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Jury Duty

Have you ever been called for jusr duty

  • Never

    Votes: 2 10.5%
  • Once

    Votes: 4 21.1%
  • Twice

    Votes: 2 10.5%
  • 2-5 times

    Votes: 9 47.4%
  • So many times, I have a bench named after me in the jury pool room.

    Votes: 2 10.5%

  • Total voters
    19

RGoldman

Member
Ok.... so I get home Friday evening only to find ANOTHER jury duty summons in mail box. I understand it's our "civic duty" and all of that but come on.... This is the EIGHTH time I have been called since moving to this county in 1988. I have asked other people that live here and the majority of them have never been called, some once, and only one person I talked to has been called twice and was excused after they pointed that out. Last time I was questioned at jury selection, the prosecuting attorney stated that he knew none of us wanted to be there but it would likely be the only time we ever had to show up and occasionally someone might get called in a second time in their lifetime. I pointed out that it was my seventh time and even the judge seemed surprised, left the courtroom for a few minutes and came back in and excused me right away.
I called the person in charge of the jury process on Friday evening and she told me that I shouldn't complain since it's been 5 years since my last summons and that most people get called every 2-3 years! I told her I had a hard time believing that and could she show me proof that everyone in the county gets called that often. Of course she couldn't;t and when I asked her how many times she had been called, she stumbled around the answer and could only come up with "many times". I pressed her for an actual number and she wouldn't tell me. She also didn't believe that the judge immediately excused me the last time I was there and pointed out how many times I had been called but she was able to look it up and sounded quite surprised when she saw the judges note excusing me for the rest of the term. Of course, she then said since I was excused last time, there was no way they would excuse me this time!
So I am just wondering as I write my request out today to be excused again, how many here have been called once, twice, multiple times? Am I wrong to think that 8 times in 21 years is too many?

Ron

Sorry for the typo in the poll! I tried to edit it but can't!
 

johnastovall

Deceased, but remembered fondly here...
But I never get seated due to educational background and employment.

Texas DA's want dumb juries.
 

cam

Active member
i am one of those they love to call, to the extent that i had to promise next time i returned to the U.S., i would be available for jury duty (in two weeks time). that means i had to schedule to be in there for three weeks in case two of them were actually taken up by jury duty :(

technically, they can call you once a year -- so i'd say you were doing good to only have been called 8 times since 1988.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
4 times in the last 15 years. Excused 3 times. Spent a 1/2 day on the one I was seated for ... a boring, but severe traffic violation.

Have a friend that's a magnet for Jury Duty ... like you ;) Others that have never been called.

It's the luck of the draw.
 

Terry

New member
In both NY and Calif it is a regular thing. Just be glad you haven't been called for grand jury duty. That lasts a month and it is about a half day every day.
I served in Calif in 2003 just before returning to NY. As soon as I registered to vote in NY I got called there. Now back in CA. I'm sure as soon as I once again change my voting it will be followed by jury duty shortly after that.
 

Diane B

New member
I've been on jury duty quite a few times in 2 counties over a number of years. I was called for grand jury duty this Fall but then got a note excusing me. I called out of curiosity--still not sure exactly why but suspect that those of us on the far reaches of the area were excused due to travel (mileage)--it was at the height of the gas shortage and high cost in our area.

Diane
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I get a summons on average every other year, just the cost of being a good citizen. Also, it's very tough to get off in California -- while the attorney's want dumb jurors as John said, the judges want the opposite...
 

RGoldman

Member
Thanks for the answers everyone. I feel better knowing that so many have gone through the same thing!
It seems that they could use a new method for selection though because it's obviously not as random as they seem to believe.
My wife had never been called and within a month of changing her name after we got married, she got her first summons. Maybe I just need to change my name since they won't let me unregister to vote!
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
I get a summons on average every other year, just the cost of being a good citizen. Also, it's very tough to get off in California ...

Getting called up every 2 years is normal for Santa Clara Co. Used to be if you showed they assigned you to a court; you'd get called to the same court every 2-years or so. If you were ever seated as a juror you could ask for a 3 or 5 year waiver to not be called, and after that you might be called to a diff court.

I was assigned to Superior court, called as a juror for rape/murder, stuff like that. It is almost impossible to be seated as a juror in those cases. Entire panels, 50-people at a time, would be dismissed without anyone ever being called for an interview.

Now, in Calif, if you don't show for jury duty there is automatically an arrest warrant issued, with your name on it. I wonder if they have to call 12 jurors to hear the case of the 1 juror that didn't show?
:ROTFL:


Lars - Japan is just instituting a system that uses jurors to decided innocence or guilt, and using jurors to decide punishment in capital cases. No idea how they choose jurors. It is scaring the crap-ola out of some Japanese people -- how can anyone other than a judge make such a decision!?! :eek:

Personally, the idea of a sitting judge deciding innocence or guilt scares the crap-ola out of me -- how can anyone other than a jury make such a decision!?! :eek:


.
 

Jan Brittenson

Senior Subscriber Member
I get called 3-4 times per year, despite not being a U.S. citizen. But I pay property taxes, which puts my name in the hat. I wouldn't object to serving on a jury; after all, if I have a right to trial by jury there has to be jurors!

I must confess I'm somewhat skeptical about the jury system though. I certainly understand that 'reasonable doubt' is not at all 'mathematical impossibility', but I also know some people jump to form very rigid opinions based on frighteningly weak evidence as long as it fits their pre-concepts. But then I'm not sure judges are any better in this regard...
 

Lars

Active member
Lars - Japan is just instituting a system that uses jurors to decided innocence or guilt, and using jurors to decide punishment in capital cases. No idea how they choose jurors. It is scaring the crap-ola out of some Japanese people -- how can anyone other than a judge make such a decision!?! :eek:

Personally, the idea of a sitting judge deciding innocence or guilt scares the crap-ola out of me -- how can anyone other than a jury make such a decision!?! :eek:
.
As funny as that sounds, both systems seem to work - if implemented well.
 

RGoldman

Member
That is a great letter. I just sent off a letter to the judge today myself. Although I didn't use the same language as the guy in Montana, I did point out the fact that it is causing me great financial hardship to have to show up every couple of years at the current rate of $10/day. I pointed out that I have done my civic duty as far as I am concerned by sitting on several juries for the county and feel that it is unreasonable for them to continually ask the same people to return when over half of the county has never been called once. I also pointed out that not only does having the same people serve over and over not represent the views of the entire county, but it also makes for a lot of angry jurors that have a hard time being impartial.
I also invited the judge to come and spend a day with me while I work so he can see what one day away, let alone 2 weeks, will cost me in lost income.
Somehow I doubt that the letter will even be read and I will not get excused once again.
It seems that the jury selection process is in need of an overhaul just as bad as our country's government is.
I really don't want to have to move just to keep from being constantly, ummmm "randomly" selected.
 
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