Instant Jury Duty For Shoppers

[Pabster]

Story here.

So this is what we've come to? Forcing shoppers at a supermarket to declare their residency and then summoning them on-the-spot for jury duty? :roll:

There was a time in this country when basic civil duties were respected and people didn't whine and bitch about it. My, how we've slipped.

 

[SSSnail]

Parle vous? Du ma, yo no comprende English.

 

[babylon5]

Problem is people have to earn a living. Especially if you work for yourself, it's not like government reimburse the money you'd have earned otherwise.

I don't trust my fellow citizens anyway to judge, most people are stupid, emotional, can be manipulated by lawyers. IMO our system is no better than other countries.

 

[babylon5]

This guy sums it up pretty well about our crappy duty system:

"I was called to the jury pool in Santa Fe, to the state civil court. I didn?t try to get out of it. As it turned out, that was the same kind of foolish sense of civic and patriotic duty that once led me to buy an American-made car. Two of the worst mistakes I ever made.

What I saw were cases that should never have come to jury trial, predatory plaintiffs? attorneys looking for outrageous awards in these cases that should never have come to trial, one bathroom for many males (two for many females), minimum wage, buy your own lunch, no mileage, and general disrespect from court personnel because apparently we were just low-paid peons with nothing better to do. We were even called in one day when there was nothing on the docket?oops!

If the court system is not going to respect the jury pool, then why should I respect the court?Our ?justice system? is as sick as our ?healthcare system?.

? Posted by ralph tyler

 

[OrganizedChaos]

21 years old, never been summoned.

they can't be that short of jurors.

 

[jhu]

i've been summoned before. i never tried to get out of it. but since i have an advanced degree, neither side wanted me.

 

[nageov3t]

I was summoned during spring break in college.

it was pretty much FTL.

the pay was a whopping five dollars per day. meanwhile, the court house did not provide parking, which was $12/day if you didn't want to get your car stolen.

 

[MovingTarget]

The fact that there are so few people available for jury duty I think is a common misconception. Here, I have known several people who would actively WANT to be on a jury to fulfill their civic duty. Yet, they have never been summoned, and on one occasion, they have been rejected for seemingly no reason at all. The problem isn't available citizens, its the politics of the selection progress.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

One possible solution is to have a voluntary jury pool, perhaps composed of retired folks, but then we'd no longer have a jury of our peers (but perhaps we'd have better and smarter jurors).

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
One possible solution is to have a voluntary jury pool, perhaps composed of retired folks, but then we'd no longer have a jury of our peers (but perhaps we'd have better and smarter jurors).

Or Judge Judy fans who want to dispense her style of justice.

I'm one of those who would gladly fulfill my civic duty through jury duty, but have been called only twice, and have served only once (the second case was plea bargained before trial).

 

[Noobtastic]

I don't see why the government has a right to b*tch about lack of jurors. Perhaps if they made the process a little less of a hassle, the concept wouldn't be so dreadful. People have families to support, money to earn, and demanding they drop what they're doing for $8/h is preposterous. Instead of wasting all this money in pursuit of jurors all they would have to do is reimburse people for THEIR PERSONAL salary. If they don't make hourly wage, estimate %.

Of course, I'm sure the government would make the process so hard to squeeze that only the most rebate-skilled citizen would manage.

If I made $250 an hour, I would expect the government to pay me that equivalent plus any other expenses for juror duty. It's so stupid.

 

[jman19]

Meh, I'm salaried, and my pay doesn't change if I have to go in for jury duty.

Was called twice, never had to sit on a case though.

 

[palehorse]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic
If I made $250 an hour, I would expect the taxpayers to pay me that equivalent plus any other expenses for juror duty. It's so stupid.

Fixed... and screw that!!!

I just received a notice to "be on notice" for duty in '08... whatever the heck that means!?

Was summoned once before, but I was overseas in the military, so it never happened.

I would have to take a pretty sick paycut, but I'd do it.

Maybe some of you should look up the word "duty."

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic
I don't see why the government has a right to b*tch about lack of jurors. Perhaps if they made the process a little less of a hassle, the concept wouldn't be so dreadful. People have families to support, money to earn, and demanding they drop what they're doing for $8/h is preposterous. Instead of wasting all this money in pursuit of jurors all they would have to do is reimburse people for THEIR PERSONAL salary. If they don't make hourly wage, estimate %.

Of course, I'm sure the government would make the process so hard to squeeze that only the most rebate-skilled citizen would manage.

If I made $250 an hour, I would expect the government to pay me that equivalent plus any other expenses for juror duty. It's so stupid.

LOL talk about ignorant and entitled.

Yes, let's raise government spending some more.

If you don't like jury duty, perhaps we shouldn't have a system where we are judged by our peers...

 

[WhipperSnapper]

It's a very serious problem without an easy (Constitutional) solution.

 

[Orsorum]

I'm 24 and have never been summoned. OTOH I have a master's degree and am a licensed financial professional so I doubt either side would want me.

 

[babylon5]

Not like most Americans aced on knowledge tests compared to the rest of the world. Lawyers here have plenty of easily manipulated people to choose from.

Our system is as outdated and decaying as our bridges.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

One possible solution is to have a voluntary jury pool, perhaps composed of retired folks, but then we'd no longer have a jury of our peers (but perhaps we'd have better and smarter jurors).

What's this "jury of our peers" that you speak of?
here

Hey, here's an idea... The constitution doesn't guarantee a jury trial will be held between 8am and 5pm. How about being a little more flexible and having some trials during the evening if you're having that much trouble finding a jury?

 

[Noobtastic]

LOL talk about ignorant and entitled.

Yes, let's raise government spending some more.

If you don't like jury duty, perhaps we shouldn't have a system where we are judged by our peers...

Some people have kids to feed and families to support. I have no issue with jury duty, but there's a reason why people don't like it. Would you keep your civic and patriotic ideals in the event that you were called for jury duty? Let's assume you have 5 kids and make 30k a year.

There are solutions to the problem, but the government isn't being pushed enough to care, thanks to people like you.

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic

LOL talk about ignorant and entitled.

Yes, let's raise government spending some more.

If you don't like jury duty, perhaps we shouldn't have a system where we are judged by our peers...

Some people have kids to feed and families to support. I have no issue with jury duty, but there's a reason why people don't like it. Would you keep your civic and patriotic ideals in the event that you were called for jury duty? Let's assume you have 5 kids and make 30k a year.

There are solutions to the problem, but the government isn't being pushed enough to care, thanks to people like you.

Sorry, I was bashing your solution - apparantly you think it is to pay people their salaries to do a job anybody could do. THAT is what is pathetic about your comment, and why I said you feel entitled.

I'm not the problem, and your solution definitely doesn't solve it.

I find it funny that in your scenario you are crying about the man who makes $250 an hour getting $8 an hour, and then you throw the "cry me a river" scenario of someone with 5 kids making 30k a year... oooo-kay :roll:

EDIT: Oh, and I have been called to jury duty before, and I did what was asked of me. I didn't cry about it like you are.

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Noobtastic

LOL talk about ignorant and entitled.

Yes, let's raise government spending some more.

If you don't like jury duty, perhaps we shouldn't have a system where we are judged by our peers...

Some people have kids to feed and families to support. I have no issue with jury duty, but there's a reason why people don't like it. Would you keep your civic and patriotic ideals in the event that you were called for jury duty? Let's assume you have 5 kids and make 30k a year.

There are solutions to the problem, but the government isn't being pushed enough to care, thanks to people like you.

Sorry, I was bashing your solution - apparantly you think it is to pay people their salaries to do a job anybody could do. THAT is what is pathetic about your comment, and why I said you feel entitled.

I'm not the problem, and your solution definitely doesn't solve it.

I find it funny that in your scenario you are crying about the man who makes $250 an hour getting $8 an hour, and then you throw the "cry me a river" scenario of someone with 5 kids making 30k a year... oooo-kay :roll:

Well that's a common scenario. Not everyone is a self-employed millionaire who can post on AT all day.

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Noobtastic

LOL talk about ignorant and entitled.

Yes, let's raise government spending some more.

If you don't like jury duty, perhaps we shouldn't have a system where we are judged by our peers...

Some people have kids to feed and families to support. I have no issue with jury duty, but there's a reason why people don't like it. Would you keep your civic and patriotic ideals in the event that you were called for jury duty? Let's assume you have 5 kids and make 30k a year.

There are solutions to the problem, but the government isn't being pushed enough to care, thanks to people like you.

Sorry, I was bashing your solution - apparantly you think it is to pay people their salaries to do a job anybody could do. THAT is what is pathetic about your comment, and why I said you feel entitled.

I'm not the problem, and your solution definitely doesn't solve it.

I find it funny that in your scenario you are crying about the man who makes $250 an hour getting $8 an hour, and then you throw the "cry me a river" scenario of someone with 5 kids making 30k a year... oooo-kay :roll:

Well that's a common scenario. Not everyone is a self-employed millionaire who can post on AT all day.

Yes, but that has nothing to do with what you originally posted. You said the solution is to pay everyone their normal salaries. That idea is so pathetic I don't know why I responded in the first place.

 

[Engineer]

As people become more and more paycheck to paycheck type of people and more apathetic in general, not suprising. As spending power drops because inflation is outpacing wages, you'll get more crime (needing more jury power) and also have more people needing to work for their pay to make a living.

My company is gracious (for now) to pay jury duty, but many do not. Duty or not, people still have to pay their bills and eat.

 

[1prophet]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

One possible solution is to have a voluntary jury pool, perhaps composed of retired folks, but then we'd no longer have a jury of our peers (but perhaps we'd have better and smarter jurors).

What's this "jury of our peers" that you speak of?
here

Hey, here's an idea... The constitution doesn't guarantee a jury trial will be held between 8am and 5pm. How about being a little more flexible and having some trials during the evening if you're having that much trouble finding a jury?

That is probably the best solution yet.

 

[Corn]

Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
21 years old, never been summoned.

they can't be that short of jurors.

Dude, I'm 42 and have never been summoned!