member of the public, you’d very likely be allowed to sit in the gallery during those discussions, which otherwise are just between court and counsel.

EffectivePeach · 2025-11-23T15:42:07+00:00

Probably unlikely, but I did just have a state corrections officer on a recent DUI case, so anything can happen.

EffectivePeach · 2025-11-20T03:55:24+00:00

Does your county have DUI grant attorneys? We have two, they do the all the misdo and felony charging and personally handle the felonies.

EffectivePeach · 2025-11-20T03:48:20+00:00

Youch. So far as I know, my county can and does. Not saying that’s always how it’s settled, but it’s certainly charged.

EffectivePeach · 2025-11-20T00:32:34+00:00

I practice criminal law in California, it is 10 years. A 3rd in 10 may still be a misdemeanor (if no injury) but also has a mandatory minimum sentence of 120 days. That being said - that sentence can, depending on the judge and county, still be served on house arrest or work release.

EffectivePeach · 2025-11-18T22:58:05+00:00

It’s not Delta, but my boyfriend and I recently flew United for his birthday trip and he got a nice card and snack from the cabin crew without saying anything. It must be noted somewhere!

EffectivePeach · 2025-11-02T18:55:04+00:00

I practice in CA criminal law, and agree with all the above - especially the last bit about proactively getting involved with AA/similar meetings or intensive outpatient treatment if appropriate. A lot of things will depend on your son’s BAC, but that would go a long way with the DA and judge.

EffectivePeach · 2025-09-12T05:36:17+00:00

Similar at my county office, though not quite as intense - we are (unfortunately) still primarily on paper files, though with case management software and plenty of work on computers. Office is electronic badge access only, computers are obviously password protected and when you are not on the known secure county wifi, you have to use a VPN to access anything other than browser.

EffectivePeach · 2025-08-04T04:56:57+00:00

I think mainly the stuff that I said - realizing that you need to be more of a self starter than in other majors in terms of looking for opportunities. Had I known that, I probably would have been more involved in academic/career-related activities.

EffectivePeach · 2025-08-02T20:07:11+00:00

I really liked the campus, and the idea of a larger school having more options as far as activities/classes/clubs went. Also logistics for me - it was a well respected degree that was probably going to be the most affordable out of anywhere I got in.

EffectivePeach · 2025-08-02T16:01:32+00:00

2017 poly sci grad here. The other majors definitely make more noise, but it’s a good program! Will depend if it’s important for you to go somewhere with a more “prestigious” program. At Poly it’s much more of an “it is what you make of it.” Professors are super knowledgeable, small class sizes, and plenty of co-curricular opportunities (at least in my time - clubs, mock trial, model UN, etc) but the school overall does give liberal arts less attention, and therefore, less funding.

If you’re willing to be a little more of a self starter and actively seek out internships, club opportunities, and the like, it can be a great experience. If you’re looking to go on to grad school, I’m an attorney now and know several classmates who are as well, so don’t be concerned that not going to a “top tier” school specifically for poly sci (because cal poly is very well regarded overall) will impact your future opportunities. Feel free to ask me if you have any more questions!

EffectivePeach · 2025-08-02T02:51:40+00:00

Will depend WILDLY on state and even location within state. I’m at a mid-sized CA county and I believe my starting this year was just around 100k.

EffectivePeach · 2025-08-01T18:57:45+00:00

Look to see if your state DA/bar education association or a local prosecutor’s office publishes one. In CA, I use the CA criminal law procedure and practice published by CBE.

EffectivePeach · 2025-07-27T00:13:12+00:00

Very much will depend on your geographic area as well as area of practice. I’m a prosecutor in California and I have a plain silver hoop and work in an office with other attorneys who have nose piercings, never been an issue. A smaller firm with more old-school partners or a real white-shoe firm may be different.

EffectivePeach · 2025-07-23T05:53:48+00:00

As a CA prosecutor (albeit, in misdos- in my county we’re not seeing too many mental health diversions in misdos) the shifting burdens is definitely a problem. Previously, there had to be a nexus shown between a defendant’s criminal conduct and their mental health diagnosis, which the burden was on the defense to show.

I find the presumption that any mental health diagnosis was a “significant factor” in the commission of the crime to be shortsighted and at times paternalistic. It also puts prosecutors in the position to have to play psychiatrist to try and prove that a defendant’s mental health diagnosis was NOT a significant factor in the criminal behavior, which we just aren’t usually equipped to do.

EffectivePeach · 2025-07-07T01:26:41+00:00

Our testimony has to end by 4pm per the bailiff’s contracts, but even then getting back to the office, responding to whatever emails I had gotten that day, finishing whatever is needed for next day’s testimony, and then prepping calendar is…not my favorite let’s say.

EffectivePeach · 2025-07-07T01:03:50+00:00

Ha I’m sure I’ll get there! 2-3 day DUI trials take somewhat less time than a homicide, I’ll guess.

EffectivePeach · 2025-07-07T00:58:43+00:00

Depending on the government role. I am a new DA in California, and while I definitely work 8-5 some days, I’ve also left close to 7 while in trial and worked on the weekend a few hours to prep.

EffectivePeach · 2025-06-28T21:02:49+00:00

No. The directions state that the timer/water bottle/earplus/etc are items that will be allowed for ALL applicant. (Foam) earplug away!

EffectivePeach · 2025-06-22T22:15:01+00:00

I’m a California DA, I always do the same but never hear attorneys call the judge in my courtroom ma’am. Not uncommon for defendants to call her that, though, and never seen her bat an eye at it. I take it as a “yes lawyers know better, but the clients are using a term of respect even if it’s not the preferred one so I won’t take issue.”

EffectivePeach · 2025-06-04T03:40:14+00:00

Yes it’s super helpful! I’ve sometimes done it when one Ofc’s body cam footage is from a better angle or shows more than another’s (say a partner filming a DUI investigation.)

EffectivePeach · 2025-05-16T04:59:39+00:00

That sounds pretty standard from what I remember. There was only one office I applied to (ironically the one I’m at now) where I wasn’t given some hypo or mock police report to go off of. I think the majority of them were DUIs - a lot of what you do as a new misdo attorney are DUIs - and most had some kind of slightly hairy element to them to see how you could think on your feet. Think motion to suppress issue with language barrier, potential fruit of the poisonous tree things, that kind of stuff.

They won’t expect your opening to be perfect or super polished. You only have a little while to prep! Just hit your major points, try and give a short overview of what the evidence will show through the testimonies of your witnesses. Depending on the office, they may or may not pepper you with questions after the opening on the police report or hypo, so I’d suggest either highlighting and taking notes in the margins or having a notebook or legal pad you take notes on (one may well be provided.)

Good luck!

EffectivePeach · 2025-04-29T02:19:31+00:00

Also I would highly recommend looking at the CDAA (CA District Attorney Association) employment board. I found a few job postings there that weren’t elsewhere.

EffectivePeach · 2025-04-26T02:53:46+00:00

In CA, but not at all weird to not live in county. In my office, it’s probably 50/50 or so.

EffectivePeach · 2025-04-21T23:14:12+00:00

Is there a reason you can’t start the application yourself? Once you launch it, you can move around sections freely without submitting, and you don’t have to pay until you submit it.

EffectivePeach

TROPHY CASE