Jury duty

[Longjohn ★]

It’s been over thirty years since I served on jury duty. Now that I am starting chemo I get a thing in the mail about jury duty. Now I have to make another trip to the cancer center and have them write me a doctor’s excuse.

[Razors Edge ★]

12 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

It’s been over thirty years since I served on jury duty. Now that I am starting chemo I get a thing in the mail about jury duty. Now I have to make another trip to the cancer center and have them write me a doctor’s excuse.

I've been a registered voter since 1988.  Never once have I received a jury duty request, and that covers living in 4 different states over that period.

[jsharr ★]

14 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

It’s been over thirty years since I served on jury duty. Now that I am starting chemo I get a thing in the mail about jury duty. Now I have to make another trip to the cancer center and have them write me a doctor’s excuse.

I bet a simple phone call would do the trick.  

[Longjohn ★]

2 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I bet a simple phone call would do the trick.  

It has to be a letter from the doctor and it has to be within five days.

[Razors Edge ★]

2 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

It has to be a letter from the doctor and it has to be within five days.

Does jsharr have to pay up now?

6 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I bet a simple phone call would do the trick.  

 

[jsharr ★]

8 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I've been a registered voter since 1988.  Never once have I received a jury duty request, and that covers living in 4 different states over that period.

I received a few, but sadly, they spelled my name wrong.  I simply wrote, "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS" and returned the summons to the clerk of the court.

[jsharr ★]

5 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

It has to be a letter from the doctor and it has to be within five days.

Have you tried calling?  I got a summons and called to explain to them that I was unavailable on that date due to travel and they said they would cancel and put my name back in the pot.   You might get lucky and find a compassionate ear to hear your story.  Worth a try in my book.

[MickinMD ★]

22 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

It’s been over thirty years since I served on jury duty. Now that I am starting chemo I get a thing in the mail about jury duty. Now I have to make another trip to the cancer center and have them write me a doctor’s excuse.

I always hoped to get jury duty in the summer when I wasn't teaching but was called twice during the school year.  Then I retired and was called in the summer!

Fortunately, the school system didn't dock me any of my accumulated business or sick days for jury duty.  I did have to come in to school early in the mornings to create lesson plans for the substitute teacher.

[Razors Edge ★]

2 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Have you tried calling?  I got a summons and called to explain to them that I was unavailable on that date due to travel and they said they would cancel and put my name back in the pot.   You might get lucky and find a compassionate ear to hear your story.  Worth a try in my book.

Don't try to get out of paying him for losing the bet!

[Road Runner]

I don't know if it is a state or a city thing, but here in SE Va, people 70 and older are allowed to opt out of jury duty.

Maybe you have an opt-out option as well.  It would be worth it to check.  I hope they have some sort of age limit.

[maddmaxx ★]

36 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I've been a registered voter since 1988.  Never once have I received a jury duty request, and that covers living in 4 different states over that period.

The courts aren't stupid.

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, maddmaxx said:

The courts aren't stupid.

Thank god!  I'm hoping to parlay this into decades of jury duty avoidance.

[maddmaxx ★]

There are a lot of people out there who think it's great to actively avoid a public duty that's good for all of us.

[jsharr ★]

2 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

There are a lot of people out there who think it's great to actively avoid a public duty that's good for all of us.

I have gone to jury duty on numerous occassions.  Usually get sent home. 

Been selected three times. 

Once got sent home before trial started. 

Once go to hear a case and I was the only juror who thought the guy was guilty.  Seemed to me that a lot of the jurors were anti police and wanted to let the traffic offender go. 

Last time, the prosecution must have screwed up, because the judge halted the trial and ended up sending us home.   It was during the middle of the prosecution presenting their case, calling up police officers, etc.  That was weird.

[Razors Edge ★]

5 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

There are a lot of people out there who think it's great to actively avoid a public duty that's good for all of us.

And you seem to be encouraging it!  You and jsharr! And RR!

[maddmaxx ★]

11 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

And you seem to be encouraging it!  You and jsharr! And RR!

I encourage everyone to serve when given the chance. In fact I encourage everyone to sit in on a trial sometime from the audience seats.  It's eye opening and nothing like TV or the movies.  Civics at work.

[bikeman564™]

26 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

I don't know if it is a state or a city thing, but here in SE Va, people 70 and older are allowed to opt out of jury duty.

Maybe you have an opt-out option as well.  It would be worth it to check.  I hope they have some sort of age limit.

This. Michigan has a age limit you can opt at. IIRC it's 70.

[Road Runner]

4 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

This. Michigan has a age limit you can opt at. IIRC it's 70.

You can't expect us old people to stay awake and avoid peeing for more than an hour.  

[Longjohn ★]

1 hour ago, Road Runner said:

I don't know if it is a state or a city thing, but here in SE Va, people 70 and older are allowed to opt out of jury duty.

Maybe you have an opt-out option as well.  It would be worth it to check.  I hope they have some sort of age limit.

In Pennsylvania the age is 75, they are trying to change it to seventy but the measure hasn’t passed yet.

[jsharr ★]

42 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

You can't expect us old people to stay awake and avoid peeing for more than an hour.  

so do you wet yourself before or after nodding off?

[Road Runner]

10 minutes ago, jsharr said:

so do you wet yourself before or after nodding off?

Before, of course.  I'm not an animal.

[Road Runner]

BTW, if you want to get out of jury duty on a common auto accident pain and suffering case, just be sure to tell the judge that you think chiropractors are quacks.  They will send you home immediately.   

[jsharr ★]

2 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

BTW, if you want to get out of jury duty on a common auto accident pain and suffering case, just be sure to tell the judge that you think chiropractors are quacks.  They will send you home immediately.   

I can get myself excused pretty easily as I am a firm believer in the death penalty.  Seeing the murder scene for your uncle will do that do you.  

[Kzoo]

1 hour ago, jsharr said:

so do you wet yourself before or after nodding off?

Depends

 

[Kirby]

I've been called a few times but never been put on a jury.  I  sometimes find it interesting to see the various people involved, but I typically get called for service in NYC and it takes two trains to get there.  In the best of times, you need to allow over 90-100  minutes, but given train delays and connection issues, I typically need to allow for 2.5 hours travel time, which makes for a long day.   But they pay a per diem and mileage, so it adds up to about $90 a day and work lets us keep the  money even though they pay us for jury duty.

[Kzoo]

50 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

BTW, if you want to get out of jury duty on a common auto accident pain and suffering case, just be sure to tell the judge that you think chiropractors are quacks.  They will send you home immediately.   

Ahhhh the age old saying, "When you go into court you are putting your fate into the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty." Norm Crosby

[MoseySusan]

3 hours ago, Longjohn said:

It’s been over thirty years since I served on jury duty. Now that I am starting chemo I get a thing in the mail about jury duty. Now I have to make another trip to the cancer center and have them write me a doctor’s excuse.

E-mail it to you?

[MoseySusan]

2 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

I encourage everyone to serve when given the chance. In fact I encourage everyone to sit in on a trial sometime from the audience seats.  It's eye opening and nothing like TV or the movies.  Civics at work.

I’ve not been summoned, yet. But I have sat in on traffic court. More like lawyers at work. 

[Razors Edge ★]

16 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Ahhhh the age old saying, "When you go into court you are putting your fate into the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty." Norm Crosby

It is odd, though, that folks wouldn't actually want to do jury duty.  Obviously LJ has extenuating circumstances, but a few days doing jury duty or a few days in the office? I'd choose the jury duty just for the experience and change of pace.  My company, and most I assume, pay you when you do jury duty (something like normal pay minus whatever the county/state gives you), so it seems a reasonably fun adventure.

[Allen ★]

3 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

I've been a registered voter since 1988.  Never once have I received a jury duty request, and that covers living in 4 different states over that period.

Gonna jinx it, but same. Never been called. 

[Kzoo]

24 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

but a few days doing jury duty or a few days in the office?

Until you get selected for that murder trial that lasts 2.5 months.

 

[Kzoo]

25 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

My company, and most I assume, pay you when you do jury duty (something like normal pay minus whatever the county/state gives you), so it seems a reasonably fun adventure.

Our company goes the extra mile.  We don't play games with the $45 you get per day.  Regular pay...

*chicken feed*

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, Kzoo said:

Until you get selected for that murder trial that lasts 2.5 months.

 

      

WAY better than a financial crimes case!

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, Kzoo said:

Our company goes the extra mile.  We don't play games with the $45 you get per day.  Regular pay...

*chicken feed*

Yeah - I've never had to "claim it" so am not really sure if it is something they actually "enforce"?  Seems more work than it is worth?  But, hey , they say that's the policy, so I may see how it works one day.

[Tizeye]

I have been called, but when they hear my background they never want me. Problem is, I have to report then sit around until I am called back...after asking a few questions, you're excused.

Now, I won't have to go through that exercise again. While they don't have a maximum age for jury duty, Florida law allows those 70 and older to opt out at their request if summoned.

[Gump]

I received a notice last spring. I was able to opt out for 6 months. Expecting to hear from them in October.

[Longjohn ★]

I probably wouldn’t be selected anyway. They tell you to answer the questions as honestly as you can. You can tell the good answer that will get you chosen but honestly I had a few bad answers. Some of the questions were a what would you do question and you really don’t know what you would do until the situation comes up. I gave them the “Good” answer on those. Someone who doesn’t want to actually be picked for on the jury could easily figure out how to fill out the survey to insure they wouldn’t be chosen. They would still have to show up for jury selection.

[Longjohn ★]

My wife was picked for a jury in federal court in Pittsburgh one time. She hates Pittsburgh and this was her first time driving herself. After hearing the case for a week or so they settled and sent the jurors home. She said the bad guys got off way to easy. She would have thrown the book at them.

[Tizeye]

57 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

I probably wouldn’t be selected anyway. They tell you to answer the questions as honestly as you can. You can tell the good answer that will get you chosen but honestly I had a few bad answers. Some of the questions were a what would you do question and you really don’t know what you would do until the situation comes up. I gave them the “Good” answer on those. Someone who doesn’t want to actually be picked for on the jury could easily figure out how to fill out the survey to insure they wouldn’t be chosen. They would still have to show up for jury selection.

The survey is meaningless...it is what you tell them when they interview you. While I don't qualify for any of the automatics - like police officer, judge, or personal/family legal issues in other active cases, but I tell them in the survey that they won't want me which they ignore. So in I go. As if my history wasn't enough - In addition to being a former social worker, probation officer, staff policy analyst in the Florida Legislature where not only did I generate reports on bills but drafted amendments to bill that became laws, and in the military a mental health therapist, child and spouse abuse program responsibility and assistant director of an inpatient substance abuse program. That covers at least a portion of the dynamics of many of the cases on the docket. Add to that personal friends with 2 Assistant State Attorneys (prosecutors) in the neighboring District. The last thing they want is someone who can think for themselves and in each of those I am constantly probing the dynamics of the behavior. Always truthful when I answer, and remember one question was asked if I was directed by the judge to only consider X, Y, Z in my decision, could I? The truthful answer was "No" and expanded on why to back up the "No." Basically, no one tell me how to think and if in my normal broad and probing analysis I see factors A, B, C either independent of or a subset of X, Y, Z, they become a factor in my decision process and while the juror cannot ask questions directly of the witnesses, it is worse if the lawyers failed to address A, B, C. Needless to say, I was told to go home as they didn't want me.

[Longjohn ★]

47 minutes ago, Tizeye said:

asked if I was directed by the judge to only consider X, Y, Z in my decision, could I? The truthful answer was "No"

I let a couple of those questions slide. I didn’t want to make it look like I was just trying to get out of jury duty. I really couldn’t answer that until I know what the x,y,z is.

[groupw]

I was in the jury pool 11 years ago. The 3rd time in I was selected. As they questioned me, I knew the defense attorney from his firm that I service. It was professional and I had answered other questions in such a way that did not disqualify me. Finally the judge asked if there are any personal issues that could be a distraction. I truthfully stated my dad had been in the hospital in Lincoln for 2 months and in fact was going in for surgery the next day. The judge excused me before I finished the last sentence. 

A few days later I was at the firm and the attorney walked up to me, "you were SOO in the jury before you replied about your dad's situation. I will have to remember that if I need to get out!"

[JerrySTL ★]

I've been called twice and served once.

Bicycling caused me not to get selected the second time. One of the lawyers mentioned where the accident happened and asked if we would not google the location. I said that I bicycle on that road and wondered who missed the 90 degree turn. Here's the funny part: one of my riding buddies was there also. He also said that he saw the accident site. The judge, lawyers, and about everyone else thought he was lying. I had to vouch for Mike.

[sheep_herder ★]

Some lawyers do not like me, because my mom was hurt in an auto accident and there was no law suit.

[Bikeguy]

7 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

I encourage everyone to serve when given the chance. In fact I encourage everyone to sit in on a trial sometime from the audience seats.  It's eye opening and nothing like TV or the movies.  Civics at work.

I agree...  

In our county there is no age limit. (I just looked)  I've been selected for JD several times.  We are assigned a group number.  The lower the number the more likely you get to appear on the Monday of your week.  I got low group numbers 3 times.  High numbers you get to call back on Monday night to see if you need to report on Tuesday.  Most times you don't. 

You get to wait in the jury room on the Monday until your group is called.  

Once I waited a there all day I our group was never called into court.  I was excused at the end of the day.   You can't bring ANY electronic device into the building.  

The next time our group was called, and I was selected for the jury.   We got instructions in the jury room.  Eventually we were called into the court and jury box.  The judge came in and he started the trial. The defendant was talking to his layer.  The layer called for a side bar.  The judge had the jury go back to the jury room.  About an hour we were called back into the court, and the judge explained the defendant pleaded guilty to a lessor crime.  We were thanked for our service and we were done for 3 years. 

The last time...  I ended up on a jury again. This time there was a trial.  When we deliberated, I was elected the jury foreman. It was VERY interesting.   I'd do it again.