Getting out of jury duty

[Miss Shelf]

This case http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/12/01/jury.html has me wondering: is being a caregiver a valid excuse to get out of jury duty? What happened back in the day (let's say the '50s and '60s) when housewives got called for jury duty? I think there were more trustworthy neighbors who'd look after the kids back then. Is it really that difficult these days to find someone to care for the kids temporarily? There was no guarantee the dad would have been picked to sit on a jury. What would the parents have done if, let's say, dad had to be hospitalized for a few days? I don't know how much of a hardship it was for the grandparents to watch the kids while dad appeared in court. I'm wondering:

1) Has our society become so alienated that people don't bother to form any social attachments outside the family? Is it irresponsible of parents not to plan for unexpected difficulties like this?

2) Has jury duty really become something to avoid by any means possible? If this keeps up, and "working", "caregiving", "I'm sick", etc. are excuses to get out of jury duty, who's left to fill the jury box? I don't think most people are eager to serve on a jury, but it's a civic duty, one that we as Americans should be proud to be allowed to serve. We can go around and around on the flaws in the American judicial system, but our right to a trial by a jury of our peers is one that is precious, and everyone should remember that wars were fought to preserve that right, among others.

In my opinion, it would be poetic justice if that father were ever to stand trial for something and have his trial delayed because there were not enough jurors in the pool.

What do you think?

 

[abecedarian]

Imagine my situation as a homeschooling mom, responsible for a variety of grade levels and age groups. Who can I possibly call for a substitute? If I go off and leave my kids with an older sibling or heaven forbid, their grandma, they lose schooltime. If they're just at home with no other adult and one gets hurt and needs medical help, I can get in trouble wiith child services. Up until the last time I got a summons, I could call and tell the clerk that I was homeschooling and nursing an infant..they never wanted me to bring a baby to court. This last time, when I told them I was homeschooling, they refused to excuse me, but said i'd have to call on certain date to see if I was needed. If the recording did not excuse me and everyone else for that day, then I had to go regardless of my situation. Turned out we were all excused. Another glitch would be parking. Can you see me parking my 15 passenger van in a parking garage? Not a pretty mental picture!

 

[curiouswonder]

Has our society become so alienated that people don't bother to form any social attachments outside the family?

There is a sense in suburbia that no one feels they have time to connect with neighbors. In earlier decades, almost all of the moms stayed home so there was a greater sense of community since there was time to build it. In my neighborhod, both spouses work and then spend their nights chasing kids to whatever the practice or game du jour happens to be. Jury duty would work out for most of thesefolks because they already have a system in place for tazking care of their kids during the day.

Has jury duty really become something to avoid by any means possible?

This has really become a combative issue in our county. I was called a couple of years ago and there was a man that didn't show. The judge sent a sheriff out that minute to collect him and the guy was brought in from work 30 minutes later in handcuffs.
In August I was called for the third time in two years during one of the weeks I was to be in China to get my daughter. When I called to tell them why I couldn't make it, the clerk told me that my excuse was very original, but it wouldn't fly. I needed to have full documentation to be excused. Full was the wrong word to use. When I faxed them our complete dossier, application and travel documents (over 150 pages) I got a phone call telling me I was excused and asking where they should send the bill for the fax machine that suffered a melt down.
Having a jury of our peers is an important American idea, but usually one we don't get too fired up about until we need it. That's too bad, it really is a pretty fascinating process.

 

[novella]

In NY State being a full-time caregiver with kids under school age is a valid reason for being excused.

The last couple of times I was called, they provided a phone number to call the night before to see if I would be needed. Both times I was not needed, so I was automatically excused.

 

[Chixulub]

What do you think?

I think a smart person can get out of jury duty without the legal battle, though I grudgingly admire the guy's stubborn honesty.

If you're drafted and don't want to enlist, tell them you're gay (oops, they didn't ask but you told). Or a Communist. Tell them you're a gay Communist who has been conspiring with your gay lover to overthrow the government. You may be exchanging one monkey on your back for another, but you're probably getting out military service.

Jury duty is way easier. Beg to be on the the jury because you're tired of seeing so many miscarriages of justice and you want your shot at changing eleven minds because you can determine guilt or innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt with your Tarot deck and I-Ching. Or tell them you've always wanted to send a white man to jail. Tell them you don't want to compromise your privacy but your'e under the care of a psychiatrist. Tell one of the attorneys you have always wanted to get barely legal. Hell, piss your pants and then apologize saying it sometimes happens when you're in government buildings.

Tell them you don't want to be associated with the kind of head-in-the-sand jerk who would qualify for jury duty. Or that you're reasonably sure if the cops made an arrest, that was proof of guilt, or that if the cops busted the guy he must not have paid off the right polticians....

 

[mehastings]

Jury duty is way easier. Beg to be on the the jury because you're tired of seeing so many miscarriages of justice and you want your shot at changing eleven minds because you can determine guilt or innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt with your Tarot deck and I-Ching. Or tell them you've always wanted to send a white man to jail. Tell them you don't want to compromise your privacy but your'e under the care of a psychiatrist. Tell one of the attorneys you have always wanted to get barely legal. Hell, piss your pants and then apologize saying it sometimes happens when you're in government buildings.

Tell them you don't want to be associated with the kind of head-in-the-sand jerk who would qualify for jury duty. Or that you're reasonably sure if the cops made an arrest, that was proof of guilt, or that if the cops busted the guy he must not have paid off the right polticians....

Or, work the night before and fall asleep during the movie. I can tell you they don't like that...

 

[Libre]

I think a smart person can get out of jury duty without the legal battle, though I grudgingly admire the guy's stubborn honesty.

Beg to be on the the jury because you're tired of seeing so many miscarriages of justice and you want your shot at changing eleven minds because you can determine guilt or innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt with your Tarot deck and I-Ching. Or tell them you've always wanted to send a white man to jail. Tell them you don't want to compromise your privacy but your'e under the care of a psychiatrist. Tell one of the attorneys you have always wanted to get barely legal. Hell, piss your pants and then apologize saying it sometimes happens when you're in government buildings.

Tell them you don't want to be associated with the kind of head-in-the-sand jerk who would qualify for jury duty. Or that you're reasonably sure if the cops made an arrest, that was proof of guilt, or that if the cops busted the guy he must not have paid off the right polticians....

That might get you off the jury, but it won't get you off jury DUTY. In New York City, you have to sit in the Jury Pool for hours or days before you are called to go into a court room, at which point you might get the chance to try one of those excuses - but it doesn't stop them from returning you back to the pool to sit on your fanny for the full term of your jury duty.

 

[novella]

But you can entertain yourselves fulsomely there! I was once part of an NYC jury pool that had an ongoing tap-dancing contest that morphed into a general talent and then lack-of-talent contest. Hey gang, let's put on a show! 'course I later was excused from serving on an actual jury because of various personal experiences.

 

[Isabell]

The first time I was called in for Jury duty. I went...7 months pregnant. I trapsed to downtown Chicago (I live in the far northwest suburbs, roughly 25 miles; 2 to 3 hours drive time in traffic) I took public transportation and had to stand the entire time since no one was kind enough to offer a pregnant woman a seat on the damn train. I went and was dismissed. Next time I was called again I was home with 2 small children and one was being nursed. I got the notice and with ample time, wrote a letter of the reason why I was not able to serve. Sent it, and waited a week to call and verify that they have in fact received my letter. Cook County accepted it. Third time I was called, I went. My children are in a school full time and I saw no reason why I couldn't go. I just made sure that if I couldn't get home in time to get the kids from school (3PM) I had my husband come home early from work that day.
That father had the right to stay home for his children. I had the right to stay home with mine. The county understood. Sounds to me like it was a personality conflict with the man and the person he happen to talk to at the clerks office. Sad for him and another waste of court time when he was charged with contempt. Shame on Ohio for wasting taxpayers dollars. They should have accepted his hardship and moved on to the next person in line for Jury duty.

 

[SFG75]

The county that I currently live in only has about 6,000 people. We've lived here for six years and haven't once been called for jury duty. If called, I would go and wouldn't make an attempt to get out of it, especially if it was over the summer time. For those who don't know-if you are a registered voter, your name could be picked as a juror-I've heard of a lot of people not bothering to register to vote for that raeson. To me, you owe service at some point and time.

 

[cajunmama]

This case http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/12/01/jury.html has me wondering: is being a caregiver a valid excuse to get out of jury duty? What happened back in the day (let's say the '50s and '60s) when housewives got called for jury duty? I think there were more trustworthy neighbors who'd look after the kids back then. Is it really that difficult these days to find someone to care for the kids temporarily? There was no guarantee the dad would have been picked to sit on a jury. What would the parents have done if, let's say, dad had to be hospitalized for a few days? I don't know how much of a hardship it was for the grandparents to watch the kids while dad appeared in court. I'm wondering:

1) Has our society become so alienated that people don't bother to form any social attachments outside the family? Is it irresponsible of parents not to plan for unexpected difficulties like this?

2) Has jury duty really become something to avoid by any means possible? If this keeps up, and "working", "caregiving", "I'm sick", etc. are excuses to get out of jury duty, who's left to fill the jury box? I don't think most people are eager to serve on a jury, but it's a civic duty, one that we as Americans should be proud to be allowed to serve. We can go around and around on the flaws in the American judicial system, but our right to a trial by a jury of our peers is one that is precious, and everyone should remember that wars were fought to preserve that right, among others.

In my opinion, it would be poetic justice if that father were ever to stand trial for something and have his trial delayed because there were not enough jurors in the pool.

What do you think?

There are many valid reasons for being excused from jury duty, work and being a caregiver and just two of them. One of the times I was called, I had an 18 month old child at home. Do you know what daycare costs, if you can find one that has room for your kid? Oh, sure I could have asked my in-laws to care for him, but they are in their 70's and handling a toddler all day for an indefinite period of time is not something they could have done. My husband was excused the last time he was called because as the sole income earner, being gone from work for an indefinite period of time would have been impossible. To go from a $10/hour job (and barely making bills) to $10/day would have been a financial disaster.
Sure, it is your civic duty, but sometimes doign that duty could have disastrous consequences outside the courtroom.

 

[Miss Shelf]

Sounds to me like it was a personality conflict with the man and the person he happen to talk to at the clerks office. Sad for him and another waste of court time when he was charged with contempt. Shame on Ohio for wasting taxpayers dollars. They should have accepted his hardship and moved on to the next person in line for Jury duty.

You're probably right here, I think the father didn't communicate his situation well enough and that's what caused the flap. But I think that the courts know that people try to get out of jury duty, so they have to get tough.

It's become fashionable for people to bitch and moan about jury duty. Some people do have valid reasons for being excused and I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is people who fake reasons to get out of it. If they ever eliminate jury trials, which is a possibility given the unpopularity of it, our fates will be decided by politically appointed judges with agendas. How many high-profile jury-tried cases do you think might have had a different verdict if the presiding judge was the only one to decide guilt?

 

[muggle]

Jury duty is a civic duty. I also have no problem with those that have legitimate reasons for not serving. However, those that "shirk" their duty for no reason other than they don't want to serve or it inconveniences them simply put the responsibility on other people. I guess that is the way it is in the world though, some people accept responsibility and others do everything possible to avoid it.

 

[mehastings]

I've heard of a lot of people not bothering to register to vote for that raeson.

That, is terrible and sad on its own. Not registering to vote just to get out of jury duty? I can't possibly fathom doing something like that, and I'm horrified that people would.

 

[sirmyk]

I heard that Jury Duty selection has nothing to do with voting registrars, but with information on had at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

 

[mehastings]

I just looked it up online. Looks like it's both. They take all registered voters and all registered drivers, and select out of that pool.

 

[Isabell]

I heard that Jury Duty selection has nothing to do with voting registrars, but with information on had at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Here in Cook County if you're a legal driver in the state of Illinois, you will be called for Jury Duty.

Nothing to do with Voting