# How do you volunteer for jury duty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376 "2010-08-06T06:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/61 "2010-08-09T20:56:06Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > :smack: That reminds me. I have jury duty this month! If only I could remember when… > > I don’t suppose they call and remind you just before, do they? Well thank goodness! Jury duty isn’t until next week. Glad I saw this thread. The woman I spoke with said that my status was _indeterminate_. No reasons were listed, but we spoke a little and it may be one of the following two: [ol] [li]I am being treated with ritalin for chronic fatigue. She said that sometimes they will not take jurors who take “mind altering” drugs. (her words, not mine.)[/li][li]I used to be in law enforcement. (In my mind, only sort of, but they say that technically I was.) Years ago I was deputized and wrote parking tickets for the city I lived in. I was not a police officer, but I did have to go to court when tickets were fought.[/li][/ol] She said I should hear by this Wed. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/62 "2010-08-09T23:00:07Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > > [@Voyager](#): > > > > One judge told us that those who report go to the top of the list in a sense. I don’t know if that is true, but it was a judge. > > Well, he was wrong (as Judges frequently are). Or at least, he would be wrong here in Minnesota. California might be different. I have heard something very similar from a court auditor. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/63 "2010-08-10T03:49:20Z")
The problem is that you can’t serve on a jury if you are insane. And, wanting to volunteer for jury duty is considered a sign of insanity. 😉 Seriously, you can contact the County Courthouse and ask. However, I doubt anyone will know what to do in this case. You might be refused simply because they think you might have an ulterior motive. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/64 "2010-08-10T03:58:55Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > > [@UDS](#): > > > > You can’t volunteer for jury duty, and a few moments thought will show why. They don’t want sometimes influential or powerful defendants to have an opportunity to have a jury made up of peole who are well-disposed to them/under an obligation to them/afraid of them. > > I don’t follow the logic; why would someone volunteering make them prejudiced one way or the other? If people can self-select for jury service by volunteering, then it becomes easier to pack juries by getting people who are well-disposed to you to volunteer. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/65 "2010-08-10T04:03:36Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > However, as I was the executor of his estate, I believed it was my responsibility to answer the jury summons on his behalf, the same way it was my responsibility to settle his debts, and if I had not done so, I also might have been in contempt. I don’t think any charges would have been pursued against me. Someone here may know that better than I do. No. Jury service would have been a personal obligation of your father’s, not a charge on his property. You were no more obliged to respond to his jury summons than you would have been obliged to respond to, say, military draft papers sent to him. And you were no more entitled to perform his jury service than you would have been entitled to cast his vote in an election. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/66 "2010-08-10T13:27:13Z")
Yes, I realize that I wasn’t “entitled” to serve in his place. But it was less than a week after his death, and I was feeling totally bewildered, and I was casting about for something to feel less helpless. If I’d called my lawyer she’d have explained it to me, but it was a five-minute walk from my office to the courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/67 "2010-08-10T14:56:03Z")
I actually went and deliberately signed up on the website that I was willing and eager to do it. And…my SO got a summons. Sigh. I really do believe it is my civic duty and don’t have an agenda. Honest! But I have never been summoned. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/68 "2010-08-10T15:30:42Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Yes, I realize that I wasn’t “entitled” to serve in his place. But it was less than a week after his death, and I was feeling totally bewildered, and I was casting about for something to feel less helpless. If I’d called my lawyer she’d have explained it to me, but it was a five-minute walk from my office to the courthouse. It was a nice gesture. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/69 "2010-08-10T16:11:05Z")
> [@be\_bright](#): > > This brings to mind the gag in 30 Rock where Liz Lemon dresses up like Princess Leia to get dismissed from jury duty. 😃 Do people ever actually present themselves as weirdos to get dismissed? When I was in grad school another student got called in for jury duty. He went to the bookstore and bought a T-shirt with the school’s name blazed across it with the thinking that (A) the lawyers don’t want someone ‘smart’ on the jury (B) the lawyers very much don’t want someone who THINKS he’s smart on the jury. He was not put on a jury. Since then I’ve been called once and was empaneled, but I ended up being an alternate. ☹ super double waste of time. I’ve talked to a friend who is a DA-type who expressed surprise that I was put on. DA’s apparently don’t like scientists and engineers. The burden of proof for science is much higher than for law. We can’t help but carry that perspective into the courtroom too. DA’s don’t like that. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/70 "2010-08-10T19:58:36Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > > [@Antinor01](#): > > > > I wish the last jury I had been on was like that. A good half of them just wanted to take a vote and go home within 20 minutes of being sent for deliberation. That really pissed me off. > > Ouch. I have never seen that. What sort of trial was it? If it seems like something that’s a waste of time, like a full trial for littering, I guess I could see some “laziness,” but otherwise, the mind boggles. It was a wrongful death case from mesothelioma Three weeks of testimony, mostly scientific. (which I found fascinating). I think a lot of them were just tired of the process. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/71 "2010-08-10T20:10:49Z")
> [@be\_bright](#): > > This brings to mind the gag in 30 Rock where Liz Lemon dresses up like Princess Leia to get dismissed from jury duty. 😃 Do people ever actually present themselves as weirdos to get dismissed? The success of that depends on the Judge. Many judges take a real dim view of people ‘masquerading’ like this to get out of service. Also of people who volunteer very bigoted statements to attempt to get themselves excused. But Judges (and lawyers) see potential jurors every day; they get pretty skilled at seeing through such frauds. Judges can find someone in contempt of court for this, and fine them or actually put them in jail (except our jail is usually overcrowded). Our they can chew them out severely – many judges are good at that. We had one judge who liked to ship such ‘fakers’ across to Federal Civil Court, where they could be jurors on corporate bankruptcy or patent disputes or copyright infringement cases – trials that were deadly, deadly dull and could go on for weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/72 "2010-08-10T22:21:39Z")
There was the memorable case of the Whitewater juror who wore her Star Trek uniform to jury duty. She finally was expelled from the jury, but not for the uniform. She talked to reporters. > **[CNN - 'Trekkie' juror - Mar. 14, 1996](https://www.cnn.com/US/fringe/9603/03-14/trek.html)** > [@](#): > > Barbara Adams, 31, one of six alternate jurors hearing charges against the former Whitewater partners of Bill and Hillary Clinton, wore a Star Trek uniform to each of eight court session in the Whitewater trial. > > Neither the prosecutors nor defense attorneys had any problem with Adams’ unusual sartorial habits until she granted a television interview Wednesday afternoon. > [@](#): > > “I think someone’s costume or someone’s clothing is less important than the content of their character, and we reached the decision, right or wrong – and we may have made a bad choice – but we felt she would be a good juror if she was called to serve,” said Susan McDougal’s attorney, Bobby McDaniel. Apparently, though, the only issue she discussed with the media was her uniform and reasons for wearing it, not any details of the case itself. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,291848,00.html](http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,291848,00.html) > [@](#): > > Two weeks ago, Barbara Adams, 31, a bindery supervisor from Little Rock, Ark., beamed herself into the national spotlight when she appeared as an alternate juror for the Whitewater trial wearing a _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ uniform, replete with plastic phaser, tricorder, and communicator badge. Her endeavor was cut short, however, when a judge ruled she had violated a gag order by discussing her attire on _American Journal_ and dismissed her from the case. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/73 "2010-08-10T22:31:24Z")
You might remember that that woman appeared in the documentary Trekkies. (And if you haven’t seen that movie, I highly recommend that you do so.) ---
**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:** [August 10, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/74 "2010-08-10T23:33:45Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > I’ve talked to a friend who is a DA-type who expressed surprise that I was put on. DA’s apparently don’t like scientists and engineers. The burden of proof for science is much higher than for law. We can’t help but carry that perspective into the courtroom too. DA’s don’t like that. I haven’t observed this to be true in Silicon Valley. I was briefly on one case where an engineer with specific expertise in the area of the case was dismissed. Not for being an engineer, but for saying that if he knew the sky was blue and the testimony said it was green, he would not force himself to consider it green. (Roughly translated.) They seemed to have no problems putting me on, since I was a different type of engineer. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/75 "2010-08-11T01:40:45Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > > [@be\_bright](#): > > > > This brings to mind the gag in 30 Rock where Liz Lemon dresses up like Princess Leia to get dismissed from jury duty. 😃 Do people ever actually present themselves as weirdos to get dismissed? > > The success of that depends on the Judge. Many judges take a real dim view of people ‘masquerading’ like this to get out of service. Also of people who volunteer very bigoted statements to attempt to get themselves excused. But Judges (and lawyers) see potential jurors every day; they get pretty skilled at seeing through such frauds. > > Judges can find someone in contempt of court for this, and fine them or actually put them in jail (except our jail is usually overcrowded). Our they can chew them out severely – many judges are good at that. We had one judge who liked to ship such ‘fakers’ across to Federal Civil Court, where they could be jurors on corporate bankruptcy or patent disputes or copyright infringement cases – trials that were deadly, deadly dull and could go on for weeks. I saw this at jury duty in South Florida. Basically, if we didn’t get selected for this particular trial, then we were excused from further jury duty. But first, the judge asked for reasons why anyone couldn’t serve on this jury. Many people stood up and said that they needed to work, couldn’t pay the bills, and yes a few even said that since the defendant was black that their racial prejudices wouldn’t let them be fair. All of those people were told that they had to report back for jury service in 90 days. For the financial hardship cases, the judge told them to get a night job and save up over the next 90 days so that they could serve on a jury. For the racial prejudice “fakers” they were told that they would be assigned a case where their racial prejudices wouldn’t come into play. He basically told them that they would all be recycled through the pool and wouldn’t be excused until they had served on a trial, while all of the rest of us that didn’t get selected for the pending trial went home at the end of the day and were done with jury service. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/76 "2010-08-11T02:22:45Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > > [@sachertorte](#): > > > > I’ve talked to a friend who is a DA-type who expressed surprise that I was put on. DA’s apparently don’t like scientists and engineers. The burden of proof for science is much higher than for law. We can’t help but carry that perspective into the courtroom too. DA’s don’t like that. > > I haven’t observed this to be true in Silicon Valley. I was briefly on one case where an engineer with specific expertise in the area of the case was dismissed. Not for being an engineer, but for saying that if he knew the sky was blue and the testimony said it was green, he would not force himself to consider it green. (Roughly translated.) They seemed to have no problems putting me on, since I was a different type of engineer. It’s true to a point. There are so many engineers in Silicon Vally that the Judge that selected us for the Grand Jury did comment he didn’t want a entire jury of retired engineers. He was smiling, but I could tell he meant it. And engineers almost always have employers that pay for their time while on Jury duty. Thus, engineers may well dominate a Silicon valley jury unless they watch out. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/77 "2010-08-11T12:24:37Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > When I was in grad school another student got called in for jury duty. He went to the bookstore and bought a T-shirt with the school’s name blazed across it with the thinking that > (A) the lawyers don’t want someone ‘smart’ on the jury > (B) the lawyers very much don’t want someone who THINKS he’s smart on the jury. > He was not put on a jury. That’s a Mensa gag – if you don’t want to serve, wear a Mensa T-shirt. Nobody I know has tried it, and I wouldn’t dare. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/78 "2010-08-11T13:10:03Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I actually went and deliberately signed up on the website that I was willing and eager to do it. And…my SO got a summons. Sigh. > > I really do believe it is my civic duty and don’t have an agenda. Honest! But I have never been summoned. ☹ Holy crap! I just got a juror questionnaire in the mail yesterday! I think this thread did it. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/79 "2010-08-11T14:41:30Z")
Congratulations? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/80 "2010-08-11T14:56:28Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Congratulations? Yes, thank you. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376.md?page=5)