I got summoned for jury duty. Blech!

I got a jury summons in the mail today. I am so not impressed...

I was summoned for jury duty last May, I think. It was the local court of common pleas and it was a required 3 day minimum. Thankfully, you just call the night before and they tell you whether or not to come in the next morning. And, thank goodness, I didn't have to go in at all. Not too bad, I thought. Well, it seems that I've been lucky enough again to be summoned. Yes, that was sarcasm. This time, it's a minimum 5 day summons. Since I've been going through so much health-wise, I have considered requesting a doctor's note so that I can get out of it. But, with my work schedule having been cut due to slow business, I'm thinking it might not be so bad to go in and make a couple of bucks per day. Of course, I may not have to go in at all, but, apparently, word on the street is that there is a lot happening in the courts and that I should expect going in at least one or two of the days. So, jury duty here I come. Yay (sigh).

I'm not thrilled about it, but it is what it is. I just don't want to sit in a grimy room for days on end. So, with that in mind, this is not high on my list of activities I'd like to pursue. But, on the flip side, I wouldn't mind being picked for a jury. Law has always been an interest of mine. But, I'd much prefer a criminal case than something having to do with torts -- just because the idea of listening to lawyers go back and forth about torts would make me feel as though I could pull all of my hair out. So, here I am, wishing I don't have to go and also, kinda sorta, hoping that I'd get to be a juror for a big criminal case. We'll see what happens, I suppose. The jury summons isn't until February 22nd. I am going to accept the summons online and then just wait.

I guess I shouldn't complain. After all, I didn't have to go in at all last time. So, fair's fair. But still, jury duty? Blech!

I got called for state jury duty and federal jury duty back to back. I didn't get chosen to sit for the state one. I did get chosen for the federal one, it lasted 3 weeks! It was the most boring thing I ever did, it was 1 company suing another company, and a few other people for stealing their ideas.

I wouldn't mind it if my company actually paid people to be out on jury duty... but for $5 a day or whatever it is, blech! I have bills! Makes me want to search online to see if there are any temporary swastika tattoos you can stick on your forehead like Charles Manson and I already started giving myself a buzz cut, that should do the trick.

Are you sure you're allowed to get called more than once per year? I thought most jurisdictions say if you are summoned for jury duty, then you're excused for 1 year. Or maybe it's only if you've actually served. Hmm.. Check it out anyway.

I checked with the courts just a little bit ago to determine if I was exempt from jury duty since I was called for it last year. Thank you, Erica, for that idea. However, it seems that you are only exempt if you've served on a jury within the past two years. So, unless I am looking at having my doctor write a letter so that I can get out of serving, I'm just going to have to suck it up. And, at this point, I think that's what I am going to do. Who knows, I could get chosen to be a juror and the experience could change my life forever...

...Yeah, I'm not buying into that either. But, this is only the second time I've been called and I have never served, so it's just as well that I get it over with now. It may not be fun, but it's part of being an active member of society. And, that's a good enough reason for me.

I've been called 4 times, and I just turned 29 (+1)!!

First time was when I was 19, and it was for federal jury duty in Philadelphia, about 1.5 hourse from where I lived. I looked at all my options and the best thing for me was to get a hotel room and stay overnight, because you had to show up for 2 days, more if you got picked obviously. And since I lived however many miles from the courthouse, I got compensated for staying overnight, and I got more than the room cost I think. I didn't get picked for a panel even, just had to sit in the waiting room for 2 long days... Then when I moved to LB, I got a summons from the county I used to live in in PA. Sent to my Long beach address!! So obviously I sent it back to them saying no thanks, I don't live there anymore. I think I've been called for jury duty 2 times in LB in the almost 4 years that I've been here. That was the kind where you call the night before to see if you have to show up. I think the first time I didn't have to go at all, but the 2nd time I had to go 1 day, but never got called for anything. Fun wasted days of nothing.

Good luck, whatever happens!!

I had jury duty just this week. Here it is one day or one trial. My panel was #1 so I had to go in Monday. I just sat in the jury room with a couple hundred other people. In the morning they called for a jury in an outlying town. Those who did not have reliable transportation were exempt from that trial, so I didn't have to there. (we have really thick fog in the mornings and it is worse in the outlying towns) In the afternoon, they called for one and chose 50 people, of which I wasn't picked again. Then about 2:45 they dismissed the rest of us saying our service was completed. The first day you are there, they do not pay you, but if you are picked for a trial, it is $15 per day plus mileage. At least I still get paid at my job for the day.

When I first started going to jury duty, you had to report every day for a week! I have sat on 4 juries. found one person innocent, 2 guiltys and a mistrial. One of the times I sat, the judge treated the jury to lunch at a Chinese restaurant nearby. And you had to go!!! LOL

My husband just got a letter earlier this month. He didn't have to go in last week or this week either. So he is off the hook again. This is the 2nd time for him.

Blech is right... I got summoned last year, but I didn't get chosen for anything and was able to go home early so it wasn't that bad. Also it was kinda interesting because I recognized the interior of the courthouse from the Dark Knight movie (it was filmed here.) Also there was a Thai festival going on in Daley Plaza which is right outside the courthouse so I got to have lunch there.
I'm still trying to figure out how they got me, I always heard it was from voter registration but I wasn't registered.

Originally Posted by Nekochan

I'm still trying to figure out how they got me, I always heard it was from voter registration but I wasn't registered.

Click to expand...

They can pull your name from the DMV database or if you receive any social services. It depends on the state.

Oh, the random things you remember when you used to teach Civics. I always felt bad lying to the kids and telling them jury duty could be super fun.... I mean it COULD be. It just usually isn't. lol

A friend of mine recently had to serve jury duty, and the way she got out was basically the asked her questions and she had to answer based on her moral beliefs, they asked her if someone was drinking at a bar and wanted to drive home afterwards, do you think that's okay- and she said yes. Then they let her go, and she was happy. Then she told me she didn't actually lie, they didn't specify how much the person drank and what his/her alcohol blood level was, so she told herself that the person in question could have only had a beer and left the bars hours later...right, whatever

I personally think it would be really interesting! I am very interested in law and criminal trials, but I can understand where some would find it tedious. Hopefully you won't have to go hun!

Since you've had so many health problems recently, you might want to see if you can reschedule. They allow you to do that here ONCE every time you're summoned. You just call in, pick the date you'd like to be summoned and wait. I had to do that once when my boss was out of town and I was the only other keyholder person in charge working.

I think someone programmed the computer to pick my name on purpose!!! I ALWAYS get called for Jury Duty. A few times I've been able to get out of it because I had already served within the time.

I'm one of the few people who actually WANT to do jury duty... I've been summoned 2 or 3 times, but here they send you the summons, you have to call the night before you're to report to see if they call your number. I haven't gotten any further than that, they've never called my number.

Here you are exempt from serving 2 years after you are called. I've fortunately only been called once; for a 2 week period. I was just getting over a severe allergic reaction but I was able to go. I didn't get picked for any cases though. I spent several days sitting in a windowless room in the courthouse basement. We were in numbered groups and didn't have to go in every day; just call the night before. Mostly it was very boring. But it just so happened that one of my god-mother's was also called so she was there a couple times. It was nice spending that time with her. One day we got out pretty early so I took her to lunch. Best part of the whole 2 weeks! LOL

I was just thinking about this yesterday because I happened to catch the news and that the trial for a man who killed a cop in a town near here is on. Now that infuriates me to begin with... but they were talking about showing several very graphic post-mortem photographs of the cop...I'd have wanted to stone the man on the spot. That cop left behind a small child. He sighted a car that had just been involved in a shooting; drug related. But stuff like that is very rare around here. Not that there isn't crime; but a violent crime against a cop is different. I believe the "accused" man is not even from here. And if I remember right all the cop did was pull up and the guy started shooting at him. For all he could have known he could have been pulling him over to say his tail lights were out...but the guy just opend fire....

I got summoned too - for Feb 3rd. I replied with a request of dismissal for 2 reasons.
1 - My DH was out of work for over 2 years and we are just starting to get back on our feet, financially. It will take a long time to really catch up.
2 - I am the office manager at my work. NO ONE knows how to do my job. Because of the economy, we are operating on a skeleton crew. When someone is absent it really causes a hardship for everyone else.

Well, they postponed it to Aug 1. I don't see how things are going to be any different then, but I'm stuck with it.

You know what gets me? - And I'm just beaching now. I know it's the luck of the draw. My DH and all the other people I know who are/were out of work were never called while unemployed. My neighbor, on the other hand, is an OTR truckdriver and had to drive cross country to fulfill his jury duty obligation, but of course, was excused after one day.

I was summoned twice before. The first time they jerked me around for 3 days through phone calls; the second, I went there and waited. I was excused both times without an attorney interview.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind doing it at all if it wasn't going to affect my job and my finances so much.

I was called up for a coroner's jury. I really wanted to go. It was to investigate if a police officer wrongfully shot a suspect. Unfortunately I fell and hurt my back. I wasn't able to stay in any postion, even sitting for more than 10 minutes. I was excused.

Good luck! They tried to get me last March but I was out of the country... so I had to postpone it. And then I was picked in August. Luckily, after a few hours of waiting we were all dismissed! I won't be called in for the next six years as a result and am glad for it.

We are allowed to bring a laptop so I just caught up on tv shows and I brought lunch.
It wasn't too horrible!

I think I would love to do jury duty, it would be really interesting but I bet I never get called.x