Jury Duty

I used to get the letters all the time that I
was up for jury duty and I always threw them
away. Every person I knew that did it said it
was a horrible experience and they would never
do it again. I also read the same thing many
times. Haven't heard from the court in 10 years.

My wife got her first letter ever in June and
showed up on Monday morning with 400 other
people. She was in the first group of 45 and they
got a lecture from a judge and watched a video
and went home at noon. She showed up this
morning at 8am and sat there for 3 hours until
they were informed that every case before the
court this week had plead out. She was sent home
for good at noon.

I tried to warn her it's a waste of time.

Quote: EvenBob

I used to get the letters all the time that I
was up for jury duty and I always threw them
away. Every person I knew that did it said it
was a horrible experience and they would never
do it again. I also read the same thing many
times. Haven't heard from the court in 10 years.

My wife got her first letter ever in June and
showed up on Monday morning with 400 other
people. She was in the first group of 45 and they
got a lecture from a judge and watched a video
and went home at noon. She showed up this
morning at 8am and sat there for 3 hours until
they were informed that every case before the
court this week had plead out. She was sent home
for good at noon.

I tried to warn her it's a waste of time.

Only a waste of time if you do not mind being held in contempt of court.

I want to be on a jury and I have never even been called to the courthouse.

Quote: DRich

I want to be on a jury and I have never even been called to the courthouse.

In California they merge the voter registration and DMV records. If the name on your license is slightly different than the name under which you are registered to vote you will get called twice.

My favorite jury duty story.......

I was in a group of 50 potential jurors for a case where a truck hit a motorcyclist. The judge asks if anyone works for an insurance company.... He then lists the witnesses and asks if anyone knows any of them.... I know the orthopedic surgeon who will be called, and mention I'm a doctor who works with him periodically. The judge asks a few more questions that might reveal a prejudice, and then announces that I will be excused, but to wait until he is finished. He asks if anyone else has a reason to be excused..... One middle aged lady raises her hand, and states..... "My aunt in Texas is a nurse" Fortunately I was able to not burst out laughing.... I occasionally use "My Aunt in Texas is a nurse" when I opt to make a nonsensical statement.....

My daughter was called to jury duty for the second time several years ago and my wife threw the letter away. Two state troopers showed up one morning with a warrant for her arrest. She was nine at the time.

Quote: DRich

I want to be on a jury and I have never even been called to the courthouse.

I was on one, see my blog at DT. If I was on one today it would be a financial disaster.

deleted

Quote: AZDuffman

Only a waste of time if you do not mind being held in contempt of court.

What letters? I never got a registered letter
once, for all they know I don't live here anymore.

Quote: EvenBob

What letters? I never got a registered letter
once, for all they know I don't live here anymore.

Be sure to tell them that you don't live there any more when they show up at your door.

Quote: DRich

I want to be on a jury and I have never even been called to the courthouse.

Same here, I would love to be on a jury. I have been called once but was sent home after two days and not making it on to a panel.

Quote: AZDuffman

I was on one, see my blog at DT. If I was on one today it would be a financial disaster.

I got a summons for a Federal Jury case. It said you must be prepared to be away from your job for at least 6 weeks. I was very excited until I found out my employer would only pay me for the first week and I would have to use my vacation time for the rest. Sadly, i already had four weeks of vacation booked.

Quote: 1BB

My daughter was called to jury duty for the second time several years ago and my wife threw the letter away. Two state troopers showed up one morning with a warrant for her arrest.

They have to prove you got the letters and
read them. You can't avoid jury duty if you
didn't know you were called. A few I got
were tossed without opening.

I read so many jury horror stories that there
was no way, as a self employed person, was
I going to waste my time with nonsense.

Quote: EvenBob

They have to prove you got the letters and
read them. You can't avoid jury duty if you
didn't know you were called. A few I got
were tossed without opening.

I read so many jury horror stories that there
was no way, as a self employed person, was
I going to waste my time with nonsense.

Connecticut State Police, 6AM on a Sunday. Yes, a Sunday. We were threatened with obstruction of justice for not opening the door. My house, my rules. Right? We finally straightened everything out through the window with birth certificate and report card.

I don't think ignoring these things is the way to go but it gave us something to talk about for the rest of the day.

I was called for jury duty once while I lived in SC and served on the jury for a civil suit. We found for the defendant. In the 30 years I lived in GA, I was called twice. The second time, technology had advanced enough that I was able to respond on-line and follow procedures to the point that I knew that I never had to come in to the courthouse. Very efficient. The first time I was called in GA provides the more interesting story. I thought I had told it here before, but I couldn’t find it with a search.

I was working for Georgia Tech, and among my duties at the time I was teaching one course for the College of Management. I was riding an elevator with two of my students who asked about what we would be covering the following week. I told them I had been called for jury duty and didn’t even know whether I would be able to attend class.

Also on the elevator with us was a practicing attorney who taught a business law course for the college. We didn’t know each other, but I knew who he was. Hearing my comment, he spoke up and said, “Do you want to serve on a jury? If not, just tell them that you are highly-educated, and neither side will want you on the jury.”

The next week I was in the jury pool for a drug trial. The jury selection procedure they were using was different from the one I had experienced in SC. It began with each member of the pool completing a questionnaire. Then the entire group was asked questions that addressed potential bias or conflicts of interest. Then each member of the pool was questioned individually based on the questionnaire, mostly by the prosecutor but with occasional questions from the lead defense attorney.

During these individual interviews, when they got to me, the prosecutor said, “I see you work for Georgia Tech. Did you also attend Georgia Tech?” I replied that I did. He then asked, “What kind of degree did you get?” I listed my degrees, and he did not ask any other questions at all.

Finally they made the jury selection by accepting or excusing each potential juror in turn until the required number had been accepted. The prosecutor acted first; if he accepted the juror, the defense had the option of accepting or excusing. The prosecutor was accepting every member of the pool, including a practicing attorney who regularly practiced in that very courtroom and had acknowledged that he knew the prosecutor, judge, defense attorneys, and some of the police officers who would testify. It was apparently a surprise to everyone there that the defense also accepted that attorney to the jury! However, the defense excused quite a few members of the pool. There were multiple defendants being tried together, each with his own attorney (one serving as lead), and it appeared that that gave the defendants a large number of strikes they could exercise.

When they got to me, the prosecutor said that he would excuse me from serving on the jury. I was the only member of the jury pool that the prosecutor excused from service! Since my education and employment were about all he knew about me, I figured that business law instructor must have been right – they didn’t want anyone who was “highly-educated” on the jury. I didn’t even get to hear whether the defense would have found me acceptable.

But, they accepted the attorney. Doesn't an attorney count as "highly educated"?

Maybe. Maybe not.

And I've known some who never passed the bar exam.

Quote: Doc

Hearing my comment, he spoke up and said, “Do you want to serve on a jury? If not, just tell them that you are highly-educated, and neither side will want you on the jury.”

I can vouch for this statement. I've gone through the juror selection process numerous times, but I always get dismissed. Always. And I never could figure out why. During most of those trials I think I would have been a great juror. However, awhile back, while chatting with a friend of mine, he told me the reason why.

It seems that when they ask about me, I always mention that one of my hobbies is playing in chess tournaments. I also mention that I loved reading Perry Mason mysteries, by Erle Stanley Gardner when I was a kid.

My friend says if I want to serve on a jury someday (and I do) don't mention these two items. Instead, he says just tell them I like Nascar racing or something.

I served on a jury a few years ago...loved it! It was a case of wrongful imprisonment and assault. Story was....teenaged girl got drunk at a party on Friday night and got raped. Girl comes home Saturday morning and tells Mom, Mom tells Dad, and Dad and his friends decide to lure the H.S. rapist to someone's house with the promise of cocaine, and beat his ass. Plan works on Sunday morning, and rapist is driven to friend's house, but Dad has to work at 8am and can't be there. Rapist is beaten and held against his will while someone calls Dad, who rushes to the scene. Rapist manages to get free and is running across the yard to escape as Dad drives up, which is witnessed by many neighbors, who all testify at this trial. Police are called, and Dad and friends are arrested. Turns out it's okay to hold a suspect for police to arrive, but it's not okay to hold a suspect till Dad arrives, hence the wrongful imprisonment accusation.

Anyway, we let Dad go because he wasn't even there through most of this event, and he was acquitted. I looked him up in the phone book afterwards and talked to him about what all happened. I've since learned that one of the guys involved is repeatedly arrested for drug charges and I see him on our County Jail website roster fairly often.

I remember the prosecutor introduced false evidence (showing a wooden bat, hammer, broom handle etc that were collected at the scene as weapons when they had no blood on them) and brought forth false witnesses to sway the jury's opinion negatively. We on the jury thought he should've been brought up on perjury charges for all the lying he did, and called him an asshole in the jury room. We figured the prosecutor must be in cahoots with the judge and defense attorney since they work together all the time in this small town. It certainly doesn't work that way on TV with frequent shouts of "Objection!". I don't remember this lawyer yelling that at all when he should have! What a joke that trial was.

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

In California they merge the voter registration and DMV records.

There's a reason for that. It was originally just one of the two (I can't remember which one), but Rose Bird had "the method for calling jurors is unfair because it de facto excludes certain classes of people" in her "handy box of excuses for overturning every death sentence."

Quote: ThatDonGuy

There's a reason for that. It was originally just one of the two (I can't remember which one), but Rose Bird had "the method for calling jurors is unfair because it de facto excludes certain classes of people" in her "handy box of excuses for overturning every death sentence."

Oh. It was probably the voter registration list then.

If you want to escape jury duty simply tell them that you avidly listen to right-wing talk radio and you'll get the gavel quickly. In fact, when I was living down in Tampa I managed to skate jury duty twice by using that particular tactic, hey hey.

Quote: soxfan

If you want to escape jury duty simply tell them that you avidly listen to right-wing talk radio and you'll get the gavel quickly. In fact, when I was living down in Tampa I managed to skate jury duty twice by using that particular tactic, hey hey.

Absolutely true. This will work for any trial, criminal or civil. 😉

I'm not judging but Personally I think it's wrong to try to escape jury duty, almost like draft dodging. I will gladly go.

I you can just say you think everyone is guilty.

I think it's wrong too to try to get out of jury duty just because you don't want to go. If you actually can't go, then that's different.

I have never gone, though, yet.

I think it makes me nervous to think of juries made up entirely of people who want to be on juries.

Quote: DrawingDead

I think it makes me nervous to think of juries made up entirely of people who want to be on juries.

explain?

Quote: DrawingDead

I think it makes me nervous to think of juries made up entirely of people who want to be on juries.

Yup. The "I'm capable of judging you" people. No
thanks, leave me out of that. My father in law, the
Baptist minister, has been on juries half a dozen
times. He loves the crap out of judging people.

Quote: EvenBob

Yup. The "I'm capable of judging you" people. No
thanks, leave me out of that. My father in law, the
Baptist minister, has been on juries half a dozen
times. He loves the crap out of judging people.

and here I thought people took after there real fathers.

My point of view was not "I want to judge someone", but "it's a responsibility". Was that somehow unclear in either my or Axel's posts?

Quote: AxelWolf

explain?

Most people have other things to do, and jury duty would involve some degree of sacrifice and disruption to their lives and responsibilities. But some others really, really, really don't have something else going on, at all, and are a lot more likely to want to become jurors because of it. And the problem with that is either intuitively obvious, or it isn't.

Quote: Juror #5 in the "Ka-ching" case

Oooo, you mean I could get maybe up to forty whole dollahs after only two days? All indoors? And my bus fare paid? And no arithmetic or too much hard reading or writing stuff? Sign me up!

Quote: DrawingDead

Most people have other things to do, and jury duty would involve some degree of sacrifice and disruption to their lives and responsibilities. But some others really, really, really don't, at all, and are a lot more likely to become jurors because of it. And the problem with that is either intuitively obvious, or it isn't.

sacrifice is a part of life. If you like living in the U.S there is a reason why. Everything may not be perfect however there are much worst places. If people spent more time trying to help there country and less time trying to find ways to dodge there civic duties thins might be better. People want the right to Vote, drive and freedoms but they don't want to help. I seriously Doubt Bob's life would be totally messed up because he missed a few internet sessions. He just does not want to do it because its a simple inconvenience.

As far as having people who don't mind begin apart of our system VS people who do.
If your friends or family were accused of something they didn't do . Do you want some ass deciding someones guilty just because he wanted to go home or do you want some one who wants to make sure they get it wright?

If its a huge burden on someone I understand. Their attitude should not be Bob like. It should be that, they wish they were able to help and to soon be in a position in life that one day they can and want to help with there duties.

For me, I think it would be an interesting experience.

Quote: AxelWolf

sacrifice is a part of life. If you like living in the U.S there is a reason why. Everything may not be perfect however there are much worst places. If people spent more time trying to help there country and less time trying to find ways to dodge there civic duties thins might be better. People want the right to Vote, drive and freedoms but they don't want to help. I seriously Doubt Bob's life would be totally messed up because he missed a few internet sessions. He just does not want to do it because its a simple inconvenience.

As far as having people who don't mind begin apart of our system VS people who do.
If your friends or family were accused of something they didn't do . Do you want some ass deciding someones guilty just because he wanted to go home or do you want some one who wants to make sure they get it wright?

If its a huge burden on someone I understand. Their attitude should not be Bob like. It should be that, they wish they were able to help and to soon be in a position in life that one day they can and want to help with there duties.

For me, I think it would be an interesting experience.

Right on!

Jury duty is a civic duty and should be taken seriously.

Quote: AxelWolf

Do you want some ass deciding someones guilty just because he wanted to go home or do you want some one who wants to make sure they get it wright?

I prefer someone who has enough of their stuff together that they have something to go home to; I don't think the folks who find it most attractive are likely to get it either right or wright, or even rite. Which is why I'd prefer for everyone's sake that the jury pool have an ample representation of people who'd really rather not be there because they actually do have some other things to do (you know, like successful lives and such) but are (perhaps somewhat reluctantly) there anyway.

They are more likely to understand the proceedings of a courtroom, and beyond that from their broader range of life experience they are more likely to have enough of a base of realistic general knowledge of the world to get a clue what is going on between the contesting parties and what isn't, and be less likely to act from that special kind of instant certainty that comes from great ignorance, and be somewhat less easily manipulated through symbolic exploitation of childish resentments of this, that, and the other extraneous thing. And, I think some degree of basic literacy is a good thing to have, too. I'm pretty sure most cases are likely to be civil matters (disputes leading to lawsuits - not crimes) and it may be best if they can understand some things that are written down, rather than "I like her" and "Oh I just hate all those evil [insert this week's most easily demonized among trailer-trash 'XYZ' boogeyman]."

Or to put it another way, I'd really rather not look into the jury box and see the prime target audience for baccarat systems.

Apart from that, for myself, depending on the accident of timing, I also think it could possibly be interesting depending on the luck of the draw on the specific case. And since I wasn't called either of the two times I was in the jury pool and was reporting in only via the website (for Federal court) I can't really say for sure how many minutes that feeling might have lasted before all the inevitable unavoidable waiting around doing nothing most of the time at the courthouse started to really bug me. But since you're not clear & apparently concerned on this point: Yes, I'd do it, but I don't feel it would necessarily be a big mark in my favor as a juror to really love it a whole honkin' lot.

Quote: DrawingDead

I prefer someone who has enough of their stuff together that they have something to go home to; I don't think the folks who find it most attractive are likely to get it either right or wright, or even rite. Which is why I'd prefer for everyone's sake that the jury pool have an ample representation of people who'd really rather not be there because they actually do have some other things to do (you know, like successful lives and such) but are (perhaps somewhat reluctantly) there anyway.

They are more likely to understand the proceedings of a courtroom, and beyond that from their broader range of life experience they are more likely to have enough of a base of realistic general knowledge of the world to get a clue what is going on between the contesting parties and what isn't, and be less likely to act from that special kind of instant certainty that comes from great ignorance, and be somewhat less easily manipulated through symbolic exploitation of childish resentments of this, that, and the other extraneous thing. And, I think some degree of basic literacy is a good thing to have, too. I'm pretty sure most cases are likely to be civil matters (disputes leading to lawsuits - not crimes) and it may be best if they can understand some things that are written down, rather than "I like her" and "Oh I just hate all those evil [insert this week's most easily demonized among trailer-trash XYZ boogeyman]."

Or to put it another way, I'd really rather not look into the jury box and see the prime target audience for baccarat systems.

Apart from that, for myself, depending on the accident of timing, I also think it could possibly be interesting depending on the luck of the draw on the specific case. And since I wasn't called either of the two times I was in the jury pool and was reporting in only via the website (for Federal court) I can't really say for sure how many minutes that feeling might have lasted before all the inevitable unavoidable waiting around doing nothing most of the time at the courthouse started to really bug me. But since you're not clear & apparently concerned on this point: Yes, I'd do it, but I don't feel it would necessarily be a big mark in my favor as a juror to really like it a whole honkin' lot.

I never said they want to do it because its fun. I'm saying they want to to it because its the good and right thing to do. Like giving blood or a kidney . I never heard of anyone say, "wow giving blood was fun as hell." No one wants to do such things because its fun. The want to do it because it is a good thing and possibly the right thing to do.

There may be others who have fun doing it for many different reasons. Perhaps they are interested in the law, or they are writers, or just board house wives, or retried. Any and all of them people could be well off, smart educated people.

I agree Bob would be the last person anyone would want on a jury, so its a blessing in disguise he does what ever you want to call it, in order to avoid doing his legal duties (I would bet him, what he is doing is breaking the law). He should want to do it, not because its fun, not because its easy but because its the right thing to do.

I get the impression we're partly talking past each other while responding to each other, perhaps because I've been too wordy. I'll take another shot to try to say what I was getting at, probably because I have too much time on my hands early in the week - so I'm likely a potential juror if I happen to get called on a Tuesday night.

I think there is a tendency towards an accidental bias in the system, due to the fact that some will be both more able to avoid it and more motivated to do so. This can be a problem that is most important for those who are affected by the outcome, not those who do it or don't. I think it is not a good thing if jury pools come to be made up predominately or exclusively of folks who lack other responsibilities and find the very small financial reimbursement and the moment of self-importance some may get from it attractive; just as I think it is not a good thing if jury pools come to be made up predominately or exclusively of ANY narrow subset of the community, whether that is "disability" recipients in public housing projects, or bond investment "coupon clippers" going home to penthouse views of the world.

And the reason I think so has nothing to do with me expressing anything here about the nature of the obligation or any comment on the virtue for the individuals doing it; my own concern is strictly about the much more important matter of the outcome of the judicial process, which will likely be skewed to the extent the jury pool is. And I've been told by some who work in that business that sometimes that is what happens. I can become concerned about that even if I never see a courtroom, because the outcome of some civil verdicts can sometimes end up affecting everyone even if many aren't aware of the cause of it.

Personally, I respect entirely those that serve on juries. It is one of the few civic duties we all share. As an attorney, I've been dying to get on a jury. To see the other side of the bar, so to speak. I've yet to be called to a panel in my County, or in my federal judicial district. My brother was lucky one summer in college, though, and got called to a federal jury trial in a bank robbery case. He loved it.

Recently, I did a trial and one of the alternate jurors who was released after hearing the whole 3 day trial, but before deliberations, caught up with me in the hallway. A nice older gentleman. He was terribly disappointed he did not get to finish the process by deliberating with his fellow panelists.

Quote: Sabretom2

Jury duty is a civic duty and should be taken seriously.

I agree. I've always wanted to serve but each time I get called I sit there for four to six hours and then get excused.

Though we've never met, from our conversations and your videos my guess would be you come across to the lawyers in the room as a bit too bright, personable, and open-minded. A jury foreman type who scares one side or the other.

Quote: Wizard

I agree. I've always wanted to serve but each time I get called I sit there for four to six hours and then get excused.

Same here.

If you want to get out of duty and they've really gotten to the [unlikely] point of making sure you don't shirk, it is hard to get out of if you do it the wrong way and easy if you do it the right way IMO.

wrong way: "Whine, Wah!, wah!, my job is important, and I am an important person, I can't do this".

right way: "I know the defendant" [many, many other similar ways]

PS: personally I think you should want to do your duty.

Quote: AxelWolf

He should want to do it, not because its fun, not because its easy but because its the right thing to do.

You do it, you have nothing else to do. I
don't have time for nonsense like you
seem to.

Quote: Wizard

I agree. I've always wanted to serve but each time I get called I sit there for four to six hours and then get excused.

Just like happened to my wife. I was reading
stories about this and there was a guy who
went a dozen times in 15 years and was never
was picked. He eventually gave up. I don't
need the hassle, you guys go and have loads
of good feelings about it.

Quote: EvenBob

You do it, you have nothing else to do. I
don't have time for nonsense like you
seem to.

My guess is that if you had been called up by your draft board, you wouldn't have had time for that nonsense either. Isn't it just ridiculous how much our government expects us to contribute just because we are citizens here?

Quote: Doc

My guess is that if you had been called up by your draft board, you wouldn't have had time for that nonsense either.

My draft lottery number was 346, I would have
never been called. But I would have gone, I
still strong believed in the gov't then. I hadn't
been wised up yet.

If the jury system wasn't such a mess, I would
happily go. As I said, every person I know who
has served told me 'never again'. That's why
avoiding it is so rampant, people just don't have
time to waste on gov't nonsense.

Quote: EvenBob

If the jury system wasn't such a mess, I would
happily go. As I said, every person I know who
has served told me 'never again'. That's why
avoiding it is so rampant, people just don't have
time to waste on gov't nonsense.

You do realize that failure to show up to jury duty is a crime, don't you? Or do you care?

Quote: Deucekies

You do realize that failure to show up to jury duty is a crime, don't you? Or do you care?

Bob stated earlier in the thread that if you throw the notice out they can't prove that you ever got it so you are in the clear.

Which is nonsense, of course. Don't try this at home.

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

Bob stated earlier in the thread that if you throw the notice out they can't prove that you ever got it so you are in the clear.

Which is nonsense, of course. Don't try this at home.

Bolded for emphasis. I don't think this faulty legal advice has any place here, but everyone's done a good job at discrediting him anyway.

Quote: EvenBob

You do it, you have nothing else to do. I
don't have time for nonsense like you
seem to.

This coming from a guy, no one on here has ever meet, Someone who's biggest brag is about being able to easily fit 5k in a prescription bottle(probably tested with crisp $1 bills) , able beat roulette, can easily spot PRNG from live events and won't back up claims or out is money were is mouth is.

Yes I know you being @ home 24/7 on the internet(since we know you don't have a Mobil device) posting on multiple message boards (don't you ave a notorious name called spike somewhere? I head you often visit this sitehttp://www.vlsroulette.com/ ) is much more important nonsense than jury duty.

Admittedly I have gotten somewhat lazy and spend far to much time posting here(I feel I can some what justify it because I have meet some great people from here and it as been good socially and financially) fortunately I have the ability to make money form just about anywhere(doing it as we speak kicking back in a suite on the strip ordering room service). I also have multiple deals and things on(thank god for technology.)

Perhaps you have found a way to sell your roulette system here, I can imagine there are some desperate people who will try anything once or twice no matter how absurd.

Don't get me wrong Bob, I think you might possibly be an interesting guy even entertaining. But for all we know you are a 69 year old female with multiple trolling aliases.

Quote: Deucekies

You do realize that failure to show up to jury duty is a crime, don't you? Or do you care?

They have to prove you got the jury notice
and if they don't send it registered mail, they
have no proof. And nationwide, only 13-15%
show up when summoned.

"The judge also informed us that so many were summoned because only 13 to 15 percent of those summoned typically show up for jury duty."

That means 85% are bad people like me,
oh well..