So...I go to my mailbox today and found a Jury Duty summons in the mail I'm not that excited about it either It would be just my luck to actually get picked and be on a sequesterd(spelling ) jury or some shit! I mean this is what you get for being a registered voter? Well, I guess it is my duty to serve right?

So who has served?

my job can't spare me I always have to get out of it

I would not want to be on a sequestered jury -- especially if for a violent case; you never know who can get targeted...

you could go, and not get called for voire dire at all, so bring a book (or two) to read 'cause you could be waiting for hours [for nothing..] before they just let you go.

the last time I got one, I got that far; the voire dire process...

the case was a man was suing his landlord b/c the hot water in his son's bath scalded him

the boy, like 14 yrs old I think, was disabled and couldn't talk

Dad prepped the boy's bath, and put him in.. left for a few minutes for some reason and came back to the kid obviously in great pain

the thing was, he had complained about the hot water being too hot to the landlord before so he knew it was faulty..

after our jury pool group's Q&A session with lawyers for both sides in the voire dire room, they pulled me and 2 other ppl into the hallway to ask what we thought (not sure why, but, I have attorneys and law enforcement in the family - they asked about that on a questionnaire)...

I told them this case didn't make any sense to me: both parties were at fault; the landlord was at fault b/c he should have fixed what was wrong at the property, and the father was too; knowing this was an issue, should have checked the water before he put the boy in the tub

they looked at each other like , thanked me for my service or whatever and sent me back to the main/original waiting room I still had to wait to be officially dismissed and get proof I showed up..

all wasn't so bad.. I got paid for the day, and had an amazing salmon caesar salad at this cafe across the street from the courthouse

[Edited 1/16/11 4:48am]

I've gone once. It was a shooting case.

I was picked, then ended up becoming an alternate. I sat in the room for TWO DAYS with a woman who was upset because she had a doctor's appointment and the judge wouldn't dismiss her. She was soooo annoying! All she did was pace and complain. I tried to talk to her, to take her mind off it, but she just paced and complained.

I was already upset because it was the week before school and I needed to set my classroom up.

I know it's my duty, but damn.

I've been foreman of a jury for a gang-related murder trial with two young defendants accused of an execution style killing of an innocent kid. Your days can run the gamut of being incredibly boring as you sit and wait, to intensely fascinating as you hear the story unfold from the alleged victims and alleged perpetrators of the crimes. Deliberations can be heated and emotionally draining. Being sequestered and away from all news sources and from your family stinks - you are really in a vacuum.

I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, but I wouldn't ever want to have to do it again.

I served on a murder trial in San Diego. We weren't sequestered, so I got to go home every night. (Actually, I went to work every night, because my job needed me.) I loved being on the jury. It was interesting, and I really respected how all the jurors took the process seriously and deliberated the whole case well. Oh, and the defendant and several witnesses only spoke Spanish, so much of the trial was translated. It was an interesting experience.

In New York, I've been called for jury duty once. I spent two days in the jury room and never got called. But it did give me plenty of time to read a really good book.

Twice, and I get a summons to appear every 2 years it seems since then. The first trial was only like 3 days long, but I was an alternate so I didn't deliberate. The second was a very high profile case involving a mayor. That was one of the most interesting/intense times of my life. We were sequestered for 9 weeks. At first it was fun. I enjoyed getting away from my stressful job at the time, and we were given very decent accommodations and food until the last 2 weeks of the trial when we had to move to another hotel because there was a high profile drug bust at the hotel where we were originally sequestered. After that, it was all down hill. I was getting tired and frustrated dealing with some pretty stupid fellow jurors. Once the trial was over and we were let go, I found out that I was an alternate, but the defense fought to keep me on and kick this other woman off. Funny thing about it was that after deliberating, I voted to convict on most counts.

The only time I got jury duty, I was not chosen.

I said I hated women.

They kindly dismissed me. Haven't gotten another one since.

So far, what I've gotten here is to bring a book and hope to be dismissed Also say I hate other women, etc

nursev said:

So far, what I've gotten here is to bring a book and hope to be dismissed Also say I hate other women, etc

It sounds shitty, but if you sound biased in any way, they don't ask you back.

[Edited 1/16/11 10:43am]

Acrylic said:

nursev said:

So far, what I've gotten here is to bring a book and hope to be dismissed Also say I hate other women, etc

It sounds shitty, but if you sound biased in any way, they don't ask you back.

[Edited 1/16/11 10:43am]

Point taken will definitely try it to get oughtta this

nursev said:

So far, what I've gotten here is to bring a book and hope to be dismissed Also say I hate other women, etc

Just say the defendant looks guilty to me. (You will be dismissed on the spot.)

nursev said:

Acrylic said:

It sounds shitty, but if you sound biased in any way, they don't ask you back.

[Edited 1/16/11 10:43am]

Point taken will definitely try it to get oughtta this

Honestly, it's easier to just go through it. I think most places have a rule that if you actually serve on a jury, you won't get called back as soon as you would if you don't get picked (I think in California, you wouldn't get called back for at least 7 years vs. 2 years if you didn't get picked).

Plus, the majority of court cases aren't big deals and are over pretty quickly. And sometimes they're even interesting.

nursev said:

Acrylic said:

It sounds shitty, but if you sound biased in any way, they don't ask you back.

[Edited 1/16/11 10:43am]

Point taken will definitely try it to get oughtta this

Just so you know, you can be found in contempt and fined/jailed for trying to get out of jury duty. It's not an everyday occurrence, but the law is clear on this.

squirrelgrease said:

nursev said:

Point taken will definitely try it to get oughtta this

Just so you know, you can be found in contempt and fined/jailed for trying to get out of jury duty. It's not an everyday occurrence, but the law is clear on this.

Dammitt Point noted

squirrelgrease said:

nursev said:

Point taken will definitely try it to get oughtta this

Just so you know, you can be found in contempt and fined/jailed for trying to get out of jury duty. It's not an everyday occurrence, but the law is clear on this.

You cannot be found in contempt if they dismiss you, however. Any bias will have you dismissed; and that's one big lovely loophole.

If you want to get off jury duty, just act a fool. Say some crazy shit like, "I think they're all guilty. Lock their asses up!" Or when they ask you if you could be impartial, simply say "HELL NO!"

When I was picked for the sequestered trial, a lady told me right before I went into the voire dire that I would be picked. I asked her how she knew, and she said, "Because I've been watching you. You keep to yourself; you come professionally dressed every day; you mind your business and you come on time." Then when I got on the jury, I found out one of the jurors had ignored the notices to report for jury duty. He was a teacher at a private boy's school. He told me himself that the marshalls appeared in his classroom and escorted him to the court house!" Oh, no. They do not play! So if you're summoned, you best report or be subject to arrest.

[Edited 1/16/11 11:43am]

Shyra said:

If you want to get off jury duty, just act a fool. Say some crazy shit like, "I think they're all guilty. Lock their asses up!" Or when they ask you if you could be impartial, simply say "HELL NO!"

When I was picked for the sequestered trial, a lady told me right before I went into the voire dire that I would be picked. I asked her how she knew, and she said, "Because I've been watching you. You keep to yourself; you come professionally dressed every day; you mind your business and you come on time." Then when I got on the jury, I found out one of the jurors had ignored the notices to report for jury duty. He was a teacher at a private boy's school. He told me himself that the marshalls appeared in his classroom and escorted him to the court house!" Oh, no. They do not play! So if you're summoned, you best report or be subject to arrest.

[Edited 1/16/11 11:43am]

Why can't they make it optional....like for people who need money and don't have jobs....they can go and the ones that hate jury duty...shouldn't have to go. I remember when waiting to get picked I prayed and prayed for it to get cancelled...and it was.

[Edited 1/16/11 12:36pm]

peacenlovealways said:

Why can't they make it optional....like for people who need money and don't have jobs....they can go and the ones that hate jury duty...shouldn't have to go. I remember when waiting to get picked I prayed and prayed for it to get cancelled...and it was.

[Edited 1/16/11 12:36pm]

I imagine then it would be all kinds of bribery and fraud going on. I can see it now:

"Hey, man. You siging up for jury duty next week? Check, I got this lil beef I gotta fight, so uh, how bout I slide you this fiddy..."

Shyra said:

peacenlovealways said:

Why can't they make it optional....like for people who need money and don't have jobs....they can go and the ones that hate jury duty...shouldn't have to go. I remember when waiting to get picked I prayed and prayed for it to get cancelled...and it was.

[Edited 1/16/11 12:36pm]

I imagine then it would be all kinds of bribery and fraud going on. I can see it now:

"Hey, man. You siging up for jury duty next week? Check, I got this lil beef I gotta fight, so uh, how bout I slide you this fiddy..."

Acrylic said:

squirrelgrease said:

Just so you know, you can be found in contempt and fined/jailed for trying to get out of jury duty. It's not an everyday occurrence, but the law is clear on this.

You cannot be found in contempt if they dismiss you, however. Any bias will have you dismissed; and that's one big lovely loophole.

Yes. But judges aren't patient people and know when someone's booolshittin'.

I'm sure that if you were accused of a crime, you'ld want patient, intelligent logical people to decide the rest of your life, not someone who resents being there, and thinks it's a major inconvenience. Jury duty is a civil act that you can perform and do something that's constructive for our society. We are a society because of how we interact with each other. The trial by a jury of our peers is a right that we enjoy in this country. People living in dictatoships do not enjoy this right, and live in fear for it.

I've been picked twice and appealed it both times and got out of it.

Try it.

I got a notice recently, but in that period of time, 21 of those days I was sole carer for 2 kids, so I said try some other time again.

Had the letters 2 or 3 times, but since I'm out here I can't do it.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

I've been picked twice and appealed it both times and got out of it.

Try it.

Im' wondering since my son is on crutches and Im a single parent if they will let me go-im taking him to therapy three times a week

[Edited 1/16/11 19:54pm]

BlackAdder7 said:

I'm sure that if you were accused of a crime, you'ld want patient, intelligent logical people to decide the rest of your life, not someone who resents being there, and thinks it's a major inconvenience. Jury duty is a civil act that you can perform and do something that's constructive for our society. We are a society because of how we interact with each other. The trial by a jury of our peers is a right that we enjoy in this country. People living in dictatoships do not enjoy this right, and live in fear for it.

nicely said

nursev said:

TotalANXiousNESS said:

I've been picked twice and appealed it both times and got out of it.

Try it.

Im' wondering since my son his on crutches and Im a single parent if they will let me go-im taking him to therapy three times a week

that is a very good exception if I ever heard one, explain that to them