My chances of getting out of Jury Duty

[flyhi 24]

A lawyer told me to never take a jury trial. He said you would be judged by 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

How about, "Where do the white guys sit?"

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[samhussey 0]

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You can find plenty of countries where jury duty is never a consideration. You may enjoy those more.

Right on. Or you could go to a country where justice and freedom aren't considerations. That could be a lot of fun. Why not just do your duty man?

[EdC 0]

I think my last notice may have went out with the "have you seen my face" junk mail.

Big Ed

[riddler 0]

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Hmmmm, Don't we have a project we're working on?

Finding some interesting rules in Colorado for Jury Duty.

1. You employer is expected to pay your salary for the first three days. If you are unemployed, you may ask the Court for "reasonable" expenses. No mention of people that own their own business - I get screwed.

2. If the trial lasts more than three days, I get $50/day.

3. You can exempt yourself once per year from duty, for vacation, business, health reasons, or because you're a student. I know for a fact that when you get an exemption, they recall your name as soon as they can. With my luck, I would get another summons in May when we're on vacation. Best to go now.

Someone told me there have been a few murders in Denver this month - one was a little girl. I don't know the details since I don't watch TV. Hopefully, I just get a domestic dispute.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[PhillyKev 0]

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Hopefully, I just get a domestic dispute.

If you do, please don't have the attitude most have that the man is automatically guilty.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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If you do, please don't have the attitude most have that the man is automatically guilty.

It's the man, fry the man, especially if he owns and has to give up his weapons!!! Just kidding ... I saw your other thread and your ex sounds like a few screws are loose.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[nightjumps 1]

The most interesting part of my service was one situation that I found very intriguing. Our jury pool entered the room, the defendant looked at our group and there was a sudden flurry of discussion between the defendant and his attorney.

Then, there was a flurry of discussion between the defendant's attorney and the prosecuting attorney. They approached the judge and there was some silent discussion.

We were escorted out of the courtroom and asked to wait in the hallway. About three minutes later, the defendant was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs and leg-chains.

The judge called us all in and asked us to take a seat. The judge thanked us for our service and explained that without our knowing, we had provided a great service to the State. He explained that the man on trial had decided to accept the recommended sentance.

I chuckled to myself thinking, 'Ya know, how bad must it be to see a group of folks, turn to your attorney and say, "Take the deal."'

[JohnRich 4]

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I don't want to go on moral reasons

Please explain your "moral reasons" for wanting to shirk your duty as a citizen to ensure that justice is done.

[themitchyone 0]

I was called twice to jury duty. The first time I was one of the free dismissals by the defense (a murder trial). The second was a civil case. I served for about 6 days. My job didn't pay me. That part sucked, but I actually enjoyed the experience on some levels. It was interesting to have done it. And, I think it is our civil duty... the judge also told people that financial hardship wasn't an excuse.

"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson

[riddler 0]

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The second was a civil case. I served for about 6 days.

A six day civil trial?? Do tell. I think most judges wouldn't let a civil go on that long unless it's high profile. Costs the court too much money.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[JohnRich 4]

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I don't want to go on moral reasons

Please explain your "moral reasons" for wanting to shirk your duty as a citizen to ensure that justice is done.

After all, this alleged "moral reason" is the basis for this entire thread. Yet you have declined twice to answer this question with any explanation.

That leaves me to believe that you really don't have a "moral reason". Because if you did, you shouldn't hesitate to state it.

And that, in turn, leads me to believe that you really never had any "moral reason" to start with. It was just a convenient excuse to try and justify your attempt to shirk your responsibility to serve jury duty. You're just plain too lazy to do your civic duty as a citizen of this country. You want to live with all the benefits deriving from American citizenship, but aren't willing to do even this one little duty in return.

Does that about sum it up?

[elfanie 0]

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your employer cannot do without you.....it's not that hard

You will not be exempt for this reason.

I got called for jury duty...told them I'm a student midwife and had mothers that were due that I was on call for..
they said tough. I could get one extension, but that's it. I said, "But I'm ALWAYS on call for clients.." Their response was "tough".

And being a primary care provider for an expectant mom REALLY means that they can't do without you!!! Nope...not a good enough reason.

Me? I served my jury duty proudly...1st degree murder trial (and an icky one at that)...and I'm proud to say that I did such a teeny tiny part that helps keep America the wonderful country that it is.

I can't imagine what some of the people on this board who are serving in the military would think hearing people whine and complain about not wanting to take a couple of days out of their busy lives to serve on jury duty while they go off to war and put their lives on the line....(I know the original poster of this thread was making a joke about "what are some creative excuses we can come up with and laugh about.." but there are really people who seriously try to get out of jury duty because of the inconvenience of it...and I think they should be embarassed.)

--------------------------------------------
Elfanie
My Skydiving Page
Fly Safe - Soft Landings

[wingnut 0]

i got one of those a year ago.. sent it back saying i nolonger lived in the state and never heard from em again... of coures i was living in a diffrent sate at the time and my parents had forwarded the letter to me.... good luck on it.... i think it would be interesting to be on a jury......

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"i have no reader's digest version"

[skybytch 273]

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I think most judges wouldn't let a civil go on that long unless it's high profile.

When I was doing my "civic duty" on a criminal trial for six weeks or so I talked to a few jurors who were on civil cases. One was on a case that had been going on for 6 weeks already and was nowhere near wrapping up - and it was not a high profile case.

[riddler 0]

Update! Went in for service this morning and I got off. That's the short story. Here's the long one if anyone's interested:

Showed up on time at the courthouse having not showered in three days and wearing smelly clothes, bleached hair sticking almost straight out. Went through several security layers, metal detectors, etc. Sat in a PACKED room (about 500 people) and watched a stupid video trying to promote our great legal system and how Colorado is the best jury service in the country, blah, blah. After I signed in, I was trying to spot my cut to escape from the room before I got called, but apparently they had a few too many people do that in the past, because they arranged the room with only one exit at the front and that exit was blockaded.

In walks an old "friend" of mine, but we were too far separated for me to grab her and chat. Besides, she was holding her six-month old baby, and I didn't feel like reminiscing about that time a few years ago when the four of us spent all night naked in the hot tub on top of my ex-girlfriends apartment.

They broke the room into smaller panels of about 20 people to go to the individual courtrooms. I thought I could pretend to be one of the ones called before my name was really called, and just walk out, but my name was the SECOND (out of 500 people) called. Bad luck.

We were escorted down the hall by security people, past a few criminals in handcuffs that I sneered at, to the courtroom. 22 people and only seven of us would be picked, and I was right in the middle. I saw that there weren't any people in handcuffs in the room, so I knew it was a civil case. The judge comes out and talks to us - seems like a very cool guy - has all the one-liners of someone who's been a trial judge for some time.

The plaintiff lawyer starts asking questions of the potential jurors. Interesting that two of the cadidates were sisters. More bad luck. No one ever said what the case was about, but I could gather from the questions what it was. A woman was suing a man that hit her in a car accident. He has already admitted responsibility, so this was just a damage award trial - judge said it would probably last three days. She was apparently a single mother that was claiming fibromyalgia, whiplash and headaches that forced her to miss work. I only assume that based on the questions they asked.

What was really disturbing was that more than a third (eight) of the potential jurors were either currently in, or previously in, a personal injury lawsuit! Jesus Christ! Has our system become so bad that a third of the population is suing or has sued for personal injury?? I believe that some personal injury lawsuits are reasonable, but these stories were ridiculous. One guy was suing for slipping on someone's icey sidewalk. Another lady sued Sears because a plastic "Sale" sign fell on her head, but didn't cause any external damage, although the MRI said she might have gotten a slight concussion.

But I figured out pretty quickly that all I had to do was let them know that I think most personal injury lawsuits are frivolous, and I would be off the hook. It went something like this:

Defense Attorney: Has anyone been in a car accident where they did not sue?
me: (raises hand). (Gasps of shock from the otherwise sue-happy jury cadidates).
Defense Attorney: What happened?
me: Well, I was on the highway, and another car hit my truck, knocking it across three lanes of traffic, where I ran into a semi in the fast lane who knocked me back across the same three lanes of traffic where I smashed into a concrete barricade.
Defense Attorney: Were you hurt?
me: Yes, I spent three months going to a ostheopath and another few years seeing a chiropractor. My truck was completely totaled.
Defense Attorney: Did you receive medical treatment?
me: Yes, but my medical bills were covered, and I my residual health problems aren't severe.
Defense Attorney: And you didn't sue?
me: Honestly, I didn't even consider it. I believe that when I get into an automobile, I'm assuming the risk of an accident. If I wasn't willing to accept the risk, I wouldn't drive.

Both attorneys had a map of the potential jurors, by seat and name with a box for each person. I could see the plaintiff attorney put a big X in my square. It was hard to suppress a smile. I was gone 20 minutes later.

In the end, they picked 7 jurors, all but one were women, all but one had sued someone else for personal injury.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[dbattman 0]

I've only had to sit in the jury pool once back when I was doing PhD candidacy qualifying problems. I had already put off my service date when I was an MS so I had to go this time.

So I sat in the jury pool room trying to concentrate on my stack of literature printouts and they put on the standard 'jury duty orientation' video. After going through the stuff about wearing your badges and such, they stress that you should avoid the media sources so you can be a good impartial juror.

Almost immediately after the film one of the employees gets on the mic and lets everyone know that if you want a newspaper, the vendor from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution will be here for another fifteen minutes.

"Why yes your honor, I've heard of the defendant. I read all about him in today's paper!"

"Next!"

But I wasn't called. Kind of a shame, really. That would have been an experience to spend a few days in the jurors box. I met a few guys on the bus back to the parking lot that were on the panel for an asbestos liability case. Now that would have sucked. That one would have dragged on for months.

Anyone who hasn't seen '12 Angry Men' should watch it.

[Zenister 0]

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your employer cannot do without you.....it's not that hard

You will not be exempt for this reason.

sure you can, I was removed from AZ's list because of the nature of my job..I would get summons that would sit in my mail box for months, i missed 3 calls because i was out of the country. Took one phone call and a letter from the company and I was exempt…

but honestly the easiest way to get out of it is to really to be yourself...right out of high school i was called for jury duty.. i went in full metal regalia..black leather jacket with the Holy Terror crucifix on the back, Motorhead ironcross on one sleeve Iron Maiden Killers album cover on the other, long hair, sunglasses, Megadeath 'killing is my business and business is good' t-shirt, worn out blue jeans...in Alabama.....less than 2 hours later i was walking out obviously they realized i wasnt anyone on trials 'peer'. The poor old lady next to me was nearly crawling in her neighbors lap and i was obscenely polite i think that scared her even more...

i imagine "jumps from perfectly good airplanes" and staring distractedly out the window, would have near the same effect in most every state....

you could always tell them (honestly in my case) that you refuesed uphold or obey any law you believed unjust...

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[riddler 0]

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i imagine "jumps from perfectly good airplanes" and staring distractedly out the window, would have near the same effect in most every state....

Not true in Colorado. Judge asked what I do for fun - I said skydive, scuba, etc, etc. He just said "oh", and moved on to the next candidate.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[sburkart 0]

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"jumps from perfectly good airplanes"

Nah. "Define Normal" didn't work either. The last case
they called me for was the civil action of the widow of a 65 y.o man with a history of heart problems who did not survive complications that developed after his last proceedure.

In the judges chambers I outlined the case as I understood it and asked the plaintiffs atty. "Are you kidding me with this? You do not want ME on this jury." THAT worked- not that I'm adverse to serving.

You may think you wanted to skunk the system, but if you were facing charges wouldn't you want people on the jury to be at least as smart as you consider yourself to be?

[Zenister 0]

see you were to blase' about it..should have gone from 'well yeah i really dont want to be here' to 'OMG this is an opportunity to talk about the BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD!!!'

gotta let the closet psycho out if you want to scare people...

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[JohnRich 4]

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Showed up on time at the courthouse having not showered in three days and wearing smelly clothes, bleached hair sticking almost straight out...
...watched a stupid video...
I was trying to spot my cut to escape...
I thought I could pretend to be one of the ones called before my name was really called, and just walk out...
I figured out pretty quickly that all I had to do was let them know that I think most personal injury lawsuits are frivolous, and I would be off the hook...
I could see the plaintiff attorney put a big X in my square. It was hard to suppress a smile.

Thanks for that personal testimony of your undignified and scheming behavior in order to shirk your responsibility as a citizen.

And I suppose you're proud of this?