2005-11-29 - 7:12 p.m.

Jury Duty For Senator Kerry In Boston

(CBS) BOSTON Just because you're famous and well-connected doesn't mean you can get out of jury duty.

Senator John Kerry found that out this week, when he served as a jury foreman at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston.

The case involved two men who sued the city for injuries suffered in a 2000 car accident involving a school principal.

The Kerry-led jury rejected their claim Tuesday, and his fellow jurors said he was a natural leader.

"I just found him to be a knowledgeable, normal person," said Cynthia Lovell, a nurse and registered Republican who says she now regrets voting for President Bush in last year's election. "He kept us focused. He wanted us all to have our own say."

The former Democratic presidential candidate reported for duty Monday and none of the lawyers in the case objected to putting him on the jury. His fellow jurors elected him foreman.

"I was a little surprised," said Kerry, a former Middlesex County prosecutor who said he has reported for jury duty twice before but was excused.

"I enjoyed it," he said. "It was very, very interesting and very instructive."

Juror Joe Wesolaski, who works for a Boston brokerage firm, said Kerry made a point of hearing everyone's perspective during deliberations. During breaks, Wesolaski and the senator discussed their mutual love of bicycling and made plans to go riding together.

"It was great, really a positive experience," Wesolaski said. "I hope to hear from him."

Kerry is one of several public officials to be called for jury service in Massachusetts this year. In January, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer reported for jury duty in Marlborough; and in July, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino was summoned to Suffolk Superior Court. Both were excused.

Not everyone was happy with Kerry's service. Plaintiff John Duarte, who said he was injured in a collision with the headmaster of Boston's Health Careers Academy, questioned whether a federal employee should serve on a jury in which the defendant was a city worker.

"I don't think he should have gone on the jury," Duarte said after Kerry read the verdict aloud.

But Duarte's lawyer, Glenn Fortier, said he saw no reason to oppose Kerry's inclusion.

"I think he's a very intelligent man, and I've had respect for everything he's accomplished," said Fortier, who voted for Bush.

(© 2005 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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