Jury Duty

[Sniper82]

Well I got a letter today for Jury Duty but I don't understand I don't have a drivers license. I thought only ppl who had drivers license got these. Guess I was wrong. I wonder what the judge would say if I told him I had to drive with a permit by myself. Either way I fell screwed? What do to?

I heard it was near impossible to get excused without a GOOD reason. Would this be good enough? I don't have anyone to take me and drop me off and come get me.

 

[gsethi]

Dont show up. Let them come and pick you up

or just call at the number shown on your letter and discuss your case.

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Well I got a letter today for Jury Duty but I don't understand I don't have a drivers license. I thought only ppl who had drivers license got these. Guess I was wrong. I wonder what the judge would say if I told him I had to drive with a permit by myself. Either way I fell screwed? What do to?

I heard it was near impossible to get excused without a GOOD reason. Would this be good enough? I don't have anyone to take me and drop me off and come get me.

You're on a list somewhere in the government system and they picked you from that list.

 

[Sniper82]

Originally posted by: gsethi
Dont show up. Let them come and pick you up

or just call at the number shown on your letter and discuss your case.

When you say let them come and pick you up do you mean in the back of a cop car ? I really don't want to go that way.

 

[hanoverphist]

i have never returned their envelopes or called to be "excused" from jury duty. ive never, in 20 years, been arrested for throwing them away and not showing up.

 

[DaveSimmons]

They give you a bus pass here in the Seattle area, and strongly encourage you to use it.

If you don't manage to escape, be sure to bring a book, it's hours of sit and wait fun.

 

[SSSnail]

I've been summoned, never served. I guess I've always been lucky that way.

 

[bctbct]

Many places use the voters registration for the jury pool.

 

[Sniper82]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i have never returned their envelopes or called to be "excused" from jury duty. ive never, in 20 years, been arrested for throwing them away and not showing up.

So is the whole you will go to jail thing somewhat of a myth? I kinda wish I hadn't opened it and had tossed it like I do most my mail. It looked like junk mail from the outside.

 

[Sniper82]

Originally posted by: bctbct
Many places use the voters registration for the jury pool.

never registered to vote. Also we don't have buses in my area.

 

[teddyv]

Just go serve - 90% of the time you never even have to go in. And it is almost universally done by voter registration. I will say, after the last election where I personally witnessed folks sitting at fast food joints with local phone books filling out voter registrations for $10 a pop courtesy of ACORN, MoveON and ActUp, there is a good possibility you may have been registered and not even know it.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: bctbct
Many places use the voters registration for the jury pool.

In Connecticut it's driver's license, voting, jobs, property tax rolls, vehicle tax rolls, etc. If you've ever driven here, voted here, worked here, owned a car here, lived here, owned a house here you're on the list. Hell, as far as I know if you've ever even heard of Connecticut you might be on the list.

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: Sniper82

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i have never returned their envelopes or called to be "excused" from jury duty. ive never, in 20 years, been arrested for throwing them away and not showing up.

So is the whole you will go to jail thing somewhat of a myth? I kinda wish I hadn't opened it and had tossed it like I do most my mail. It looked like junk mail from the outside.

It's not a myth. In my jurisdiction at least, they will issue a bench warrant for you if you fail to show (though probably not for failing to return the questionnaire). This doesn't mean they immediately go pick you up, but if you're ever pulled over for speeding or have your license otherwise run through the system, you'll be arrested. Since you don't have a license you'd be much less vulnerable to that, but you wouldn't be able to ever get one either.

Just do your civil duty. Most likely the worse you'll face is a day or two of extreme boredom. It won't kill you. If you do have a true hardship, call the number and explain it and maybe they'll have sympathy for you.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: Sniper82

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i have never returned their envelopes or called to be "excused" from jury duty. ive never, in 20 years, been arrested for throwing them away and not showing up.

So is the whole you will go to jail thing somewhat of a myth? I kinda wish I hadn't opened it and had tossed it like I do most my mail. It looked like junk mail from the outside.

No, it's not a myth. In most places they won't send a sheriff to pick you up. But failure to show will result in a bench warrant being filed and kept on your record. If you're ever pulled over for a traffic violation it'll show up and then you'll be carted away in handcuffs.

 

[XZeroII]

Well I got a letter today for Jury Duty but I don't understand I don't have a drivers license.

Maybe not knowing how to use a COMMA will excuse you from Jury duty.

It's the difference between:
"Let's eat, Grandma"
and
"Lets eat Grandma"

Big difference...

 

[FoBoT]

just do it
and people wonder why our society is falling apart

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Well I got a letter today for Jury Duty but I don't understand I don't have a drivers license. I thought only ppl who had drivers license got these. Guess I was wrong. I wonder what the judge would say if I told him I had to drive with a permit by myself. Either way I fell screwed? What do to?

I heard it was near impossible to get excused without a GOOD reason. Would this be good enough? I don't have anyone to take me and drop me off and come get me.

he'll say enjoy the bus ride

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Well I got a letter today for Jury Duty but I don't understand I don't have a drivers license.

Maybe not knowing how to use a COMMA will excuse you from Jury duty.

It's the difference between:
"Let's eat, Grandma"
and
"Lets eat Grandma"

Big difference...

ROFL. 10/10

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
just do it
and people wonder why our society is falling apart

Yeah - people whine about ridiculous jury decisions/etc, then everybody seems to try their best to get out of it when their chance comes...

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: XZeroII

Well I got a letter today for Jury Duty but I don't understand I don't have a drivers license.

Maybe not knowing how to use a COMMA will excuse you from Jury duty.

It's the difference between:
"Let's eat, Grandma"
and
"Lets eat Grandma"

Big difference...

 

[IronWing]

The surest, easiest way to get out of jury duty...

"I don't think the cops would have arrested the defendant if he/she hadn't committed the crime."

It's sleazy and everybody in the courtroom will know you're lying and think you're lowlife but it will get you out of jury duty.

 

[BriGy86]

for some people, if they don't work, they don't get paid. If it's a long trial that could screw things up big time.

 

[FleshLight]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
for some people, if they don't work, they don't get paid. If it's a long trial that could screw things up big time.

You must demonstrate extreme financial hardship here in CA to get out. Job not paying is not an excuse.

 

[QueBert]

I understand it's my civil duty and that's great, but what if the Jury I get put on ends up doing the next O.J. case, his first one lasted many months? I forgot but it was absurd. The money thing is also a good point, even if it's only a 3 day trial that could be a lot of lost wages. I got a notice in the mail so I guess I gotta go, it doesn't say "call" like they use to, it has some crap that says "put this in your car window and show up daamit!"

 

[xeemzor]

I don't understand why people complain about jury duty so much. Personally, I would serve since I'm interested in the process of law. But, if someone really wants to get out of jury duty, you don't have to make any lame excuses. Just either say the words "jury nullification" or that you can not be impartial to the case for any reason and you should be able to get off it. The problem with that, is then you lose any credibility when you, yourself, are tried by a jury of peers.