Jury Duty

[ponytail]

I just received a summons for jury duty. :( I don't want to go. Has anyone here here been called for jury duty? What can I expect? I have heard all the stuff about just sitting around and waiting. Courts, judges, lawyers make me nervous. I have never even been inside a court room. I keep telling myself just do it and get it over with. The only thing that really bothers me is taking time off work.

[JamesG]

I was called to serve in August 2006. I remember we all had to call the court the night before we were supposed to appear to hear the confirmation if we were supposed to attend the next morning.


My jury experience wasn't really a memorable one. I had to be at the courthouse by 8:30am and I stayed there until about 6 or 6:30pm.

I wasn't even called in for questioning, my time there was just literally sitting around in a big room waiting to hear your number to be called.





My day pretty much went like this:


8:00am arrive at the courthouse and wait on line to be searched by the metal detectors.

8:30am you arrive in the waiting room where the employees introduce themselves and tell you what to expect throughout the day, where the restrooms are, in case of medical emergency... and all of that info.



Then they gave you some forms to fill out while a video filmed by Diane Sawyer was playing where she explains about "the meaning of jury duty" and how important and honorable it is....



Then around 9:30am or so you all hand in your forms and the first set of questioning begins. At this point you begin just waiting around and listening for your number to be called.



Around 12:30pm is your lunch break. They give you exactly 1 hour for lunch and explained that if you are late, pending serious circumstances, you can face criminal charges.



Then when you get back in at 1:30pm the second set of questioning begins and you again wait around for your number to be called.

This goes on all the way until 5:30pm -6pm where the session ends for the day.



Then at this point all of the people who weren't called in or weren't dismissed yet wait around for the staff to call your name where they give you an official certificate to prove that you were at jury duty for the day.

This can take as long as it takes until everyone left is individually called up.




Since I was never called in I can't tell you exactly on how the questioning/evaluation procedure goes if your number is picked.

About maybe 2 weeks later my $40.00 check for my 1 day service arrived. The certificate I got mentioned that I cannot be called back to serve again until after August 2012, six years after my date.

[MrCleveland]

I haven't been chosen to be on a Jury...yet.

[phoebe7165]

Alot of people think serving jury duty is a privilege. I think it's a pain in the a$$, and I'm glad I haven't got called for it in a long time!!! I don't how it is where you live, but like James said, now some have it to where you have to call this number the night before, and it's automated, and they say, if you have a certain number on your summons, you have to report, all others don't have to.

It was just alot of sitting around. It's been so long I don't remember all that happened. I just remember being very bored. Also, losing out on money because they pay you very little, and having to miss work because of it!!!:mad:

Who knows, you might not even have to serve!!

[HuntingtonM15]

I've never been called. I know I'd never make it on a jury, anyway, because I'd be way too biased.

[Family Ties Forever!]

A few years ago I received a summons for jury duty. I called them and told them I was legally blind. I then had to obtain a letter from my eye doctor stating my eye conditions. Once they received that letter I was dismissed and didn't have to show up for jury duty. I don't know if I'll ever be summoned again. Hopefully not. I wouldn't be of much help if I was summoned again.

[ponytail]

A lot of waiting around. That's what I'm hearing from others too. Geez!

[OH Nuts!]

Bring a good book or two - something you've always wanted to read. Jury duty is yukky - at least to me - but that's because I get called like clockwork every 4 years. When I have to do it again (ugh!) that will make it time #7. It will likely be a lot waiting. Good luck.

[Coffeecup]

I went 25 years ago and loved it. You do wait around but the experience for me was wonderful. I learned a lot. Only thing I wasn't too crazy is getting there. I hated to drive so got a ride to the court. I have gone a number of times since then but wasn't chosen. At the time I made more money there than at my job. I was paid $50.00 a day. I had ? a 8 hour day at the court.

[MickeyMac]

I was selected once. They put me in a number category. The day the picked my number was not scheduled. Thank God.

[70s show watcher]

ive never been called but a friend of my was called a few weeks ago

[JamesG]

I figured to put this here since I heard an update on how jury duty works around NY from my sister who was called today.

The policy is different from when I served back in 2006. Now everyone has to be interviewed by a lawyer and they decide if you are to be dismissed or not.

For people whose number never came up, they have to keep coming back until a lawyer gets to them. My sister spoke to a few people who had been there for 3 days because their number never came up.

Back in 2006 I was dismissed just because my number never came up to go in for questioning; now they want to see everyone.

[Janice]

Usually, there's a box to check that lets you postpone it for a year. I did that a couple of times. Once, I didn't get called back. When I did serve, I didn't get paid a dime.

[Family Ties Forever!]

^That's a shame that you weren't paid for your time. Did you at least get free parking or did they make you pay for that also?

[tiredmike59]

You should at least make the same hourly wage that
the judge and the shysters make.

[Brieannas21]

I've been summoned A LOT since I've been a registered voter. So for 12 years it seems like every 6 months or so I get that Jury Duty card in the mail. Since I have small Children I have been exempt each time. I know in my area if you do not attend Jury Duty they can actually arrest you or ticket you. But my very first time going to Jury Duty was so darn boring, Just take a book or some crossword puzzles and get it over with.

[Penny Lane]

You should at least make the same hourly wage that
the judge and the shysters make.




Good One!!!!!!!!!!!:lol: :lol: :lol:

[JamesG]

Usually, there's a box to check that lets you postpone it for a year. I did that a couple of times. Once, I didn't get called back. When I did serve, I didn't get paid a dime.

Around here I think the most you can postpone it for is 6 months.

The first time you can do it by mail, internet, or over the phone.

The second time you have to go there in person to explain your reasoning.


Did you pursue them it?

[Liza]

I've never been called, but I'd actually like to be (yes I know what I'm saying). I'm the daughter of two lawyers and I literally grew up around court rooms, I find the whole process interesting. I'd still make sure I had a paperback in my purse, but still...

I do have one story to tell, however. My dad was once called for jury duty. He made it past the first round of questions and went into the courtroom for the second round. It was then that he found out it was a capital murder trial that could last for weeks/months. He looked at the defendant, looked at the judge, looked at the prosecutor, then looked at the defense attorney: it was a guy he went to law school with! He said right away that he recognized the lawyer. Now his old classmate said he had no objections, but the prosecutor dismissed him on the spot :lol:

[Jamie in CA]

Most of the time, you go in the first day and you don't have to return. I was called in last year. I called the courthouse the day I received my notice in the mail. You go in and odds are you'll be sitting there all day. Bring a book or your iPhone/touch. Most courthouses have wiFi.