Jury Duty Part 3

Once the Jury was selected, it was time for opening statements. The opening statements seemed to be the introduction we were given earlier except with more emotion, firmer words and hand gestures. The Prosecutor claimed that the defendant stole a check from the victim, altered the check and cashed the check with the intention of committing fraud. The Defense claimed that the Defendant was given a check by a stranger and was asked to cash the check in return for thirty dollars; the Defense claimed that the defendant had a good heart but an empty head, and because of that, didn't have the intent to commit fraud.

After the opening statements, the Prosecutor called his witnesses. The first witness was a woman who previously worked for the victim's bank. The worker explained the process the bank goes through when cashing checks: if the customer is not a member of the bank, then two forms of identification are required as well as a thumb print. A copy of the forged check was then given to the worker and she identified the check as being cashed at the bank she worked for. A form was then given to her and she identified it as the form the bank uses to report forgeries. The witness was then excused.

The second witness was a police officer. The prosecutor asked how she was involved with the case. The officer stated that she was called to the victims house when the victim found out the check had been stolen.

The third witness was postal investigator. She testified that the Defendant's name appeared when investigating a series of forged checks that resulted from mail thefts. She also testified that she located the defendant and asked him to make arrangements for an interview. She also testified that the defendant tried to say some things to her about the check but she cut him off because she didn't want the defendant saying anything to her without something to record the conversation with and someone to witness the conversation.

It took about forty minute to question those three witnesses and by that time, it was lunch time, so the judge decided to take a break for lunch and allow the rest of the witnesses be questioned after lunch.