I was about to start a pit thread on this but I just can’t get too angry about it.
I just received my 5th summons for jury duty. This is the 5th time in 25 years that I’ve been called. I sat through two trials and was in reserve two other times.
In all it’s taken about 3 weeks of my time. No where near a hardship but still quite annoying when just about everyone I know has had less than three occasions.
So how about it? Can anybody in Straight Dope Land beat my 5 Summons?
I’ve only gotten summoned 2 times, and each time was from a county I no longer lived in, so I got out of it twice. Actually I was kind of bummed because I kind of would like to serve on a jury, even a boring one.
I think I’m up to 5 but that is over 30 years.
At least 10-12. Never actually served on a jury or even gotten as far as the selection process.
Waiting room and go home.
I’ll be 38 years old in a few weeks and have never in my life been summoned for jury duty.
I have lost track, well over 10. I have only served on one jury. In Ca. we report in by phone. About 5 years ago I reported in person by mistake, it was my son with the same name who was being summoned. I haven’t been sommoned since. I doubt they ever figured out I wasn’t my son.
I’m 45. I’ve been summoned at least 10 times (I stopped counting a few years ago), and have served on two juries, one for a day, and one for 3 days.
I’ve been summoned once but was excused during voir dire because I’d previously been the victim of a similar crime. I wasn’t even asked if I believed such circumstances would impede my ability to remain impartial, it was just assumed that they would. Had I been asked I would have said that I had doubts I could remain impartial, so my feelings weren’t hurt at all.
ETA, I’m 30 and this just happened a couple years ago.
I’m 59 and have never been summoned.
(And I’ve watched ‘12 Angry Men’, so I know what to do…)
51 years old. Summoned once, never served. Would* love* to serve, but probably would never be acceptable to both parties.
Twice in college. Didn’t even have to show up.
I’d like to, one day.
When I lived in New Jersey I never got summoned. In California, I get summoned every year. We have a system where you call in or check the website the day before, and see if they need you. From about 14 summons I went five times. Once I got excused from having airline tickets during the trial, twice, both murder cases, I didn’t get picked, and I’ve been on 2. One was a civil trial which settled right after jury selection, and the other was a criminal trial which lasted 10 days, luckily mornings only and luckily very close to home.
The size of the pool they draw from makes a difference. I just moved from a county with a VERY small population (fewer than 40,000), and I got summoned quite regularly.
I’m 49 years old have been summoned about every year and a half to two years since 1995. I have served on several juries and always end up serving a two week period.
They seem to like me a lot; and I wouldn’t be surprised to see another summons in my mailbox sometime in the next month or two.
Conversely, my husband has only been summoned once.
I live very close to Kansas City and there are over 1 million people in my county alone.
And some of you have been summoned (notified) 10 - 12 times ?!?!?! :eek:
The OP has me beat. I’ve been summoned twice in the last fifteen years. Both times it was a one day thing with no actual trial.
Lets see.
Summoned while I was an out of state college student: excused.
Summoned while I was in the Army in Germany: excused.
Summoned while I was in the Army in Texas: excused.
Very long break without any summons.
Summoned for petit jury. Called the number the night before and was not picked.
Summoned for grand jury: when they found out I was a cop I was immediately removed and it I’m the petit jury pool. Never called.
Summoned from the old county I lived in at my new address in different county. Called up and pointed out how stupid that was. Excused.
Never served but will if called. My chances of being picked for a criminal trial are slim. But civil trials are a possibility.
I beat your record. In the 25 years I have lived in San Francisco, I have received at least 6 summons and served at least 12 weeks as a juror.
I served on 2 trials, one criminal and one civil, each lasting about 6 weeks. I also sat in voir dire on 2 additional trials, although one picked a jury before they got to me, and the other was settled before a jury could be chosen.*
I also have been summoned at least 2 additional times when I used the call-in service but was never required to appear in person.
*That was the most recent time, and my favorite jury service ever. While the settlement was being discussed, the court officers allowed us to watch the Giants’ playoff game on T.V. It took long enough that we were able to see the win before they called us in to tell us the case had been settled. So we ended up getting off work for jury duty, and getting to watch the ballgame instead, without ever having to serve on a jury. Win, win, win!
I’ve been summoned to three different locations in Cook County, Illinois, for jury duty. I’ve been summoned to the Skokie courthouse, to the Daley Center, and to the criminal courthouse on 2650 S. California. I’ve been summoned to the Daley center 3 times and bussed to a new faculty in the South Loop once. I’ve also been called in as a standby twice but did not need to go to the courthouse. I’ve sat for a day at all of these places but I’ve never actually been put on a jury. My wife was on a jury once and she hung it. It was the worst experience of her life – she was never convinced that the guy was guilty and felt the foreman was a bit of a bully. Fortunately, I’ve never had that kind of experience.
I have never been a rural juror.