# So what are the WORST excuses you heard of people trying to get out of jury duty? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 2, 2024, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997 "2024-02-02T00:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/41 "2025-01-25T21:39:27Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The bailiff told us not to worry about parking tickets and that if we received any during the trial, they would be cancelled. I think the reason is that any delay is a big problem. Haha. Last time I was called to jury duty (2023) the instructions said to park in the juror lot. Which had maybe 30 spaces. The jury pool was 160, so of course it was full. They told us to park in the other lot (really a different area of the same lot) which required a permit. They gave us a decal to hang on the rear view mirror, but that didn’t prevent the parking enforcement people from ticketing us. Some of us went back to the courthouse to talk to the security people and were told to go pound sand. We were lucky we weren’t towed or booted, apparently. Parking tickets were another court’s jurisdiction on the other side of the county. You want to fight if you had to go there. And two of the three times I’ve made it into the courtroom for jury selection, the court officers were extremely bossy and dismissive. I imagine the reaction would have been if someone said they didn’t want to state their issue with serving in public would not have been very kind. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/42 "2025-01-25T21:45:56Z")
Your court needs to do better for its juries. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/43 "2025-01-25T21:50:47Z")
They came to our office to pick up a coworker of mine who didn’t show up for jury duty because our boss threatened to fire her if she didn’t show up for work during quarter close. How very nice of them. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/44 "2025-01-25T22:54:19Z")
Hey, Canada still has the talesman procedure: if the Court runs out of prospective jurors, the sheriff is sent out to collect some more, often from a food court at a mall. “Zap! You’re a juror! Come with me, please.” > **[You can be ordered to attend jury duty in Canada at a moment's notice, with...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/jury-duty-public-talesman-procedure-1.6503019)** > > Earlier this month, 50 Calgarians were summoned from a mall's food court, at lunch time, and told to go at once to the nearby Calgary Courts Centre to participate in jury selection. They couldn't refuse. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/45 "2025-01-25T23:36:51Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I think the comments “you could have asked for private questioning” are meant more to educate future jurors in that situation than as a comment on what you did. Also to educate future jurors - it was a slightly different situation but I was called for a grand jury and after dismissing people who were excused altogether, the clerks told any of us who would have an issue with serving specific dates during the month long-term (which started just before Thanksgiving) should come up to the desk. So it wasn’t exactly private even though I couldn’t hear the people ahead of me - but I also didn’t have to say anything more than I have a medical appt on such and such date so details might not be required. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/46 "2025-01-26T02:51:42Z")
I once worked with a man who told me about a case (IDR if he was on the jury, but he told us about it) from our area involving some people who were living in a dilapidated trailer and had been SAing their kids, and that was the least of the kids’ issues. More than once person took one look at the couple and said simply, “They look guilty as hell to me.” IIRC, the school had reported the kids because they were unfed and dirty, and the rest was revealed when they were examined by a doctor. The kids also had no idea if anything that had been done to them was right or wrong, only that they didn’t like it. And this was in the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/47 "2025-01-26T03:01:31Z")
Help me out: “IDR”? “SAing”? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/48 "2025-01-26T03:03:34Z")
IDR: I don’t remember SAing: Sexually abusing ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/49 "2025-01-26T03:03:42Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Help me out: “IDR”? “SAing”? Me too. I think I can guess IDR, but the other stumps both me and Google. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/50 "2025-01-26T03:14:56Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > IDR: I don’t remember > > SAing: Sexually abusing - Many/most of us here don’t spend as much time on other forums where initialisms are common. It would be appreciated if you’d spell things out. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/51 "2025-01-26T05:58:12Z")
I’ve never been called. I suspect my reputation precedes me. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/52 "2025-01-26T10:24:41Z")
I remembered one other gem from a trial I was on, the trial itself was about a domestic abuse case and the Judge was asking if anyone had been the victim of a related violent crime and one younger man raised his hand. “Yes your honor I had my skateboard stolen once” Judge looks at him and asks him “Was it at gun point?” Young man replies back “No your honor I left it outside one night and when I woke up the next morning it was gone.” Really wish the judge had said “Did your significant other steal it, if not then it doesn’t matter” ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/53 "2025-01-26T12:32:12Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I’ve never been called. Jeez, would you mind sharing your secret sauce? I get a jury summons every 3 years or so, been in the jury box three times, on a jury twice, and fore-person once. My county has 1.5M people, so I cannot figure out why they keep coming back to me. > [@Pleonast](#): > > One juror I saw _wanted_ to serve. I have seen that, too. It has usually been a very talkative person that appears to have a lot of time on their hands, and/or is enamored with courtroom drama they’ve seen on TV (the use of big lawyerly words). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/54 "2025-01-26T15:59:16Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Jeez, would you mind sharing your secret sauce? I get a jury summons every 3 years or so, been in the jury box three times, on a jury twice, and fore-person once. My county has 1.5M people, so I cannot figure out why they keep coming back to me. You keep showing up. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/55 "2025-01-26T16:42:25Z")
I wasn’t there, and I heard about it third-hand or even fourth-hand, but decades ago MammaHomie told me that a woman had shown up for voir dire accompanied by her husband, dressed in his suit and tie. When it was time to question her her husband stood up and spoke, saying that she couldn’t be on a jury because he doesn’t allow her to speak in public, like the Bible teaches. She was dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/56 "2025-01-26T16:46:46Z")
Well, if you want an example of a REALLY good excuse. I was called to serve, and sat in the courtroom for hours while others were questioned. Lots and lots of attempted ‘medical reasons’ for not wanting to serve, most of them denied. When they finally got to me, I told them I was scheduled for an invasive medical test the next morning. The judge looked irritated. Instead of dismissing me he asked me How long was the test going to take? I said, well, less than an hour, I guess. And he said, Fine, then I am transferring your service to XXX date (one week later.) So, a week later, I end up being questioned by another judge. She looks at some notes and says, I see you were delayed due to a medical test. I assume it is over? Yes, I said. So is there any reason now preventing you from serving? Yes, I said. The test showed I have cancer. I’m scheduled for major abdominal surgery in two days. This judge was nice enough to wish me well. And said I’d be marked down as having completed my duty, and thus not eligible for being called for five years. So…yay? (If curious, the surgery was successful, and no recurrences in the past 30 years,) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/57 "2025-01-26T19:48:20Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > (If curious, the surgery was successful, and no recurrences in the past 30 years,) I was not expecting good news in this thread. But that’s very good news. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/58 "2025-01-26T21:22:16Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > One juror I saw _wanted_ to serve. > > I have seen that, too. It has usually been a very talkative person that appears to have a lot of time on their hands, and/or is enamored with courtroom drama they’ve seen on TV (the use of big lawyerly words). I love serving, and I’m none of those things. I just find it very important to be able to participate in the civic process - what good is a jury of our peers if no one respects the importance of it? I’ve learned a lot from serving, as well. I also worked as a hearing examiner in Juvenile Diversion for 7 years. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/59 "2025-01-26T21:22:38Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I have seen that, too. I volunteered to serve on the County Civil Grand Jury- for a year. It was very rewarding. > [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > (If curious, the surgery was successful, and no recurrences in the past 30 years,) Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997/60 "2025-01-27T16:48:35Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I was not expecting good news in this thread. But that’s very good news. Thanks! I’ve often thought that I will have no valid complaint when I die, no matter when or how it happens. If I’d been born a century, or even a few decades earlier, I’d have died then, almost certainly in an extremely painful manner. Instead I’ve had 30 extra years of basically pleasant life. Damn lucky. Same to you, Dr, Deth! (I used to be able to quote multiple message, but seem to have lost that skill. ☹ ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-are-the-worst-excuses-you-heard-of-people-trying-to-get-out-of-jury-duty/996997.md?page=4)