I have been notified twice, both from Georgia when I was serving in Germany and once in Nebraska, as I registered to vote in GA. Both time my military status excempted me, but I am kinda like Poopy, I actually want to do my civic duty at least once. Maybe next year when I get home (and with my luck, probaby right after I start a new job)
I've never got a summons, but my wife get's them every couple of years. She just sends them back with "Not a US citizen" written in the reason space. Works every time ! I thought they used voter registration lists to stock juries, but that can't be since we're not on those lists.
In reply to DeadSkunk:
SC uses your driver license.
I get called at least once a year in Texas. So far I've been able to legitimately claim the primary care giver of a child under 12. My lovely working wife on the other hand has been called twice in the last couple of years. The first time they got them to the court house and then released them after sitting for an hour when they realized that they didn't actually have any cases that needed a jury. Why it took them an hour to figure that out was a mystery. The second time it took three days of jury selection for the prosecutor and the defense to realize that they had been using an inconsistent list of jury selection questions and the best course of action was to just release them all and start over with a new pool. In both cases it was pure incompetence on the part of people or the system in general that cost people a bunch of time. That's the problem. The court wants people to take their duty seriously and show up, but when they do that, it's pretty clear that the court doesn't take seriously the fact that people have jobs that they need to be at and missing them for administrative incompetence is really frustrating. If they only called you when needed and treated your time like it was the valuable commodity that it is then they would have a much better response.
That part is definitely annoying and unnecessary.
I've never been called, but always thought it would be kind of interesting. Everything I know about the legal system I learned from Matlock and Law and Order, so seeing how things actually work would be pretty cool.
True story: My dad got called up a couple years ago and during the whole figuring-out-who-can-serve process (voir dire? Again, my law degree is from Dick Wolf), the county attorney/prosecutor/guy that we actually vote for to put bad guys in jail tells the assembled potentials that there is a gun element to the crime and asks if there are any (and I quote) "gun nuts" in the crowd. My dad raises his hand and says something to the effect of that he has some guns, he likes to shoot guns recreationallly sometimes, he used to hunt when he was a kid, and he has his concealed weapon permit, but he finds the term "gun nut" kind of off-putting. The prosecutor/attorney guy gets all flustered and backpedals quickly saying "oh, no, no, no, I didn't mean THAT" and basically winds up with his foot completely in his mouth. My dad was excused.
Fast forward a year or two and my brother gets called up. During the same process, the same attorney-guy starts off by telling the potentials that he has to be careful what he says and proceeds to tell the story of a guy who got offended a while back when he called him a "gun nut". My brother raises his hand and said "yeah, that was my dad". Silence, followed by more backpedaling and foot-in-mouth disease. My brother was also excused.
neon4891 wrote: I went yesterday. I was pulled in the first round. The case involved a former local field hockey coach. My wife and M-I-L are field hockey refs and followed the original case closely with very strong opinions over the matter. I was out shortly
what happens if a person in a similar situation hides their background just so they can get onto that jury and be an informed part of the process?
I just had Jury Duty on Monday. I personally had a great time, took some naps, read some great magazines and the experience was truly eye opening. Not so much the process/case (drug dealer), but they type of people that show up as jurors. Monday was a great reminder about how different people are, with different opinions and excellent examples of nutjobs among the jury.
I served on a jury about 3 years ago.
I have to say, I am with Poopshovel. In a democracy, this is an obligation. Some people have valid excuses for not serving, but a lot of the excuses are just plain crap. There were 10 people on the jury already and I was 7th in line. I ended up being juror #11. I can't believe some of the reasons that some people came up with.
Guy was a scumbag, but the evidence simply did not add up. We had to go NG.
NGTD wrote: I served on a jury about 3 years ago. I have to say, I am with Poopshovel. In a democracy, this is an obligation. Some people have valid excuses for not serving, but a lot of the excuses are just plain crap. There were 10 people on the jury already and I was 7th in line. I ended up being juror #11. I can't believe some of the reasons that some people came up with. Guy was a scumbag, but the evidence simply did not add up. We had to go NG.
Thank goodness we're not a Democracy. Mob rule is teh suck.
AngryCorvair wrote: what happens if a person in a similar situation hides their background just so they can get onto that jury and be an informed part of the process?
I believe they can be charged with contempt of court - or something like that - if caught.
Ian F wrote:AngryCorvair wrote: what happens if a person in a similar situation hides their background just so they can get onto that jury and be an informed part of the process?I believe they can be charged with contempt of court - or something like that - if caught.
I was thinking "purgery." But berkeley it. The rats in Washington get away with it all the time, right? Hell, apparently it gets you promoted to head of the NSA!
In reply to poopshovel:
Yeah... something like that... but answering selection questions untruthfully is lieing under oath... and the courts tend to frown on that, regardless of what elected officials do.
I was on a jury a few years ago for a gang shooting. Everyone I served with took it seriously and put a lot of thought into deciding the outcome. It was nice to see it work out that way. it was also very educational. Once you see how much you can't be told you begin to understand the outcomes of some cases in the news. Ours had a number of backstories we couldn't know and a 14 year old in the gallery threatened to shoot me when it was over. I would gladly do it again.
I was called up like 5 times in 6 months for the same court as Toyman. Each time I showed up, checked in, waited 30 to 45 minutes, then was told we weren't needed and cut loose.
From previous experience on the other side, typically what happens is two attorneys dance and posture back and forth, then settle on the courthouse steps. That's a big part of why so many people get called for jury duty then don't have to serve. I don't mind serving, but having my schedule disrupted over two dipE36 M3 lawyers playing games sorta pisses me off.
I served on one jury, well no actually. Never got to trial hearings.
On down times while the lawyers were conferring the judge would come out and talk to us. Interesting stuff.
Also interesting. I noticed a young woman walking around ,talking to her lawyer etc. On the day of trial, she was on crutches with a missing leg.
I get called at least once a year. In fact, I'm up for one in two weeks. Texas has a lot of courts. Even got called for one of the big political corruption trials a couple years back (Tom DeLay).
Never selected, though. When your daughter is a lawyer, your brother-in-law is an ex-cop/DEA, and you've been party to two civil suits, they assume you know too much.
My last day on Jury duty was today! It's been a full 12 months since I was summoned. I'm not eligible for 24 months so I'm happy as a wee lark!!!
It's all fun and games until you're summoned to jury a convicted murderer decision should it be life in prison or the death penalty. You don't sleep well those days.
My last jury case was a child molester. The Jury was "hung" until I remembered something from the video the little girl made (they did not put her on the stand at age 5, but videoed her testimony) and got the courts to replay it.
So I guess I am the one responsible for him going to Grand Jury.
It was after that Trial that I started using all my excuses. I was sick physically for 2 weeks after that
I got summoned to Allegheny County, PA about a year after moving back to Ohio. I just called and said "I'm not a legal resident of Allegheny County." And they said "Just fill out the form and include a photocopy of your driver's license."
I did kinda want to serve though. I feel you should when your're called... think about it, if you ever need a jury, wouldn't you want an actual peer sitting up there?
My dad never gets seated since he got his PhD, and I've that telling them you're an engineer is a pretty good way to get booted. Lawyers don't like people that think logically when they can get a feeble minded sap to confuse.
AngryCorvair wrote: what happens if a person in a similar situation hides their background just so they can get onto that jury and be an informed part of the process?
Lying to the court is a felony, including lying by omission. If discovered later, it can also potentially result in mistrials, appeals, etc. Not a good idea.
There was a bunch of controversy in the Apple vs Samsung lawsuit last year in which one of the jurors was alleged to have lied his way onto the jury in order to pursue a personal vendetta against Samsung. I don't think anything came of it, though.
As for the original question (jury summons from place where you don't live any more), it happens all the time, and the summons is routinely excused for that reason. In the case of state or county courts, the jurors may even be required to be residents of that state or county.
I have been called 3 times, got out of one, forgot the other (the judge was nice enough to excuse me and thanked me for coming in and admitting my mistake-weird), and was dismissed at another
I'm three-for-three with getting picked to be on the actual jury, which has to be impossible odds. First time at 19, dressed nice and everything, got picked. Second time was five or six years later and I tried to be a schlub - shirt taken from the bottom of a pile so it was nice and wrinkley, a couple days' growth on the face, needing haircut... got picked anyway.
A couple-three years ago I got picked for the first time since moving down here. Figured it didn't matter what I wore or my mannerisms, it's fate. And sure nuff, not only did I get picked, but they made me foreman.
The wife got to spend a quality day doing her duty at the Charles County courthouse a month or so back, and boy did we relish cashing that $18 check.
Been summoned to serve twice. Way they do it around here is that you can be called for a week. They give each person a group number and you call a number the night before to see if your group number is needed the next day.
First time my group was never needed so my contribution consisted of making 5 phone calls.
Second time I was called in and actually taken in for the voir dire process. Judge introduced all the participants ( lawyers, cops, defendant, etc.) and asked if anyone in the jury pool knew any of them. I raised my hand and was called up to the bench along with the lawyers.
Judge asked who I knew and I told him "The arresting officer was a student of mine for 4 years." At that point the defense attorney said " Shame on you Mr. XXX, I was also a student of yours." At that point the Judge said "You are excused."
I would like to serve on a jury but think that the fact that I taught in the community for 28 years might cause the same dismissal reason the next time.
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