Jury Duty

[pdub]

Do any of you folks want ME to help decide your fate? The letter came in the snail mail today - jury duty. I'm to report to the county courthouse on August 1 and go through the screening process.

The way it is here in this little borough is, if you get put into the juror pool there's a phone number you call on a set day with a schedule of which days you should call and check, that schedule is at their discretion, and find out if and when you'll be needed to serve on a jury, at their discretion.

Here's the kicker - the term of service in the juror pool in our county is four months. Think about that, we sure have thought about that already. Plans forward, trips reserved, and trips don't count as an excuse. Work schedule? Employers HAVE to let you off to serve on a jury. At their beck and call.

Oh my. Ohhhh boy. Four months. Until December. That's......that's.....Unit says that's crazy and I think it is, too.

[Redline04]

Calling it crazy is a bit too polite... 4 months is a long time without the option to travel and such! And then what happens if you're so unfortunate as to catch a long trial right at the end of your 4 months?
Here we are obligated to just a month...

[Deaf Bob]

6 weeks for me... Had to go to mom's and use her tty, or have my daughter call voice for me..
Went in twice after orienation.. Both times I said I'd send him up.. Got out that way.. Kinda silly paying 2 interpreters $50-75 an hour to misd half nd misunderstand the other half..

[pdub]

Calling it crazy is a bit too polite...

So now I'm the one on house arrest for 4 months, and I'm not the one accused of committing a crime.

Running on the race track at AMP in September? Maybe, and if not, my credit for cancelling Road Atlanta with that outfit will run out. Gear Head Inn? Maybe, that's less of a deal money-wise, I'll just call Mary and tell her we can't make it but our Weeville hearts will be broken not making it to that. But we don't KNOW ahead of time, it's at the county's discretion. That's the thing.

Boy oh man, 4 months. That's how it's done here and I had no idea but we pretty well lost the lottery today. It's all by random selection, whoever has a driver's license.

DAMN.

[SuperBuickGuy]

they have to let you off, but small companies aren't required to pay your salary.... thankfully here, the length of service being on the pool is only a week - of course, that doesn't mean you won't get picked to do a long-term trial.

most simply require you to available - which means you have to check a list either every day or once a week to see if you have to go down to the Courthouse.... even if you do get picked, most trials do not occur during the weekend, so you're free to play.

still 4 months on call is a lot

[Dan Barlow]

Yeah , I would love to sit on a trial but my falling asleep after 20 of sitting down and not talking andnthen trying to concentrate onconversation would just make it worse . I got picked for jury duty pool and I had a number to call . First thing it asked was , " Do you have a health reason why you cannot serve ? " And even though I have never been diagnosed as having a sleeping disorder , ( although mild ) I said yes . I figured I would have to explain why but they said dismissed . ( this was all computer or pre recorded stuff ) . I figured atleast someone was going to personally call me . But no . Must be because of HIPPA laws . Here in Indy the on call time is as sort as 2 weeks or up to 4 weeks , I can't remember . And seriously.......that knee would get you out of it . Just don't tell them your on your way to AMP with your stick shift car !

[pdub]

And seriously.......that knee would get you out of it . Just don't tell them your on your way to AMP with your stick shift car !

The knee was just on that day when y'all were here with us. Most days I do a WHOLE lot better than that, getting around. Every one of my jointed body parts has been involved in agony over time. That was temporary.

So here's the plan... Mister Judge, I'm so biased and redneck and narrow-minded that whoever you've got on trial for anything, I'm gonna send them up the river for anything they're accused of doing. I'll get out of it that way. Because if they're accused of that (whatever), even if they didn't actually "do" that, they're charged with a crime, so that's guilt by association somehow. If they didn't commit a crime, they were at least around the wrong people, at that specific time on record.

That should get me out of jury duty. Shouldn't it? Is that worth a try?

I doubt it.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Repeat after me.
If a criminal case "the cops wouldn't arrest him if he wasn't guilty"
if a civil case "all lawyers are ambulance chasers"

[pdub]

Repeat after me.
If a criminal case "the cops wouldn't arrest him if he wasn't guilty"
if a civil case "all lawyers are ambulance chasers"

Why in the HELL did they pick me to be a jury member? I'm not even interested in doing it. So, that's what juries are made up of? That's scary, right there.

EDIT: I can't follow the plot to Gilligan's Island, let alone those crime shows Units watches. The courtroom scenes, all the lawyer theatrics, my mind is reeling.

And I'm sitting on the JURY? How do I explain that to those folks on August 1 when I go into there as a candidate? For 4 months on the roster.......

[studemax]

Why in the HELL did they pick me to be a jury member?

You are NOT on the jury yet, P. You're in the jury pool.

I'm not even interested in doing it.

Your lack of interest is NOT the point. It's your civil duty to serve IF called.

I have served twice, once on a criminal case, once a civil case. Both times the trial lasted less than a week. I enjoyed the experience.

In Kansas, they only call you for a week to be in the pool. If you are put on a jury - it's until the trial is done. Also, whatever company you work for - large or small - they gotta pay you be there, minus the tiny sum the county pays you.

[fatguyzinc]

i got out of all 3 times by saying
"i have too many friends and family members
that are law enforcement, so i cannot be impartial".

and thats the truth, too-- as stated above...
if the guy wasnt guilty, they wouldnt have arrested him...

[pdub]

It's your civil duty to serve IF called.

And there's a $500 fine plus court fees if I don't show up to do it. Whose choice is THAT?

[pdub]

i got out of all 3 times by saying
"i have too many friends and family members
that are law enforcement, so i cannot be impartial".

.

Can I borrow your friends and family members, just for a few minutes on August 1? I'll give them back, I promise I will...

[Monster]

SBG has said it all ... the screening process is your friend.

[pdub]

SBG has said it all ... the screening process is your friend.

I'll tell them I've driven 125 mph on public roads, and YOU didn't see that. And I didn't get caught while doing that. So I'm not a criminal? I am, in the state's mind, but only if I get caught. The problem is with public roads, they're not built for that, but race tracks ARE built for that. But yes, I've been 125 on the interstate, and I got away with it. That would put you UNDER the jail in our court system.

So, I'm a criminal too, but not caught or convicted. And you want ME on a jury? I'm building my case as to why they shouldn't accept me.