I Have Been Summoned - Page 8

J Town Girl · ‎06-13-2011

I have a strong opinion on forcing senior citizens to serve on a jury if they happen to live in a state that does not an age cut-off requirement. I believe after the age of 70 everyone should be given the option to serve if they would like to, or refuse if they choose.

There is such a concern about how our seniors are being treated and yet our court system can force many of these people into something that can cause them personal hardship. I know many people can get a doctors excuse if they have a valid reason but many of these reasons aren't health related, or if they are they aren't issues that would make them want to ask their doctors for an excuse. Many of our seniors have issues with hearing or sight that aren't severe but would cause them distress if forced to serve on a jury.

Many of them no longer drive on freeways or even in heavy traffic in a downtown area. I know here in our city the Federal Courthouse is located in an area that has become a nightmare. People have been assaulted during the daytime hours even with lots of activity around them. Can you imagine a much older lady trying to navigate her way around being fearful of what might happen to her.

The idea that they will send a sheriff's car to pick you up is ludicrous. What person wants to have a police car pull into their driveway and pick them up for jury duty. The embarrassment of having your neighbors wondering what in the world you did to be taken into a police car.

If you are fortunate enough to live to the age of 70 you have done well and you do not need the heavy hand of the court system to tell that it is your duty to serve.

Our seniors deserve better than that. As I said before, if you enjoy serving on a jury and you want to continue when you are older that is perfectly fine but no one should be forced into it.

NicksmomESQ · ‎08-19-2014

@RetRN wrote:
@NicksmomESQ wrote:
Luckily,I served last year.So I'm off the hook for a while. With Covid, no way would I go .I would get a doctors note.
Unbelievable, I thought your son was a lawyer.

@RetRN He's not a lawyer yet.And I was called & I went.I don't know what you're insinuating.Anyway, here in New York there are few automatic exemptions.Being related to a lawyer isn't one of them.

Pook · ‎03-20-2010

I was summoned for jury duty once and the case was a big one so they sent a 30 page questionaire. It was a case involving a suit against a huge business. It asked questions about union affiliation and since I was an officer and chief steward for my local they sent another questionaire trying to determine if I could be impartial before excusing me.

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

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.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

We are related to 2 local law enforcement officers, and my daughters jobs have kept them from serving on jury duty.

wagirl · ‎03-09-2010

@Icegoddess ---Oh pleease---I am neither anti-cop or misinformed----how dare you both assume that=====I KNOW cops don't make those decisions on their own- but really---you think the courts will spend all that time on arresting, prosecuting and incarcinating, some old lady who didn't report for jury duty in the middle of a freaking pandemic????? good grief!!!!!

Andreatoo · ‎04-04-2014

@Icegoddess wrote:
@Carmie wrote:
@wagirl wrote:
I have served a few times and HAVE NOT found anything about it fun or interesting. Just boring, so flipping boring,------ you can see first hand how inefficient this the whole process is. And as for going to jail for not doing jury duty---REALLY??????You think the cops will throw down all that they are faced with, at this time in the world, to haul off someone to jail who didn't go to jury duty????? Man alive, with this virus thing wrecking havoc, what in the bloody he!! are courts thinking ------
Sounds like you are anti-cop.

Cops do not make the decision to take people to jail over jury duty. The Court issues a summons for you to attend. If you do not, and haven't been excused, the court will come after you. Usually the county sheriff or Federal law enforcement will come to your home to arrest you. You will be fined and possible jailed.

It has been this way forever and cops are not involved with the judicial system.
@Carmie It didn't sound to me like @wagirl is anti-cop, just a bit misinformed if she thinks cops get to decide what tasks they will do or won't do.

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

bobbydeeschair · ‎07-01-2020

@Nightowlz wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
If they call me to bad not doing this during a Pandemic.

@Nightowlz You do know you can be sent to jail for not complying? I hear jail isn't so great in a pandemic either.
@Sooner

I know that but I'm still not doing it or going to jail.
@Nightowlz Well anarchy seems to be in vogue now. So fine for you to just ignore the law.
@Sooner

Not saying I'm going to ignore it just telling them I'm not doing it. I'm almost 63 so they can have the young do it.

@Nightowlz seriously, you're so old at almost 63? I'm 61, I haven't missed a day of work during the "pandemic" that you are all so fond of falling back. Get out and do your civic duty and stop complaining. Jeez, the folks on these boards are amazing with the me attitude.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Andreatoo wrote:
@Icegoddess wrote:
@Carmie wrote:
@wagirl wrote:
I have served a few times and HAVE NOT found anything about it fun or interesting. Just boring, so flipping boring,------ you can see first hand how inefficient this the whole process is. And as for going to jail for not doing jury duty---REALLY??????You think the cops will throw down all that they are faced with, at this time in the world, to haul off someone to jail who didn't go to jury duty????? Man alive, with this virus thing wrecking havoc, what in the bloody he!! are courts thinking ------
Sounds like you are anti-cop.

Cops do not make the decision to take people to jail over jury duty. The Court issues a summons for you to attend. If you do not, and haven't been excused, the court will come after you. Usually the county sheriff or Federal law enforcement will come to your home to arrest you. You will be fined and possible jailed.

It has been this way forever and cops are not involved with the judicial system.
@Carmie It didn't sound to me like @wagirl is anti-cop, just a bit misinformed if she thinks cops get to decide what tasks they will do or won't do.

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.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

And, just like that it's over. All the cases that were scheduled for that week have either been dispositioned or settled. My jury duty days are over before they even began.