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Poll: Jury Duty

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Jury Duty

  • Stay home and take the exemption

  • Go to court for entertainment

  • Dont respond at all and get fined $100-$1000 for non response

Results are only viewable after voting.
chusteczka said:
Obviously, your classes are not difficult enough to demand your attention. It also appears that someone else is paying for your education. Otherwise, you would be better focused on what is most important to you.
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you are correct, someone elses money is paying for my schooling (student loans). i quit work last year to go full time and finish up my final year of undergrad.

i live on less than $900/mo.
 
I think it's a no brainer. Do it. It's not like it's really hard, you get paid (well... not really, but sorta), it's a civic duty, up there with voting. It might be boring, it might be entertaining and educational ... you have little to lose.
 
I got a jury duty summons for next month. Last time around (2 years ago) I sat on a 3 month murder trial. It was very illuminating, but not something I have the time for this go around. I think I was even reimbursed ~$500 for travel by the state.
 
Spikesoldier said:
you are correct, someone elses money is paying for my schooling (student loans). i quit work last year to go full time and finish up my final year of undergrad.

i live on less than $900/mo.
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I do not mean to be an ass and it is too easy to come across as one. My suggestion is to not lose time on this issue. Take the exemption, get back to your books, and study.

(At the moment, I am distracted from re-writing my partner's description for a patent application. Maybe it is me that needs to re-focus and get back to work.)

EDIT: BTW, I agree with your decision to quit work since I did similar while in school and just worked during the summer break. School is too important and expensive to be losing study time working somewhere for minimum wage.
 
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Spikesoldier said:
I can get out of it if I want to, as being a student will exempt me from my obligation to show.
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I would take the exemption. I was called once and ended up as an alternate in a minor criminal case. The proceedings were a little boring, but I kept busy by actually paying attention. Voir dire was annoying. There were a few conscientious objectors who wasted everyone's time. They have the right to their opinion, but they should be called for more days (to offset that they will never be selected) and be herded around like everyone else, just to be filtered.
 
Texashiker said:
Why isn't "Do your duty as a citizen" an option?

If you disagree with the law, its jury nullification time. Think about it, you can undermine the entire legal system with your vote.
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I voted don't respond at all and be fined $100 to $1000. I think that really is the best option.
 
Spikesoldier said:
my classes that day start in the evening but its like a 30min drive to the school.

court says start time 8:45am and i have to leave around 4:40pm to get to class on time.
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If you're actually selected for a case, you may have to show up for multiple days. I also wouldn't necessarily count on getting out of there at 4:40. The jury I was on had to stay late one day b/c one of the expert witnesses was going to be leaving town and he hadn't finished his testimony.

I didn't enjoy the experience very much. A guy (well more like a kid, he was 18 or so) got his arm chopped off at the shoulder due to an accident on a worksite and he was suing the maker of the lifting strap that had shredded during the accident. We didn't award him anything. It was the right decision, but that doesn't mean I felt great about it.
 
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I have gotten called once and sat on a jury for a two month civil case. A couple of families were suing Ford for $100mil, they lost. An Explorer rolled and hit an F-250 in mid air.

Seatbelts don't work if you don't wear them. Kind of a slam dunk when they have to cut the car apart to get the victims out but the seatbelts are still bucks and not cut. Oh, and the seats were faded by the sun around where they road on top the buckled belts so the charm didn't go off. Sad case but not Fords fault. The guy driving the Explorer drove off the side of the road for who knows why and over corrected not once, but twice. Not a vehicle defect. Two month trial with an hour of deliberation.

My boss was pissed but city policy is we get full pay plus get to keep jury pay, got around $600 free money.
 
Just being a student will not disqualify you. I sat in a jury this past month with two students...bright too.
 
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