Jury Duty Anyone

[countryclubjoe]

Hi All

Anyone ever get a summons from court to serve as a juror?

Well I did and I am not looking to serve.

Any help or suggestions are welcome.

TIA

Best regards
CCJ

 

[Hunter_aka_Scotty]

I have to say first and foremost, it is our civic duty to serve and I believe you should. Part of being a citizen in this country is serving. I have both served and I admit to finding ways of getting released. It isn't fun, but not all things one needs to do in life are. I would rather serve Jury duty than visit the dentist yet... My next dental appointment is at the end of the month.

The best method for getting released I have found is taking a large book with you and making sure others see you reading it. Book suggestions: Books on law. The Bible, any works on Satanism or the Occult, the Koran or any other religious works. You should have read the books enough that you have a working knowledge with their content.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I have served Jury duty three times now. An should get it again in 4 years if my track record is correct. I don't mine it get's me two weeks out of work and a chance to walk around downtown which I rarely visit. In our city you can opt out but you will be called next time till you serve so it is best to go on and get it over with. Besides it is YOUR civic duty.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I've been lucky. The last time I was on jury duty was in 2000. The case I ended up on was a five-year-old civil case (at that time) that was originally thrown out but was appealed. The plaintiff was a lawyer who was representing himself. The best part was that he lost the case!

 

[davidraphael]

I wouldn't want to be on jury duty, either. Not that I break any laws, but I'm not big on being a so-called 'good citizen' - I don't have a single nationalistic bone in my body (perhaps because I've lived in several countries).

Although I'm not religious (I believe in religion even less than I do 'my country') I would play the "judging others is against my religion" card. Apparently, this reason, among many, will get you off (others include: being a carer, being a felon, being sick (though this will only get you a date change) etc)

 

[kiwilrdg]

I have been called up twice but I am unable to serve since I am a Sheriff's Deputy. A felon, senator, congressman, or the US President cannot serve in Virginia either. I do resent being grouped with the last three.

My wife has been on two jury panels but whenever they had cases she had to excuse herself due to being friends with the arresting officers.

It is quite educational to see a court in action (or is that inaction). It is not anything like the movies.

 

[countryclubjoe]

I think I would enjoy a huge civil litigation case however, a criminal case is another story.

TIA

Best regards
CCJ

 

[scottyrocks]

I have been summoned to serve 3 times. The first time my employer wrote me a note that I could not be excused from work. The second tme I went in, and was released after the first day. This last time I went in with the intention of serving on a jury.

Let me just say that I'm glad I did. I was on a civil case that lasted 3 days. It was fascinating to take part in the trial process.

But if you really don't want to be on a case, listen to the questions the attorneys will ask you. Without being obvious, you can easily say the 'wrong' thing and be excused. And then you're done for another 6 years (in NYS).

 

[Doctor Strange]

Jury duty is a rare instance of your citizenship consisting of something other than just paying taxes, so I urge you to experience it.

It's instructive in illustrating how bogus or farfetched most of the courtroom scenes presented in fiction are, and will give you a sense of how the system actually works. And in my experience - one bout in federal court, two times in state - chances are pretty high that you won't end up on a jury even if there's nothing objectionable about you when you're questioned. Something like 80% of jury duty consists of sitting and waiting to be called, or being questioned and rejected. Unless you actually end up on a complex case - which is unlikely in an urban area with a large jury pool - it's over in a few days.

 

[Feraud]

I've served in juries two times and appreciate being a small part of the process.

With all the whining and moaning about how bad things are in society I find it fascinating when people look for any excuse to not do their part to influence things in a positive way.

People need to stop with the lame excuses and do their duty!

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

What I enjoy is the education in the legal system that you get. Last week's good wife had a crazy let the jury ask question bit that would never fly in real life. I kept telling my wife that it was crazy that they would allow writers to do such a thing as it was way off the wall legally.
Lots of people get their impression of how the legal system works from court drama's and most of the things that are written in those shows is just crazy stuff to tell a story.

 

[Feraud]

^ Agreed! Serving on juries can give the layperson a much needed education on how the process of jury selection and trials occur.

 

[Atticus Finch]

There's lots of ways to get out of jury service, if you really set your mind to it. In fact, there's a saying in my profession that goes something like, "You always try your most complex cases in front of the twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury service."

But I urge you to serve.

People deserve to be tried before a jury made up of unbiased, intelligent, attentive citizens who will listen to the evidence and render a well-considered verdict. This can’t happen if everyone who is inconvenienced by jury service…or who is uncomfortable with serving…is excused. In fact, the people who are most inconvenienced are arguably the very best jurors. They are typically the most intelligent and productive citizens and, therefore, bring to court the most solid ability to analyze information and make reasoned decisions.

AF

 

[Tomasso]

Hi All

Any help or suggestions are welcome.

You might wish to peruse some of the previous threads on the subject.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?36384-Jury-Duty&highlight=jury

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?11288-Jury-Duty&highlight=jury

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?19229-The-Joys-of-JURY-DUTY!&highlight=jury

 

[ButteMT61]

I have to laugh when I hear people ask how to get out of jury duty. The same people will ***ch about every bad news story where people "think" a jury made a bad decision, yet don't want to serve? Dunno. I've made efforts at times to not server due to life being unaccommodating at that moment, but I've served at least twice now. It's a great experience overall, and it actually gave me more faith in the system as I saw that people there really really tried to do the right thing. There's always someone that is like a log when it comes to comprehension, but if you got 11 others that are OK, you can work with that. I'm not trying to be preachy, but I do wish more intelligent folks would spend some time doing this. Heaven forbid I ever needed a smart jury. Think about it!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I had been summoned several times and then not picked. Each time it was certainly an inconvenience..yet I always thought it would be interesting to serve. When I was finally picked..it was for a gangsta killing of a local student. The trial lasted a couple weeks. The gangbanger defendant stared down the jury each day...and his audience of cohorts as well...lingering in the court parking lot to silently intimidate jurors. Besides all that..finally the jury room was an emotional rollercoaster of deciding a man's fate. Many jurors had been so stressed that they had nightmares at night and their homelife was seriously effected...including mine. The final day brought tears and excuses 'for those kind of people'..until a couple louder voices of 'reason' highlighting 'just the proven facts' suddenly prevailed.
What was 'interesting' was after the verdict and the courtroom was cleared..the jury was asked by the Judge and attorneys about their thoughts and concerns with the trial. We were allowed to express our opinions. I think that this was for more of a 'release' for the jury than anything else.
After serving on that trial..I had another summons arrive a couple years later. I wrote back to the court about my experiences with that particular trial...and that I honestly really didn't care to serve again with the chance of that being repeated. In the past fifteen years..I havent received any more summons.
Strange..how I can't forget that experience.
HD

 

[David Conwill]

I've served in juries two times and appreciate being a small part of the process.

With all the whining and moaning about how bad things are in society I find it fascinating when people look for any excuse to not do their part to influence things in a positive way.

People need to stop with the lame excuses and do their duty!

Precisely. I'm staggered by the cynicism in this thread. I've never been offered jury duty, but I'd jump at the chance.

On the flip side, we recently had a prospective juror held in contempt and jailed due to his lack of cooperation when summoned. Consider that when thinking up your creative excuse to avoid your civic duty.

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Bring something to read or entertain yourself. Their is alot of down time throughout the process.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm nearly fifty, and I've never once been drafted for jury duty. Part of that's because I worked as a reporter for fifteen years, and they tended not to tap members of the working press, but I've been out of that business since 1997 and they haven't caught up with me yet. I'd probably volunteer if it were possible to do so -- I've seen some of the lunkheads who end up on juries around here because everybody else "has something more important to do."

 

[Big Man]

I've been called for jury duty three times. First time we were dismissed due to no cases being heard that week. Second time was a civil case where the defendant demanded her case be heard by a jury (bad decision on her part). The third time was a criminal case. I was elected foreman of that jury. It was an interesting experience, for sure.

I would encourage anyone called to serve. Like others here have said, it is our civic duty. Too often we take for granted the rights anprivilegeses we have aAmericanan citizens.