# Beat My Record - Jury Duty **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 3, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044 "2013-06-03T16:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/21 "2013-06-03T19:21:33Z")
In the 23 years I have lived in Santa Barbara, I have gotten something like 18 to 20 summonses. Half of the time I call (or look online) every day for a week and end up not having to go in. Of the times I have had to go in all but three we sat around for a while and they let us go. Twice they filled the jury before getting to me. Once I was on a criminal jury trial that lasted a week. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/22 "2013-06-03T19:53:50Z")
66 years, never called, never served. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/23 "2013-06-03T20:10:56Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > 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: When we got sworn in for the criminal case, the judge told us that when you prove reliable enough to serve you get called every year, sure as clockwork. He was pretty much right. It is not supposed to work that way, but it seems to. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/24 "2013-06-03T20:19:09Z")
I’ve been summoned four times, as far as I know. Just went to the courthouse once, got to voir dire, and got excused. Two other times it was one of those “standby juror” things where you just call the evening before and a recorded message tells you whether you need to come in, and both times I did not need to come in. And one time I asked for an extension using the automated system (you can just call in and press a number to reschedule jury duty 3-6 months down the road), and they never got back to me in to reschedule my jury duty. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/25 "2013-06-03T21:17:41Z")
> [@Taters](#): > > 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. This is me - sometime in the late 90s, I started getting a summons every two years in August, like clockwork. The first 3 times I was picked (a day, 3 days as foreman, and a 2 week murder trial), the last 3 times I haven’t. My streak broke when I asked for and got a postponement for a vacation a few years back. I still get summons, but haven’t gotten picked since. Last time, I didn’t even have to show - called some number and they said I wasn’t needed. A co-worker did 30 days on a federal grand jury, which is the worst I’ve heard about; she found it interesting. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/26 "2013-06-03T21:27:46Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > A co-worker did 30 days on a federal grand jury, which is the worst I’ve heard about; she found it interesting. I got one summons for a Federal Grand Jury which would have meant a 100 mile drive to Los Angeles. Thankfully I had done regular jury duty within the previous year (six months?) and was exempt. A colleague of mine got some kind of Federal duty which required him to be on call every Wednesday for a _year_ which required a 100 mile drive to Los Angeles. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/27 "2013-06-03T21:49:39Z")
I’ve been summoned roughly five times in the last 12 years or so. Served once, for about two, maybe three weeks. Since I get called roughly every two years, I’m due again this fall. What can I say, there are a decent amount of trials in DC, and a lot of potential jurors are either ineligible or don’t show up. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/28 "2013-06-03T23:35:35Z")
4 in about 15 years. Never served on a jury once, bastards ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/29 "2013-06-04T00:28:04Z")
Every year for 22 years, voire dired about 14 of them, made it onto the alternate panel for 2, and served once, and am now waivered for being handicapped - while they do have handicapped access they don’t really need me that badly. with some of the lawyers soon as they found out off my paperwork that I was a paralegal who also had been licensed for various forms of insurance they couldn’t remove me fast enough 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/30 "2013-06-04T00:34:45Z")
Twice summoned, 38 years old (so, twenty years of eligibility). My very first summons led to being stuck in jury selection for five days and sequestered for three months. Heck of a way to start! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/31 "2013-06-04T00:54:57Z")
I am on my 4th. I have to go in tomorrow. I have been on 1 jury, and rejected twice. Yes, the rejections bother me still. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/32 "2013-06-04T01:45:19Z")
Youngstown, OH, 2007 Tucson, AZ 2008 or 2009 Decatur Georgia: 2011 and 2013, so far. (I’ve been 18 since 1991. Registered to vote and held a drivers license since. And yet I didn’t get any summons until 2007). I’m 39, but in the last 6 years I’ve been called 4 times. I’m on track to beat you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/33 "2013-06-04T03:06:51Z")
I am summoned every 2 years here in California. I have a file folder labeled “jury duty” because of this. I just counted them: 11. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/34 "2013-06-04T03:25:46Z")
I also live in California. At age 59 I’ve certainly been called at least 8 times “randomly.” But as a semi-retired person I’m allowed to volunteer for jury service in Humboldt County. So I’m called perhaps four times each year. I’ve never participated in an H.C. trial but I did once in Los Angelese County. Jury service is a blast, as far as I’m concerned. And in my one trial down in L.A. I _was_ working and had to take time off without pay for my service. I’d do it again in a flash. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/35 "2013-06-04T14:54:25Z")
About to turn 40, and I’ve been summoned 4 times that I can think of. The first happened less than a month after I turned 18, but I was out of state on a college program, so my mom called them and got me excused. I got another summons a few years later while I was in college, and got excused as a full-time student. Then a long hiatus, then a summons here in Texas. Went down to the central jury pool, sat around for the morning, all but one of the cases settled so they only needed a few dozen jurors, and my name wasn’t called, so I went home. The next time, nobody settled, so I got to sit through two voir dires. All the unused jurors from the first panel had to hang around and be questioned a second time for a second case. I was at the courthouse from 8 AM until after 6 PM. Didn’t get picked for either jury. And you’d think I would’ve been excused earlier, since I wrote “PROSECUTOR” in the “occupation” field of the questionnaire… ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/36 "2013-06-04T15:08:45Z")
I’ve never been called and I’m over 40. I suspect it’s because I have law enforcement in my immediate family. I really wouldn’t mind serving except that if I don’t work I don’t get paid so it would be a financial hardship. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/37 "2013-06-04T17:04:28Z")
I am posting this from Jury Assembly room in the Van Nuys courthouse. Lets see if I can get on a jury! ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/38 "2013-06-04T17:06:05Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I’ve never been called and I’m over 40. I suspect it’s because I have law enforcement in my immediate family. I really wouldn’t mind serving except that if I don’t work I don’t get paid so it would be a financial hardship. Can your employer do that where you live, or you mean you’re self-employed? Here in IL I’m pretty sure employers have to pay you, though I’ve heard some adjust it for that whopping $17.20/day the court gives you. I think part of why I get picked a lot is I refuse to bs trying to get out of it. Pathetic, some of the stuff you here. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/39 "2013-06-04T17:25:07Z")
I was called 3 times in an 18 mo period when I lived in the Seattle area. They were 3 different court systems (my memory is hazy, but I think it was municipal, federal, district) and didn’t care a bit that I had already been called by another court system. I waited around twice and was sent home and served on the third jury (alternate, dismissed before verdict). I was recently called for jury duty in CA, but I was 38 weeks pregnant. I delayed until July (when I will delay again, since I plan to still be a nursing mother). ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/40 "2013-06-04T17:51:44Z")
I’ll turn 40 this year. I’ve been summoned for jury duty…14 times, I think. 15, if you count the time I got out of it, because I couldn’t go, because I had jury duty. Fortunately, it’s dropped off a bit since they switched the selection pool from voters to driver’s licenses. edit: My favorite was the Federal jury duty, where we had to pay for our own parking…with quarters…and they told us to bring half of what we actually needed, because they didn’t pay attention to when the increased rates kicked in. And only half the people showed up anyway, since it was two days after a hurricane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044.md?page=3)