battat column marapr 2011 hlm
TRANSCRIPT
8/7/2019 Battat Column MarApr 2011 HLM
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/battat-column-marapr-2011-hlm 1/2
6 Hearing Loss Magazine
FromtheExecutive
Director’s
Desk
By Brenda Battat
© Cindy Dyer
FollowHLAAonTwitter
http://twitter.com/HLAA
Aspeoplewithhearinglosswecanbeexcusedfromjuryduty.Butisthatwhatwew anttodoorshouldbedoing?Wehaveoughtlongandhardorourrightstoaccessinallaspectsosociety.TeAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA)itleIIthatcoverscourtsrequiresthataccommodationsbemadeorustoserve.Whyghtortheserightsiwedon’thavethecondencetousethem?Nottomentionourcivicduty. InterestinglynotallpeoplewithhearinglossreactinthesamewayorinwaysthatIwouldhaveexpected.AspiriteddiscussiononthistopicensuedontheHLAAChapterleaders’listserv.Opinionsvariedromnoteelingcondenttoservebecauseonotbeingabletoollowtheproceedingsandthatweshouldbeconcernedaboutwhatisrightorthevictim,notorus,toaslongasweareprovidedwiththerightaccommodationsweshouldulllourcivicresponsibilities. OneHLAAleadersaid,“Ihaveneverbeencalledtojuryduty,buthavealwayseltthatIwouldsay‘yes,’iIwasasked.Mybrainisjustasgoodasanyoneelse’siIhavetheaccommodationsIneedtohearinanyenvironment.” Anotherleaderadded,“omyamazement,averyproactivejudgeaskedmedirectlyduringpreliminaryjuryselections,“justwhataccommodationsdoyouneedinordertobeasuccessuljuror?” Andyetanother,“IsimplyrequestedADA/CARaccommodations...onlytogetapostcardinthemailthatIwasdeerredandofthehook.Justlikethat.Teyjust
didn’twanttodealwithme,nordidtheywanttheexpense...I’msure.” Andromaleaderwhowaslesssupportiveoserving,“Mypointisthattherearetimesthoseouswithhearinglosscanproveweareavitalpartosociety...buteventhoughitisourrighttodoso...thisisnotthetimetoproveanything.” Whileitistruewehaveacivicrighttoserveasjurors,itisalsocorrectthatwemustbearmedwiththeknowledgeohowtoapproachitcorrectly.Weshouldbeginbyunderstandinghowthecourtsystemworks,whatarethequalicationsoajuror,whatisexpectedoajuror,andwhattakesplaceinthecourtroomduringthediferenttypesotrials. Assoonaswearecalledweshouldcontactthecourtadministratoroourcourtsystemtorequesttheaccommodationsthatweneedinordertoserve.Weshouldknowwhattechnologyandservicesweneedandaskorthemuprontsothatthereisplenty
otimetoadvocateandhaveeverythinginplace,inotorthistime,ornext.Tereisnopointshowingupandexpectingthataccommodationsbemadeatthelastminute.Norshouldweassumethatthecourtadministratorwillknowwhatweneed.
MoreComments“TekeywouldbetorequestexactlywhatIneed,andproceedtogetitasarightratherthanasaavor.Iwouldwanttohearandreadtheproceedingstothebestomyability,andexpectthatIwouldbenobetterornoworsethanotherjurorswithperechearing.Iwouldrequestbothcaptioningandanaudiosystemosomekind.ItwouldbeachancetoeducatemanypeopleandIwouldacceptthatchallenge.Tat’showIeel.Ihaveneverbeencalledtojuryduty,socannotspeakromexperience.”
“Idoagreethatweshouldnotgetourselvesexcusedbecauseoourhearingloss.Ieelitisourrightascitizenstoserve.IwillattempttospeaktothepersoninchargeoADAaccommodationsinmylocalcourt.Iamnotsureohowtoaskorthecorrectaccommodationsandwelcomeanyadvice.InthepastItoldthemwhenIarrivedandbroughtmyownFMsystem.Butthisisnothavingthecourtprovidetheaccommodationsasrequiredbylaw.”
Leavingtheeducationaboutaccessibilityaccommodationstowhenyougotothecourtisaprescriptionorailure.Youmustnotiythecourtadministratorimmediatelywhenyougetthesummonstoserveasitmaytaketimetoseteverythingupandhaveitinplaceintime.
You are Called
for Jury Duty.What are YouGoing to Do?
8/7/2019 Battat Column MarApr 2011 HLM
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/battat-column-marapr-2011-hlm 2/2
March/April 2011 7
Iservingonajuryisthersttimeyouhavebeeninacourtroomyoumightwanttoattendatrialtoseewhatitislike.Civilcasesmaybeeasiertounderstandasitisalmostone-on-one.Butmoreseriouscasesafectaperson’sliebydeclaringsomeonetobeguiltyornotguiltybeyondareasonabledoubt.Tesetrialsaremorecomplexandcouldbeconusing. Averdictoguiltyornotguiltybeyondareasonabledoubtisahugeresponsi-bility.Wecertainlywanttohavealltheinormationtomakethatdecision.Jurieshavereedguiltypartiesandinnocentpeoplehavebeenconvicted.AsoneHLAA
leadernoted,“TerecentresultsinexaswhereDNAisbeingactivelypursuedtoreemanywronglyconvictedpeopleisashockingvalidationthatbasingjusticeonajuryby12peers(evenhearingones)isn’tperect.” Giventhat36millionAmericanshavehearinglossandgiventhat75percentopeoplewhocouldbenetromahearingaiddonotgetone,itishighlylikelythattherearepeopleonajurywhohaveahearinglossbuthavenotyetadmitteditordoneanythingaboutit.Tatcouldbemoreproblematicthansomeoneservingwhoknowsandadmitstoahearinglossandhastakenactiontoaccommodateit.
PleaseTellUsWhatYouWouldDoWhatareyougoingtodoiyouarecalledtoserveonajury?Areyougoingtorequestaccommodationsandtakethetimetoeducatethecourtadministratorand/orjudgeaboutwhatyouneedsothatyoucanserve,orareyougoingtoasktobeexcused? Pleasegotohttp://bit.ly/jurysurvey andrespondtothesethreequestionsonourjurysurveybyApril 30, 2011.WewillpublishtheresultsonourwebsiteandinautureissueoHearing Loss Magazine.
Brenda Battat is executive director of HLAA. She can be reached at [email protected] . Read her blog at http://brendabattat .blogspot.com.
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