Jury Duty

For some reason, I have jury duty next month. Why did they even pick me. I just read comic books and play video games, ok.

So what should I even expect.

Also, ain't this dangerous. What if the case involves the mafia, and they hire people to take out the jury.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've been called four times. I just fill out "College Student" and send it back, exempt as a result.

I love school sometimes. Sometimes. And this is one of those some's.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Megalith

I just read comic books and play video games, ok.

You should say this to the judge.

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Nah. Megalith should do his patriotic duty to represent the typical american youth. His opinion is important.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Aren't you a full time student? That's a valid reaon to be excused from jury duty. Just fax it back to them with that indicated.

Mostly, if you decide to go, you should expect to sit around a lot if you've been summoned to be in a jury pool for a particular day.

I was speaking idiomatically.

My sister pretty much filled out a bullshit reply and sent it back and it was cool. She doesn't even do anything but play Literati all day.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'd love to have jury duty, it's like my job, but I don't have to clean toilets to make money.
Really though, it would be nice to be put into those multiple week trials and be a part of history. All the people I know that have been summoned were rejected, they were not objective enough I would guess.

FELIPE NO

This oughta be good.

I can just picture Megalith going in, sitting through the trial, then in the jury room just saying "Guilty. Why lie."

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Originally Posted by JazzFlight

This oughta be good.

I can just picture Megalith going in, sitting through the trial, then in the jury room just saying "Guilty. Why lie."

Yeah, I could imagine that. He'd probably decide against the others just to hang the jury.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Even if you are a full time student, don't they try to rope you in during your breaks?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I had jury duty last May. I even got picked for a jury. Was a boring case though. Some company was accusing another company of stealing files off their computer, so they were suing for damages. The process itself was pretty easy. A lot of waiting around though.

I had to go down to the courthouse where they gave me my badge. Then you and the other potential jurors (there was about 60-80 people there) sit around until they get you all together for the speech. Explain how much you make ($15 dollars a day for us), and ask if anyone wants to be excused for whatever reason. The first time they ask isn't the time to bring up the school thing. The first time is the people who can't be on the jury no matter what. If you served in the past 3 years, can't speak English, stuff like that. After that they showed us a video on jury duty.

Then the long wait begins. They randomly call numbers of about 20 people for jury selection. Go to a courtroom, and the judge explains the case. Asks if anyone has any problems. This is when you bring up the school issue. Then they do another lottery thing until they have the required number of jurors. And the lawyers go through the questioning process, and excuse any jurors they feel won't be impartial. Keep doing that until they get a full jury

If you don't make it through that you go back to the waiting room, and repeat it all day. Different places have different times, but for here you have to go back the next two days if you don't get picked.

I got selected first call on everything >.< First group picked to go to the courtroom, first potentials in the juror box. Interestingly I was the only guy in the jury, and the other women were quite a bit older than me. The jury duty itself is ridiculously boring. It's from 8-5 and if you get a case that was as boring as mine make sure you drink lots of coffee. The only good thing was we got an hour lunch. My trial was supposed to last two weeks, but luckily they settled out of court after 3 days.

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Originally Posted by Lord Styphon

Aren't you a full time student? That's a valid reaon to be excused from jury duty. Just fax it back to them with that indicated.

Out of curiosity - is this a federal exemption? As ina pplicable in all states? Because I had no idea I could get out of jury duty by claiming I am a fulltime student. Kickass.

I did jury duty about 2 years ago. I brought a good book and incidentally finished it while waiting. That should show how LONG you'll be locked (literally) in a room, waiting for the trials to begin. No smoking, no nothing. They did let us out for an hour lunch, though.

Its not so bad, though. It gets you out of work - paid, I believe - and you can just chill out listening to music and reading all morning.

I do not, however, enjoy being on a jury. I excused myself with the fact that the trial involved animal abuse and assault on a police officer. They asked if I was biased. I said "Obviously. Look at how those punkass kids are dressed in a COURTROOM. They don't respect how long WE had to wait, and they don't respect the COURT."

I got excused. ^_^

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

Out of curiosity - is this a federal exemption? As ina pplicable in all states? Because I had no idea I could get out of jury duty by claiming I am a fulltime student. Kickass.

It's not a definite exemption. It's at the judge's discretion. Most judge's will of course excuse though. If it's a serious case though, and you fit all other requirements, and the lawyers find you fit to serve then you will be forced to stay. That's why you can't be fired or kicked out of school for serving jury duty.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Yeah, chances are you won't be getting a high profile case. Most cases involve reparations of some kind, or determining which charges are valid and which lack substance.

For my first jury duty, the case involved a person who was injured and was suing for compensation. Since my mother had recently gone through the same ordeal, I was found to be too biased toward the plaintiff and dismissed by the defense team.

The second time I was called up, I was scheduled for a specific day. However, all the cases for that day resolved themselves before appearing before the court, so no jury was needed. I got an automated phone message instructing me to change my plans and be prepared in case I'm called up for another case within that month, which never happened.

Hope that this happens to you.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Jury duty always sucks because you get paid a lousy $15/day and they usually shortchange you on your transportation reimburstment.

I can't give you much good advice on how to prepare or evade, but I can recommend bringing a good book. The only time I was in jury duty, it was a car accident resulting from Grand Theft Auto. I told the judge I was in car accidents before but I was never caught in the act. I got ejected pretty fast from that court room.

FELIPE NO