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Freaking Jury Duty


Mr. Beanz

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I can understand the call the day before to find out if you're needed or not but the call during the day today and the 1 hour availability sounds typically Californian.  Does work excuse you for being close enough to respond to the 1 hour notice is is this just some cheap government trick to keep you on the hook?

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Whem I'm called to jury duty, it takes me about 2 hours to get there door to door, assuming everything works well and even longer if you want to allow time for problems such as late trains.  That one hour availability wouldn't work well.

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For the County courts here they are similarly unfriendly with regard to scheduling.  If you are summoned:

You need to call after 5pm the day before to find out if you need to report in the morning

If you do not need to report in the morning you have to call after noon to find out if you need to report at 1 that afternoon

If one hour's notice is not enough time for you to get there by 1, then you should report in the morning.

Luckily for me, the last two times I was summoned for County jury duty, I had to report to the courthouse exactly zero times.

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I live in a different county than Beanz but it's pretty much the same. Call in the night before to see if you report in the morning.  Call in at noon to see if you report in at 1 PM.   I live within 10 minutes from our county courthouse so it's not a big deal for me but it is a PITA to keep having to call in.  Actually Orange County CA is a relatively small county from a square footage stand point compared to Los Angeles County.  We have 3 court houses and depending on where you live will be assigned to one of the three but you can really get to any of the 3 from anywhere in OC in 20 minutes or less. 

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Did my stint about 8 years ago, found a guy guilty of trafficking illegal immigrants and he got four years. He later appealed the conviction but the appeal court upheld the conviction.

It's your duty to serve but I saw lots giving lame excuses to avoid it.

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13 minutes ago, Caretaker said:

Did my stint about 8 years ago, found a guy guilty of trafficking illegal immigrants and he got four years. He later appealed the conviction but the appeal court upheld the conviction.

It's your duty to serve but I saw lots giving lame excuses to avoid it.

This happens here to the point that it's a matter of pride to duck jury duty. Too bad as those folks will probably sit at home and complain about the gubbermint.

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16 minutes ago, Caretaker said:

Did my stint about 8 years ago, found a guy guilty of trafficking illegal immigrants and he got four years. He later appealed the conviction but the appeal court upheld the conviction.

It's your duty to serve but I saw lots giving lame excuses to avoid it.

You know I get paid anyway so it's not a big deal.  I actually want to serve on a jury just to see what it's like but never have. With my background I've always been excused by the defense attorney's.  

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As it has been said....  Who wants to be found guilty by a bunch of people who aren't even smart enough to be able to get out of jury duty?

I've been called 3 times.  First time I was seated and the case was resolved during lunch, minutes after the jury was seated.  The second time I showed up and was in the pool for a murder trial for a teenager - never seated.  He was charged because he provided the handgun that was used an hour later in a very high profile case in Kalamazoo.  He was found guilty.  The 3rd time was for an overflow court that is used 'during the busy season'  and it was not the busy season.  We were not needed so I simply had to call in on a Thursday to be told I was not needed the following week.

I have no problem with serving jury duty.  I have a big issue with my employee's serving because it costs me real money when it happens.

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1 hour ago, Caretaker said:

Did my stint about 8 years ago, found a guy guilty of trafficking illegal immigrants and he got four years. He later appealed the conviction but the appeal court upheld the conviction.

It's your duty to serve but I saw lots giving lame excuses to avoid it.

If he saw your face, he may come after you when he gets out of the slammer! :D

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7 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

I can understand the call the day before to find out if you're needed or not but the call during the day today and the 1 hour availability sounds typically Californian.  Does work excuse you for being close enough to respond to the 1 hour notice is is this just some cheap government trick to keep you on the hook?

I've been on call like this before and work has no problem with it. As long as one has the jury duty notice, you're a free man for that day! :P

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38 minutes ago, Mr. Beanz said:

If he saw your face, he may come after you when he gets out of the slammer! :D

I had this actually happen to me twice...  When I was a cop we got a 911 call, underage female drug using daughter and mom was at wits end and wanted her out of the house.  We took her to a JV detox center and her mom was really appreciative.  A few days later i resigned and took a job at Millers Outpost (clothing store) to help pay the bills until I figured out what to do next....  So this lady asks if I can help her out in shoes, I say yea sure and it's the mom?!?!!?  Her daughter wants to try on some Vans so I go back and get them for her.  The whole time the mom is looking at me, like I know him from somewhere... The girl was so freaking whacked out she didn't recognize me but mom couldn't figure it out...  It was really odd. 

I also got to be really good friends with some baseball parents.  The dad was a gruff guy, looked like a biker but had a heart of gold.  We got to talking and he mentioned he may be laid off.  He was a little worried about finding another job as he had a felony conviction years ago... I asked what the hell did you do?  He said assaulting a cop in Garden Grove (where I was a cop) back in 1988.  I'm thinking holly crap!  I told him I was a cop in Garden Grove in 1988... He said it was a at a local bar on the Garden Grove Blvd.  He got in to an argument, police was called and he got into it with an a hole cop tried to arrest him and he resisted and punches were thrown.  I'm thinking holy crap I was there!  He said it was a white cop, yeah I know his name was Bon... and he finished the name, Bond... Yeah he was a total ass.  I was the back up officer and I was the guy who put you in the cruiser while Bond got his sheot together after the fight.  He said I don't remember you, just the a hole...   Good thing I didn't take any cheap shots while he was in cuffs... 

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Well that sucks! I had to report at 12 : 30.     Instructions were to call between 11 and 12. Glad I called early. If i had waited till 22, I would only have 1/2 an hour.  Instructions last night said be able to report within 1 hour.  Really you only get 30 minutes.  :angry:

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1 hour ago, ChrisL said:

I had this actually happen to me twice...  When I was a cop we got a 911 call, underage female drug using daughter and mom was at wits end and wanted her out of the house.  We took her to a JV detox center and her mom was really appreciative.  A few days later i resigned and took a job at Millers Outpost (clothing store) to help pay the bills until I figured out what to do next....  So this lady asks if I can help her out in shoes, I say yea sure and it's the mom?!?!!?  Her daughter wants to try on some Vans so I go back and get them for her.  The whole time the mom is looking at me, like I know him from somewhere... The girl was so freaking whacked out she didn't recognize me but mom couldn't figure it out...  It was really odd. 

I also got to be really good friends with some baseball parents.  The dad was a gruff guy, looked like a biker but had a heart of gold.  We got to talking and he mentioned he may be laid off.  He was a little worried about finding another job as he had a felony conviction years ago... I asked what the hell did you do?  He said assaulting a cop in Garden Grove (where I was a cop) back in 1988.  I'm thinking holly crap!  I told him I was a cop in Garden Grove in 1988... He said it was a at a local bar on the Garden Grove Blvd.  He got in to an argument, police was called and he got into it with an a hole cop tried to arrest him and he resisted and punches were thrown.  I'm thinking holy crap I was there!  He said it was a white cop, yeah I know his name was Bon... and he finished the name, Bond... Yeah he was a total ass.  I was the back up officer and I was the guy who put you in the cruiser while Bond got his sheot together after the fight.  He said I don't remember you, just the a hole...   Good thing I didn't take any cheap shots while he was in cuffs... 

small world, eh?

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3 minutes ago, Nate said:

small world, eh?

Yeah and i wasn't a cop all that long either...  Another small world moment... My brother and I both served in the Army at the same time.  He was in Germany while I was in VA.   So the new Motor Pool Sergeant drops off a vehicle and as the Desk Sergeant I sign off on it. (Remember we all have our last name on the uniform) Dude says, you have a brother?  Yeah two of them.  One of them in the Army? Yeah. Bamberg? Yeah why? His name Dan? Yeah, you know him?  He was my room mate?!?!?!  

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I would like to serve but am always excused.  The first time it was a child abuse case, they asked if I had ever reported a suspected case of child abuse.  I said twice this month.  They said, "Thank you, next."

Second time they asked if I knew any pilots.  I said yes.  They said how well-- professionally, socially.  I said I am married to a GA pilot.  They said thanks but no thanks.  This had to do with a plane crashing into a house.

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I haven't actually been on the jury yet either.  I made it to the selection once, they asked if I knew any alcoholics. Yes, like 6 of my uncles.  You're excused! :lol:

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Here you don't get asked questions at selection. The prosecution and defence both can object to 7 jurors without giving a reason after that they have to give reasons.

When I was up for selection I think a couple of people before me were objected to under the 7 rule so when I stood up I was expecting the same to happen but it didn't.

Now that I'm over 65 yo I can by right decline to serve.

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I find that jury duty is very important.  I believe in civic duty.

If you know you can be fair and impartial, then the truth is, you may be much more so than somebody else they might pick.  And I'd rather have a jury of people like everyone here than a bunch of random schmucks off the street.  Something everyone should think about should they ever find you get accused of something wrongfully.  Do you want people who feel it's their duty?  Or people who are mad about being there because somehow they didn't find a way out of it?

I've been twice.  Once, odd man out just before deliberations.  Once, jury foreman.  I lost a little personal time, but I feel we all owe it to someone else to be there and do the right thing --the person could be innocent.  Or, just as important, the person could be guilty and you being there will ensure they don't do whatever they did to someone else.

P.S.  Our system sounds more organized than yours though.  You show up one day for selection.  If selected, then you call the night before the trial schedule date.

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I've been called four times.  Once called in to the number and didn't have to show up.  Second time excused because I'd just been called by a federal jury.  Once excused when they found out my profession was engineering.  Another time excused after I said I wouldn't give the police officer's testimony any more credibility than anyone else who testified, and would give it the same weight as the defendant's testimony (because that particular police force had a reputation for side-stepping the law.)

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Back at 10 for Wednesday.  Freaking judge dragging it on. Last time I was there selection started quickly and candidates excused rather quickl. This time 2 hours and still interviewing first 12. We know who will be released but judge is dragging ass. Now everyone has to come back tomorrow. 

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I wouldn't mind serving if it weren't for the over 4 hour round trip commute.  They pay mileage, so it's actually not a bad paycheck, but it makes for a very long day.  I've been called a few times but never selected.  Most of the time, they've had a trial they expected to last approximately a week, but the last time it was for a trial that was expected to last over 2 months.  People were really trying to get out of that jury.  When they finally filled the panel and the alternate panel, you could hear an audible sigh of relief from everyone still in the jury pool. .

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We have 2 kinds of jury duty here.  The smaller Jury pool involves 1day in the pool only and 1 trial only if you are selected.  The Federal Jury pool involves 30 days in the pool, and an unlimited possibility of trials if they are short enough to fit in the 30 day window.  I was selected for the latter once but was granted an out when I asked the court for a delay to another time because I was working out of state on a defense contract.  I have been selected 5 times for the former being excused 4 of those times.  The fifth time I was picked for a drunk driving case that had been going on for a long time with appeals.  One day into the trial the jury was excused because the defendant had fired his lawyer and picked another.  

Womaxx was selected for Federal Duty and served on a longish trial involving police brutality case in a long running spousal abuse situation.  The jury found that in spite of the dirtbags actions toward his wife that the police can't crack his skull with a flashlight.  Her one and only 1 day pool ended up in a multi week trial where a dead gang leaders spouse was suing the gang for the return of property owed him because of gang actions.  She lost.

Womaxx gets all the fun cases.  I get to sit in the back of the court room and listen. 

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