Dr. Pepper, if memory serves me correctly I think you’ve shared that story some years back, probably in one of the previous jury duty threads.
CTLAWYER: Yes, but AAQ specifically referenced his story with a drunk driving/criminal case (which requires unanimity for conviction). Also, in my earlier comment I wrote “guilt/liability”, to cover both criminal and civil cases.
As far as it being the attorneys rather than the judge conducting the initial phase of jury selection, any potential juror indicating he’ll determine guilt/liability by taking one look at the defendants face, will almost certainly have the attorneys disqualify him. I’m not advocating any of this, just making it clear that it is abundantly trivial to get out of jury duty. Another “trick” is to innocently ask if it is okay for a juror to engage in jury nullification if they disagree with the law. Just asking them will, again, almost surely get you disqualified.
Now, in Connecticut and smaller towns there might be some risk in ignoring a jury summons. But in New York City, LA, Chicago, etc, they do not have the resources to come after the thousands of non-respondents every month to a jury summons, to determine whether they simply never got it or actually ignored it.