The Tof gets a jury summons

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My day starts as my Wednesdays always do, with the sound of a screaming 9 month old being heard over the baby monitor. When this wakes me up, I realize the two year old is babbling in his room. Thus causing me to wonder yet again, exactly how long does two year old babble- and I just sleep peacefully? (I momentarily feel bad, but figure he would really scream if he wanted me, so he must be happy. I really do this every morning I’m watching the children.)

The children receive breakfast. The 9 month old gets yogurt to go with the antibiotic he is taking for an ear infection. 2 year old ponders his cereal and half banana briefly before deciding on eating the banana, and dumping the cereal.

I turn on Sesame Street so I can get chores done. The children are given free reign of the living room while I clean the kitchen and do laundry. Mid-Morning I see the shadow of the mail lady cross the still drawn drapes of my front window. I eagerly go to check my mail as I am simply 1 W2 away from having all the paperwork available to file my taxes.

“Hmmm… what is this…” I say to myself as I ponder an envelope indicating it’s birthplace as the City of Portland, “I’ve already gotten my water bill. It’s not my w2 (I work for the city)…” <Riiiip>

Letter: “You are hereby summoned to report for Jury Duty on February 20th…”

Me: “Son of a b***”

2 year old: “b***”

Me: “No!”

Letter: “Not only am I summoning you to Jury Duty. This is not just a one day, standard Jury Duty summons. I am actually a call to a ‘Special Panel’. You are to be placed on a jury that will take, we estimate, 8 weeks. I am actually evil. Fear me.”

Me: “Well, surely I can tell them how I watch my children while my wife is at school 3 days of the week. We can’t afford another day of childcare.”

Letter: “I do, in fact, provide false hope. While I am legally obligated to tell you that the only reasons for automatic dismissal are for you being over 70 or breastfeeding… and that I will consider missed work and childcare needs… you will find that I don’t really mean the considering part. You will still need to come, go ahead and ask your friends.”

Me: “I’ll do that” <Calls friend who was on a Grand Jury last year>

Friend: “Well, we were told during our judges instructions right at the start- nobody would be excused for reasons of missed work or childcare. But you may have a different judge…”

Me: “F**k”

2 year old: “F**K”

Me: “DO YOU ONLY LISTEN TO ME WHEN I CURSE? SERIOUSLY!”

2 year old: <nods> “Uh huh”

So, it looks like I’m going to jury duty. I really don’t know what the odds are of making the jury. Honestly, if I didn’t have the children- I’d actually be looking forward to it. My work has sweet language in it’s contract- so I get paid my regular rate as “Jury Duty” without having to use any vacation/sick time for my time off- and I get adjusted to have weekends off during that time.

But, with the kids, the childcare thing is really going to be a big pain in the rear. They go to daycare two days a week- which are the two days my wife goes to school and I work the night before and can’t watch them. We pay with her loans. We may be able to afford one more day- but I’d still need to figure out the next few days. What a mess.

So… Who here has served on a jury before? Anybody have a super long experience like mine will be if I get on? Anybody know what I should expect my first day there or during the selection process? Or, for that matter, what should I expect should I get on the jury?

Any other story you’d like to share regarding your experience… feel free.

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I’ve had jury duty, but it was regular old duty; I wasn’t good enough for a Special Panel.

My advice is to bring something to read. Bring the biggest, fattest book you can find, then when you’re finished with that one, bring another one. I don’t know about Special Panels, but there is often some downtime when there are arguments or testimony that must take place outside the presence of the jury. Magazines are another good option since those can be traded around and shared. Don’t bother with a laptop; there may not be wireless available and you’re running the risk of having it stolen.

I’d also bring healthy snacks each day. There were often times when I’d get stuck waiting but couldn’t leave to get food. Having a small snack made it easier to get through the day.

I’m not one to tell you to shirk jury duty since it’s very interesting and all that, but you may also be weeded out during voir dire, which would solve your child care problems.

Brilliant OP, BTW.

Robin

3

If this is really a Grand Jury, mentioning Jury Nullification probably won’t get you off. :smack:

Do you have any relatives that are in law enforcement?

Any relatives that are lawyers?

Ever been robbed or a victim of serious crime?

Many of these things will get you excused from a trial jury, but maybe not from a grand jury.

I was on a Federal Grand Jury for 18 months. There were enough members that not everyone had to appear for each session, in fact I missed two of the sessions. So maybe it won’t be so bad. :dubious:

I now live in a somewhat rural county and would look forward to being on a grand or trial jury.

Good luck.

4

I just got a Jury Duty notice for what I think is a federal case. I’ve heard my company pays me my rate while I’m on Jury Duty, less the daily stipend the courts pay jurors. I’m going to find out today if that’s really true.

Is district court federal?

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Somewhere on the notice is a number to call for information, call that and explain your situation. The special panel may be different than your friend’s grand jury. Plus, I would suspect the warning about childcare meant that a babysitter not showing up one day would not be an excuse to miss that day. Your situation is different and would be a considerable financial burden. My experience has been that most courts will gladly work with you. Just don’t wait until the last minute, call them now.

6

Depends on what the state courts are called where you live. Virginia has General District Courts. They are for smaller claims. Circuit Court is for larger claims.

Around here, being the provider for child care is enough to get you out of jury duty. I was excused from jury duty last year because I work as an attorney for a small firm and had trials scheduled for that period of time.

If I thought I was likely to serve in a jury, I might enjoy jury duty, but I wouldn’t want an attorney on a jury of any trial I am conducting and can’t imagine that any other attorney would either.

7

I have been convicted of a DUI, and I am married to a former DA. No one has ever wanted me in a jury pool, but I have to go, and sit, and wait, and then be sent home sometime later. It’s too bad, really- I think being on a regular jury would be fun, but I’ll probably never sit on one…

8

Just say that you’re prejudiced against all races

9

I’m torn between laughing at your hilariously-written OP and feeling sorry for the position you’re in. I hope you’re able to find a tolerable solution.

10

My brother did a Grand Jury and thought it was a great experience. He did 8 weeks, In New York.

11

I was called to Jury Duty once, and was sent home the first day. Armed robbery case, and I had been held up at gunpoint while working in a hotel. See ya later. I would love to go back and serve: my company does pay me while I do so, less the jury stipend. No problem.

My husband got called a couple of years ago. He’s the primary caregiver of our children as well as his mom. He got out of it. He wanted to serve as well, but circumstances would not allow him to do so.

Best of luck, whatever happens!

12

My jury duty experience…

It happened when I was on a week of planned vacation (of course!) but not going anywhere. If I had plane tickets, I’m pretty sure they would have excused me. Come to think of it, I think I did have the option of not going but then in 6 months I’d have to go no matter what.

So, I decided to go. Bring books, read…it will be fine…

Get to the courthouse and am directed to a room. I sit down and get comfortable. Just as I start reading, a court officer comes in and says…

“There is only one case on the docket for the entire week. We will take you all upstairs where they will select the jury. Those not selected will be allowed to go home.”

Cool!

We go upstairs…we answer questions…after a couple hours they select the jury.

Name 1
Name 2
Name 3
Name 4
Name 5
Name 6
Name 7
Name 8
Name 9
Name 10
Name 11

…and no, I am not embellishing…really was #12

Blinking Duck

CRAP!!! {though they did have 2 alternates named after me…that would have been a kick…to sit on the jury and then not be able to decide the case}

Well…frick.

The trail takes all week…all day…all week.

It was BORING! 2 insurance companies battling it out. Seems some guy didn’t take good care of his heater in his second house and the heat conked out in the winter causeing pipes to burst and $400,000 damage resulted.

The ‘prosecution’ tried real hard with the ‘wick theory’…that it really wasn’t the owners fault for neglect and that it wasn’t just an act of God but the fault of the manufacturer.

We didn’t buy it. 30 hours of sitting in a courtroom listening to evidence of ‘wicking’ and counters to it before we deliberated 5 minutes to decide the case. When we came out, the ‘prosecuting’ attornies weren’t even there so I assume they knew they lost.

Boring as hell.

Hope you get a nice juicy guy lighting a baby on fire case so you are not bored (I kid I kid!}

It even cost me money…because I spent more than I got for serving by getting my furnace examined the next week :smiley:

13

I would suggest that you call the courthouse early and see if you can get a deferral, exemption, or change the nature of your jury duty away from a “special panel” that will bankrupt you and into the normal pool where you may only have to serve for a couple of days.

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Agreed. Sounds like childcare would be a major issue for you, and in my experience parents worried sick about their kids are not going to be focusing on the trial. In my court, you’d be excused ASAP.

I’ve been a lawyer in private practice, a prosecutor and a magistrate. I’ve seen jury trials from every perspective except as a juror. I’d love to serve someday but have never even been summonsed. :smack:

15

Some young guys started pulling that at one of the courthouses here and got arrested for contempt.

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So… I called around today and managed to find backups for my children should I end up having to serve. After talking to my wife… we thought it would be best to: A> Still attempt to get out for reasons the childcare reasons stated previously. B> Get the ball rolling on making a plan should they not care.

What is funny is that there is a little section where they indicate that, even if it costs the jury member money to serve- that is the price to live in a free society like ours or some such thing. Plus- my backup plans that I managed to make today aren’t going to cost me anything- so I’m not sure that I have a lot of excuses now. I guess I could lie and say it would- but I would feel bad; as I do feel some civic responsibility as well. Plus- I think the judge would weigh “it’s going to be very costly and I just can’t afford it” much more seriously than “it’s going to be a major pain in the rear for me and my backup people.”

My backups are solid though.

1> My mom. Which, really, didn’t take a whole lot of convincing. The conversation went something like this

Me: “So, mom… I got this jury summons. The summons says it’s going to be a major trial, and I want to get my ducks in a row should I need to have some extended childcare…”

Mom: “I’LL DO IT! GRANDCHILDREN GRANDCHILDREN GRANDCHILDREN! THEY ARE MINE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA” <salivates>

2> My friend agreed to do it on the day my mom can not.

treis: My wife suggested that, but I’m sure I would be found in contempt like accidentalyuppie mentions.

GaryM: I’m not a lawyer or victim or anything like that. I do work for 911, but that hasn’t seemed to worry anybody else- as several of my co-workers have served previously. But I can always lay that card down in desperation.

So, given my speedy work at finding some reliable people for childcare- is it morally wrong for me to attempt to evade the jury at this point- just to avoid the hassle of it all for me, my mom and my friend? Or do I have a moral/civic obligation to show up?

17

As well they should have.

I personally think you do. Jury duty sucks. It can be tedious and boring, and it takes you away from things you need to do… but it is, as you say, your civic obligation.

And this is spoken by someone who’s been called for jury duty 9 times and has served on 2 juries.

18

It’s not morally wrong for you to request a deferral or exemption or a change in type of jury duty, just as long as you’re not lying about the need for it. Jury duty is a hassle for most people who are called to serve, so hassle alone isn’t much of an excuse.

19

I’ve been called 4 times over the years and sat twice.

The first time I got to watch a two hour video of a man having sex with his underage step daughter. I was fully prepared to shank him myself after the first 5 numites. The prosecutor closed with the comment that it was the easiest case he ever tried.

The second was far more mundane. State had taken land via Imminent Domain and the owner thought he should be paid more. Government was offering far too little. He was asking far too much. We gave them a number somewhere in between.

The first guy? We convicted on a Friday afternoon. His throat was slit Saturday. Don’t know if he survived.

20

Nitpick: it’s eminent domain: Eminent domain - Wikipedia