Maybe the odds of getting called depend on the jurisdiction. I have lived in Santa Barbara for five years, and have gotten called every year, too. I think the higher rate here is caused by the large numbers of students and old people who live here. Both groups can generally easily get out of jury duty (almost automatically, in practice), and I have seen a few judges get visibly exasperated that most of the people of their jury pools are free to go. I don’t know if you’re closer to Santa Maria than Santa Barbara, so things might be different there.
I’ll be 40 next week and have been constantly registered during that time. Never been called.
Jeez, you people have some kinda luck. I got my first call when I was 18.
I’ve been registered to vote since I was 18 and never have been called for jury duty. I lived in Cook County since 1994 (my longest in one place) and never got called. I do vote in every election.
I don’t have a driver’s license, but I do have an Illinois state ID, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it
I’ve been called three times since 1990, all here in San Diego. Does having a larger population base work in the reluctant-juror-pool-victim’s benefit? Or a smaller one?
I’ve been called for jury duty at least three times, one of which was for federal court. I served on a criminal jury once. I’ve been eligible for 20 years, during which I’ve lived in 5 states. All of the calls for jury duty came during a 5-year period in which I lived in one particular jurisdiction. Co-workers who also lived there tended to get called often, too.
My mother will turn 60 this November. She is a registered voter, a veteran and has a driver’s license.
She has never been called.
I was called when I was 25 or 26. I made it as far as the courtroom and they were introducing the case when the defendant apparently decided he didn’t want to be tried by a jury because we were all sent home.
I lived in New Jersey for 15 years and voted every year and never got called. My wife did all the time, but was exempt thanks to child rearing. I never got called the first five years I lived in California. Since then, I get notices nearly every year. The judge for a case I was on said that once you serve you get called more often, since they know you can and will do it.
California uses voting and drivers license records also, and the jury room people tell you to be sure that your name is exactly the same on both, or you’ll get called at double the normal rate.
I’m glad I got called. The case I was on was a fascinating experience.
Next month I’ll be 47, & I’ve never been called.
I live in the City of SB. As Voyager mentioned upthread, once you show up, you get on a good citizen list and will get regularly called since they know they can count on you. A co-worker recently bragged to me that he gets a notice every year or two and always trashes it and has never faced any repercussions.
A few years ago I was called right at the time when they were seating the most recent Michael Jackson case. I nearly shit myself until I realized that the trial was going to be at the Santa Maria courthouse.
I’ve been called just about once a year for the past 5-6 years, and finally served on a jury during my last summons. I swear, every time I go it’s some sort of DUI case trial. Anyway, even though I served on a jury, I was called again something like 6 months later and had to send in a certificate showing I had already performed my duty. Another year, I was called for the Federal grand jury, but was exempted as I fell under the category of “working professional.” (?? Apparently, teachers are exempt–that job was specifically listed.)
I was just called the other week, but postponed it until August as I’m home with a newborn. The next day, one of the former owners of this house received a jury summons.
My husband, meanwhile, has been called maybe twice in the past decade. Boo. (FTR, I’m 36, and he’s 37.)
I have been called 5 times in 2 states for criminal trials and once for Grand Jury duty. Have only actually served on one jury (didn’t get seated, called during finals, had just moved to Virginia, then a murder trial in Virginia was plead out) while living in Virginia.
The Grand Jury, back here in Ohio, was very interesting, and I would like to get called for a Federal one sometime, to compare the experience.
How about being a registered voter for more than 30 years without being called for jury duty? That’s me.
Are we defining called as getting a jury summons or actually having to show up physically at court? At 42 I get notices almost annually since I was about 25, but have had to appear in person only twice. Almost all of those summons were state, only once have I ever received a summons to a U.S. district court.
However both times I did have to make an appearance, I ended up seated on a jury - just lucky, I guess ;). One for a trial in a CA superior court that lasted three days, while the one for my lone federal summons lasted seven weeks.
I my case, I define it to mean no contact whatsoever.
This thread makes me feel better. I have been registered for 16 years. I even went online and filled out a form saying “YES, I want to do my duty!” - and my SO got called, who didn’t want to go at all and had no interest whatsoever. I believe in our jury system and want to take part.
I guess I’ll just keep waiting.
This is not so in Ohio. It’s entirely random, and drawn from voter registration rolls. There have been periodic proposals to tap into the drivers license lists, too, but that hasn’t been done.
My wife and I have both been registered to vote for 28 years, and rarely miss an election. In all that time she’s received two jury summonses but was excused both times (each came soon after she gave birth). I’ve never received a summons but would love to serve. Having been involved in quite a few jury trials as a prosecutor and now as a magistrate, I’d be very interested to see a trial from the jury box.
I never got a jury duty summons until I was 53 years old. That was five years ago. I have now gotten a total of three summons. Each entailed a day at the courthouse, being impanelled, but not not chosen.
There was a period there where I lived for 12 years at the same address in the same county and never once received a call for jury duty.
I’ve only lived in the UK 5 years and both hubby and I have been called. At the time I was called I had only lived here 4 years so I was able to decline but hubby just got the notice last week. I’m not even sure we’re supposed to be registered to vote in the UK. The website says we have have “Leave to Remain” but a call to the office says we can vote on our work permits.
I thought the accepted wisdom was that the odds of any lawyer slipping through voir dire and being seated on a jury was effectively nil. Jury selection 101, as it were.