slo’s MONDAY 10/23 poll - Jury Duty

[sarahann77]

I was summoned this summer. Almost forgot it was this year. Certainly bad timing for work but was slightly joyed to watch work be stressed that I wasn't there when thinking how they were going to handle me being away. They ended up canceling the cases each of the 3 weeks I was to be on so I never had to go in.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I was last summoned for Jury Duty in 2018. I remember not being too thrilled because the courthouse was an hour+ away. There was no way to change to a closer location. I remember at the end of the first day being in the potential juror box and having to come back the following morning. I was never asked any questions on either day though. Day 2, I went back and ended up being dismissed shortly after the morning questioning of jurors began. I still have never been on an actual jury.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I've had it once - I think it was in 2010. I did sit on a jury for a small trial. It was pretty neat to actually be on a jury.

 

[Micca]

Got a summons for jury duty between 2007-2010. Had to show up at the court house every morning for two weeks (Monday-Friday) and was never called to serve once. So I sat around and read a book, I didn't really have any electronic devices to occupy my time.

So I guess I "did my part" but it sure seemed like a phenomenal waste of time. There's no better way?

 

[wenrob]

I think it was 2017. I moved across country and wasn't living where I am now very long. It's a real pain going to jury duty where I live in. It's in the city. Commute by car not an option so I took the train. Had to get up at 5 a.m. Very small parking lot and doesn't nearly hold enough cars. Had to switch trains, etc. Once checked in at courthouse, many were dismissed by number ranges. Not me. Had to go downstairs to the judge where the accused and both sets of lawyers were there. They each had turns asking questions and then final jurors selected. Thankfully not me.

All of our courthouses are downtown in the middle of the city. I live almost as far North in the Valley as you can’t get so on a good day with no traffic (ha! hahahaha!) it takes me about 45 minutes to get down there. With traffic (and there’s always traffic) it’s a good hour plus. Then you have to navigate the funky way they built it down there and find a parking garage then finally walking to the courthouse from there. You have to leave minimum of an hour and half early but best to leave at least two. It’s a nightmare. People wonder why I don’t jump at the chance to meet them on The Strip when they pop into Vegas with no warning. You have to plan a trip to “Vegas” when you live in Vegas.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I get summoned all the time, it feels like every time I vote I get a summons. However, since my diagnosis makes it difficult for me to serve-my anxiety goes into overdrive-I send a letter from my psychiatrist and they excuse me.

 

[slo]

My DH just called me - he was dismissed. He said it was a murder trial and that it would last approximately 1 week. Needless to say, he was glad to be dismissed and is now going to work.

 

[Moliphino]

Got a summons for jury duty between 2007-2010. Had to show up at the court house every morning for two weeks (Monday-Friday) and was never called to serve once. So I sat around and read a book, I didn't really have any electronic devices to occupy my time.

So I guess I "did my part" but it sure seemed like a phenomenal waste of time. There's no better way?

In my state, you only need to go in the one day if you don't get selected for a jury.

 

[tvguy]

I love Jury Duty. Last time I was called was 3 years ago. They have always used a system where you check every day on the court website for two weeks to see if you need to report. Because of the pandemic, there were almost no jury trials, and they were calling in smaller jury pools. I didn't even have to report. This is the 4th time I have been called to jury duty and the first time I did not have to report.
First time was in 1994, I was the 11th juror picked and the only one of the first 12 brought in to the jury box not to get kicked off. That was a wrongful death civil suit that went 6 1/2 weeks. I was working overnight shift, and a day shift person had to cover for me the entire time. His wife was furious.......and the best part was, she is a Court Reporter and was THE Court Reporter in MY Court Room. After the case she pointed out that not was I the only one of the first 12 not to be dismissed, 38 others were questioned and dismissed. And there was nothing she could do to get me kicked off. She did appreciate that when questioned that a made a point that me being selected would be a hardship for the person who had to cover for me!
Second time was a burglary trial. Of a LAWN MOWER. The defendant came to court every day in a jail jumpsuit. Never made it from the back of the courtroom into the Jury Box, but I presume the relative petty nature of the crime and the fact that the defendant was in jail for stealing a $400 lawnmower was that this would have been a Third Strike.
Third time was a rape case. DNA evidence clearly was involved because Bob Blasier was one of the Defense Attorneys. He was OJ's DNA Attorney. I had interviewed him several times over the years which I noted on my questionaire and he acknowledged that when I was called up from the back to the Jury Box. I made it to seat 15 and never got questioned as both sides agreed on the 14 jurors ahead of me.....the 12 in the Jury Box and 2 alternates.....so I got kicked off.

 

[mickey916]

I was summoned for this past August but I rescheduled it until Nov. 9....really hoping to get dismissed...coming up soon!

 

[bjscheel]

Been called in twice and selected both times. It's not a huge inconvenience because both were just 2-3 days and I work at a law office 1 block from the courthouse so I can stop in on breaks. It was interesting both times.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My first jury duty notice arrived at my (childhood) home about a month after I moved out (I was in my late 20s then) . My mom just wrote "not at this address" on it and returned it.

Next notice was about 10 years later. I was excused since I had young children, requiring child care.

Last one in 2018, I had to log into the jury selection website every night for a week to see if I was to come in. I was never notified to come in, but since I was available, it satisfied my jury duty requirement.

 

[john7994]

Now, this is just a good thread Fascinating, the differences in experiences - keep them coming @slo

 

[auntfrannie]

I didn't receive my first summons until I was in my 50s. I sat in the jurors waiting room all morning and they settled the case so we were let go. The second time I did the "call the night before you're supposed to report" routine and it was cancelled.

My dad was always annoyed that he never once received a summons but my mother was called several times! She looked at them as social events and enjoyed going.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I’m 56 now and was called for Federal Jury Duty in December 2019 which is the first time I had been called for jury duty. I called in for a few weeks, but never had to appear in person. I then was called for my local county jury duty in 2021 and I served on the jury. It was a personal injury case and we didn’t find in favor of the plaintiff. What was fascinating to me was how nice the two attorneys were to the potential jurors during voir dire, then watching them turn into aggressors during cross examination in the trial, which is the job they have to do. The jurors in my group had to appear after our trial for potential jury pool again the following week, but we didn’t get picked.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I've not been summoned nor has my husband (to my knowledge).

 

[slo]

Now, this is just a good thread Fascinating, the differences in experiences - keep them coming @slo

Thank you John - I appreciate this

 

[Wood Nymph]

I have received many jury summons for the state and once for a federal court. I have served as a juror for two trials. One trial was a medical malpractice trial that lasted for five weeks. And the other trial was a simple injury case. The malpractice case was interesting and I learned a lot about cancer. Luckily, my employer continued to pay my salary and I would work as many hours as I could during the trial.

The federal jury duty was for a month but they only called me for a week. They pulled a grand jury out of our jury pool and I was really glad that I didn't get called for that. They have to serve one a day a week for six months.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think it was 2017. I moved across country and wasn't living where I am now very long. It's a real pain going to jury duty where I live in. It's in the city. Commute by car not an option so I took the train. Had to get up at 5 a.m. Very small parking lot and doesn't nearly hold enough cars. Had to switch trains, etc. Once checked in at courthouse, many were dismissed by number ranges. Not me. Had to go downstairs to the judge where the accused and both sets of lawyers were there. They each had turns asking questions and then final jurors selected. Thankfully not me.

All of our courthouses are downtown in the middle of the city. I live almost as far North in the Valley as you can’t get so on a good day with no traffic (ha! hahahaha!) it takes me about 45 minutes to get down there. With traffic (and there’s always traffic) it’s a good hour plus. Then you have to navigate the funky way they built it down there and find a parking garage then finally walking to the courthouse from there. You have to leave minimum of an hour and half early but best to leave at least two. It’s a nightmare. People wonder why I don’t jump at the chance to meet them on The Strip when they pop into Vegas with no warning. You have to plan a trip to “Vegas” when you live in Vegas.

These both make me think of my state. The County courthouse is quite close to me. And when I lived elsewhere in the county still very accessible/close.

However there are 3 Federal courthouses in the state. The nearest Federal one is within my metro about 30mins away. A 2nd one is about an hour west of me. A 3rd one 2 hours and 45 mins southwest of me. They tell you that the jury selection pool for Federal court covers the entire state so I could be selected to any of the 3 at any time. Mostly I feel for the rural folks especially western as they would be driving a bit especially across the whole state if to the one nearest to me. I wonder how other states are with Federal jury selections.

 

[john7994]

These both make me think of my state. The County courthouse is quite close to me. And when I lived elsewhere in the county still very accessible/close.

However there are 3 Federal courthouses in the state. The nearest Federal one is within my metro about 30mins away. A 2nd one is about an hour west of me. A 3rd one 2 hours and 45 mins southwest of me. They tell you that the jury selection pool for Federal court covers the entire state so I could be selected to any of the 3 at any time. Mostly I feel for the rural folks especially western as they would be driving a bit especially across the whole state if to the one nearest to me. I wonder how other states are with Federal jury selections.

In Atlanta (Fulton County), we can be summoned for Superior, State, Probate, and Federal.