Getting out of Jury Duty

[metta]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0430091jury1.html

 

[Lukeee]

Did it work?

 

[LittleDove]

Well, there's no mistaking what his feelings on the subject are.

 

[metta]

Did it work?

Yes, he was excused.

 

[metta]

 

[BenF]

What a prick.

He should see how much he enjoys living in a country where people do not have the luxury of a trial by their peers.

 

[Spiff]

I've served on a jury once. Although while it was interesting and a learning experience, it was also a bit of disappointment to see the obvious flaws in the system. One being that the jury must deliberate until a unanimous decision is made. Often in my cases, and in others I have heard about, some jurors give in just for the sake of ending the deliberation, especially if there is a longstanding deadlock. Many jurors don't have the courage to be in the minority and express their disagreement to the majority.

 

[cityboy-stl]

Maybe I will try this the next time. I understand it's a "civic duty" and all that but I've been called for jury duty 14 times. It gets really old.

 

[belamy]

 

[JasunStrikesBack]

I was kinda looking forward to being on a Jury the first time I went down. I figured that it would be yet another cool experience that could have. Life is about doing everything and experiencing in all.

Sadly, the Jewish Lawyer (I knew because he was wearing a yarmulke) and his black defendant took one look at me with my shaved head, 6 square feet of tattoos, facial hair and motorcycle boots (I rode to the court house) and decided I must be a skinhead and excused me before I even had a chance to get a word in.

I don't blame them. I know I look like a potential Neo Nazi so I can't really complain. But I was kinda let down I wasn't going to get to decide.

 

[Blueboy369]

^ That sucks.....I served once. It was very interesting. We found the dude guilty of first degree assault. The original charges were kidnapping, attempted murder and assault. The lawyer was only able to prove assault beyond a reasonable doubt. After all this time I still wonder how much time the guy did and I even wonder if we came to the right decision. When what you do affects someone else's life it sticks with you.

 

[gmoney]

Maybe I will try this the next time. I understand it's a "civic duty" and all that but I've been called for jury duty 14 times. It gets really old.

I've served 6 times. I didn't think anyone had been called more than me!

 

[Telstra]

The last few lines of his statement.
Funny ......

 

[frankfrank]

The problem with jury duty, AT LEAST HERE, is that it ties you up for months. I was called in 1992, and I had already made major plans for a five-week trip to the West Coast. I showed them a couple of letters I already had confirming planned visits and stuff, and I made sure that I did so while showing some kind of panic.

I managed to avoid the commitment, which would have completely destroyed my trip.

As I remember it, it was something like having to be available something like the third week of March, the first week of April, and the second week of May.

Something like that can entirely shred plans I've made, let alone wreak havoc with a business cycle that may be coming or in process. (In a business cycle, which keeps me ultra-busy for about five weeks, there's NO possible way I can take a week off...)