NEW YORK — The long-time host of “The Late Show with David Letterman” found himself answering questions rather than asking them on Monday when a federal court in New York City conducted an audition for a possible role as a jury in a criminal prosecution.
In the serious setting of a criminal trial over a cryptocurrency fraud, Judge P. Kevin Castel questioned the famous bearded comedian, identified in court only as “Juror 16,” as he did three dozen other potential jurors to determine who would be on a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates.
On Jury Duty, David Letterman Auditioned For A Role He’s Never Gotten
The prospective jurors had already survived a general phase of questioning in which people are disqualified for hardship grounds, such as medical concerns or employment that they cannot leave. The experiment is planned to last less than two weeks.
When Letterman, who retired from his program in 2015, reached what could be the final round of jury selection, the judge threw a softball: “Where do you live?”
“Hartford,” David replied, demonstrating that he couldn’t get through a single syllable without cracking a joke.
“No, it’s a joke,” David promptly informed the judge. Hartford is in Connecticut, which would have barred him from the jury because it is outside the area from which jurors are selected.
“Nice try,” the court replied, adding, “You figured you would forego Queens,” another region outside the jurisdiction of the Southern District of New York. Queens is situated in the Eastern District of New York.
After David revealed his true residence — Westchester County — the two began a flurry of questions and answers that lasted nearly three dozen exchanges.
Along the way, the court, lawyers, and perhaps three dozen prospective jurors learned much about Letterman that the rest of the world already knows. He was born in Indianapolis, graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and has a 20-year-old son attending college in Massachusetts.
When asked what he does for a living, David replied that he is currently “working for a company called Netflix.”
“Spouse or significant other?” Castel asked.
“I have had both. Letterman said, “Currently, I only have the spouse.”
When asked how he obtained his news, Letterman referred to the past, stating, “Every morning, I used to pick up the paper from the front porch. Now, when I switch on the computer, it displays an aggregation of news sources from throughout the United States and around the world.”
When asked what he likes to watch aside from the Netflix shows he’s engaged with, Letterman replied, “I enjoy sports.”
“I’m glad football is here. I’m glad it’s baseball season. I enjoy motorsports. “I enjoy pretty much what most Americans watch on television,” he stated.
The judge enquired whether he was an Indianapolis Colts football fan.
“I’m a huge Colts fan. “0 and 2, but still a fan,” he remarked, alluding to the Colts’ losses in their first two games of the season.
Letterman’s hobbies include fishing, skiing, and spending time outdoors.
On Jury Duty, David Letterman Auditioned For A Role He’s Never Gotten
“Have you ever been called to serve as a juror?” the judge enquired.
“Been called several times. “Just couldn’t make it happen,” Letterman replied.
“You know, this may be the charm,” Castel remarked, understanding that Letterman had a 50/50 chance of joining the panel.
“It would be a pleasure,” Letterman replied.
Finally, shortly before the jury was sworn in, Letterman was dismissed after a prosecution used a “strike,” which lets lawyers on either side remove a specific number of possible jurors from the panel for any reason. It was the third of four strikes issued by prosecutors. No reason was provided.
SOURCE | AP
