Jury Duty, Just My Luck

joe in calif · 06-16-2011, 09:54 PM

Well starting Monday I was called to jury duty, so each night I called and was told my group was on telephone stand by and call again the following night. Well tonight (Thursday) when I called I was told to report tomorrow, Friday, I have my first outing planned next week for my TT so I will be asking for a postponement. What luck!!!

Denise · 06-16-2011, 10:59 PM

OMG R U KIDDING ME! And I thought Don had it bad!

I was just about to post this when I saw your thread!

May I preface this by saying that Don and I already discussed this dilemma and I will take the older grandkids North to our first destination. He will jump on the next available Greyhound! Ugh!!

Don received his (fricken) jury notice last week saying he had to start calling Sunday night (6-12-11)! Mind you we are heading out of town this coming Saturday 6-18-11 for a month long trip with grandkids! We knew he would be safe if he was fortunate to show up earlier this week....

He called faithfully each night with the promise that after Friday he would be excused for two years or whatever. Tonight we call! What do you know! Not only does he have to show up, but it's at 12 noon (not first thing in the morning).

I don't know where you are from, but here in our county, it takes an hour to register, than another hour to watch a "your obligation" video, then time for lunch... ummmmm he is going after lunch!!!! Ok, so they will defer/postpone you to the next day.... WHICH WILL BE MONDAY! And if you are lucky enough to be one of the first 50 to be called, then what do you say to get excused?

OK, so I think this thread should now be: HOW TO ACT SO YOU GET EXCUSED if called the first day (or even second day)!

I told Don he needs to tell them every 5 minutes he has to PEE!

BTW - In our county you DONT asked to be deferred as, if you have a trip planned next time you are called, sooooooooooooo sorry - you are screwed! We have several planned in the next year!

Otherwise... anyone have any suggestions for Don to survive a five hour Greyhound ride?! LOL!

Albertaguy · 06-17-2011, 07:13 AM

I don't know how old Don is, but up here in Canada once you reach the age of 65 you are not eligible for jury duty (at least in Alberta), also if you are retired law enforcement you are also ineligible. One way to get out of it is to keep asking where the guilty ******* is. Works every time!!!

It wouldn't let me use that word but it starts with a B and ends with a D.

Seann45 · 06-17-2011, 07:56 AM

To me it is a HONOR to serve on jury duty.. HOWEVER if you have a trip planned and reservations made go see the court clerk or bailiff showing them the reservations and you can get differed to a later date.. they are usually very good about that...

**Crabman** · 06-17-2011, 10:13 AM

I have been summoned three times to federal court jury duty in Norfolk, 65 miles away, but never had to go. I would call in every night for a number of days until the time expired, I guess they did not need me. One time during my busy season I asked for and received a deferral, to a later date.

Denise · 06-17-2011, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertaguy

I don't know how old Don is, but up here in Canada once you reach the age of 65 you are not eligible for jury duty (at least in Alberta), also if you are retired law enforcement you are also ineligible. One way to get out of it is to keep asking where the guilty ******* is. Works every time!!!

It wouldn't let me use that word but it starts with a B and ends with a D.

I'll have Don check on the 65 or older thing, although he has a few years left for that. He is retired law enforcement, but still had to do Jury Duty. It sorta sucked that he would go, but because he was law enforcement, he was sent home. It was frustrating... why make him go just to send him home... There were a couple of years though that he was excused as in recent years there was a law enforcement option he could check and send notice back, but the last notice didn't have the option for law enforcement.

Although I like your suggestion, I'm pretty sure he would pass on that one

Denise · 06-17-2011, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seann45

To me it is a HONOR to serve on jury duty.. HOWEVER if you have a trip planned and reservations made go see the court clerk or bailiff showing them the reservations and you can get differed to a later date.. they are usually very good about that...

Over the years I was selected for jury twice. One was a week long, the other turned out to be something like 10 days. Our courtroom had very uncomfortble chairs (not sure if they still do) that I had to sit in for at least 4-5 hours a day. I was more than delighted to serve and my district supported me being absent for it

I had mine deffered due to an upcoming trip about 10 years ago. They only deffered for 6months and said that if I did deffer I wouldn't be allowed to deffer on the next notice ; that if I took the chance of not being selected, then I was good for the next two years.

The only problem now-a-days, is that we travel a lot. In the fall we will be out of the lower 48 two different times. Unfortunately for us now is that Jury Duty has gone from being and "honor" to being a bother... I know, shame on us!

**norty1** · 06-17-2011, 11:48 AM

I have been excused or deferred several times from local and federal juries by just asking for a deferral. someone mentioned if you are over 65 you will not be called if you don't want to except on federal juries

I consider it an honor to serve but do not want to disrupt my travels for it.

Lady Fitzgerald · 06-17-2011, 12:13 PM

For 32 years, I worked for a company that would allow me to take off for jury duty and pay me for the differnece in my normal payand what the jury pay was. I got called twice.

When I retired from that company and went to work third shift for a convenience store for 5 1/2 years, I called upon every year! I got an excuse the first four years because I would have had to report for jury duty after working all night and wouldn't be awake enough to serve during the day, my company would need more notice to find a replacement for me if I was selected since I would be too wasted to work that night. All I would received would have been the jury pay since I would be serving outside my work hours so I would have been out a significant chunk of change. The fifth year, the rotten misbegottens changed the rules to where I would have to report to get an excuse; I could no longer do it by mail! Fortunately, the phone check the day before said I wouldn't be needed.

I've been fully retired two years now and haven't been called! I agree it's an honor to serve but it has become a hurt in the donkey. The first time I'm forced to report when I have a trip scheduled, I'm unregistering! In the past 10 years, I have voted for only one person that I thought showed any promise (and he was a bitter disapointment), the rest of the time I've voted for the lesser of the two evils, so frankly, I don't know why I bother anymore (unless it's from the habit of doing do for the past 42 years).

KathyDiane · 06-17-2011, 08:04 PM

"Pardon?" If you can't hear what they are asking you they will let you off.

Denise · 06-17-2011, 08:17 PM

Cali has stopped using voting records a while back and goes from drivers license records.

So here's Don's day!
11:00 - left for the courthouse, found parking, walked to the courthouse, waited in line to check in.
12:40 check-in complete. Time for "video"
1:20 - 1:30 Break
1:30 - 3:00 Sat around in the Jury Room until the clerk came in to inform them that the court is still clearing up some unfinished administrative business.... everyone is excused for one year. The judge told them that if they did have time to start selection and they were picked, they anticipated that this trial would last 3 weeks!

Don also asked about retired law enforcement... nope, still has to do jury duty. He forgot to ask about age limit, but did say that there were several folks that appeared to be older than 65 yrs old. I guess he can check back with it when he approaches 65

So Joe, let us know how it goes for you!!! Have fun

clutch · 06-17-2011, 09:05 PM

I have been on notice for the month of June. I call in every Friday and so far they haven't called me. Only one more week to go. One of their questions on the form was "do you have any bumper stickers?". My reply to that question was shoot all drug dealers and users and let God sort them out. So far no action.

I really have no objection to jury duty but in our area teachers are called on a LOT. In the last 40 years I have had a month of on call every other year. I am really getting tired of it. I have friends that have only been on 4 or 5 times in the last 40 years.

Albertaguy · 06-17-2011, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by healthi

Cali has stopped using voting records a while back and goes from drivers license records.

So here's Don's day!
11:00 - left for the courthouse, found parking, walked to the courthouse, waited in line to check in.
12:40 check-in complete. Time for "video"
1:20 - 1:30 Break
1:30 - 3:00 Sat around in the Jury Room until the clerk came in to inform them that the court is still clearing up some unfinished administrative business.... everyone is excused for one year. The judge told them that if they did have time to start selection and they were picked, they anticipated that this trial would last 3 weeks!

Don also asked about retired law enforcement... nope, still has to do jury duty. He forgot to ask about age limit, but did say that there were several folks that appeared to be older than 65 yrs old. I guess he can check back with it when he approaches 65

So Joe, let us know how it goes for you!!! Have fun

Very much surprised that he does not get an exemption for law enforcement, was he a permanent police officer or an auxiliary? Here in Canada you are exempt as they feel we would be wasting the courts time as we can read through the BS. I do recall many years ago when I was a new Constable working dayshift that I had to attend the courthouse and go out on the street and apprehend people walking by for jury duty as they were short for a major court case. I thought it was strange but that is the law up here.

My wife got called a couple of months ago and all she had to do was phone in and give here date of birth and was excused.

**Snake Plissken** · 06-18-2011, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seann45

To me it is a HONOR to serve on jury duty.. HOWEVER if you have a trip planned and reservations made go see the court clerk or bailiff showing them the reservations and you can get differed to a later date.. they are usually very good about that...

Couldn't agree more

Denise · 06-20-2011, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertaguy

Very much surprised that he does not get an exemption for law enforcement, was he a permanent police officer or an auxiliary? .

He was full time for 30 years. I think the two previous times before retirement he checked off current law enforcement and there seemed to be a longer period of time that went by since being called back. Come to think of it, the last time he was called was about a year before he retired back in '06. I guess they figure he won't be working any more cases so maybe now they figure he can do it (?). Oh well.

LOL, on my first jury duty, back in something like 1978, I was 7 months pregnant with my son. I was prepared to say please don't pick me as I experienced the need to urinate far more often (which was true)! I happened to be amongst the first twelve names they called up to the jury box for questioning. Right after they called my name and I started to walk up there, the defense lawyer announced to judge that he felt there was a stipulation in the case because I was married to the officer in charge of the case. The judge excused me right then

The next time I went, it wasn't a criminal case but a lawsuit. I was picked and sorta enjoyed it, but those seats weren't very comfy for the 6 or so hours we were there each day.

Denise · 06-20-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clutch

I have been on notice for the month of June. I call in every Friday and so far they haven't called me. Only one more week to go. One of their questions on the form was "do you have any bumper stickers?". My reply to that question was shoot all drug dealers and users and let God sort them out. So far no action.
.

A month! Wow! and I thought a week on call was bad....

Terry · 06-20-2011, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by healthi

A month! Wow! and I thought a week on call was bad....

Here for local/state they have a big pool...first you go down to an auditorium with a few thousand of your closest friends and they give you a range of dates you can choose from. As they call the week, you jump up and try to get in line if that is what you want. It is a HUGE cattle call.

So I had a buddy that showed up for his jury duty...they called his name along with a few others and said the ole "come with me". They took them to a courtroom and the judge proceeded to tell them they were fortunate enough to be chosen to sit on the Grand Jury. What did this mean -- 2 to 3 days a month for THREE years...yep...THREE years....and there was no getting out of it. He said if you came to him with an excuse that was not valid in his eye, he would hold you in contempt.

He said it was actually quite interesting, he was on during several of the church burnings and a big mob/strip club owner case. He was amazed at the people that pretty much slept through it and didnt pay attention, knowing that peoples lives and livelihoods were at stake.

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