Jury Duty

Factual Questions
1

I know this may sound silly, but I’ve just gotten a jury summons and they won’t let me stay home because I home school my son, which surprised me. I’m really scared, though I’m not sure of what exactly. I don’t like leaving Billy alone, he’s had seizures in the past, though it’s been 2 years since he was taken off medication. I still never go anywhere without my pager on, and I’ve already been told, they aren’t allowed.

I live in Atlanta, and I don’t know what to expect. I’m scared of making mistakes or wrong decisions that could affect another person’s life, however small that might be. Any help would be appreciated, someone who has served on a jury would be the best. Did you take notes? Were you scared?

Thanks,
Judy

“I only use 10% or less of what I study. It’s a waist. sined, Dropout” Up The Down Stair Case

2

I would still try to plead hardship when you show up for jury duty. If you really push the issue, most courts will excuse you.

As for the actual mechanics of jury duty, it’s usually quite boring. The vast majority of cases are short and uninteresting.

Notetaking is at the discretion of both the judge and the juror.

I’d try not to worry about the whole event. If you calmly ask to be excused, they will most likely give in, unless they are woefully short of jurors.

3

Bring in a doctor’s note for your child, if you can. If I remember correctly from the last time I served, by Georgia law mothers taking care of young and/or sick children are automatically excused from jury duty. I would think a child that had seizures would qualify.

If they won’t excuse you totally, try to work with them to find a time that you CAN serve. Most courts will let you schedule your time. That’s better than having to start tomorrow; that way you can try to get a sitter or make other arrangements for your child.

Depending on the kind of case you get and the judge, you may or may not need to take notes, may or may not be allowed to. Take a big book with you, regardless; there’s a lot of sitting around with jury duty and you’ll want something to do while you hurry up and wait. DON’T read it in the jury box or they’ll take it away from you.

Good luck.

your humble TubaDiva

4

Thanks for the advice and help. Tuba, I did try to contact Billy’s neurologist, but he had moved his offices in the two years since Billy’s been off his medication, so I’ve not heard whether my letter has been received or if he’s willing to fax a letter of Billy’s needing supervision to the court before I’ve been called to serve, March 12. They’ve already stated they would except no excuses the day I report.

I almost hope the case, if I indeed have to serve, IS uninteresting and there is some real brains on the jury…my son asked ‘could you be the foreman?’ Oh my, would they have to be hard up,or what!!?

Judy

“I only use 10% or less of what I study. It’s a waist. sined, Dropout” Up The Down Stair Case

5

Nothing matters. Everything you’ve heard about American juries is true: They’re kept like mushrooms from all light of true fact and law.

Ray (Better for the judges and lawyers, of course.)

6

In Pennsylvania - at least on the juries I’ve been on - jurors taking notes is expressly forbidden. (Personally I’ve always thought this was rather stupid, but that’s what the judges said).

7

I’ve found that in L.A., juries are used as threats. There’s a lot of pre-trial maneuvering as the sides try to avoid a jury trial. If there is an impasse, a jury is gathered and told to wait outside. The jusdge says, “See? I really mean it! If you don’t compromise this will go to trial!” Then a compromise is made and the jury members are sent back to the pool. I hate being used that way.

The only interesting thing that happened while I was on jury duty was when we were in the waiting area. A civil case had just ended down the hall. A guy shot and killed his wife in front of their 10-year-old daughter because she got the car. I was offended that someone would fire a gun indoors.

8

Guess I don’t feel so bad.

I am single, trying to get my business off the ground.

On the 8th, I find out if I have to appear on the 9th for jury selection…having never been on a jury before it freaks me out a little.

9

RASTAHOMIE’S TOTALLY UNETHICAL BUT COMPLETELY EFFECTIVE METHOD OF GETTING OUT OF JURY DUTY:

The attorneys in any case have the right to dismiss a potential juror for any reason. Therefore, it’s up to you to make yourself look like a bad juror.

Show up at the courthouse wearing a shirt with a Confederate flag and the message “You wear your X, I’ll wear mine” on it. Use racist terms like The N-Word and The H-Word (an impolite way of referring to Jews) as often as possible. Basically, do everything you can to make yourself look like a hateful Redneck.

You can rest assured that if the defendant is a minority, the defense attorney will gleefully excuse you from jury duty.

10

This method will get you off of a jury, but not out of jury duty. The judge will just send you back to the jury assembly room and they will send you out to another trial that needs jurors. Then you have to repeat the whole thing.
If you keep it up long enough, you can get yourself a contempt citation. Those suck.

11

Just blow it off.

You will not be punished.

12

That’s a pretty irresponsible as well as uneducated comment to make.

In Los Angeles County, “blowing off” a jury summons will get you a $1500 fine. They’ve started cracking down on it in the last couple of years.

I took the kids with me and told them I didn’t have anybody I could leave them with. They got me out of there. That was nine years ago – now that the kids are older I’ve gone down and been willing to serve, but nobody will take me because I’m a lawyer.

-Melin

Who is NOT Straight Dope Staff

Siamese attack puppet – California

13

Thanks for all your quick responses, I appreciate the thought that went into most of them.

teckchick, if you get taken on the 8th, be sure and tell me how it went, since I still have till the 12th. Good luck.

WillGolf, how do you keep track of the impressions you get from each person’s testimony, if you can’t take notes?? It seems weird that they wouldn’t want you to work hard at keeping it straight for yourself. I would promise not to draw horse’s heads like I usually end up doodling.

rastahomie, I’ve never used the n-word, and I do have a big American flag that we use to pledge with in the mornings, but, no confederate flag. I guess I could admit to wondering how they caught THAT particular person, think that would be enough??

kknick, both my sons know I’ve been called to appear, they also know I don’t want to go, and why. I’ve been teaching them since they were small and had to accompany me to vote, that as corny as it sounds, I take responsibility pretty seriously, and I want them to do so too. So, ‘blowing it off’ is an absolute no-no.

Melin, I did think of taking Billy with me, but it says very plainly on the summons, NOT to bring kids, so I’d already be breaking what they stated on their requirements.

I guess it seems silly to be afraid to fail at something. Or, I would be the kind of juror in Ray’s nightmare, that I’ll mess up with someone’s life and be wrong. And I’ve never done this before either, so it is apprehension of doing something so serious with no experience. I wouldn’t like to be ‘used’ to initimidate someone into settling their case, but at the same time, better THEY make the decision than those of us who know nothing of them and have to draw on what is presented, and make judgements on who does it the most skillfully.

Judy
Thanks for your experiences though, it helps remembering, maybe some other people also struggle with the same things and it still works out.

“I only use 10% or less of what I study. It’s a waist. sined, Dropout” Up The Down Stair Case

14

I believe the prohibition about taking notes arose from the feeling that some judges felt that jurors would depend on what they wrote down solely instead of the whole testimony. If you’re on a jury, you can always go and ask to have testimony read back to you. All parties involved will really hate the jury for that, but it’s the jury’s right.

In California, jurors are allowed to take notes, but you can’t take the notes home. If you do, you get kicked off the jury. The judge also instructs the jury that notes aren’t the official record. At the end of the trial, the bailiff collects and destroys everyone’s notes.

15

I just received a summons for jury duty on 2-18. It says that “no person should ask to be excused from jury duty except for a very compelling personal reason.” I would think that having a son with a medical history like your son’s would be enough to excuse you. I would get a Doctor’s note like TubaDiva suggested. Hopefully,this will be enough to excuse you from jury duty. Maybe you will get lucky and the case will be settled out of court and you won’t have to serve.

That John Denver’s full of shit man!

16

OH! I have some advice for you.

First off, call the comminsioner of Jurors- the number should be on the jury summons or in the phone book. Ask if you can be excused for your sons medical condition without reporting. If not…

Get a sitter, leave the phone number of the courthouse you’ll be at, and report. (ask if you can bring your pager in case your son gets sick. You may be able to have it on “vibrate”)

I just got summoned for jury duty, and here is exactly what happened. The judge spoke to the whole room, explaining that if anyone had a pressing matter, they could come up and tell him about it. He considered health problems (yours, your kids or your spouses) a top reason. Others included trips that were already scheduled and things of that nature.

I went up when asked and told him that my husband was having surgery the next day. He thanked me for coming and excused me. I was in and out in about 20 minutes.

They aren’t bad guys who are going to hassle you for having a legitimate reason for not serving. Just obtain something in advance from the doctor, that’s all.

Zette

“If I had to live your life, I’d be begging to have someone pop out both my eyes. Just in case I came across a mirror.” - android209 (in the Pit)
Zettecity

17

Unfortunately, the bottom line - at least in the case of the juries I’ve been on - is that you don’t. There was always an incredible amount of disagreement during deliberations as to exactly what had been said duing the trial. (And it was always embarrassing to discover how often I was wrong when I knew I’d remembered what had been said. AARRGGHH!!!)

According to the judges that described things to us, the reason why jurors in Pennsyvania aren’t allowed to take notes is that you’re supposed to devote your full attention to the testimony, including the mannerisms of the witness, and you can’t do that while taking notes.

I’ve always wanted to ask the judge who was giving us this explanation if he took notes while he was attending lectures in law school or if he just paid full attention to the lecturer. It’s probably a good thing for me that I never did so <g>. Besides, the judge was just describing the rules to us - that doesn’t necessarily mean that he personally thought they were a good idea.

18

Well, for the record, in Georgia I have never encountered a judge who would not allow jurors to take notes (though I understand there are a few). In most cases, the court even provides pads and pencils.

19

No C&P.

Here’s my recent experience as a ‘juror’ candidate.
Because that’s all you are.
Why worry about being selected, when you haven’t been selected yet?

They sent me a notice of selection in the mail.
I answered the questions the best I could, and mailed it in.
They sent me another form, a summons to appear, but first,
I was required to call a phone number, after 6pm, on the day before the requested appearance, and listen to see if my ‘number’ was included.

The net result?
I had to call 5 times, (in three months)
I had to go to the courthouse once, and sat in a chair for a total of two hours, for which they sent me a check for $18.67.
The rest of the appearances were cancelled by phone.

Nine dollars an hour for sitting in a chair and reading the newspaper, and gabbing with my fellow pool members.
Some hardship eh?

Your actual experience is likely to be similar, and you could easily opt out with a copy of your original post.

You don’t want to be a juror?
They don’t want you to be one either.

It’s really no big deal to be called.
You needn’t worry so much.

20

I’m puzzled.

you weren’t offended that he killed his wife in front of their 10-year old daughter?