Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jun 9, 2015 15:44:29 GMT -5
So I had to go in for jury duty. Admittedly, I've been dreading it. Dreaded it even more when I was randomly selected to be in the first set of 12. Worse yet when I found out it was a civil suit expected to last four days.
But it didn't matter. I was bounced out having never answered a question. I guess they don't like accountants.
Now I'm kinda ticked- because it actually sounded interesting. But at least I got $10.00 whoo-whooo.
Have you ever had to serve?
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ken a.k.a OMK
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on Jun 9, 2015 15:48:41 GMT -5
I once did the show up everyday for a month jury duty. It sucked. Since then it has been "one day or one trial." I haven't been on a trial under that program, so it has been one day.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Jun 9, 2015 15:53:35 GMT -5
I have been called but never selected. Last time I got lucky because my sister was called at the same time. We spent a good part of the day trying to convince them that we couldn't agree to disagree and be unbiased. They eventually let us go and we didn't tell anyone at home and went for drinks instead.
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Ombud
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Post by Ombud on Jun 9, 2015 17:01:08 GMT -5
I was picked for the selection process 3 times and actually made it thru screening twice. 2 capital cases and being against death penalty most times doesn't excuse a person (if you would voted to execute one who raped and then brutally murdered a baby of yours you can sit).
1. Knew the prosecution's Mgr who had previously shared his hot button. So I exploited that
2. Turns out it was a domestic violence case resulting in murder. Being a domestic violence survivor, I wasn't suitable
I was foreman on a DUI case. He was being tried for alcohol and said he was just high (mj). Yeah we convicted. Both sides & judge were surprised but it did take 15 min. Mostly to review instructions, vote for foreman (I was the only one willing to do it), me to say high on drugs = high on alcohol IMHO, & preliminary vote (12 - 0)
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jun 9, 2015 17:06:41 GMT -5
One of the times I got called for jury duty, I got bounced from the jury because I had more than a HS education, did not go any of the local high schools and didn't have kids.
The $6 I got didn't even pay for what it cost me to park.....
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jun 9, 2015 17:08:52 GMT -5
I've only served once but trial lasted 4 weeks and it was a civil case. I did some research on the drug involved after trial was over. Found out the "problems" with the drug had started back when I was in high school and by the time this trial came about I had a four yr old. Court system surely was slow back then. But I am glad I had the experience but have no desire to ever serve again.
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Jun 9, 2015 17:16:58 GMT -5
Got called for selection. Two days in a row. Had been selected for 4 cases that never made to trial. None of them. I think I got paid like $28 but was fun. I knew the Clerk of The Court and every time my name would come up she would try to say it and I'd make fun of her. The fourth time the poor woman just pointed at me and said:You are next! At which I replied loudly:" Say my name!" Needless to say that even the judge lost it. Everybody was on the floor laughing. After words the judge said to me: " if I could, I'd put your name on the lists every time we need to select a jury. At least we'd have fun!"
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 9, 2015 17:28:53 GMT -5
I have been called at least every 3 years for as long as I have been an adult. Sometimes more often. I think I am on a sucker list since I always show up. I hated grand jury!! that was once a week for six months. It was so annoying that I felt like I was being punished for something. The last two times I didn't even get called for anything. I just spent a day or three in a room trying to not look annoyed about it. Both times the trials didn't go forward for some reason or another. And I only got $5 for my time. While I was sitting there I calculated how much the gas and tolls cost and it was almost double that. The times I served years ago I didn't mind as much. They seemed to have a better handle on how many people they were going to need and for how long. They didn't seem to waste our time nearly as much. The county I'm in now seems to take pleasure in it while telling us what an honor it is for us to be there.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Jun 9, 2015 17:37:36 GMT -5
I've been selected a few times. Served on one jury trial. Surprised because they usually do not select engineers. Assault case lasted one afternoon, not guilty. I was annoyed end of last year when DS got a jury summons. He filled out form saying he was exempt due to being in college. We got a letter back saying that his signature had to be notarized. We actually had to have some house sale forms notarized same day so it was all in one trip to the bank, but all the notary was doing was verifying DS was signing it not that he was a college student.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 18:04:46 GMT -5
I have always wanted to be on a jury but never have been summoned.
My daughter was, though. They asked her if she knew anyone in the courtroom. She told them that she knew the prosecutor. They asked her how well she knew him since it was a county where everyone knows everyone. She said, "Well, I know him well enough to call him Uncle ---. " He was best man at my ex's and my wedding. She didn't get selected.
Another friend was called for jury duty in the same county. They asked her if she knew anyone, and she, too, knew the prosecutor. They asked her how well. She said, "Well, I've almost forgiven him for never asking me out in high school thirty years ago." She did get selected.
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flamingo
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Post by flamingo on Jun 9, 2015 18:14:44 GMT -5
I had jury duty once. It was exactly 1 month after I sat for the bar exam. I thought for sure I'd be dismissed right away, especially once they found out which law firm I was working for (I was not yet a licensed attorney, so I was working as a legal assistant). I was the first juror both sides agreed on! It was a civil case, very boring factually. Fun for me to watch and think in my head how I would have objected or argued an issue. The trial lasted a week and when it was time to deliberate, every asked me which way I was leaning. I made them all talk first; I was afraid I would influence them. We debated for all of 30 minutes, then we all agreed the defendant should win. We stayed long enough to get lunch out of it, then they elected me foreperson because no one else wanted to speak in court Due to my multiple moves since then, I've not had jury duty again. Have no fear, though, now that I've said that, I'll be getting called this year Maybe this time, they'll be more likely to kick me off due to me being a full-fledged attorney! LOL
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jun 9, 2015 20:34:01 GMT -5
I was called once in the previous county in which I lived. It was during the school year. I went the first day and I forgot to call in that night to find out if I was supposed to go the next day. THey called me at school and chastised me. I was on auto-pilot and just put the kids to bed, woke up the next morning, and went to work. Whoops.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Jun 9, 2015 20:48:37 GMT -5
They don't like accountants. I was called once but was rejected during questioning. I'm not sure if it's because I'm an accountant and said I frequently look people up in court and property records, because I said I read the dispatches put out by the law enforcement public information offices as part of my news reading, or because I took some college law classes several years before from the judge presiding over the trial.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Jun 9, 2015 21:05:11 GMT -5
I have twice and have another this month but so far no trials. First time I got questions but they didn't like my opinions, I told them they couldn't prove he didn't do what they said he didn't do. They charged him with not filing as a sex offender. Just because they don't have his record they can't prove he didn't file, innocent until proven guilty, prove it.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 9, 2015 21:15:13 GMT -5
I was called twice when I worked for the federal government. Most times, people who worked for our agency were not put on juries. I never got far. One time, I made it to the court room, but the jury was selected before they got to me. I would have been paid by the US government.
I was called once after I retired. They took the first 12 potential jurors to be questioned and I was sent home. That one sounded interesting and I would have liked to have been on the jury.
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Deleted
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Jury Duty
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 21:17:55 GMT -5
I've had it twice. The first time I ended up on a civil case.
The second time when I picked the week I would serve, everybody that picked that week had to stay after everyone else left. Turned out there was a trial scheduled for that week where they would be asking for the death penalty and the jury would be sequestered. We had to fill out a questionnaire several pages long. I didn't want any part of that.
When the week finally rolled around, the trial had been postponed because one of the attorney's mother had died. I still ended up on a criminal trial, but at least it didn't involve murder and being sequestered.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 22:18:19 GMT -5
I wish I could serve on a jury, especially now that I'm retired.
Called once in NJ but was eliminated in voir dire on a peremptory challenge on a civil suit because I worked for an insurance company.
Called once in KS but never even got to the pool that they questioned during voir dire, which they pronounce "voyer dyer" out here in the hinterlands. Made me cringe.
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irishpad
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Post by irishpad on Jun 9, 2015 23:15:26 GMT -5
Been on jury duty twice. First time, was 18 and in college. Only had to go one day to be in the pool of potential jurors. I didn't get selected, but did get out of a quiz in my EE class. Second time I was 50. Called for the pool three times. Served on a DUI case. The trial and deliberations took less than three hours. Slam dunk guilty. Still can't figure out why he bothered to go to trial. Defense attorney didn't present a case, only made some objections in prosecutors presentation of the case.
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tallguy
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Post by tallguy on Jun 9, 2015 23:29:22 GMT -5
Oh, man! It would me too.
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ohmomto2boys
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Post by ohmomto2boys on Jun 10, 2015 8:10:14 GMT -5
Yes, I got to sit on a jury. It was actually interesting. However, if I had to do it again, it would be a hassle. When I was on the jury, I was single and only had myself to think about. Now I have two kids who are not old enough to be home by themselves.
I sat in on a Federal case. A dude shot at FBI agents, FBI agents shot back. I was out of work 6 days, but my company paid me. I just had to hand over the $10/$12 a day I received.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 10, 2015 8:17:37 GMT -5
So I had to go in for jury duty. Admittedly, I've been dreading it. Dreaded it even more when I was randomly selected to be in the first set of 12. Worse yet when I found out it was a civil suit expected to last four days. But it didn't matter. I was bounced out having never answered a question. I guess they don't like accountants. Now I'm kinda ticked- because it actually sounded interesting. But at least I got $10.00 whoo-whooo. Have you ever had to serve? 4 days is not very long. I was nearly selected for a 3+ week sexual assault/murder. I will take a 4 day civil suit all day every day. I asked to be dismissed because I am too sheltered to be objective. I thought the defendant looked crazy the moment I saw him - not even knowing it was a criminal case. If I saw a bunch of pictures (which I would have) and heard a bunch of testimony (which I would have) there was no way I could have said "That guy doesn't look like the kind of guy who would do something like this."
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jun 10, 2015 8:29:48 GMT -5
I've been called for jury duty twice (have to show up at the courthouse) and reserve jury duty twice (call in night before)
I get bounced at questioning every time. I'm pretty sure last year's was because I said I work IN a district police building.
I don't mind going. I take a book/Kindle (there's wireless there now) and try to relax. I don't get a lot of down time so while there are other things I'd rather be doing, sitting around reading while I wait to be called (and then get bounced) isn't the worst thing to me.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 10, 2015 8:42:46 GMT -5
And - yes, I have served twice - DUI (guilty) and personal injury from a car accident. The PI one was a big eye-roll. She had already been paid out by the guy that hit her, and the theory was that this guy caused the other guy to hit her, and it was a really convoluted story. Even her sole witness (who didn't see it, but made up the theory when he saw the positions of the cars after the accident) questioned his own story on the stand. Had we been able to decide if the guy was responsible first, it would have been a pretty short trial. But, we had to sit through two days of testimony about how much pain she is in, and how she will never lift her children up. I could have handled that - but when they went through her medical history, it just seemed like she mismanaged her care so poorly that I just wanted to slap her. She told us she didn't go to a doctor, only a chiropractor, because doctors didn't know anything. And she went to a trainer at the YMCA instead of a physical therapist, because it was really the same thing. And the one doctor she went to (three times in 18 months) cut off her prescription for narcotic pain killers. They had one of those old doctors that come in and evaluate all the x-rays and MRIs and such and he said - definitely no skeletal problems, and if she were his patient he would send her to physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the injury. The plaintiff's lawyer asked him a dozen questions about how much money he made and then let him go. I guess we were suppose to discredit him because he had a high income - or just get mad because "he wasn't one of us." I heard the income and said "Seems about right to me."
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jun 10, 2015 9:47:19 GMT -5
So I had to go in for jury duty. Admittedly, I've been dreading it. Dreaded it even more when I was randomly selected to be in the first set of 12. Worse yet when I found out it was a civil suit expected to last four days. But it didn't matter. I was bounced out having never answered a question. I guess they don't like accountants. Now I'm kinda ticked- because it actually sounded interesting. But at least I got $10.00 whoo-whooo. Have you ever had to serve? 4 days is not very long. I was nearly selected for a 3+ week sexual assault/murder. I will take a 4 day civil suit all day every day. I asked to be dismissed because I am too sheltered to be objective. I thought the defendant looked crazy the moment I saw him - not even knowing it was a criminal case. If I saw a bunch of pictures (which I would have) and heard a bunch of testimony (which I would have) there was no way I could have said "That guy doesn't look like the kind of guy who would do something like this." Your time to "serve" is for two months in my county. I was chosen for the worse two months out of the year for me. It's my busy season at work, and it's baseball season for DS. You can't use work as an excuse here- so I couldn't defer to a later time. So 4 days right now is huge. Especially since DH is out of town this week. Yep- I was panicking bit when they said 4 days as I mentally tried to shuffle everything around.
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Jun 10, 2015 10:09:55 GMT -5
Yes, I posted about it before... might have to dig it up. It was a murder trial that lasted a week.
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PK Bucko
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Post by PK Bucko on Jun 10, 2015 10:23:49 GMT -5
I've been called to Jury Duty twice and was selected as a juror both times. One civil and one criminal trial.
The civil trial was incredibly boring. At one point the judge slammed his gavel and announced an impromptu 15 minute break because the jury was falling asleep. (I swear I saw him dozing off too!)
The criminal trial was very interesting. It was a murder trial. It was even more interesting when it came time for us to turn in the verdict. The demeanor of the judge and deputies all changed that day. Kind of sent a chill through the jury pool. As quite of few of the defendants "associates" were present, no one knew what to expect. We found him guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison without chance or possibility of parole.
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MB-NY
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DOH!
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Post by MB-NY on Jun 10, 2015 10:47:48 GMT -5
The first time I served was maybe 12 or 13 years ago. I was in a group selected to hear the basic facts of a trial, and then we were told when the trial would take place and how long they expected it to run. The judge then asked if anyone would have any financial problems serving, and I raised my hand. The two lawyers took me out to the hallway, and I explaned that I had non-refundable plane tickets for the week the trial was scheduled. I could not afford to reschedule the trip and buy new tickets, so I was excused from that case. I did have to return to the pool, but only for the rest of that day.
The second time was maybe 6 years later, and I was again selected to hear the trial facts. This time there was no excuse options given, and I was selected as one of two alternate jurors. As an alternate, I had to sit with the jury in the courtroom and hear the trial, but myself and the other alternate could not be with the jury during deliberations. It was an assault case between two taxi drivers, and the whole procedings were intersting. The testimony lasted a day and a half, and the jury deliberated for another day, while us alternates were stuck in another room playing cards and reading. After our lunch break, we were excused because an out-of-court settlement had been reached.
Afterwards, a few of us jurors were talking on the sidewalk when both lawyers came over and asked each of us how we would have voted. I don't know much about the law, but this seemed a bit odd to me, and I don't know if it is an acceptable practice or not. The only pay I got from the court was for milage, which came to under $20 total, and I had to use personal and vacation days to get paid at work. I had thought my employer was obligated to pay me something during jury duty, but they told me "no".
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PK Bucko
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Post by PK Bucko on Jun 10, 2015 10:52:40 GMT -5
The first time I served was maybe 12 or 13 years ago. I was in a group selected to hear the basic facts of a trial, and then we were told when the trial would take place and how long they expected it to run. The judge then asked if anyone would have any financial problems serving, and I raised my hand. The two lawyers took me out to the hallway, and I explaned that I had non-refundable plane tickets for the week the trial was scheduled. I could not afford to reschedule the trip and buy new tickets, so I was excused from that case. I did have to return to the pool, but only for the rest of that day.
The second time was maybe 6 years later, and I was again selected to hear the trial facts. This time there was no excuse options given, and I was selected as one of two alternate jurors. As an alternate, I had to sit with the jury in the courtroom and hear the trial, but myself and the other alternate could not be with the jury during deliberations. It was an assault case between two taxi drivers, and the whole procedings were intersting. The testimony lasted a day and a half, and the jury deliberated for another day, while us alternates were stuck in another room playing cards and reading. After our lunch break, we were excused because an out-of-court settlement had been reached.
Afterwards, a few of us jurors were talking on the sidewalk when both lawyers came over and asked each of us how we would have voted. I don't know much about the law, but this seemed a bit odd to me, and I don't know if it is an acceptable practice or not. The only pay I got from the court was for milage, which came to under $20 total, and I had to use personal and vacation days to get paid at work. I had thought my employer was obligated to pay me something during jury duty, but they told me "no". The civil trial that I served on, I was the alternate. The lawyers did the same thing. They were just trying to get a feel for how the jury was leaning. Also - my understanding of the law is that your employer is only obligated to hold your job for you. In other words, you can't be fired for serving on jury duty. But they are not obligated for anything else.
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MB-NY
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DOH!
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Post by MB-NY on Jun 10, 2015 11:03:16 GMT -5
"Also - my understanding of the law is that your employer is only obligated to hold your job for you. In other words, you can't be fired for serving on jury duty. But they are not obligated for anything else."
That does make sense; thanks. I had thought I heard that employers were supposed to pay, but I'm probably wrong.
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Jun 10, 2015 11:03:42 GMT -5
I was called for jury duty twice many years ago. The first I was bumped immediately because it was a rape case of a girl about the same age as me.
The second was a car thief. We convicted him & after conviction learned it was not his first time. It was an interesting day.
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