Jeff Gamso writes about birthers, (political) teabaggers, truthers, Flat-Earthers, alien abductees, and other unshakeable believers in alternate realities (21% of New Jerseyites surveyed weren’t sure that Barack Obama is not the Anti-Christ). What set Jeff off is that Arlington, Tennessee Mayor Russell Wiseman is one of these nutjobs.

What sets me off is that lots of our potential jurors are these nutjobs (do you think more people in Texas, or in New Jersey think the President is the Anti-Christ?). These folks hold political and philosophical views because “there’s no proof to the contrary” (à la Glenn Beck).

Our jurors are people like Patricia Roberts of Bellaire, Texas, who writes to the Houston Chronicle:

How does Tiger Woods get away with refusing to talk to the police about his accident? If it was anyone who was not rich and famous, he or she would be in jail by now.

I’m not even certain I know where to start talking with these people, to try to uncover the nuttiness that might hurt my client’s case. “How many of you believe things because of the absence of proof to the contrary?”?

I despair.