Jury Duty
A trial jury is called a petit jury, but this is a jury that indicts.
Answer: What is a grand jury? A grand jury consists of 16 to 23 jurors
This tune sung by Bobby Goldsboro starts with:
“See the tree, how big it’s grown
But friend, it hasn’t been too long, it wasn’t big
I laughed at her, and she got mad
The first day that she planted it, was just a twig."
Answer: What is “Honey”? The song was written by Bobby Russell. The refrain is a tearjerker:
“And Honey, I miss you
And I’m bein’ good
And I’d love to be with you
If only I could."
The bill that created the U.S. interstate highway system was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in this year.
Answer: What is 1956? The proper name of the interstate is the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. One purpose of the highway system was to be able to quickly evacuate target areas in case of nuclear attack
This media maven and celebrity, who starred in The Color Purple (1985), once had a wildly popular daytime show.
Answer: Who is Oprah Winfrey? She established the OWN network, publishes a magazine, and is a billionaire. Early in her career, Oprah was fired from a television reporting job and told she was “unfit for TV."
Many believe animals can sense this type of major earth event in advance.
Answer: What is an earthquake? There’s no concrete evidence to suggest animals receive advanced warning, but researchers have documented unusual behavior in animals prior to earthquakes, clues that they might detect vibrations or changes in groundwater before humans do
A prospective juror can be charged with this offense for lying to the court.
Answer: What is perjury? There are four aspects of committing perjury: the declarant took an oath to testify truthfully, they willfully made a false statement contrary to that oath, the declarant believed the statement to be untrue, and the statement related to a material fact.
In this tune by the Young Rascals, they were doing this “on a Sunday afternoon” and “really couldn’t get away too soon.”
Answer: What is “Groovin’”? Before they were well-known, the band was called the Rascals. The record label changed their name to the Young Rascals, but they dropped the Young for good in 1968
This New Year’s Day 1954 extravaganza was the first nationwide, color-television transmission in the United States.
Answer: What is the Tournament of Roses Parade? The parade is held in Pasadena, California
Teachers told this creator of the first practical incandescent lightbulb that he was “too stupid to learn anything.”
Answer: Who is Thomas Edison? His first patented invention was the electric vote recorder in 1869, and the inventions kept on coming. Edison received 1,093 patents for his inventions.
This tallest animal in the world sleeps only a few minutes at a time, with its neck arched and its head on its hindquarters or on the ground.
Answer: What is the giraffe? The giraffe’s unique sleep position and duration allow it to stay vigilant for predators
This is the term for a proceeding brought before a military tribunal
Answer: What is court martial? The laws governing court martials are the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
In her 1964 hit tune, Petula Clark sings, “When you’re alone and life is making you lonely,” you can always go here.
Answer: What is downtown? “Downtown” became Petula Clark’s signature song and helped make her an international star.
This music player uses bouncing laser light to read the music.
Answer: What is a CD? DVD players use the same technology to read the contents of DVDs.
This amusement park and media mogul lost his newspaper job because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
Answer: Who is Walt Disney? He created Mickey Mouse in 1928, and the franchise is still going strong. Disney won 47 Academy Awards and seven Emmys during his lifetime.
In 2008, these animals were observed to align their bodies facing north–south while grazing.
Answer: What are cows? German and Czech biologists noticed this on Google Earth, and in a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they claimed that it’s due to Earth’s magnetic field. Later studies challenged the findings
In federal criminal cases, the jury must return this type of decision
Answer: What is unanimous? The 1972 case Apodaca v. Oregon allowed non-unanimous verdicts in state cases, but this was overturned in 2020 (Ramos v. Louisiana). Today, all states require unanimous jury verdicts in felony criminal jury trials
Tommy Roe suffered from vertigo that left his “head spinning like a whirlpool, it never ends” in his 1969 tune.
Answer: What is “Dizzy”? The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tommy Roe’s biggest hit.
In 1957, the Soviets launched this first artificial Earth satellite.
Answer: What is Sputnik 1? The Soviets were winning the space race until America put a man on the moon. Some call it a comeback rather than a win
This famous sitcom actress’ agent “’splained” to her that she should look for a new career. Later, she and her husband had a hit sitcom that’s still popular today in syndication.
Answer: Who is Lucille Ball? I Love Lucy first aired in 1951, and today it’s enjoyed on cable TV.
These magnificent birds travel 25,000 miles each year, crossing Earth from pole to pole
Answer: What are Arctic terns? Most Arctic terns fly a 25,000-mile round trip every year, but some take the scenic route of up to nearly 60,000 miles
Jurors are routinely selected from one of these two lists.
Answer: What is voter registration or the DMV (driver’s license)? This varies by jurisdiction
This band sang about Sherry, Sherry baby in the 1962 hit tune “Sherry.”
Answer: What is (Frankie Valli and) the Four Seasons? “Sherry” was their first No. 1 hit and helped launch a string of chart-topping songs in the early 1960s
The United States launched its first satellite in this decade.
Answer: What are the 1950s? Explorer I was launched in 1958. It was designed by James Van Allen, for whom the Van Allen radiation belt is named
When this beloved rhyming children’s author submitted his first manuscript, 27 publishers rejected it.
Answer: Who is Dr. Seuss? His real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, and he added “Dr.” to his name as a joke—his father had wanted him to pursue a PhD and become a professor. Dr. Seuss authored more than 40 books. He had no children of his own, and in fact, it was said that he wasn’t fond of children. Among his most popular books are The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.
These large mammals can identify bones of their type, and they pay their respects to the dead.
Answer: What are elephants? They pay their respects not only to family members but also to other elephants by picking up and caressing the bones.