Ignoring jury duty in California, is it dangerous?

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Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Originally posted by: loki8481
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: loki8481
I ignored a summons last year and I'm still here.

had financial reasons for not being able to go, the problem being that they only led you plead financial hardship in person, which I'd have had to take off of work to do, which was the original reason I couldn't attend jury duty in the first place.

I just threw away the letter... no sheriff at my doorstep, no fine in the mail, no warrant for my arrest.

I've never actually heard any first-hand accounts of people getting locked up for ditching jury duty.

Have you had to renew your auto registration/drivers license or have to go to a state office for anything?

since skipping JD, I've renewed my car registration, renewed my license, and was pulled over by a cop a couple months ago who ran my license (gave me a "warning" for going 37 in a 35, lol).

edit: not that I'm advocating skipping... I was in unique circumstances and wouldn't do it again unless I absolutely had to.

You're talking about NJ and not CA though.
 

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
Originally posted by: looker001
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: looker001
Thank you for everyone reply. After goggling, and reading everyone replys i am confident that nothing will happen to me. It appears that unless jury duty notice is certified(this one wasn't), i can ignore it being that court has no evidence of me ever receiving it.
This thread should serve should serve as evidence.

Thank you for that offer :) Seriously, if my work paid for jury duty or i had vacation days left i would have no problem of going to jury duty service.

Last year I had a typical summer job and I went in for jury duty on my day off. You basically check the box saying you don't get paid for jury duty by your employer and they send you home in a hour or two. Sure it takes up your morning but bring a book. It is very unlikely that they would select you to be a possible juror. Jury duty may not be "fun", but it's what makes our legal system great. It's just one of those small ways that we can give back to our country. Sure, nothing will probably happen to you if you ignore the notice but it's not like you're going to get assigned to a six month murder trial.
 

ColdFusion718

Diamond Member
Mar 4, 2000
3,496
9
81
Originally posted by: looker001
Thank you for everyone reply. After goggling, and reading everyone replys i am confident that nothing will happen to me. It appears that unless jury duty notice is certified(this one wasn't), i can ignore it being that court has no evidence of me ever receiving it.

When I was away during college, my mom would forward them to me. I've always had problems receiving them on time. I've never been arrested or jailed for it.

It's better for the county to leave me alone than toss me in jail because when I'm in jail, I won't be working and paying taxes. :p;
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
23,061
1,230
126
Originally posted by: Blayze
I've only had to go once. I was paid $12 to sit in a room and watch soap operas all day (I wasn't called to be on a jury that day).

It was long and boring, but its something I had to do. Your job has to give you the time off for jury duty.

in California you can get out of it if you can prove your job won't pay you. I can't speak for other states, but I know in CA a lot of jobs won't pay you and you can get out of it easy.

 

SacrosanctFiend

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2004
4,269
0
0
Originally posted by: loki8481
Your job has to give you the time off for jury duty.

but they don't have to pay you if you're not salaried.

in NJ, the money you get for jury duty doesn't even cover the cost of parking by the courthouse.

Even if you are salaried, if you miss a week or more, they don't have to pay you.
 

XZeroII

Lifer
Jun 30, 2001
12,572
0
0
Originally posted by: ColdFusion718
Originally posted by: looker001
Thank you for everyone reply. After goggling, and reading everyone replys i am confident that nothing will happen to me. It appears that unless jury duty notice is certified(this one wasn't), i can ignore it being that court has no evidence of me ever receiving it.

When I was away during college, my mom would forward them to me. I've always had problems receiving them on time. I've never been arrested or jailed for it.

It's better for the county to leave me alone than toss me in jail because when I'm in jail, I won't be working and paying taxes. :p;

I believe that you don't have to go if you're in college anyway.
 

sciencewhiz

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2000
5,886
8
81
Originally posted by: looker001
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: looker001
Thank you for everyone reply. After goggling, and reading everyone replys i am confident that nothing will happen to me. It appears that unless jury duty notice is certified(this one wasn't), i can ignore it being that court has no evidence of me ever receiving it.
This thread should serve should serve as evidence.

Thank you for that offer :) Seriously, if my work paid for jury duty or i had vacation days left i would have no problem of going to jury duty service.

In California, you can postpone for up to 6 months, so postpone until you get more vacation days.
 

sciencewhiz

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2000
5,886
8
81
Originally posted by: XZeroII
I believe that you don't have to go if you're in college anyway.

In California, they tell you to postpone until a break or summer. You can't be excused for being in college.
 

txrandom

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2004
3,773
0
71
Originally posted by: looker001
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: looker001
Thank you for everyone reply. After goggling, and reading everyone replys i am confident that nothing will happen to me. It appears that unless jury duty notice is certified(this one wasn't), i can ignore it being that court has no evidence of me ever receiving it.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Your cellmate Bubba will love that story, tell it to him as he's sodomizing you.

Please explain to me, what evidence court will have that i received the jury duty notice. Last time i checked, our legal system is still innocent till proven guilty. If that is still the case, the court will need to have some type of evidence beyond of no evidence at all. Notice did not come certified, which would provide court with record that someone received the notice and signed for it.

If no one shows up for your court case, you will automatically be proven guilty. How is that for karma?
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
just go in and show direct bias towards some aspect of a case when interviewed.

bonus points for creativity
nomination for elite if you sneak in a tape recorder and post the questioning.
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
7,155
1
81
I ignored like the first 5 I got throughout college. I finally got one from last year and I went. ALOT of people were able to get out of it if your story was believable. Some people were obviously trying just to get out of it and the judge did not let them.

Even so, I got on the jury and did the trial - took about a week. It was a really good experience, but I felt bad. It was a DUI case (not alchohol) and we found the guy guilty. He and his wife just started bawling, it's weird to have the power to dictate how someone's life will go for the next few months, then again he could have killed someone.
 

trmiv

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
14,670
18
81
When I lived in California I completely forgot to respond to one notice. I had it on the fridge and intended to do it, but just forgot. Didn't realize it until a week after the date. Nothing happened to me.
 

ICRS

Banned
Apr 20, 2008
1,328
0
0
Show up, when you are called in for a trial, stand up point at the defendent and scream "MURDERER, YOU ARE GOING TO FRY" or "RAPIST, YOU SHOULD BE CASTRATED" depending on what kind of case it is.You will quickly be dismissed.
 

WaTaGuMp

Lifer
May 10, 2001
21,207
2,506
126
Just become a convicted felon and they will NEVER send you a jury notice ever again, gawd I gotta teach people everything. ;)
 

imported_Lothar

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2006
4,559
1
0
Originally posted by: xSauronx
just go in and show direct bias towards some aspect of a case when interviewed.

bonus points for creativity
nomination for elite if you sneak in a tape recorder and post the questioning.

I agree 100%.
If you go in and show some real bias, that would guarantee that you WON'T get picked. :laugh:
 

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,052
17
81
Originally posted by: ICRS
Show up, when you are called in for a trial, stand up point at the defendent and scream "MURDERER, YOU ARE GOING TO FRY" or "RAPIST, YOU SHOULD BE CASTRATED" depending on what kind of case it is.You will quickly be dismissed.

Or be find in contempt of the court and be thrown in jail.