# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/41 "2013-06-04T18:01:57Z")
I’ve been summoned 6 times in 20 years. Never had to serve. My mother was never called for jury duty. She was 90 when she died. A registered voter with a driver’s license. They say names are randomly selected but I don’t believe it. I’m convinced they call white, middle-class, over age 40 individuals. I was called last month and everyone in the waiting room (90 of us) fit that profile. ---
**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 4, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/42 "2013-06-04T18:02:39Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > 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. Really? When I was sitting in the pool for a murder trial, the judge told those who got rejected to not do their happy dance until they got out of the court room. They all seemed pretty pleased to me. (It was going to be a pretty long trial.) I’ve never been rejected (for jury duty, that is) which shows the common idea that engineers never get selected is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/43 "2013-06-04T18:03:32Z")
I’ve receive a summons once every two to three years so definitely more than five but less than ten. In my area, they have a call in line and I only had to actually appear in person twice. Once for a murder trial that I was dismissed for being unable to serve on a death penalty case and the other dismissed for not feeling I could serve unbiased on a child molestation case. ---
**Author:** ![FallFast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FallFast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallFast)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/44 "2013-06-04T18:15:34Z")
I just received my 8th summons for the local county court system. Of those I have been a juror 3 times, foreman once. All criminal. I received a Federal jury summons once, had to show up once a month for 6 months. Was a juror only once out of those. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/45 "2013-06-04T18:47:48Z")
I’ve lost track of the number of times I have been called since the mid-70s. JP court, municipal court, county court, at least three times each. And I will never serve. I get booted just as soon as the defense finds out that I used to be a cop nearly 40 years ago. ---
**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, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/46 "2013-06-04T19:49:26Z")
> [@FallFast](#): > > I just received my 8th summons for the local county court system. Of those I have been a juror 3 times, foreman once. I’m still ticked about this: the ONE time I was foreman, it was because we spent about 30 minutes of everyone saying they didn’t want to be foreman. I said “Fine, I’ll do it, just so we can get started.” Once we had a verdict (which was tough because some people agreed the defendant was not guilty, but had decided they didn’t like him), another juror asked if she could be foreman now so she could present the verdict in court. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/47 "2013-06-04T20:46:08Z")
I’m 25 and I’ve been called something like 5 or 6 times. I got a jury summons while I was still in high school-- I turned 18 January of my senior year and got a jury summons in April. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/48 "2013-06-04T20:58:32Z")
I can beat you from the opposite direction. Summoned 3 times in my adult life (i.e. since I graduated college). Once, I had to go downtown and sit around for 4 or so hours before being dismissed. Since then: twice. Both times my “group number” didn’t even have to appear. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/49 "2013-06-04T23:08:51Z")
Just three in 25 years. Once I served, once they settled and I didn’t have to go in, and the third I will find out in about two weeks when I call the night before to see if I’m needed. The time I served I figured I would be dismissed because I knew the plaintiff and had taught two of his kids, but they never even asked if I knew anyone. I don’t remember them asking any questions at all. It’s a pretty small town and they must figure everyone knows everyone and is related to almost everyone, and that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/50 "2013-06-05T03:02:32Z")
40, summoned 3 times, served on a jury once, misdemeanor criminal trial that lasted 2 weeks. It was interesting & I’d happily serve again. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/51 "2013-06-05T03:40:26Z")
Five times (sort of). First in Cook County IL. I was sent to a suburban court though I lived in Hyde Park. I sat in the jury room for a week and was never even called in once to be questioned. I was summoned thrice (guess which thread I’ve been reading) for the state court in CT. The first time I was brought in to be questioned. I was then told it was for a murder case to start in 4 weeks. My wife and I already had reservations for our 25th Anniversary on Grand Cayman Island then so I was excused. The next two times I called in the night before and was told not to come. One of these was on July 5th a Friday. They said they needed no one. I think the court had decided to take an extra long weekend. Most recently (2+ years ago) I received a questionnaire for Federal Grand Jury. I wrote back and begged off as I was undergoing a series of treatments for cancer. I never heard back, but the original letter said I’d be on call for 2 years so I’m past that now. I think you can ask to be excused if you’re 65 which I will be in less than a year, so I’ll likely never serve on one. My wife was summoned once for IL, but it was just after we moved here. She was summoned here a couple of months later and served. (I’ve always wondered if it was a coincidence or somehow Cook County said, "Hey she claims she’s moved there grab her and see what she says.) It was a pretty well-known civil case which was hard to find jurors for, but she knew nothing about the incident which had happened a few years before we moved here. She also served as fore(wo)man a few years later and has been called but didn’t have to show up once or twice. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/52 "2013-06-05T05:23:45Z")
I’ve been summoned about 12 times. The first 3 or 4 were excused for financial hardship. Then I had a run where I was on a bunch of juries: Foreman on a murder trail Drunk driving trial Legal malpractice trial \<- This was an awesome trail with a Perry Mason Ah-HA! moment. Product liability trial Another product liability trial \<- I was seated and asked to be excused. I have not been called since about 2005 however. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/53 "2013-06-05T06:54:33Z")
Not sure if this counts as “breaking your record” but I think I’ve got the oddest coincidences for my jury summons. I’m 54, but I’ve only been summoned three times, all more than 20 years ago. Once when I was pregnant with my daughter, once when I was pregnant with my son, and another when I was still nursing my son. Got out of all three. Both pregnancies had complications. enough that I was excused. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/54 "2013-06-05T16:06:25Z")
I have not owned a car in my own name since 1990, and Ive never received a jury duty summons in that whole time, no matter where I lived. I had two before that, one federal and one local. I consider jury duty to be an essential part of my auto-didactic education. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/55 "2013-06-05T17:14:59Z")
No one in my immediate family has been summoned more than once. The longest time would be 36 years for my mom. My sister has never been summoned at all in 7 years. None of us have ever served. In my opinion, that’s the record you need to go for. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/56 "2013-06-05T20:18:54Z")
I’m going to be 60 next month, and have held a California driver’s license since 1970 and have been registered to vote since 1971. I’ve owned cars, houses, boats and dogs. Never summoned. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/57 "2013-06-05T20:56:37Z")
I’ve been summoned at least four or five times in 22 years, but I’ve never served. Most of the calls have been from courts in an area where I haven’t lived for many years–they just kept failing to update their records, so I was still on the rolls. A quick phone call to remind them that I live in another state always got me excused, usually with an apology and a promise to update the list. I guess they finally did it, because they haven’t tried to summon me in years. The one time I’ve actually been called in the correct state, I got dropped like a hot rock in voir dire after waiting most of the day. I don’t why; the lawyers didn’t even ask me any questions. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > 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 from a much smaller place than that, and on one occasion, my father, brother, and I were all summoned for the same jury. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/58 "2013-06-05T22:51:09Z")
I noticed that all of the posters use the past tense _summoned_. I always thaought it was _summonsed_. Am I thinking of a different use of the word? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/59 "2013-06-06T01:10:27Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > I noticed that all of the posters use the past tense _summoned_. I always thaought it was _summonsed_. Am I thinking of a different use of the word? It depends on exactly what you mean, I think. “Summonsed”, as I interpret it, would mean that you had been issued a summons–an order to appear. “Summoned” means that you have been ordered to appear. Thus, you might be summoned by means of being summonsed. I used the more direct form because I don’t like “summonsed”, although I suppose I would tolerate it in situations where the technical difference might matter. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044/60 "2013-06-06T17:21:07Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > I’ve been summoned about 12 times. The first 3 or 4 were excused for financial hardship. Then I had a run where I was on a bunch of juries: > Foreman on a murder trail > … > Legal malpractice trial \<- This was an awesome trail with a Perry Mason Ah-HA! moment. > Product liability trial > Another product liability trial \<- I was seated and asked to be excused. > … Anything interesting you can tell us about those trials? (I figure there’s nothing all that fascinating about the drunk driver). A friend’s daughter got a summons a month or so ago. She got excused on the grounds that she was still in **high school**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-my-record-jury-duty/660044.md?page=4)