Question re: Jury Duty

Call the Court and ask.
jud

I get called every three years and show up, never to be picked. I have never tired to skirt the obligation (honor) but in MA it's easy to postpone your service.

One time I was scheduled as an expert in a trial to start two days after the trial for which I was in attendance as a potential juror. I explained the circumstances to the judge and he said "It doesn't matter, this trial will be over before that one starts because I'll be the judge on that trial too!"

I, too, am a sole proprietor and my last jury call was ten days ago. Still not chosen, but that's because the issues were settled prior to trial...

I think that you need to suck it up, do your civic duty, and hope you don't get called!

Here, just for showing up I am now exempt from jury duty for three more years...

It seems to just depend on the judge. I had to beg and plead the first time I got called, had to talk to the jury commissioner and she let me go. Second time, in a different county, they just asked if anybody was a business owner and let us all go automatically. Third time, I said I had expensive tickets to an event, they asked me what it was and when I told them it was a Rolling Stones concert, the judge said "Get out of here" so I did.

I really wouldn't mind doing it some time, though.

Around here the judge sometimes will postpone your jury duty to some other time in the near future. Sometimes it can be accomplished by sending a letter to the judge or maybe even phoning the judges office. Judges around here don't like to take excuses or reschedules over the phone, but all judges run their own court differently. Some might even let you off. Might be a good thing to have a week set aside sometime in the near future in case the judge will allow it but wants to know an alternate date.

Don't do this-

I'd rather count....

I went to JR Hi and High school with the judge. It would have been funnier if he'd sent him to jail and to bring his dog so he'd have something to do to pass the time.....

most counties allow for one dismissal

they will reshedule you but you better make that one--tdd

I have been called 5 times and served twice, 3 days each. Once my call date was the day before I had a hearing with the State Board, regarding sitting for the PLS exam. I called and got a postponement to a better date. Never tried to get out of it, they asked I follow up with a written request, which I had in their hand the next day. But then I only live 3 miles from the courthose.

Paul in PA

Around here, the answer is not no, but hell no.

Missing work for any reason is on the top of the list of no-no's for getting excused.

Do not even bring it up or the judge will scoff at you in front of everyone.

We are a very small community, so every warm body called is needed in the pool.

I have been 4 times in the last 15 years and have never been selected, so I only missed a few hours of work.

That 16 bucks for my time was sure appreciated lol.

Suck it up & do your duty

I have served three times. First time I was a sole proprietor on contract and if I didn't show up for work I received zero income. Was not excused, had to "eat it" for 30 days. Kinda tough with four kids at the time, but I did it; even wound up as Foreman of one Jury.

Next two times I was on university payroll. Got called both times (only a week each), but was excused both times because I'm a Life Member of the NRA, Army Veteran, two sons in the military, and one son in the FBI. When asked if I would consider a policeman's testimony equal to a defendant, I replied, "Of course not; the policeman has a more objective viewpoint, and a policeman's testimony would hold more weight in my opinion."

They then fall all over themselves excusing you from the jury. However, you do get a lot of smiles from the cops in the spectator area as you walk out of the courtroom. From then on, each time I got called to another jury for voir dir, every defense attorney already knew who I was. They would usually begin by asking the entire jury, "Is there anyone here that has similar opinions as Mr. Mugnier?" Several people would raise their hands and we'd all be excused together. The Judges thought it was pretty funny ...

Suck it up & do your duty

Yes, you can most likely answer questions in a way that you can guarantee to not get selected (to be excused as the case may be by one of the attorneys).

Odds are often very high you won't get selected even if you are trying to get on the jury as well.

If the jury selection notification was not sent certified, you may even have an argument of saying you never got the notification in the mail, but of course that would be lying if you actually did. (come to think of it, not answering the questions honestly would be lying also).

I got selected for jury duty only once, and ended up sitting on a 5-week murder trial. I did not try to get out of it. I have never gotten a notice since for whatever that is worth.

It is quite the ordeal. I still remember many details of the trial and the case over 15 years later.

Suck it up & do your duty

This is a fairly small town and most everybody knows everyone else. So when they asked if anyone in the courtroom knew any of the police officers involved, I told the defense attorney that yes, several of the officers involved were friends of mine. He then asked that if I heard conflicting testimony from the police and the defendant, would I be more likely to believe my friends or the defendant. Wow - I really wanted to ask the defense attorney if the defendant actually had a choice in hiring him...

Suck it up & do your duty

as a non-felon living in Baltimore City, it is common for me to get a summons up to twice a year. they DO give us a juror number on the postcard. if we make the numeric "cut", we can find out online the night before. some nasty cases around here. can't wait for the day i go to jury and see my brother there as police witness. guess i have to recuse myself at that point

Question re: Jury Duty...In OZ

the lawyers select from panel what they reckon will best suite their cause.

Asking Q of the potential juror...

Now if you turned up dressed in your absolute best clothes eg in a dark blue expensive suite, shiny leather shoes, loud tie and hair plastered with hair product....

.....You just might be overlooked ....

RADU

Question re: Jury Duty...In OZ

Called for a trial for a love triangle that ended up with a shotgun blast to the side of a home. Did not know until I got there what it was about. Wearing a right to bear arms, belt buckle and when asked if I had any bias my answer was that I believed in the right to bear arms and the responsibility's that went along with that right, that any one that abused those rights and responsibility's was threatening my rights and should be hung. I was excused from that jury, did serve on others.
jud

Also, review the "Fully Informed Jury Association" @ http://fija.org/

Bryan, did not know about such an organization. I did come to the conclusion that our founders with all of the checks and balances intended for the jury to consider the law and all applicable evidence when sitting in judgment. That they really meant peers because of the many emigrants and it did not mean what is used today. The laws had to be changed for the courts to gain the power of today and one of the reasons so many innocent were convicted. When I sit on a jury I consider all of the evidence I know about and the intent, not the letter of the law regardless of what the judge may instruct, the jury is on an equal level of power with the prosecutor and the judge which gives them that right, most do not know that or are not bright enough to have figured it out themselves, therefor are only puppets of the judge.
jud

Voir Dire

A couple of months ago I was called. Voir dire took all day. At about 3 PM they selected a jury plus alternates without me. Had to answer a ton of questions. Everybody who knows this or had that happen stand up. Answer a more specific question, sit down till the next round. Personally I think it was an all day stall tactic. The lead attorney for the plaintiff was stuck in the Caribbean somewhere by a hurricane. I did manage to get a good hour of deed research done before being called for voir dire and another hour at lunchtime.

Received all of $9.00 and $0.17 a mile for 6 miles.

Paul in PA

I have been called for petit jury here and have written a letter to be excused for the same reasons that you state.
I was excused. Twice
I think they gave up on me.
I was called to a Fed GJ after 9/11 and served for 24 months. One day a week on Fridays.
I had an employer then and they paid me plus the Feds paid my mileage, parking and $40/day.
I adjusted my hours a little for my employer.

Despite being a sole proprietor I would like the experience of sitting on a jury for a period of time of one week or less. Anything longer than that would get me in a bind. Not so much the money, as the series of obligations to clients who would be left waiting for their project to be completed. We had a trial locally where suit was brought by a city against British Petroleum, as current owner of a former Standard Oil refinery site. It went on for something like four months, then the judge threw out the jury's decision and issued his own opinion as the decision. Of course, it is currently being appealed.