Jury Duty!

[Pyper]

Okay, so I'm not home from school for one day, when I get called into jury duty. So, because I'm a responsible citizen and don't fancy the idea of being hauled off to jail for avoiding jury duty, I get up a six in the morning (yes, that is damn early) and drive down to the courthouse. Then I am subjected to many many hours of sitting and doing nothing. (Although, I must compliment the Orange County judicial system, or whatever they are, because despite all the sitting, it was very organized.) Finally, after approximately *counting on fingers* eight hours of sitting, they select ME to serve on a damn jury! Out of thousands of people, they had to pick ME! Despite the fact that I explained that I had very many things that I had to do in order to move to Spain, they picked ME! This trial lasts for an entire month, so I'm not gonna be hanging around here so much. And no, I can't tell you what it's about.

So to make this something other than a Pyper rants thread, let's do an unofficial jury duty poll. How do you feel about jury duty? Do you always try to get out of it? Is it a giant pain in your ass? Is it undiluted boredom and you'd rather jump off the Golden Gate bridge than serve on a jury?

Or do you like jury duty? Is it interesting? Is it *cue the national anthem* your responsability as an American citizen?

And for your Brits, Canadians, Kiwis, Australians and others, do you have jury duty in your country? Does it involve lots of sitting? What is it like?

 

[Ask For More]

We have jury sitting but I haven't been called into action yet...

So there

 

[Boxstar]

How old do you have to be to get called up for jury duty?

 

[Pyper]

18, my friend...if you're old enough to be on this website, you're old enough to be called up for jury duty.

 

[Willing and Unsure]

you have to be 18 in the US... and i've never been called for jury duty... if i am, i think i will do the best i can to get out of it... partly cuz i cant sit that long doing nothing without falling asleep or losing interest in what's going on.. so it wouldnt be very fair to anyone else in the room

 

[Blackbich]

How do you feel about jury duty?

I've never been called so I don't know. Guess it's our 'duty' as Americans.

Do you always try to get out of it?

Same answer as above, without the duty statement.

Is it a giant pain in your ass?

Everyone I've ever known who's served has said it is.

Is it undiluted boredom and you'd rather jump off the Golden Gate bridge than serve on a jury?

Good God, I hope not.

Or do you like jury duty?

I've never had anyone answer this yes.

Is it interesting?

I bet the OJ case was interesting and the Margaret Rudin/Ted Bunion cases here were.

Is it *cue the national anthem* your responsability as an American citizen?

I believe so. That being said, I do consider myself lucky that I haven't been called to do so...yet. I don't know how I've gotten out of it - I have a driver's license, I have a library card AND I have a voter's registration.

Hope your jury duty is alot shorter than they're saying!

 

[Boxstar]

I've never been called to serve jury duty. I think it would be interesting to do once. See how messed up our judicial system is from the inside. Sitting there all day would definitely get to me too, so the trial would have to be an interesting one.

 

[Pyper]

Blackbich, I can't believe you've never been called for jury duty! They started harping on me as soon as I turned 18, but this is the first time they've been able to get me because I've been out of county at school. Maybe Orange County has a lot of criminals.

 

[Blackbich]

Oh, I know I've been lucky.

One of my friends was called to jury duty right after she moved out here, within 2 months. She laughed when I moved out cause she thought it would happen to me also but it hasn't. I'm a little shocked myself. My mom has never been called either, now that I think about it.

HHMMMM, something to ponder.

 

[Weird Harold]

My mom has never been called either, now that I think about it.

I've been summoned for Jury Duty three times in the 11 years since I became a Nevada resident -- I must have gotten yours and your mother's summons by mistake.

I have been selected once for a jury pool, but the accused copped a plea at the last minute so I've never been actually selected for a jury.

I respond willingly to a jury duty summons, because I think the accused deserves better than "twelve people too stupid to get out of jury duty."

 

[bluntforcemama]

I like jury duty! I thought it was very interesting to watch the prosecution trying to build a case against the defendant who apparently kidnapped a young girl while weilding a hatchet. Odd case, but entertaining.

 

[LordMagicMan]

I live in a township rather then a city, I don't think I'll ever get called for jury duty.. *shrugs*

 

[unusuallyconfused]

Well I would like to do jury duty. I have been registered to vote for a lot of years and have never been selected for jury duty. Perhaps they heard I am a little opinionated?

 

[morninggirl5]

I've been selected for jury duty once. It was exceedingly boring, the jury spent the day in the jury room while the lawyers negotiated. Luckily, I had been warned and had brought my school bag with books to read and stuff to work on.

I see it as my duty as a citizen to go when called. In my county, there is not much chance of "getting" out of it. For the jury of 12 in the case I was on, they had 15 citizens from which to pick.

 

[Bigdog]

I think the random selection process is TOO random. My mom and I live in the same city, since the time I was 18 (16 years) she has been called 6 times for jury duty. I have never been called. Even my wife has been called twice in the 8 years she has been registered in this county.

I actually think serving on a jury would be an interesting experience. Of course, knowing my luck they will call me when I am buried in overtime and can't show up.

 

[Earthmuffin]

Only at home

I got notified to show up for Jury selection twice each time I was living at home after I turned 18. Out of the total 6 times I went I was always subject to sitting with a group of the unhealthiest lot of citizens possible in a small airless room. Each time? Pneumonia. Dr. excuses will keep you from being selected I've found. Of course I'd rather be bored to death than feel like I'm going to cough up a lung.

I've yet to be called while living anywhere else...hmmm maybe moving every 3 years is the cure? Nah...

 

[Bushido71XS]

I've been called up a couple of times, but I let them know I'm ex-law enforcement and I'm out before lunch!

 

[p_p_man]

I've been called once...

As you say Pyper a week of sitting around.

One woman on the third day decided to go shopping. She came back late by about 5 minutes to the Jurors room but in plenty of time to hear the case which wasn't due to start for another 1/2 hour. She had bought a coat she couldn't resist in a sale for about $160.

The judge was notified and she was fined the cost of the coat plus 10% for contempt.

No-one was late back after that...

The whole process is too time consuming with too much loss of earnings.

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Since I pay my taxes

and all my other bills, they call me in every 6 months like clockwork. I show up and they usually excuse me right off the bat and let me go home. The judge knows me !


Now, if he were a hanging judge, we'd be a lot better buddies and he'd let me stay on more juries!

 

[Ticklish Girl]

I've only been called twice in the last 9 years. The last time was in 1996, so they're about due to get me again. I wish they would.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I enjoy jury duty. Yes, you do sit around all day waiting for your name to be called, but look at it this way: it's an excellent opportunity to catch up on your reading! I always bring a stack of books with me. And here in Brooklyn they give you at least 90 minutes for lunch. That's about 60 minutes more than I need, and so I have time to walk around. The courts are a stone's throw away from Brooklyn Heights, the most lovely neighborhood in the borough. Lots of great shops there, including two bookstores. Lots of great restaurants, too. I can even go down to the Promenade, sit on a bench and just gaze out at the river and the NYC skyline. It's a great place to go if you just need some quiet time. Those little perks make jury duty worthwhile for me.

Serving on a jury is fascinating, because you get to see the judicial process close up. But it's also challenging, because you have to pay attention to every detail. I enjoy watching the interaction between attorney and witness.

 

[Unclebill]

I've been called four times in 14 years.

First time I was impanelled on a "Special Grand Jury" and heard 4-5 cases over a 30-day period.

Second call, I was called once for a jury but excused on the second round in the selection process when they found out I was employed in the engineering field.

Third time, sitting around all day and then call in for the rest of the week to see if I had to go in the following day. No call to report in by Friday, and I was released.

Last time, went in, sat around 'til noon, and dismissed.

Defnintely take reading material because most of the time you sit in a big room (hopefully) with lots of other people and wait. Typical bureaucratic situation, hurry up and wait!

I don't mind the idea of jury service but I hate the "hurry up and wait" preliminaries. But in downtown San Diego, the cost of parking is more than the daily compensation for a juror. After the first day, however, if you are close to the trolley system or the buses (transit system), they will provide you tickets/passes for subsequent trips.

If you want to be dismissed, print out and have as your reading material the Federalist Papers relating to the judiciary and material from the Fully Informed Jury Association site. http://www.fija.org/

The only downside to the latter is that some judges don't like the idea of jurors knowing they have the right and the responsibility to judge the law as well as the facts of the case and find IAW their conscience based on either. So beware lest thy pisseth off the judge!

 

[Andra_Jenny]

I can get you off quicker!

 

[Angelus]

I haven't been called for jury duty yet and I don't know why.... I don't think that people find me trustworthy but I am; I really am.