Are you SERIOUS? Jury duty AGAIN???

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I just received my 3rd jury summons of the last 2 1/2 years. Seriously???

First one (November 2004) I did my thing and called in every day to see if I was needed to come to the court house. I wasn’t and my civic duty was fulfilled.

Second one (May 2005) stunned me–they can’t call me twice in less than a year, can they? Ah, but this was a FEDERAL GRAND JURY summons. I actually was able to get out of this as working professionals can be excluded. Yup–right there on the summons, it said doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. are excluded. Well, I’m a teacher, so there you go.

Third one (July 2006)…asking me to serve Aug. 28. Two problems with that: 1) I’m having back surgery Aug. 9, and 2) school starts Sept. 1. I’ll be postponing that one, obviously.

They say it’s a random draw, but SHEEEEEEEEEZ.

2

I don’t know the particulars for your locale, but in Fort Worth, Texas, if you serve on a jury, your name gets dropped from the pool for 3 years. If you are summoned, but not selected for a jury, your name goes right back in the hat and you are eligible to be called the next day.

Back when I was a student, and able to get a deferral, I got called about every 6 months. In the 10 years since, I have only been called 3 times. First time, I was not selected for a jury. Second time, I was selected, but the trial was postponed. Third time, I was seated for a jury, but “failed” the selection process because I knew another one of the potential jurors. Note that I never actually sat on a jury. I think that if they cut you a check, they pull your name from the list for 3 years. Or it could just be a coincidence.

The moral is: If you get called for jury duty, do it. Then they’ll leave you alone for a while. (Not really germane to your case, Ruffian, I know you tried at least once.)

3

I was called to jury duty four times (federal, city, county and district courts) in the first ten years after my 18th birthday. My Dad, who is in his seventies, finally got called for the first time ever last year (on the heels of my sister getting called for the second time in one year and me getting called and serving once again). Dad had really wanted to see what it was like to be on a jury but his case got settled before it went to trial. It’s a shame because he would have made a better and smarter juror than either my sister or me. And he *wanted *to be there, unlike either of us! Where’s the justice in that?
So yeah, getting selected really is random.

4

I have been called once by New Jersey about 8 years ago, when I was a college student in Arizona, and have yet to be called again. I’m thinkin’ they put a flag on your name to indicate you are relatively unavailable for service . . .

But now that I’m outta college, if I get called, I’d most likely take the opportunity and go home for vacation–even though it’s not really a vacation. :smiley:

Tripler
Yeah, I’m all “civic minded” ‘n’ shit.

5

I get called about every 18 months or so. I’ve served on 2 juries, and been called 9 times and I’m 38. I really don’t have a huge problem with being called, but it bugs me that I get called so much and folks I know of similar age have never been called. I think my name is in the “he’ll show up” list so they keep calling me.

6

When I was working in Memphis they had a little eruption of fury on the part of the People in Charge because there were so many exemptions. Police, teachers, docs, lawyers, students… it had got really ridiculous.

So their response was as follows: “No one’s exempt.”

Period.

My boss (a man with either 7,000 or 9,000 autopsies behind him - he’d lost count over forty years) was just waiting his chance to be called up.

I said, “Boss, what are you talkin’ about? You know you’ll never be allowed on a jury! There isn’t a defense lawyer in the world INSANE enough to let you on a jury!”

He gave me that look and said, “I think I could be a good juror.”

Well, who was gonna argue with that. Hell, he could be the foreman of a jury, and do a fine, find job. All you need is a defense counsel who’s TOTALLY OUT OF HIS MIND.

My husband regularly gets called for jury duty. The only one he’s ever been allowed to serve on is Grand Jury because there it doesn’t matter if he knows me. Any civil trial, they ask, "Do you know a doctor? Married to one? Thank you, there’s the door. Any criminal trial, “Do you know any doctor, cop, or person in any way remotely connected to this case? You’re married to Gabriela? Thank you, there’s the door, don’t let it hit you in the ass on the way out!”

Hey, Ruffian, if you think it’ll help, tell’em you know me.

7

I’ve only been called once in my life. I was seventeen at the time. I sent the letter back stating I was underage to serve. I haven’t heard from them for ten years now. I’m gona go find some wood to knock on.

8

Heck, give me the summons! I think it’d be interesting to be on a jury.

9

Well, you’ve already been called, but if you don’t want to be selected, just sit in the front row and read this latest book by Jim Butcher. Make sure the defense counsel can see you clearly during voir dire.

10

No one wants me on a jury. I’ve never been called. And I would be an awesome juror. And I would make cupcakes to hand out so the other jurors would vote for me for foreman… And posters, with glitter pens, “Campion 4 Foreman!”

But they never even call me.

11

I got called once, 24 years ago, about a year after I graduated college. Sat around all day, got called into a courtroom for selection, but they filled their quota before they got to me.

I’ve never been called since then.

Which is too bad, as I’d have sort of liked to do it.

These days, I’ve got a medical condition (RLS) which would make it extremely difficult to serve effectively, so if they did call me I’d have to try for a medical deferment. Sorry guys, ya missed your chance! :mad:

12

fetus, I’ve actually always been a bit curious about being on a jury. I would actually like to, some day. The problem is I always get called at the WORST times–this is the second time I’ve been called at very beginning of the school year (I postponed the first time until November; it’ll probably be something like that again this time); the other time I was called right at the beginning of state testing (this was the Federal Grand Jury I was ultimately exempt from).

Are there other months they need jurors besides September and May? Sure…like June, with my luck… :rolleyes:

13

I was called twice. The first time they passed me over. The second time, I was an alternate and then just before they started the trial, the parties settled. Damn! I want to be a juror!

14

Looking over the form, I have three reasons for postponement: 1) I’m having back surgery Aug. 9; 2) I’m still breastfeeding my infant son (it’s listed as a justifiable postponement), and 3) it’s the start of the school year.

BTW–the jury summons is STILL in my maiden name. Part of me wantsto say “There’s no one here by that name” but I know the antiquated system won’t listen. That’s how my name is listed in voting records, too, despite twice trying to correct it by sending in the correct forms. My luck I’ll get summoned twice as much under BOTH names. Whee.

15

Well, crap, here’s the deal:

From LASuperiorCourt.org:

Q: Why am I getting duplicate summons?
A: We receive your name from the Voters Registration and the Department of Motor Vehicles lists. If for some reason your name varies in any way (e.g., John Doe vs. John A. Doe), our computer does not recognize that they may be the same person. Another reason you could be summoned twice is if your address varies on the DMV and the Voters Registration.

16

I’ve been called 5 times in about 20 years, but I’ve only been on 2 juries, the most recent time as an alternate. The interesting thing was that, of the 34 potential jurors on that case, 3 were Chicago police officers. On a case where the only witnesses to give testimony were Chicago police officers. Everybody was pretty amused by that coincidence.

17

Do you have to be a US citizen to serve on a jury, or is a legal resident (green card, etc.) sufficient to qualify you?

I ask because i’m in the process of getting my green card, but i’m still not sure whether i’ll bother with US citizenship further down the line.

18

I’ve been called twice. Once when I was in college I was called for jury service in my hometown - some 1,500 miles away on an island. Semi-permanent deferral.

I got called again shortly after I moved to New York, but called for jury duty in a county I didn’t actually live in. Called them up, explained, and was excused over the phone.

This is too bad - I really want to be called. I’m with Campion. I’d bake treats and everything! However, like gabriela (but for different reasons), I’ll almost certainly be excluded in voir dire.

19

I’ve been called twice in the last 15 years. The first time was for a civil case that was actually very interesting (legal malpractice), but lasted for three very long weeks. The second time, I got called for St. Martin Parish is south Louisiana. What was funny was during the roll call when the court clerk read all the Cajun names perfectly (Delahoussaye, Benoit. Thibodeaux, etc.), but for the life of him couldn’t pronounce my simple, faintly Germanic, single-syllable last name.

20

Spooky… I just got the preliminary jury summons… the one where you can claim disqualification if you have it. I last served right before I took this job, which would have been March of 2003, so I think my exemption was only for two years, which means I might be up for it again.