I got summons!

[cambeul41]

Let people volunteer for it.

The cases that I would most like to volunteer for are exactly the cases from which I would be excused for cause. Using volunteers would invite those with a dog in the fight and those looking for a television substitute.

Without going into detail, the one time I was on a jury, we felt the defendant was probably guilty, but that it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt — so he got off.

The following year, the same person murdered one of my son's classmates.  For that he was convicted. My personal definition of "reasonable doubt" is now considerably different than it was.

[never_retreat]

You got paid for it.  Every day you're not in a prison camp, you're paid for the jury system.  Every time you speak out against government and are not arrested, you are paid by the jury system.  Poor you sat for 4 days and didn't get paid?  That's just about the most offensive thing I have heard from someone on a liberty-oriented Internet forum.

Wow, Money aspect aside. I sat for 4 days and did nothing. That is my complaint with the system. Had I sat as a juror for 4 days that would have been a different story.

[Scout26]

Wow, Money aspect aside. I sat for 4 days and did nothing. That is my complaint with the system. Had I sat as a juror for 4 days that would have been a different story.

You did not do "Nothing"  You were that are part of the pool of randomly selected people should there be a need.  

Same as if the militia got called up and you had to pull guard duty 4 days in a row.

[never_retreat]

You did not do "Nothing"  You were that are part of the pool of randomly selected people should there be a need.  

Same as if the militia got called up and you had to pull guard duty 4 days in a row.

No nothing nada. Sit in a room.
I don't even think there was an active trial.
Can you see my frustration now? None of us left (20) the room.
I think it was some sort of organized punishment.

[vaskidmark]

No nothing nada. Sit in a room.
I don't even think there was an active trial.
Can you see my frustration now? None of us left (20) the room.
I think it was some sort of organized punishment.

They also serve who only stand and wait

Meaning: We all have a place in this world and we all perform a function, regardless of our ability or disability. The word order of this sentence may make it more difficult to understand. In normal English it would be something like: "They (those people) who only stand and wait, also serve."
Note: serve (verb) = do duties or services for other people | stand (verb) = have an upright position on one's feet | wait (verb) = do nothing until something happens

Origin: Quotation from the great English poet John Milton (1608-74). After going blind, Milton wrote the poem "On His Blindness". In the sonnet's last line, he reflects that even with his disability he has a place in the world:

 
When I consider how my light is spent
 Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
 And that one Talent which is death to hide
 Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
 To serve therewith my Maker, and present
 My true account, lest He returning chide,
 "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
 I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
 That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
 Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best
 Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
 Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
 And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
 They also serve who only stand and wait.


Said much better than I could ever do.

stay safe.

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm kind of looking forward to the experience. I was called once before, about 1989. But, since I was deployed to the Med on a sub I was reluctantly excused. Dad talked to the court clerk, he said they were kind of miffed.

Small bonus, my work crew is down 3 people  which is 60% of the day shift due to "less than optimal" managerial decisions (people transferred, got promoted) and they decided we didn't need to replace them. Then they shut off any and all overtime not related to customer trouble. The boss is scrambling now, should be a real hoot when I'm off for jury duty.

[BryanP]

I'd kinda like to sit an actual jury trial sometime.  I've served jury duty once in my life, but it was grand jury.  A couple of weeks of sitting in a room with the other members of the grand jury deciding whether to indict or not.  The vast majority of the cases were people getting pulled over for driving on a suspended license.  Repeatedly.

In my case I was fortunate to work for someone with a jury duty policy of "show us the documentation of when you were there and you get paid for it just like you were here at work." 

[vaskidmark]

....

In my case I was fortunate to work for someone with a jury duty policy of "show us the documentation of when you were there and you get paid for it just like you were here at work." 

Options with the state were 1) take the $25 the court paid and get no pay for the day plus burn a vacation day, or 2) skip the court's $25, take administrative leave and get paid for the day plus mileage difference between home-to-work and home-to-court.  It was almost like they wanted you to serve.

I always wondered who the genius was who came up with that, and what HR did to them.

stay safe.

[RoadKingLarry]

The company pays full pay and any shift differential we would have normally received. Nothing in the policy about the jury duty stipend.
The company company does a pretty good job of being "socially responsible" when it comes to things like jury duty, voting, even working as election officials and does a good job of supporting NG/reserve obligations.

[Scout26]

Most places I worked at paid you regular pay for day(s) of jury duty.  Some places you had to sign over your check, other places all you had to have was a note from the judge or other proof of jury service.

While I never served until I was disabled/retired.  I had employees that were summoned.  A couple of times I had to explain to the HR drone what the Company HR rules actually said.  Not what he/she wanted them to say.

[HankB]

Found an interesting take on jury duty, and why a person should embrace it. (Contains references to jurors who watch Jerry Springer or Oprah . . . would you want them on YOUR jury?)

http://www.ammoland.com/2013/08/a-look-at-the-jury-system-our-participation-in-it/#axzz2dAq4ClU3

[SteveS]

No nothing nada. Sit in a room.
I don't even think there was an active trial.
Can you see my frustration now? None of us left (20) the room.
I think it was some sort of organized punishment.

It is very likely that there was one scheduled and may have settled without a trial.  Most stuff (90-95%) never goes to trial.

[MillCreek]

It is very likely that there was one scheduled and may have settled without a trial.  Most stuff (90-95%) never goes to trial.

I have quite literally settled cases on the courthouse steps or in the hallway either right before a trial starts, mid-way through or right before the case goes to the jury.  It is rare for a malpractice case to settle at that stage, but it does happen.  If the case had already started and then it is settled, we have the judge call the jury back in and explain that the case was settled and to thank them for their service. 

[HankB]

While interest in this thread is tapering down, how about this: In case you haven't heard, California is proposing to let NON-CITIZEN IMMIGRANTS serve as jurors. 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_XGR_IMMIGRANT_JURORS_CAOL-?SITE=CAANR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Note that they're not talking about naturalized citizens, but actual foreign nationals.

I don't know about the rest of you, but BEING JUDGED BY FOREIGNERS IN MY OWN COUNTRY is not something I would accept, and I would regard any court that attempted to seat foreigners on an American jury as illegitimate.

[wmenorr67]

Been called for jury duty once, I was stationed in Korea at the time and the court clerk was pissed at my dad for calling in for me.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

If you ever come in front of a jury, I hope you remember that you and your plan are responsible for the jury pool being stacked in favor of slack-jawed Jerry Springer rejects and old folks with walkers and Alzheimers.

While I still rank voting as a civic duty, for all the good it seems to do, I rank jury duty even higher.  The fact that defense attorneys deselected me because I was employed in the prison system and prosecutors deselected me because I listed my profession as social worker notwithstanding, each of the time I was called I made sure to show up all scrubbed and my hair (head, face, body) nicely combed.  I understand the financial hardship jury duty can create for the self-employed, but still rant about how the result of a jury decision might have been better (define that as you will) if there were a better class of people sitting in the jury box.

Given how many cases go to deals instead of going to trial, those that do come up for assessment of the facts deserve the best jury possible.

stay safe.

I've seen a jury selection. The lawyers look for the Springer fans, and kick out anybody that doesn't meet their criteria.

[MechAg94]

While interest in this thread is tapering down, how about this: In case you haven't heard, California is proposing to let NON-CITIZEN IMMIGRANTS serve as jurors. 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_XGR_IMMIGRANT_JURORS_CAOL-?SITE=CAANR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Note that they're not talking about naturalized citizens, but actual foreign nationals.

I don't know about the rest of you, but BEING JUDGED BY FOREIGNERS IN MY OWN COUNTRY is not something I would accept, and I would regard any court that attempted to seat foreigners on an American jury as illegitimate.

In a perfect world, that would not be a jury of my peers and ought to be unconstitutional. 

[Scout26]

Unconstitutional, Oh Hell Yes.  Jury of Peers? Ummmmm, NO.

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=27193.msg532530#msg532530

[vaskidmark]

https://www.aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/jury-your-peers-right-jury-trial-free-discrimination

The process of selecting a jury for a trial begins with creating the “jury pool” – the group from which jurors are actually drawn to weigh evidence at trial. Federal law requires jurors be selected from a “fair cross-section of the community in the district or division wherein the court convenes.” As the Supreme Court noted over a century ago in Strauder v. West Virginia, the jury should be drawn from a group “composed of the peers or equals [of the defendant]; that is, of his neighbors, fellows, associates, persons having the same legal status in society as he holds.”

So, according to SCOTUS, I should have have a jury composed of citizens.

I wonder, if someone had the money to carry an appeal up to them, if they would repudiate their own "settled law"?

STAY SAFE.

[InfidelSerf]

You know I have never understood why citizens can't volunteer to exercise their duty at their time of choosing.  Say I'm going to be on vacation or a teacher during summer, or you find yourself unemployed for a time.  Why can't I go to the courthouse serve when it's convenient for me and then my name is checked off a list for how ever many years till I could be eligible to serve again.   

Oh that's right, that makes sense.  Not a viable thought process for .gov

[Scout26]

I tried to volunteer shortly after I retired/went on disability.  The nice lady told me they don't take volunteers for fear that I'd be trying to get on a particular trial.   So they randomize the pool by literally using random call-ups from the driver's license and voter registration lists.   Funny thing was I got called up for the first time about 4 months later.   

[RoadKingLarry]

Day 1- So far it's been mostly a CF. Brand spanking new courthouse, A/C is FUBAR. Parking is nearly nonexistent due to construction.

[zxcvbob]

I'm kinda sad that I still have never gotten called for jury duty. I want to be able to complain about doing my civic duty at great length to other people, too!

I feel so left out

(just for the record, I'm not being a smart ass. I really do want to get jury duty at least once and I will complain about it, because that seems like what you are supposed to do. And I like complaining. :) )

Me too!  And I'm probably a lot older than you; still never been summonsed.

[41magsnub]

Same here..  37 years old.  Been a registered voter since I turned 18.  I've never been called up for jury duty.

[RoadKingLarry]

They made up 3 pools, I'm on "C". No trials for me today but I have to call in everyday after 5:15PM to see if I need to go in the next day.