Anyway, I've been given the following "helpful" advice re: jury duty:
- "Professionals" (*snort*) like CPAs, Attorneys, Doctors, etc. are rarely chosen-clearly bullshit since my circle of acquaintances includes an unfortunate number of these types and WHO DO YOU THINK IS DISPENSING THE ADVICE? You can't roll up next to these categories of people at a STOPLIGHT without them yelling advice out their windows.
- Dress like a hippie-well, this one is Texas-specific since dressing like a hippie, and even *gasp* being a hippie, is acceptable if not de rigour in certain (non-Texas) necks of the woods. I have a coworker who swears by a tie-dyed dress that she has worn to five different jury duty appearances. She's never been picked. Too bad my tie-dyed dress is at the cleaners! HAHA! That was a joke. I don't go to the cleaners.
- Be opinionated-Not usually a problem for me, except for the Nervous Tummy. Also, the laziness and the hesitancy to speak up in public. Hmm, maybe it WILL be a problem for me. Is there, like, an ESSAY section or something?
I was bummed after reading Swistle's post, because I was actually sort of looking forward to it as a nice Reading Vacation Day, assuming I'm not chosen. I mean, it's better than being at WORK, right? I hadn't thought of the ramifications for a stay-at-home mom. One of the benefits to working outside the home is that you always have childcare available during normal work hours (or in the case of our daycare, 6 am to 9 pm), even if you are not at work for whatever reason (coughSHOPPINGcough).
29 comments:
If you have childcare in place and you still get paid for work (this is an assumption), why get out of it? My friend was a juror on a really big trial that went 5 months. It was difficult emotionally, but way better than being at work.
I've been here 11 years and have only been called once. Gerald was called for the first time while I was in the hospital on bed rest last year. He went and explained the situation to the judge and they let him go. No note required or anything. It was pretty cool.
I didn't end up serving on the jury. I got picked and had to show up the next morning for the trial, but as soon as we got there, the defendant plead out. Bummer.
I used to work with a woman who got picked for federal trial all the time. She was gone for weeks, and in one case, months at a time. Bonus was that the trials are WAY more interesting on a federal level.
I am a lawyer, and while it sucks, it was almost worth the $100,000 education to avoid jury duty for the rest of my life. I am 27 and I have never been called. Weird.
Anyway.
That advice is largely correct. The quiet ones get picked. You could always pretend to be racist (though I really wouldn't recommend that), or if it becomes clear what the case is going to be about during voir dire you could just pretend someone in your family was a victim of a similar crime.
Professionals DO get chosen. At least, in DC they do.
Also in DC everyone gets called for jury duty all the time, because we have tons of federal and local courts here, and a relatively small population. I got called within a year of moving here. They supposedly guarantee that you won't get called more than once every two years, though.
Lori-I don't mind the one day, or even a COUPLE of days, if I had to, but anything more than that would really make my life pretty miserable at work. Especially the last week of January, when we have W-2s and 1099s and whatnot to do (BORING CPA TALK ALERT).
slynnro-GOOD TIPS. I knew you would come through. I've heard that attorneys are NEVER chosen, is that true?
Try putting your hands over your ears, rocking back-and-forth and moaning every time someone asks you a question. Always worked for me. :)
I dare say there are no rules. Sometimes I actually wanted a lawyer on my jury, because the case was complex and I wanted some one on the jury who already kind of new the rules of the game. Thus, saying professionals never get picked, well, maybe they generally don't, but for some case I would say they would be preferred. Depends on the case, I guess that's the thing.
I don't know why jury duty has to get such a bad rap. I mean, I get that for some folks it doesn't work (the primary care giver, or person who will have to take unpaid leave or even get fired), but it's not that bad. It's a bit boring at times, but I can think of worse things than being bored. Plus it's a universal uniter. I mean, everyone has had to go through it (except me).
Don't hate me for defending jury duty, I've never had to go, but I do think it's important.
Flib-Oh I AGREE. It's totally important and I don't mind going at all, in fact I look forward to it, as long as I'm not chosen on a long case. I don't get the chance to read my book all day very often, if at all. And actually, I was thinking after reading about Swistle's dilemma how lucky I am that it's a GOOD THING for me, whereas she has to worry and plan and WORRY.
The kind of attorney I AM never gets chosen- i.e. DWI prosecutor for government agency of some sort. Occasionally it happens- but you are a majorly dumb attorney if you get chosen. They don't want an attorney in the deliberation room arguing their side to the rest of the jury, which is what would inevitably happen.
And now watch as I get selected for a jury next week!
Tess, I just got picked too! For the first time and I have lived her my whole life!!!
I've always wanted jury duty. I always figured it would be paid reading time or napping time. My company is too lazy to change their payroll even if they wanted to so there would be no drawbacks there. I wouldn't care as long as I can go home at night. Of course now I'm saying this and probably totally jinxing myself. I guess maybe now I could just go into labor if I wanted to get out of it . . .
I've never been called for Jury duty. A couple of months ago there were three folks who were called for jury duty at the same time which I thought was odd.
I had Jury Duty once in NYC. I "served" 2 days. The first day as a lot of sitting around, reading, and the second involved me sitting around an impanelment room (it was a civil case). I never even got questioned, because they'd already picked their jury before they got to me. Oh well.
And dude. Ducky's daycare is only open 7am-6pm. Actually 6pm is the standard. 9pm, really??
Ok. You didn't hear this from me. I know I should be all, "Woohoo! Civic Duty! Ain't life grand!" But jury duty? Not so much. Too many people. I got called once. I figured that I was way too opinionated to actually get picked--not that I speak up in front of a lot of people, but still! So I got there. I sat for an hour. And got up and told the people in charge that I felt sick to my stomach and could I go home. They said sure, and I went home.
Voila.
How to get around your civic duty, not that you should because dude there are women who are stoned for going on a date in Iran.
I totally want to be on a jury! My husband is in court every day and actually picks jury members all the time. There is actually an "essay" section on questionnaires. My advice is to just be honest. It is pretty easy to tell when someone is intentionally trying not to get picked.
Oh and you will get to explain why you think you might have trouble serving on the jury, and the fact that you are a CPA and this is a super busy time at work may actually be a legitimate reason they let you go.
Am I the only nerd in the world who really wanted jury duty because I thought it would be fun? What? I am? Oh. Well, I did finally get called, year before last. But all the cases that were before the courts got settled while we were all waiting and we got to go home at 9:00am.
Oh, jury duty would stress me out to no end. I can't make up my mind about dinner or travel plans, how would I make up my mind in regards to someone else's entire future? No way.
Yes, according to a colleague of mine, no one ever chose a juror with an advanced college degree. It was my sweet ticket out of the joint.
If you're SAHM with young kids, you can always claim financial hardship - no money for daycare. It may get you off the hook too.
my dad has gotten out a bunch of times because he finds out the trial is about a guy who allegedly hurt / was mean to / touched / innappropriately glanced at a woman / child / girl. and then they get to the part where they say "does anyone think they could not be objective?" and my dad stands up and says "i have 2 daughters. i haven't even heard the evidence and i already want him dead" aaaaaand away he goes! funny thing is he isn't actually lying about it.
WAY better than work. I kinda' always wanted to be called, and so did Swistle, but the timing for her is off. Keep us posted!!
Re: Alice, I would be the same way. If you put me on the Drew Peterson case, I'd be like, "he is SO guilty."
I know a bunch of civil attorneys who have been on criminal juries, just so you know. Why do I feel the need to keep leaving comments?
I'm in a total FRET FIT about it. I WANT to do it! And yet, how can I? And what if they FORCE me to? And how can they be so callous about the difficulties? And even "just going in and explaining" would be a bigger undertaking than I've done for years! And the baby, not taking a bottle! And what if they force me! And why NOW? And don't they know you can't just plunk children in daycare for four weeks, that it doesn't work like that? And why do they pay so little?
And my comment section is making me feel equal parts better and worse: encouraging words, but a lot of them about getting 6-month postponements (the breastfeeding issue won't be a big deal then, but I'll still have FIVE CHILDREN) or talking to the judge (EEEP--I cry when there's ANY DRAMA AT ALL)---and others about NOT getting exempted. And I also feel like a big idiot for freaking out all over the paperwork, in ink.
In fact, I think I'll CONTINUE freaking out in YOUR blog!
I saw a woman at jury duty claim that she would be likely to push for a quick verdict since she wanted to get back home to her small child, so she wouldn't be objective regarding the facts in the case. They released her immediately.
I am from Texas and I don't like people messing with us. Hrmph!
BTW, I always get out of jury duty by telling them I am a lawyer.
I was all stressed out, and then I never got called. I just sat around watching Oprah and Maury and wishing I had my laptop. My husband got called and, the night before we had to call and make sure that he was supposed to show, and his number got cancelled. That is the extent of our "service" to the community. And I spent so much time worrying about it.
I have only been called once, but I was in college so I didn't have to go. I think I'd probably be a little excited to get called. All daydreamy about some super intresting John Grisham type case only to have my hopes dashed when I find out the case is about a hundred times less interesting.
Your title is FABULOUS! Im a sucker for a good play onwords!
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