Called to Jury Duty

[Rastus]

I had a co-worker, not a friend, who's wife was a public defender.  They screened people to get a friendly jury...especially a point was getting rid of gun owners...on their "to do" list was to check out the bumper stickers on the cars and if it had NRA or some "flag waving idiot sticker" on it, the public defenders would make a lot of noise to disqualify that person as a jurist.

Contemplate the question by counting to three, take a breath and answer in consideration of what they really want to know....there is an ulterior motive in juror questions...always, both sides.

[MikeBjerum]

I'd say that you should do your best to honestly be seated.  I have been called three times.  All three times the cases were settled prior to trial.  Two were DUI and one was a sexual assault.  I was seated twice and kept as an alternate once.

My view is that serving jury duty is a responsibility that comes with being a citizen, and if we don't participate we are unraveling the Bill of Rights just as surely as those that try to remove the Second Amendment.  Also, falsifying your answers to get out of duty, TAB, is no different in my mind than those that found the Canadian border in the sixties and seventies.

Do your duty and serve your time.  The next person that needs a fair jury may be you!

[fightingquaker13]

I'd say that you should do your best to honestly be seated.  I have been called three times.  All three times the cases were settled prior to trial.  Two were DUI and one was a sexual assault.  I was seated twice and kept as an alternate once.

My view is that serving jury duty is a responsibility that comes with being a citizen, and if we don't participate we are unraveling the Bill of Rights just as surely as those that try to remove the Second Amendment.  Also, falsifying your answers to get out of duty, TAB, is no different in my mind than those that found the Canadian border in the sixties and seventies.

Do your duty and serve your time.  The next person that needs a fair jury may be you!

And on this we are in agreement.
FQ13

[jaybet]

I'm called for mid-september for federal jury duty. It would be a financial hardship as I'm needed through september for the little shop we have and I've applied for a postponement until October- haven't heard anything back yet, though.
The other factor is that it is 80 miles each way to the federal court for me. They pay mileage and $40 a day. At the current Federal rate they would pay me more for mileage than for service.
If you are serving in some capacity that's all that counts. I used to be volunteer FD and that got me out of jury duty because of service. Now I'm retired from that, and I'm fair game. I just wish it wouldn't help me go bankrupt while I serve.

[Timothy]

I was called a few years ago while still recuperating from my accident.  I delayed another year and finally got my first chance to serve.  I made it through two voir diere evolutions and was dismissed both times for no apparent reason.  Probably because I'm in engineering and we tend to over analyze everything.

On the third, it was a tort case where a woman was suing the driver that hit her from behind at a stop light.  When the woman was introduced, she popped up out of her seat with no apperant injuries that I could tell.

I was dismissed by the defense because of my experiences with being run over by a car.  They didn't think I would be impartial.  Funny thing about that, I was already leaning towards the defense case because the woman was obviously in no physical pain from what I could tell from across the room.  She was probably just looking for a quick payday...their loss!

In MA, your employer is required by law to pay your salary for up to three days while serving in state courts.

[Sponsor]

[jaybet]

That's a big help if you happen to HAVE an employer.

[Timothy]

That's a big help if you happen to HAVE an employer.

True Jay! 

I didn't mean to sound insensitive...

[Johnny Bravo]

After reading so many of your posts.........I'm sure you will do a fine job FQ.

[Timothy]

After reading so many of your posts.........I'm sure you will do a fine job FQ.

Not a chance Johnny B.....FQ has an opinion, something lawyers don't want to deal with...in fact, FQ has hundreds of opinions, with very little puncutation.  I can only imagine that when the Professor speaks, he's like one long run-on sentence!

The stenographer would wear out the keyboard!   

[mudman]

1st reject