Jury Duty

[Jack]

So I have to report to the courthouse on Wednesday next week to do my part in the American legal system.  I've been calling every week since the beginning of January to see if they called my number.  I could stop calling at the end of February, and here it is the second-to-last week of February, I thought I was free.  But no, they get me on their last chance.  Isn't that just typical?

Anybody have jury duty?  What's it like?  Interesting?  A pain in the butt?  Maybe I won't even have to do it.  I think Wednesday is for orientation, and then if they want you for a trial they call you back on Monday.  By which time it will be March, past my term of service.  LOL, I can hope, can't I?

[lester1/2jr]

the trick is to not vote and don't get a library card.  then they can't find you.


jury duty is as bad as the army.  even if you get dismissed, it is so boring it's practicly incredible.

[BeyondTheGrave]

I had jury duty last summer. I had a civil case that this guy was suing for injurys from a car accident that it was so obvious that he didn't get it from this accident. It last 5 days and was sort of a waste but I had no job and I live walking distance for the court house that I was actually fun. Also I wore anything I felt like because I was summer and they still picked me for a jury. I mean I had a Circle Jerks Group Sex T-shirt and a patched vest on and I was still picked. Judge didn't give me a second look.

[raj]

The only time I got summoned for jury duty was when I was living in Seattle, but still had Portland (OR) as my residency.  I explained to the clerk over the phone that I was in Seattle, she immediately dismissed me from duty because the court wouldn't want to have to pay my travel costs.

[Hammock Rider]

My last jury duty was in November of '06. Right before Thanksgiving. Nobody was happy to be there,especially the Judge. I thought about pulling a Homer Simpson and saying I was predjudiced against all races, but I thought that might go down on some permanent record somewhere. Got picked because of my Midwestern blue-collar appeal and sat for 2 weeks on a case involving a family sueing a hospital for the child being born with MS. It was intersting to see how the system works and I felt like I was able to help someone. I might be a dork but I really felt like I was part of the American Way. Had to pay for parking which was more than the little stipend the county pays, but lunch was free and pretty good.BTW lawyers are not as dynamic and witty as they appear on TV and they definitely do not talk back to the Judge. Our judge slapped both lawyers down pretty good when they got out of line and it was very gratifying, especially if you deal with lawyers often.

This was the only time I was ever picked. Most of the time you just sit around in a crowded room with a bunch of people who are disgruntled over losing a day or more worth of pay. If you can bring a snack that might be good, otherwise you are at the mercy of Gov't vending machines.   And bring something to read too.

[BTM]

You know, if you need to get OUT of Jury Duty, I saw this list on the internet somewhere... I can try and dig it up for you.

Let's see.. might be able to recall a few from memory...

Something like...

Respond to each question by saying, "I don't know, I have to talk to the little man who lives in my pants!"

Point as some guy at random and scream, "He did it!"

And there's like eight more, but that's all I remember...

[CheezeFlixz]

I've had Jury Duty a few times over the years, most of the time you are not needed and when you are the bulk of that time is boring and if by chance you get a trail it really depends on if you are in Circuit or District Court (Criminal or Civil) has to if it will be interesting or not.

I find that if you just blurt out "FRY THE S.O.B.!! I WANT TO SEE'EM BURN!!!" you stand a pretty good chance of being dismissed.

I don't know what it pays where you're at but around here it's a whoping $12.50 a day. (Where will I spend it all ... oh yeah lunch.)

[Allhallowsday]

I find that if you just blurt out "FRY THE S.O.B.!! I WANT TO SEE'EM BURN!!!" you stand a pretty good chance of being dismissed.

Can't hep but showz dat AWM, kin yer?   

I don't know what it pays where you're at but around here it's a whoping $12.50 a day. (Where will I spend it all ... oh yeah lunch.)

Lunch?  'Round here mebbe a greezee burger n' fries.  But then again, I'm a big tipper.   'Course, one could "eat" thrice in one day with the "dollar menu."   

[Dennis]

I've had jury duty a number of times, it's always been an interesting experience, the last one was pretty frustrating, there's a thread about it somewhere in here, but in the main it's okay, I should add that my company continues to pay my salary when I serve, the jury pay here is $5 a day plus mileage, 1 way. There are perks, Tony Roma's will give you a free desert with lunch if you show your juror's badge.  You get to meet 11 other people some of whom may become friends, you get to see and be part of our legal system, like a lot of things in life it is what you make it. As far as getting out of it, around here, Los Angeles County, after you've been picked for a jury and seated in the box the judge will tell what the case is about and how long the trial is expected to last, then ask 1) if you would have a problem being fair in dealing with this type of case and 2) if serving for the expected duration of the trial will cause you problems of a personal or financial nature. If the judge decides you must serve then the attorneys will question you about your feelings and thoughts on the case, you have to be acceptable to all to serve.
I believe that serving on a jury is a citizen's duty and privilege, if you get a chance you should do it.

[raj]

I believe that serving on a jury is a citizen's duty and privilege, if you get a chance you should do it.

Karma for that

[Captain Tars Tarkas]

I got a summons for Jury Duty for next month, of course it is the same week as my comprehensive exams for grad school that I either pass or am no longer in the program.  So now I have to try to get my duty knocked back until April.

The last time I got called they had around 50 people for 6 slots on a medical malpractice case that I would have been declared ineligible for anyway as I worked at a hospital.  And we don't get paid until the second day.

[Killer Bees]

I've often wondered who are those people who get picked.  I only got picked once.  I was a stay at home sole parent at the time and my son was in daycare, so my day was pretty much my own.  For 3 years I stayed at home and they ended up picking me the week that I got my first job.  The job was the first real money I'd had in years and it meant I could get off welfare, so I wasn't about to turn it down.

I rang the court and explained and they let me off.  That was 14 years ago.  Since then, nothing.  And I haven't been hard to find.  I have a library card and I'm enrolled to vote (it's compulsory here).

[Jack]

I called the jury information line today to see if they might have changed the schedule (as they seem to do pretty often from my previous calls) and now I don't have to go in on Wednesday.  So, I dunno, I guess I won't have to go because next week is March and the paperwork they sent me said I was only needed for January and February.  Sooooo...a lot of to do about nothing I guess 

[Ash]

I've been selected to appear twice.
Once several years ago and most recently, last year.
I never got selected to actually be on the jury though.

The first case was a multimillion dollar civil suit.  One corporation was suing another.  (I forget over what)
The one last year was a criminal case of an older woman who did something bad at a hospital she worked at.
We were asked if we had any bad experiences at a hospital and if we had relatives who worked at one.
My mother works at a local hospital so I'm pretty sure that excluded me from serving.

And Hammock's right, bring something to read!
You may have to wait up to 2-3 hours before you even get into the courtroom.

It was funny, I was sitting there waiting to enter the courtroom and was surrounded by all these wealthy looking prim & proper people waiting with me...and I was reading one of the most f***ed up perverted books ever written!
Black Butterflies by John Shirley.



It just struck me as funny reading that book in that setting among all those people. 

[Killer Bees]

I've been selected to appear twice.
Once several years ago and most recently, last year.
I never got selected to actually be on the jury though.

The first case was a multimillion dollar civil suit.  One corporation was suing another.  (I forget over what)
The one last year was a criminal case of an older woman who did something bad at a hospital she worked at.
We were asked if we had any bad experiences at a hospital and if we had relatives who worked at one.
My mother works at a local hospital so I'm pretty sure that excluded me from serving.

And Hammock's right, bring something to read!
You may have to wait up to 2-3 hours before you even get into the courtroom.

It was funny, I was sitting there waiting to enter the courtroom and was surrounded by all these wealthy looking prim & proper people waiting with me...and I was reading one of the most f***ed up perverted books ever written!
Black Butterflies by John Shirley.



It just struck me as funny reading that book in that setting among all those people. 

He sounds wicked!  Karma to you Ash for introducing me to new and exciting author.