I Just Got a Court Summons......For Jury Duty.

[AJL67]

Got called a bunch of time in the states and even showed up twice! the last time it so happened that one of my best cigar buddies was called the same day, so we went out and smoked cigars for our lunch break, got back after lunch and we were called into the room for selection, he was the second to last and i was last so neither of us got called, i brought a fiver of cigars so gave him a ride home and we had cigars on the way back to his place as well, all in all a pretty good day!

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

I thought that too.

I've had my share of porridge .

Jay.

Be careful, you're not meant to be doing jury service. Tell them that and you're exempted right away.

 

[captpat]

Must be living right -- never summoned. (OOPS, maybe shouldn't have said that)

 

[mawnansmiff]

Be careful, you're not meant to be doing jury service.

It's not quite as clear cut as that. I too thought that would exempt me but only in certain circumstances (date of last conviction etc etc).

Besides, they contacted me, I didn't apply for jury service.

Jay.

 

[sablebrush52]

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. If, God forbid, I was ever in the dock I'd rather have my fate decided by twelve good men and true than a panel of state officials.

If you'd witnessed what I witnessed in the holding pen you might rethink that calculus. Never could I believe the breathtaking levels of chicanery, stupidity and dishonesty displayed with such abandon as people attempted to wriggle out of jury service. Besides the empaneled "narcoleptic" there was the ever popular "Me no understand English" tactic, "me crazy" tactic, amazing and quite redolent displays of flatulence, sad tales of financial disaster if picked for a jury, and other displays of strange behavior intended to make them appear undesirable. The judges were having none of it, having seen hundreds of performances in the past, and put people desperate not to serve, onto juries. And they're stuck there because of YOU.

Jurors got no freebies, except parking in a special parking lot, no luncheon, and pay was about $15 a day, which the court would ask to be refunded. LA was desperate for jurors who were younger than dead, and made refusing, evading, or ignoring a summons a serious matter, punishable with fines and/or imprisonment.

So anyone on trial is facing juries with members who are pissed off at being there. Good luck with that.

 

[anotherbob]

If you aren’t physically able, contact whatever number I assume came with the summons or look it up, call and explain and then likely you’ll be asked to send them a note explaining your situation and I’d guess you’ll be excused with no fuss.

I got a summons to be in the pool a few years ago. I was kind of shocked by some of the things the Judge accepted as reasons to not serve. I did feel it kind of made sense too though in that anyone that would not take the things seriously wouldn't be a good juror.
Personally I was happy to go and disappointed I didn't get to serve.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

It's not quite as clear cut as that. I too thought that would exempt me but only in certain circumstances (date of last conviction etc etc).

Besides, they contacted me, I didn't apply for jury service.

Jay.

As I remember, they will summon you, but then it is your responsibility to declare any convictions. A failure to do so, is another criminal offense. As far as I remember, convictions are never spent when it comes to jury service, but I could well be wrong about that. Either way, I was gutted at the time, I was imagining myself in a 12 Angry Men scenario lol

 

[renfield]

Watching and listening to people during jury selection was always entertaining and depressing in equal measures.

 

[woodsroad]

“Neither you, sir, nor anyone else on God’s green earth are my peers. I look down upon you and all of humanity as you wallow in the sewage of ignorance and dispair.”

Try that one out.
It worked for me.

 

[paulfg]

Ever since I got the summons for jury duty I paid extra attention the the local news bulletins at 6:30 every evening.

Pretty soon I realised the case involved the murder of an innocent guy trying to break up a fight outside a nightclub in the town of Bodmin (about 40 miles away).

Every night there were more details revealed as the case dragged on in the court and it really was pretty serious with the knifeman and two females being charged with murder/assisting an offender.

After hearing all the evidence it became pretty clear all three were guilty and sure enough the jury found them so.

Well it all came to a head the other day when all 3 re-appeared at court for sentencing. The main culprit got the usual sentence for murder which is life imprisonment, and in his case the minimum he will serve afore applying for parole was given as 28 years which means he will be around 53 afore he can be considered for release.

Bodmin stabbing: Jake Hill, 25, jailed for murdering Michael Riddiough-Allen

Jake Hill, 25, has been jailed for a minimum of 28 years for the murder of Michael Riddiough-Allen.

www.bbc.co.uk

My summons letter stated the case would last about 10 days but it was more like 30 days! Do I regret not taking part? In a way yes but I just knew it would be impractical for me to do so.

Jay.

well that just about sums it up
sentenced to life = 28 years .
I hope I have a life of more than 28 years,oh I already have

 

[pappymac]

Got called once for jury duty over 10 years ago. Actually got seated for a drug possession with intent to distribute case. Told the judge I was retired Coast Guard and that I had been involved with a number of drug interdiction operations. I still got selected.

The judge decided to send us to lunch before starting the trial. We got back from lunch and the defendant had decided to plead guilty to a lesser charge.

 

[Sigmund]

I got called once. Then there was a last minute plea and we were sent home.

I worked in medium and max secruity prisons for 14 years. I think I am owed time served for the felony of my choice in the future.

 

[krizzose]

I’ve been called 3 times. I got bounced in voir dire each time. I’m an attorney, so I think one side really wants me on the jury, and one side wants me nowhere near it. . I would actually like to serve on a jury once

 

[simong]

well that just about sums it up
sentenced to life = 28 years .
I hope I have a life of more than 28 years,oh I already have

In some cases you'll find a life sentence can mean as little as 12-15 years! Bring back hanging... & the birch!

 

[Sparcdude]

I’ve been called twice - once by a state that I had just moved from, so that was an obvious dismissal. The thing about that state’s particular jury duty laws was that if you don’t get picked the first day, you’re done and don’t have to return.

The second time was for federal jury duty. That lasts a month, but you only report the first day, then call in once a week and listen if they call the number you were assigned. If it’s not called, you repeat the process until the final call which says “Thank you!”. They paid us $35 for the first day…I didn’t spend it all in one place.