# I have jury duty **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-jury-duty/812671 "2018-04-18T23:48:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-jury-duty/812671/61 "2018-05-10T15:08:36Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I had the reverse happen to me once: I was called in my city, and none of the defendants decided to plead, so they were actually short of jurors. I had to sit through one voir dire in the morning, and stick around with everyone else who wasn’t selected for another one in the afternoon (both were misdemeanor DWI trials, which only require six jurors). I was scheduled to start a civil trial last year in a busy courthouse. We showed up on Day 1, and were told the criminal trials had taken all the jurors and we should come back on Day 2, as they were calling more in. On Day 2, they didn’t have enough jurors in the morning, but might in the afternoon. You guessed it, they didn’t. By Day 3 we had the “rejects” from all the other cases (which is sometimes fine) but it didn’t work out. They were dismissed and we were told to come back the following Monday for a “fresh panel.” So, trial started a week late. As you can imagine, it played havoc with our witnesses, many of whom were from out of state. The worst (for us) was an expert from another state who charged us $10,000 to change his plans (he was a neurosurgeon who had to cancel some surgeries to get there on the new date.) An extra week in the hotel for me and my team. Huge costs to my client. And a judge sitting around ready to hear a trial but no jurors. Thankfully, this is rare. But it certainly is a major pain when it does happen. > [@](#): > > Another thing to consider: potential jurors aren’t the only ones who have to miss work and rearrange their schedules to be at court that day. Victims, witnesses, and their families have to do it too. They didn’t ask to be the victim of a crime. Even though they want to convict the guy who wronged them, coming to court is no fun for them either. And if there aren’t enough jurors and they have to go through it all again, it’s extremely upsetting, especially if you’re a little girl who has to tell a room full of strangers about her first (unwilling) sexual experience. So have a heart ---
**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:** [May 10, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-jury-duty/812671/62 "2018-05-10T18:32:55Z")
I have been called 5 times, seated twice. I remember the old days, where you had to show up and might have to sit in the juror room for 5 days and might never see the inside of the courtroom. Kinda like being in detention. They have a ways to go, but they have gotten better. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-jury-duty/812671/63 "2018-05-13T21:04:39Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I’m sorry this was inconvenient for you, and I’m not sure you have much interest in hearing this, but your estimates aren’t accurate. No, I’m quite interested in hearing it. If my estimates (and personal experience) are inaccurate then it’s good news, not bad. > [@Max\_Torque](#): > > A little more background from a prosecutor: > > We always need way more people than end up actually serving. > … > > So have a heart. I do. I’ve been on the other side (as victim) though not nearly as bad as what you described. As I said to Asimovian, if I’m wrong about the numbers, it’s good news. That means my day wasn’t wasted, and the officials weren’t being intellectually lazy. In my defense, the 3 times I’ve been called, it seemed the number of unnecessary extras were too high. Thanks to both of you for the info. Ignorance successfully fought (and I will be in a much better mood next time). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-jury-duty/812671/64 "2018-05-14T00:41:41Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And my big, honkin’ check for six bucks came in the mail today. How are they allowed to pay less than minimum wage? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-jury-duty/812671.md?page=3)