Jury Duty

[StillAWarrior]

I've been drawn three times in less than five years. This is getting ridiculous.

I went down this morning and they told me that they were "filled up" for today, so I can "go home" and come back tomorrow morning. She very enthusiastically told me, "don't worry, you'll still get credit and paid for today and you don't have to go to work." For just a second, it made me wish I had a job where that was even remotely true. My job doesn't stop when I get jury duty. I just go downtown for the day, spend seven hours doing my civic duty, then work until midnight. The first time I got called I was really happy to have a chance to sit on a jury. It was actually interesting and great experience for me to have in my line of work. But I'm over it now. My wife has been called once -- more than 25 years ago. Hopefully after this I'll be done for another 25 years.

I had been planning to move my daughter to NYC on Friday morning...that's in jeopardy at this point.

Sorry. Rant over.

[WarriorFan]

I live overseas.  Have been called several times.  I usually send them a pro-forma invoice for my service, including business class air fare, consulting fee of $400/hour, 5 star hotel cost, and and offshore bank account to wire the funds in advance.  They are, after all, obliged to pay for one's costs to perform the service...

I also include in the letter a few of the most politically incorrect statements of that particular year... mildly, of course.

I also include a request that if they elect to exclude me, they send a written confirmation of same to my US based attorney.

Somehow they've never followed up, but the letter usually comes a few months later.

[jficke13]

I live overseas.  Have been called several times.  I usually send them a pro-forma invoice for my service, including business class air fare, consulting fee of $400/hour, 5 star hotel cost, and and offshore bank account to wire the funds in advance.  They are, after all, obliged to pay for one's costs to perform the service...

I also include in the letter a few of the most politically incorrect statements of that particular year... mildly, of course.

I also include a request that if they elect to exclude me, they send a written confirmation of same to my US based attorney.

Somehow they've never followed up, but the letter usually comes a few months later.

You could just tell them you don't live in the jurisdiction to which you've been called. I guess you did do that, which rendered all your performative look at what a big fancy man I am demands moot. But you probably weren't writing those demands for the court system anyway.

[lawdog77]

I live overseas.  Have been called several times.  I usually send them a pro-forma invoice for my service, including business class air fare, consulting fee of $400/hour, 5 star hotel cost, and and offshore bank account to wire the funds in advance.  They are, after all, obliged to pay for one's costs to perform the service...

I also include in the letter a few of the most politically incorrect statements of that particular year... mildly, of course.

I also include a request that if they elect to exclude me, they send a written confirmation of same to my US based attorney.

Somehow they've never followed up, but the letter usually comes a few months later.

We have found Keefe's love child.

[buckchuckler]

I had jury duty once, kid accused of stabbing his father.  There was one witness, an older lady who saw this happen from across an alley in her apartment.  The thing though, it was late at night and she didn't have her glasses on!  My fellow jurors were ready to convict right away, I was able to play devils advocate and stall a bit.  Another part of the case hinged on a very unique knife.  During my stall, and a recess, I was able to find that same knife at a local store!  Can you believe it!  Overall, the jurors were pretty angry to start, but in the end I believe that justice was served. 

[Spotcheck Billy]

I've been drawn three times in less than five years. This is getting ridiculous.

I went down this morning and they told me that they were "filled up" for today, so I can "go home" and come back tomorrow morning. She very enthusiastically told me, "don't worry, you'll still get credit and paid for today and you don't have to go to work." For just a second, it made me wish I had a job where that was even remotely true. My job doesn't stop when I get jury duty. I just go downtown for the day, spend seven hours doing my civic duty, then work until midnight. The first time I got called I was really happy to have a chance to sit on a jury. It was actually interesting and great experience for me to have in my line of work. But I'm over it now. My wife has been called once -- more than 25 years ago. Hopefully after this I'll be done for another 25 years.

I had been planning to move my daughter to NYC on Friday morning...that's in jeopardy at this point.

Sorry. Rant over.

You must not live in WI as AKAIK you can only be called once every 4 years.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Yeah, I mean, I get that it's a pain in the ass and you physically can't do it because you live elsewhere, but it is kind of a civic duty that people have to do in our society.

[GB Warrior]

Wear a Blue Lives Matter t shirt to the first day so that the defense weeds you out during jury selection and also so everyone knows you're a jackass

[wadesworld]

I had jury duty once, kid accused of stabbing his father.  There was one witness, an older lady who saw this happen from across an alley in her apartment.  The thing though, it was late at night and she didn't have her glasses on!  My fellow jurors were ready to convict right away, I was able to play devils advocate and stall a bit.  Another part of the case hinged on a very unique knife.  During my stall, and a recess, I was able to find that same knife at a local store!  Can you believe it!  Overall, the jurors were pretty angry to start, but in the end I believe that justice was served.

So you did the job that the lawyers failed to do?

[JWags85]

I had jury duty once, kid accused of stabbing his father.  There was one witness, an older lady who saw this happen from across an alley in her apartment.  The thing though, it was late at night and she didn't have her glasses on!  My fellow jurors were ready to convict right away, I was able to play devils advocate and stall a bit.  Another part of the case hinged on a very unique knife.  During my stall, and a recess, I was able to find that same knife at a local store!  Can you believe it!  Overall, the jurors were pretty angry to start, but in the end I believe that justice was served.

Did she also incorrectly recall how long it takes to make grits?

[lawdog77]

I have been on jury duty twice. The first was a murder trial. Two teens were accused of murdering an owner of a convenience store. Their attorney was very inexperienced. Good thing the rules of evidence weren't closely followed, as it ended up being a case of mistaken identity. The only "witnesses" needed new glasses, and the other lost track of time.

Edit:Darnit Wags

[CreightonWarrior]

My Cousin Vinny is one of those movies that I’ll turn on any time it’s on.

[tower912]

I had jury duty once, kid accused of stabbing his father.  There was one witness, an older lady who saw this happen from across an alley in her apartment.  The thing though, it was late at night and she didn't have her glasses on!  My fellow jurors were ready to convict right away, I was able to play devils advocate and stall a bit.  Another part of the case hinged on a very unique knife.  During my stall, and a recess, I was able to find that same knife at a local store!  Can you believe it!  Overall, the jurors were pretty angry to start, but in the end I believe that justice was served.

Ok, Henry Fonda.

[StillAWarrior]

You must not live in WI as AKAIK you can only be called once every 4 years.

We can get called once every two years.

I had an interesting exchange with the guy today since I got drawn for Federal court in September 2019. On that occasion, even though my name was drawn, I never had to actually go down to the court. I had to call every afternoon for a week but they didn't ever tell me to come down. At the end of they week they said that I was done and did not have to call again. I had hoped that this would qualify as serving and that I would be excused this time.

This led to the following exchange this morning with a county employee:

Me: I was wondering if I am excused because it's been less than two years since I was drawn?
Him: When was it?
Me: September 30, 2019, I was called for Federal Court.
Him: That's more than two years ago.
Me: No it's not.
Him: Yes. That was 2019; it's 2021.
Me: September 30, 2019 is not more than two years ago.

I swear that this exchange actually occurred. Ultimately, he told me that being required to call in every day for a week doesn't qualify -- it's only if you actually have to report in person. Damn it!

[Warriors4ever]

County and federal are totally different jurisdictions. Being called for federal court I do not believe counts for any two-year limitation.

[warriorchick]

Got called for jury duty once in DuPage County, Illinois.

Got questioned for one trial involving a contract dispute.  The defense counsel rejected me as soon as he found out I was an accountant.

When I went back into the waiting area, everyone was crowded around the TV watching the Branch Davidian compound go up in flames.

[lawdog77]

Got called for jury duty once in DuPage County, Illinois.

Got questioned for one trial involving a contract dispute.  The defense counsel rejected me as soon as he found out I was an accountant.

When I went back into the waiting area, everyone was crowded around the TV watching the Branch Davidian compound go up in flames.

You not being on the jury vs Branch Davidian Compound results. Causality, correlation, or coincidence?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Connecticut has a notification system, that tells you the night before if you even need to show up.  They also usually let you schedule the day you want to go in.  My co-worker just scheduled the Friday before Memorial Day weekend which of course was cancelled the night before because the attorneys were off.

I was called for jury duty only once in my life.  It was around 2008.  They read a list a names and to raise your hand if you knew any of the people who's names were called.  One of the names was the doctor who did my first knee surgery back in 1996.  I was excused.
I knew a guy who got selected and he was assigned to some murder trial and was out of the office 2.5 weeks.

[rocket surgeon]

never called until 2014-slender man trial.  wrote to tell them that i'd love to serve for that trial, however, due to the unpredictability of it's length, it would have severely restricted me from working/seeing patients.  also, i knew the grandparents(inlaws), who are patients and the first to the hospital following the stabbing.  they did let me off, but got reassigned to another week.  waukesha county has a call in system.  nothing came up

[Herman Cain]

Called 3 times.
One was on a trial that got settled before we could decide.
Second , they dismissed the entire juror pool early because of no trials.
Third, I got on a grand jury where there are literally no rules and the prosecutors can generally get what they want.

[MU82]

Served on two juries.

In 2004 in Chicago, I was on a jury that awarded $21 million to a family whose daughter was accidentally poisoned due to Walgreens mis-filling a prescription.

https://chicagoist.com/2004/08/12/walgreens_ordered_to_pay_21_million.php

The defense attorney was brilliant, but he had nothing to go on. It was super interesting to be part of the process, as the 12 of us decided on the award.

A couple years ago in Charlotte, I was on a jury that found a guy guilty of pimping out and abusing a 17-year-old girl. Also an interesting trial.

It is a civic duty, but I do feel badly for those, like the OP, who are called numerous times in a short window. Doesn't seem very fair to them.

[muwarrior69]

Wear a Blue Lives Matter t shirt to the first day so that the defense weeds you out during jury selection and also so everyone knows you're a jackass

I was a forensic scientist for the NJ State Police. To say the least I was never picked to serve on a jury. I quit after 3 years, way to depressing of a job. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was DWI/death by auto of a 5 year old boy. it was one of my first cases. This was his 7th DWI. He dragged the kid a full mile before the boys body broke away from his car. He denied hitting the boy but clothes wrapped around his drive shaft matched boys perfectly as did shard of glass from his front headlight. The glass shards fit perfectly like a puzzle. What really did it for me was that the Judge found him guilty and sentenced him to only 18 months in jail. Two years later he was up for trial before the same judge again for death by auto while DWI. I refused to take the case and quit shortly thereafter. As you can guess this was before the era of MADD.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Served on two juries.

In 2004 in Chicago, I was on a jury that awarded $21 million to a family whose daughter was accidentally poisoned due to Walgreens mis-filling a prescription.

https://chicagoist.com/2004/08/12/walgreens_ordered_to_pay_21_million.php

The defense attorney was brilliant, but he had nothing to go on. It was super interesting to be part of the process, as the 12 of us decided on the award.

Poor Mr. Gower, George Bailey wasn't there to save him.

[rocket surgeon]

I was a forensic scientist for the NJ State Police. To say the least I was never picked to serve on a jury. I quit after 3 years, way to depressing of a job. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was DWI/death by auto of a 5 year old boy. it was one of my first cases. This was his 7th DWI. He dragged the kid a full mile before the boys body broke away from his car. He denied hitting the boy but clothes wrapped around his drive shaft matched boys perfectly as did shard of glass from his front headlight. The glass shards fit perfectly like a puzzle. What really did it for me was that the Judge found him guilty and sentenced him to only 18 months in jail. Two years later he was up for trial before the same judge again for death by auto while DWI. I refused to take the case and quit shortly thereafter. As you can guess this was before the era of MADD.

that is absolutely nasty warrior!  i love forensics and worked with st joe's pathologist while waiting for my license.  your stuff might have changed my mind.  stuff like that is hard to "un see"

[Billy Hoyle]

I called for the first time ever, to report April 19, 2020. No complaints.

My wife got called for Grand Jury duty. That was rough!