Community Chat

[Patriot3]

I was on the Grand Jury one time and I loved it!  So interesting, but I guess not everyone looks at it that way.  I was called recently, but my age and an annoying health problem made me turn it down.  Sure would have liked to go.  I urge you, go at least once.  It is so interesting.

[pigletsmom]

Around here it seems to be based on voter registration and I think they tend to take from the new registrations. I have been called many times and always after I've moved and updated my voter registration. Anyone I know that has lived in the same place for a long time never gets called. A friend of mine lived in the same place for 20 years and never got called. Finally moved and he didn't believe me that the summons would be coming. Of course 6 months later there it was!

I did get picked for a Federal jury. It was only a week and pretty interesting. Federal was nice because they automatically pay you and they paid for parking.

[Lipstickdiva]

In October, I was summoned for jury duty in the Court of Common Pleas.  There was a questionnaire I had to fill out and send back in.

We were divided into groups from A-F.  There was a number we had to call everyday after 3:00 and we were told if we had to report the following day to the courthouse.

I had to report 1 day at 8:30 a.m. and we sat in the jury room waiting.  At around 10:00ish, one of the judges came down and said his case had been settled and thanked us.  But we could't leave because there was another possible jury trial they were working on settling.  Around 12:30, that judge came down and said it had been settled and we could leave.

I never had to report again and the summons is for a 2 week period.  I received $25.00 because I was there past noon.    

[Lipstickdiva]

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@lulu2 wrote:

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@Goldengate8361 wrote:

I have never been summoned in my 50-something year old life!....and I would LOVE to serve on a jury. Go figure!

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No one seems to be able to tell me how prospective jurors are summoned.  I've been told it's from voter registration, the town tax roll, drivers licenses, etc.

When I was working I was never summoned.  Since I've retired I've been called numerous times. (in 2 different communities) I've served on several juries, one in particular was an interesting trial.  Deliberations have always been frustrating. There has always been 1 or 2 jurors who think they are smarter than everyone else.  There have been a few who simply did not grasp the concept you base your  verdict only on what has been presented.  You cannot bring in something you've seen on a TV show or read in a book. Your verdict has nothing to do with whether or not you liked the prosecutor or defense lawyer. At times it's like banging your head against a wall.

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@lulu2, I know in our area, they have the option of pulling from voter registrations and those who have a drivers license but the jury commissioner told me that right now, our Courts only pull from voter registrations.  If there comes a time when they aren't getting enough jurors, they will move to also going by those who have a DL. 

[CalMom]

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@Noel7 wrote:

I used to get them every year.  EVERY YEAR, sometimes twice, to two different courts.  Then I had to go through a lot of hoopla getting out of the second one by proving I already served that year.

I hate it for various reasons.  I've seen people with very valid reasons who were not able to postpone, and that really makes me angry.

Where we serve is in a very bad neighborhood, there was nowhere to eat lunch except a filthy McDonalds, and parking was next to impossible and very expensive.

I went, I served on juries, and in a minute I would vote for taxes for a better place, and one with childcare.  Other areas have childcare, I saw a woman report for duty, crying.  Her mother was to take care of the kids, but was hospitalized, she brought the kids in with her.  They gave her hades. What could she have done?  Nothing.  It was a last minute family emergency.  Horrible.

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I believe that you are not eligible to receive another summons for at least a year after your last one.

[CalMom]

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@VanSleepy wrote:
The first one I ever got, I wrote on the questionnaire that I had a newborn baby and no one to watch him. I was excused. I got another one two months later. I guess he could take care of himself by then lol

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Yes, if you are the caretaker of young children, you are excused.

[gmkb]

I served once about 20 years ago.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.  A young man was accused of various crimes connected to this case - stealing, weapons, assault, etc. There were 6 men and 6 women on the jury.  When it came time to make our decision on the various charges, it was divided by gender.  Women, not guilty on some.  Men, guilty of all.  We literally argued for several days and finally the men  prevailed.

The judge was excellent.  He told us no one had ever gotten a fairer trial.  He heard us over the days and knew we did our best.  He told us the young man was currently serving time in jail for something else, there was no doubt in the judge's mind he was guilty of these crimes and was a habitual offender.

When the young man was sitting in court, he was well dressed, clean, polite - hard to believe a habitual criminal.  I guess this is why attorneys like women on the jury - more sympathetic.

[CalMom]

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@Azcowgirl wrote:

I was called once when I no longer lived in the state, and another time, when I sat next to Coby Bryant in room with attorneys asking questions.Would have been interesting, but the charges were dropped and the case never went to trial. 

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Interesting that 2 people have that same name. The basketball player who will retire at the end of the season is Kobe Bryant. I believe he has a home in Orange County in the state of California.

[hckynut]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

@hckynut - what the heck is election duty?

 I've never heard of that before.  I always thought people just volunteered for that.

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@CelticCrafter

I don't know how it works in other States and County's, but in my County you get a Certified letter telling you to report to  your Polling Place at 5AM on Election Day. They have a phone number to call for questions, and if you want to get out if working? They transfer you to someone that pretty much interrogates as to why you cannot report.

Not as much as Jury Duty, but you don't just tell them a made up whopper, and you get excused, And unlike Jury Duty you don't just sit around and wait. At my Polling place you got right to work.

Assembling and putting up the voting booths/organizing all the paperwork/separating different districts within the Polling place, pretty much non-stop until voting time came along. From there you were told what job you were assigned to work by the Polling Captain.

A 10 minute break in the morning/45 minute lunch/10 minute break in late afternoon, and then work till the Voting closes. Of course since you put things up(assembling booths), you had to take them down and sweep up the place.

Certainly no time to get bored. The bigger the Election, the harder and longer you worked. Think I worked 15 elections and then asked, seriously if I could bail. They finally agreed I had done enough of my Civic Duty. One thing you learn is WHY ballots and votes can get lost.

hckynut(john)

[gmkb]

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@VanSleepy wrote:
The first one I ever got, I wrote on the questionnaire that I had a newborn baby and no one to watch him. I was excused. I got another one two months later. I guess he could take care of himself by then lol

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@VanSleepy One notice I got was at a time I was looking after a very elderly person.  He did not have anyone else to look after him, so I was excused.  Two months later I got called again; maybe they thought he had died.  Once again I was excused.

I eventually did serve once he passed.