Do those on the roll know about it from the beginning so they can plan their year? It just seems wildly inconvenient.
Yes. When each new jury roll is compiled, all those who are on it are informed. It’s no help in planning your year though. You don’t get any inkling of when during the next twelve months you may be called. You just have to deal with any summons once it arrives and either front up or furnish some sort of excuse.
Twice since moving to the US. Once in Harford County, once in Baltimore County. I’m not even a citizen.
I’m 31 and live in a rural county in Ohio. I’ve been called twice. Once I was in college, my mom saw the envelope and knew what it was, so she opened it and wrote that I was in college out of the county. Excused.
The second time was just a few weeks ago, and I did serve on the jury. It was a two-day trial of a drug dealer. We found him guilty of possession of marijuana, possession of crack cocaine, and trafficking in crack cocaine. He was from Detroit – apparently there’s a connection between our county and Detroit. Drug dealers drive down regularly with their wares. I guess it’s an open market.
Anyway, all I’ve ever heard about jury duty was negative, but I quite enjoyed the experience. I learned a lot and didn’t mind the time. I realize that I have a flexible job and no very young children, so others may not feel the same way.
I was fascinated, actually. The prosecutor was mostly very professional, and the defense attorney was a flaming drama queen. I disliked her intensely, which I tried not to let affect how I felt about her client, but I’m sure it did have some effect. Mostly I felt like she was trying to use drama to distract us from the facts: I’ll ring a little bell over here you don’t notice that large purple elephant in the room. :rolleyes: I’m not actually that stupid, and neither was anyone else on the jury.
As a bonus, I got to see and handle crack cocaine, which is something that my sheltered little self would never run across in the normal course of things. Oh, and a VERY BIG wad of money. We discussed splitting it among the jurors, but decided that they’d probably notice it was gone. And my lunch lady from elementary school was on the jury with me. How cool is that?
Because I actively served on a jury, I will not be called for at least two years. Which is a shame, because I really kind of had fun.
I missed my last jury duty by accident, and nothing happened.
I wanted to go but when my surgery had to be moved into that week I forgot to tell them and only remembered when it was too late to call in with an excuse.
But nobody ever contacted me about it, and if they ever do I’m prepared to forget I got the notice at all. After all, it wasn’t certified mail so there’s no proof I ever received it.
I’ve gone before and I’ll go the next time. They get their service out of me.
In Los Angeles County I was called three times and sat on three trials, one civil and two criminal trials in differenet cities.
In San Bernardino County I was called at least three times in seven years but was allowed not to serve in each case because I had the care of a 90+ year old woman and couldn’t leave her unattended for any period of time.
I’ve moved to the Bay Area (Los Gatos, CA) and registered to vote here, but I haven’t been called yet here. I wouldn’t mind serving again. Jury duty is only boring if you don’t get on a jury. The process is fascinating to me.
I’ve never been called to serve on a jury. I’d have basically no excuse - I’m a young, single, educated freelance translator. Not that I’d mind it that much, civic duty and everything.
I was summoned about 2 months after I registered to vote (at 18). It was a murder trial for a 19 year old guy. IIRC it was racially motivated. I wasn’t chosen to be a juror. They had plenty of people and filled up before they got to me.
On the positive side, I hung out with a cute, friendly guy for a couple days. We talked, had lunch together and that’s about it. It made the time go by quickly. I never saw him after that. AFAIK, he’s in a local band.
Twice. The first time I just sat and was never called. The second time they asked me a few questions and dismissed me.
Just got my second callup ever. The first time was in Charlotte NC, 24 years ago. I sat around all day. Closest I got to being pulled for a trial was to go in during the selection process; they got their allotment before they ever got to me.
Now I’m wrestling with whether to ask for a medical exemption this time around. I have Restless Legs Syndrome which makes it tough to sit still during meetings, and also makes me very sleepy during the days (if I sit to listen to music or a book on tape, I’m out like a light). OTOH, I don’t want to weasel out of my civic duty, either 
I actually want to serve. It’s not a bad time work-wise or childcare-wise. I’m willing to do it. I just don’t think I can serve effectively just now. Why didn’t they call me 15 years ago!!!
Since I moved to Dallas almost twenty years ago … fuck, has it been that long? I can’t believe it …
Anyway, I’ve been called to jury duty roughly a dozen times. Once for the feds, all the rest for the county. Only once have I been chosen for a jury, a stupid little business lease dispute where everyone on the jury wanted to knock their heads together and tell them to stop behaving like spoiled three year olds. We ended up finding partially for the landlord and partially for the renter. With any luck they were both pissed off.
I’ve been called about 9 times and I have never rendered a verdict. Every single trial I have been selected for was settled shortly after the jury was selected.
One time in NYC I was summoned for May 1. There were no cases at this courthouse. It turns out that May 1 is Law Day in New York, and the only reason we were summoned was to provide an audience for people giving speeches.
Just once, right after undergrad. They sent a notice to my parents house. I was living in Europe at the time, so I assume I was excused.
Now that I’m a lawyer I’ll probably never serve. “Only Lawyers and mental defectives are automatically exempt for jury duty.” (George Bernard Shaw)
I’ve been called up twice.
Once I drove into the courthouse, located on the exact opposite side of the county, sat around until after lunch, and was excused from service along with everyone else. I really wanted to serve, but we didn’t have any need for a jury that day.
The second time I got called from my college address, and informed them that I was not a resident of that county. They simply rescheduled the date to another date (rather than actually reading the reply), and sent the new date to me AFTER the day I was scheduled to appear. :smack: As I didn’t go, I was quite concerned that I’d be in trouble, but a phone call to the number listed resolved the issue nicely.
I’ve been called either 3-4 years straight for Baltimore City, and I know plenty of people who have NEVER been called.
Whatever system they hvae is ridiculous. But, I think that I’ve been called in January most of those times, and they didn’t call this year, so hopefully I’m out of it.
Still, I don’t mind going. I sort of enjoy it, and I have a million funny stories from it. Never been on a trial though.
I lived for 15 years in New Jersey, and never got called once. In California, I’ve been called three times. Once I got out since we were going on vacation, and I had tickets., once I got seated, and the case settled immediately, and once they went to trial and we actually got to deliberate.
In the last case, the judge said that once you serve you get called more often, since they know you’ll show up.
I got called once for service in Hawaii, but was sadly unable to make it. The second time I got called I reported in, and was selected to sit on a second degree murder trial. As we were sent back to deliberate, I was chosen as one of two alternates, so I didn’t even get to see it through! I got my certificate and my check, though.
I’ve had a California driver’s license since 1969, been paying state income tax since 1970 and been registered to vote since 1972. Oh, and I pay property taxes too. I’ve never received a notice.
Of course now that I’ve made that declaration I fully expect to come home and find a big fat grand jury summons or something .
Hey, thanks for all the replies, everyone! It’s interesting to note everyone’s experiences.
Here, I don’t think we have a time period in between getting called. My sister got called twice about two months apart. When she explained that she had just finished serving and that it would be a hardship to take more time off from work, she was excused from the second time.
Way back when I was a juror at our federal courthouse, one of the court people explained how they selected the pool. About once a year, they put all residents’ Social Security numbers (or voter information, I’m not sure which now) into a big drum like you used to see on game shows, turned it and drew a certain number of them out. Of course, this was in '78 or '79. I’m sure they’ve switched to computers by now. 
I’ve been called twice. Once in 2004, less than a month after I turned 18 and about three days after I’d moved cross-country for school. The second time was this past September, when I was living in Britain.
I sort of want to get called and actually serve on a jury someday. Chances are I’d get disqualified, but it’s something I sort of want to experience.