OT/Question regarding bailing on jury duty?

[tbob]

Everyone is missing the key here: the key is the court administrator. She (90% of the time) is the one who can let you out of jury duty or keep you in. There are legitimate reasons for being excused from jury duty (being self-employed and there being no one else capable or able to run the business and direct employees, physical handicaps, etc.) and some not so legitimate ones ( being buddies with the judge, etc.). That said, it gets so tiring to walk in to a courtroom to select a jury during voir dire and see that the jury panel is composed of the elderly, the "professional jurors" who have no jobs and no life other than being a juror or the delightful experience of representing an African-American or Hispanic client in a criminal case and seeing 100% Caucasian faces.
A savvy court administrator can shrink the jury panel in many ways, a good one is gold, a poor one is trouble. Most judges let the administrators deal with the people who call and want to be excused. It's a lot of power in the hands of a person who has no accountability.

[bbcard1]

It is important if you decide to walk out of court to grab your junk and at least make some slur toward the judge's ancestory. This will yield the most dramatic result.

[ullmandds]

In retrospect...I probably could have gotten out of this had I made up a story about me being the only DDS at my office...next time!!!!!

A possible solution to the problem u state, Bob, would be to make it so that employers can not "penalize" their employees when they are called to jury duty.

[ullmandds]

Zach...I have considered that angle as well...but it is my impression that if u are picked for a jury...you then get interviewed...and if after the interview...they don't want you in the jury(for whatever reason)...they send you back to the waiting area where you must remain until they either send u home...or u get selected for a different case.

This is the impression I got?!

[Ladder7]

I get called every three years, like clockwork. I "reschedule" to an on-duty day. I never get picked and released before lunch. Always some kinda conflict of interest obstacle in the way, thankfully.

However, when I retire next year, I look forward to helping put a boatload of the Florida low-life's behind bars. It's gonna be so fun.

There MUST be a serious conflict of interest with either the judge, lawyers, or the criminals in your case Pete. Just explain to the court that "I'm his dentist, I have seen this mans' teeth, and may hold it against him in a court of law or on his next visit to the office." Don't make me break out the "Little Shop of Horrors" references....

[zljones]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Zach...I have considered that angle as well...but it is my impression that if u are picked for a jury...you then get interviewed...and if after the interview...they don't want you in the jury(for whatever reason)...they send you back to the waiting area where you must remain until they either send u home...or u get selected for a different case.

This is the impression I got?!

That actually is how it works, when I went I never even got that interview, I just sat forever, I was in the process of waiting to be interviewed but no one got interviewed at all. There was probably no trial.

[batsballsbases]

Peter,
For what its worth I to own my own business. I have had Jury Duty 8 times. Yes 8 times. Its computer driven and if you dont go in as I have been told you can be arrested (but it rarely happens) most of the time its a fine. It was so bad I know the court clerk by name (Barbara)and I did ask to be put before a judge to say isnt 8 times enough? To no avail. Just some food for thought if you are excused without serving the day the court has the right to call you again in 1 year. If you do serve the day(the most boring thing on this earth) you then have freedom for 3 years! As I found out the only way to get out of it is medical condition, student going to school out of state, or if you have been convicted on a class A felony! Moral of the story all us law biding people should just go hold some one up and get arrested so we dont have to go to jury duty!

[cubsfan-budman]

Funny, I'm in my mid 30s and have yet to get a jury duty summons. Every 3 years is crazy.