Nov 9, 2010

A sure way to get out of jury duty

A Cleveland Judge was conducting a screening session with prospective jurors when he asked a question everyone in the jury pool must answer: "Has anyone you know ever been convicted of a crime?"

Cartoonist John Backderf, better known as Derf, was one of the members of the jury pool.

When it came Derf's turn he said "I had a close friend in high school who killed 17 people."

Lawyers dropped their pens.

The judge froze his stare.

Everyone in the jury box suddenly turned their heads on Derf.

"Who?" asked the judge.

"Jeffrey Dahmer," answered Derf, who wrote and illustrated a collection of short stories, soon to be published as a graphic novel, called "My Friend Dahmer."

Dahmer, a native of Bath, Ohio went on to become a notorious mass murderer. He died in Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin in 1994.

Derf was dismissed from the jury pool.

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