I Have Been Summoned - Page 10

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@Nightowlz wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@Sooner , I don't know @Nightowlz particular situation, but I'm sure she could get excused using one of the Covid questions. They ask if you have an underlying condition or are over 65 and if you are asking to be excused due to that. You can ask for an excuse if you have someone in your household at with fever, unexplained cough, or repiratory problems. Maybe I could use the fact that I have a cat with asthma as an excuse. I consider him family and even bought a Foodi Grill even though I have a perfectly functioning Jenn Aire grill becaue the Foodi would emit less smoke. There's even a generic question Do you have ANY concerns related to Covid-19 that would affect your ability to serve. You do have to explain though.

Personally, I'm not using this panemic as an excuse to withdraw from life and it's responsibilities. If someone is truly afraid and are stahing inside their home out of fear, then I consider that a perfectly acceptable excuse. However, if they are going out and doing other things, then I think it's a cop-out to use Covid as an excuse not to serve. I don't like jury duty, but I'm not going to use a lame excuse to get out of it. Somebody needs to do the job.
@Icegoddess

All I know is they say the longer you are out among people the higher your risk.
I have been home all year except doctor, dentist appt plus picking up groceries. I'm not sitting in a courthouse full of people.
Unless they offer very frequent bathroom breaks that leaves me out. When I have to pee there is no waiting. LOL!!!
@Nightowlz It doesn't sound like it'll be a courthouse full of people. The jurors don't even show up at the courthouse unless they have been chosen as a possible juror. otherwise, you stay at home on-call.
@Icegoddess

Last time I did it you had to go to the courthouse where there were lots of people they were going through to see who would get picked. I do live in a smaller area so no telling what they do here now. I was on jury duty for a year anytime they needed me you were suppose to show up???
I'm not going to worry about it. I have gallbladder issues anyways so I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I will have to have surgery.

Whether one has to go in or just call varies. I think most places now have you call first. And if they don't need you to come in for 2-3 days or a week (this varies, depending on the Court's schedule of cases), then your service is done.

If they ask you to come in, then you are likely to be in a room with other people, I am guessing the number of whch will be lower now for health reasons. I have served a few times. I think they can call people where I live every 3 years and I usually get called like clockwork. They call in more people than they need anticipating no-shows. Once you are in the room, they call panels of people to answer questions to decide whether you would be in a jury for a specific case. The first questions are in writing, and unless they weed you out then, they may ask you questions verbally, with your written questionnaire in hand. Then maybe you are selected, maybe not. In NYC, if we are not selected, they tell us to go back to the first room, where we can be selected again for another case. Usually if you are not selected they let you go after 2 or 3 days, and you are credited as having served. If you are selected, you serve until the case ends. They will give you an estimate of the length of time, which varies wildly (one day, several months). If you can't serve for the projected amount of time (for example, you have travel or surgery scheduled), you may be excused. They may selet more people than needed (alternate jurors) in case someone gets sick or can't contnue until the end for some reason.

In NY, jurors who are not compensated by their ermployers for their time, or who do not have jobs, receive a small stipend from the Court.

My grandmother served on a grand jury and she loved it. I have never been called for that but would love to serve.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@hckynut wrote:

...I am sure they do research on each person they summons, prior to sending it.

hckynut

They don't. The names are drawn from voter lists, driver lists, and the like. The only qualification to be summoned is your address.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@songbird wrote:
The first time I was called, it was rather exciting. I was eager to serve and was happy when I called in and they had my number. So I went up to the court house, which was quite far from me. My job knew about it. I had warned them when I got the letter and called in when I was picked. So I sat around for a while. Then they called my number. I ended up being on the jury. There wasn't really a way the way they pick you. It was more on your looks then anything else. When they called my number, I stood up. The prosecution side looked and defense side looked at me. The judge told me to go up to the jury box. Even after 12 of us were called, they kept calling number of the ones picked, got rid of them and picked new ones. I survived. The trial lasted the whole day until nearly 7:00PM. We got a unanimous decision and the was the end of it. When we got out, reporters were there shoving mikes in our faces. I got out of there quickly! I didn't want to be the foreman of the jury. So one of us got roped in to it. He had to write everything we argued down. Then wrote a question we had to the judge. He did all the work. I remembred during the trial to write notes. So everyone had paper and pens. It was memorial kind of event, so I'm glad I served.

Hi @songbird That was interesting. Would you mind sharing what year and State this was?

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

...
I saw a news segment the other day about a Sheriff's Deputy who's current job was to enforce eviction notices. He didn't want to be doing that job, but he did it. He did give one elderly lady a 1-day reprieve because she had nowhere to go and he felt it was too hot for her to be out on the street. I think he called HHS to see if they could help her out, but it was only a 1-day reprieve.
@Icegoddess
interesting. Here in Florida the governor has been placing a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures on a monthly basis. He just extended it again for the month of September. I work for an attorney who does civil and probate so it's been a headache for us not being able to move forward on quite a few of the actions we have brought. The clerk of court is closed so that's stalling a lot of procedures too
@Andreatoo I think maybe it has to do with where the particular state is in their reopening process. I don't remember what state the news clipping was from. I'm thinking it was either TX or LA but couldn't say for sure.

I saw that report too. It was Texas. The landlord's employee was in tears as he did his job, and I was too, watching it. My understanding is there were so many compaints about this that a Go Fund Me account was established for tenants for the particular county at issue. We have a moratorium on evictions as well, but people still owe the money. Many lives will be ruined, in addition to the 200,000+ deaths.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@songbird wrote:
They didn't ask me anything. I just stood up in front of them. They both (defense & prosecution side) looked at me. By looks I think them meant gender & race (important for a jury) They either nodded at each other, or consulted among themselves. After you were picked, again they looked at the makeup of the jury. Called some back & picked some more. the judge was the only one that questioned you.

Selecting a juror based on race and/or gender is in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps they based their selections on the answers to the judge's questions.

Jinlei · ‎07-25-2010

@SeaMaiden wrote:
I did jury duty a couple of years ago... a week it took as I was chosen to be on a jury. I found it to be a huge waste of my time. I will never do it again... and I would never consider to do it during this pandemic until it is totally over. If I ever get a card in the mail I will throw it away.

I would not suggest doing, that. If you do not comply, the judge can have you arrested. I was on a murder trial about 10 years ago and during the jury selection people tried to use every excuse in the book to get out of it. The judge was having none of it. If you are not dying, you better show up.