ugh >

I keep waiting to get selected and I still haven't been picked.

You can have my turn.

Id rather be making money.

When being selected just say, "Bring the guilty SOB in, the ball game starts in 2 hours."      

Yeah, some editing...Take it somewhere else...

Regarding jury duty, tell them the truth:

Anyone the police arrest and the prosecutor is willing to take to trial

is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. I favor hanging, but electrocution

is fine as long as I get to watch.

You will be back to work in no time.

8-)

On the flip side, if you can afford to serve, it can be an enlightening and potential disturbing view at how our justice system works. I served on 1 jury for a 1st degree murder trial that lasted 2 weeks . Luckily my employer at the time told me they required me to serve and would pay my salary the whole time.

It was interesting to say the least.

OUCH, THAT BLOWS!

I was thinking about airbrushing some SS lightning bolts on my forehead in the morning. That might get me back to work ;D

I was thinking about airbrushing some SS lightning bolts on my forehead in the morning. That might get me back to work ;D

or your assbeat on the way to court  ;D

Lucky you.  I've been waiting for 14 years.  I was selected for federal jury duty a few years ago, but never was never called to show up.

I've gotten a notice that my name had been selected four times.  Only twice did I have to report.  Once I was in a group that was told we could leave, and once I had to serve.

A young fellow had been charged with driving while under the influence, and underage drinking.

In a couple of years I can tell 'em to shove any notices they send to me.

 Fourbizz they might have an out for financial hardship you might check o that. That is probably done as part of the notice deal.

 As far as jury duty I've been called 3 times and served once. It was also a DUI deal. In Illinois if you don't take the breathalyzer then I don't see how anyone ever gets convicted. The law is so poorly worded that the first thing all 12 said when we were handed it was "what does this mean". I thought the case was a slam dunk guilty and almost voted not guilty just so we'd take plenty of time to be fair. I voted guilty anyway and 1st vote was 10-2 for not guilty! We went till like 9pm at night. I figured if they can't write a law better than that I wasn't wasting my time with it, changed my vote and helped change the mind of the lone straggler.

 Biggest waste of time in my life and I got paid for it by my employer.

Another one took 2 or 3 days of sitting around. I just missed sitting in but a neighbor filled me in. A lady had a car wreck and didn't go to the hospital for it ( ever ). Three days later she suddenly needs chiro work and eventually sues for pain blah blah. The trial came out that she had been seeing the chiro already and had in fact pulled this same deal before. Seems the local high priced injury law firm had hired a new lawyer. They knew the case was a loser but wanted him to have some practise at the tax payers expense.

        The car accident one was all word of mouth on so take it for what it's worth.

 Next time I'm going with a green party button. Maybe the lawyers won't want publicity for the "other" party.

One thing I remembered on jury duty.

I did have a warrant issue for me when I did not show up once. It was in Niagara county, NY. Which I lived in when I was 14. I had not lived there since, never filed taxes in Niagara county and had not lived in New York State for 8 years, they sent a notice to my fathers house in NY.

My sisters a cop up there and found out about the warrant. I called the sheriff up there (I live in NC). They called the judge got the warrant lifted and had me call the jury duty folks the next day. They took my name off the list and then told me that New York state had a glitch in their system and would likely keep putting me on their list. In short, I was told I can look forward to a lifetime of jury summons and bench warrants. been actually looking into a lawsuit against the state to get them to knock it off. Who knows maybe NYS will get to fill my retirement fund.

Anyway, while that sucks, the experience itself is interesting to go through at least once. Though I could do without the murder scene photos in my head. After all the gory scenes I have seen on movies, which were far more brutal than the murder scene photos, that the body on the photos was a real person, it just has stuck in my head. Don't know how people deal with that on a day to day basis.

Jay,

Go serve, be honest and hope that you get to selected...  if there is one thing we really need, it's decent jurors.

I would love to serve...  been called several times and never got close to being selected.  They seem to want to strike the educated, logical thinking people first.  And God forbid you know a police officer or judge...  I got struck once for simply knowing a judge (who was retired at the time).  

And what scares the crap out of me is that if I ever have to face trial, knowing that all the "good" people are tying to get out of serving.  I sincerely doubt they would end up with a jury of MY PEERS to decide my fate..  

Any one of us could be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time...  it happens every day.  

Boy, I hope that if I ever end up needing a jury trial, that quality people won't think themselves too "busy" to participate in justice.

I only ever served on jury duty once... way back when I was eighteen (that will teach me to register to vote).  And they made me jury foreman on the burglary case.  Since then, whenever I was called for jury duty, I stated that I believe in Common Law (why should only judges be granted this latitude)... and I have not served on a jury since.  

Boy, I hope that if I ever end up needing a jury trial, that quality people won't think themselves too "busy" to participate in justice.

I hear ya but there are very few who can pay their mortgage, feed their kids, and take time off for jury duty. As a joke they "pay" you to be there. IMO, if they want to rectify this, they should require companies pay your salary in full while you are on a jury and the company should be able to take any salary/bene's they pay out to employees on jury duty and get a tax break for doing so.

I mean really, the jury I was on it took 2 days to select all of us because the vast majority of 200 people spent their entire time trying to find a way to not serve. Some with good reason, some because they did not want to be bothered. We were on a 1st degree murder trial, in NC we do have the death penalty. The was the potential that we would be deciding if the accused lived or died. IMO, that should be something that demands the best of the best when it comes to a jury. In actuality, amongst others, we got myself (whose employer required me to stay unless dismissed), 3 unemployed folks who really were thinking about the calls they were missing for work, contractor who was thinking about how much $$ he was losing out on not being at work, a student who thought this whole thing was hilarious, and one person (not trying to be mean or derogatory, just real) who was probably 1 or 2 IQ points above qualifying for a mental disability. We were to chose the fate of the accused, and possibly condemn him to death. That is pretty scary.

I'll get in before the lock, LOL, but the thought of corporations paying jurors  sounds familiar....

I'll get in before the lock, LOL, but the thought of corporations paying jurors sounds familiar....

In actuality, I don't know of a single company that docks a salaried employee for serving.  Now, the hourly folks get screwed, most of the time though.

Hey, Glenn, feel free to delete my post, and if you do, please delete me as a member as well.

Some here (names won't be disclosed, but one is a mod) reflect the idea that getting out of jury duty is fine or some are bothered by it. Well, what is the justice system for? Our justice system currently is quite dysfunctional and favors those with sufficient dollars to buy they're way OUT of the justice system. Is that what you want? When, as an American citizen, do you feel your duty to participate in this 'justice system' begins and ends?

Would you prefer to move to china? No problem with jury duty there. On being found guilty, you're shot in the back of the head. Sound good?

Bottom line is if you don't wish to participate in jury duty, don't participate in remaining an America Citizen. Yes, it is a pain in the butt, yes, it can affect your finances, but if you want a judicial system that you participate in where YOU have a say in what happens and if someone is guilty or innocent by virtue of the evidence presented, you need to perform your CIVIC DUTY.

Better think about it...... China's waiting.

I'm the only Moderator to post on this thread and I guess you

didn't find my response humorous. I am occasionally accused

of being a hardliner, but rarely (never) someone who would

shirk any civil duty or responsibility. Knowing or thinking

I know Fourbizz a little, my comments were for his redneck

side.

No offense intended. I expect everyone to serve when called.

My redneck side?  ;D

Well, I knew i wasnt going to try to "weasel out". If I was to be exempt or excused that was fine, but I wasnt going to FIND a way to get out of it.

It was to be about a 6 week trial. I have a pre paid vaction planned in the middle of it, so my service was deferred.

I'll get in before the lock, LOL, but the thought of corporations paying jurors sounds familiar....

In actuality, I don't know of a single company that docks a salaried employee for serving. Now, the hourly folks get screwed, most of the time though.

You are probably right. I'm pretty sure my time spent on jury selection (two and a half days) coded as, "Approved Paid Absence - Jury Duty," or something like that. i was just infusing a little political humor, if that's even possible.

New York state had a glitch in their system

What?!? Impossible!!!!  

My redneck side? ;D

Well, I knew i wasnt going to try to "weasel out". If I was to be exempt or excused that was fine, but I wasnt going to FIND a way to get out of it.

It was to be about a 6 week trial. I have a pre paid vaction planned in the middle of it, so my service was deferred.

6 week!? See...who can afford to take 6 weeks off of work? Yet if it was 6 weeks, you can bet it was an important trial (or just make a blind assumption it is based on no practical legal experience aside from a single run on a jury ). So it is sad how tough it is to do such a trial. My current company cold not afford me unbillable for 6 weeks. We'd have to lay someone off.

6 week!? See...who can afford to take 6 weeks off of work? Yet if it was 6 weeks, you can bet it was an important trial (or just make a blind assumption it is based on no practical legal experience aside from a single run on a jury ). So it is sad how tough it is to do such a trial. My current company cold not afford me unbillable for 6 weeks. We'd have to lay someone off.