Jury Duty

nebullama

So I just got a summons to appear for jury duty on April 28. Our wedding is May 31. I realize that the chances that I will end up sitting on a jury for a long trial that would interfere with the wedding might be pretty small, but I still can't help but worry. I tend to have pretty crappy luck with stuff like this.

There's a number I can call to request a postponement for up to 3 months, but it doesn't say if there are qualifying reasons to do so. Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you think I should try for a postponement?

QueerFemme

If you are a repeat postponer, they'll ask for a reason. But, you can almost always request one postponement without any sort of qualifying reason.

AddieCake

I got a postponement just for being a teacher. I told them I needed to be moved to the summer. They said no problem. 

AllOnOneDay

Sat several times Honestly, most trials take two days at most. However, last month, is that very busy for you? If so, call and ask to postpone. Worst they'll do is say no, and no lawyer wants to seat a juror who won't be able to finish the case so either side will drop you if there's potentially long cases.

QueerFemme

shrekspeare said:

This is going to sound really lame, but I actually get a huge case of jealousy when people get Jury Duty. I will never be able to do Jury Duty as 98% of my family are in law enforcement here, so I get quite envious.

They should be able to postpone it for you. If not, just make it clear in selection that you would take the side of an Officer/Prosecuter over the word of the defense. I imagine that would get you kicked out fairly quickly.

I do the opposite.  I say that the courts and police are corrupt, and I'm less likely to believe them.  But, it's not a lie.  I do believe that. I'll never make it on a jury.

sarahufl

I postponed once because I had a previously planned, non-refundable vacation planned the following week. I got called up again a couple months later and served.

I think it depends on the state. Good luck!

MadHops21

Wait, you're able to get out of Jury Duty? I got called in Tuesday, and there wasn't any questioning of my beliefs. Just check mark boxes about my personal information, like status, name, date of birth, job. Then sit in this room for 8 hours and wait to see if you're called along with the other 200 people for a 24 jury case. 

Maybe it varies by state. My county makes me go, no choice in it (unless I asked for postponement). 

NYCBruin

You can usually get one postponement without a reason, but the likelihood of you (a) getting selected and (b) the trial you being selected for being a long one is very very small. I may be making this up, but I remember someone saying once when they went to jury duty that they had a separate set of questions about ability to serve on a jury for a trial that may last more than two weeks (it's usually very easy to predict if a trial will go longer than a few days).

nebullama

Thanks, everyone. I fully acknowledge that the chances of me ending up on a jury for a long trial are probably infinitesimal, but I think I still might err on the side of extreme caution and try for the postponement.

AuroraRose41

I was actually summoned during college, and was able to get it postponed because they wanted me to appear during midterms of my last semester.  It also was in the county that my parents lived in (and for government purposes I did too), but it was a 4 hour drive from my college. That was in NY, but they were very understanding and just told me that I would probably get summoned in the summer again. But I moved to CA, so no summons for NY.  I would definitely try for the postponement, but be very nice about it .

KPBM89

You can either ask for a postponement or say almost anything to get out of it when you're being questioned.  A guy I worked with had tickets to an NFL game during the week he was supposed to have jury duty.  A woman did his questioning and he asked to have a man do it (he is not sexist FTR; he read online several different things that might work and turns out that one did for him).  Not saying it was the classiest thing to do, but it did work for him.

mbross3

shrekspeare said:

MadHops21 said:

Wait, you're able to get out of Jury Duty? I got called in Tuesday, and there wasn't any questioning of my beliefs. Just check mark boxes about my personal information, like status, name, date of birth, job. Then sit in this room for 8 hours and wait to see if you're called along with the other 200 people for a 24 jury case. 

Maybe it varies by state. My county makes me go, no choice in it (unless I asked for postponement). 

When you go in for selection, in Utah at least, they ask you a variety of questions. Some are really easy to answer, but others are harder to tell what the 'right' answer is. Do they not question people in other states? I would be worried if they didn't.

They question jurors in every state, but only if your pool is selected. Most states call in more jurors than they'll actually need (in case they run out for some reason), it's possible to sit in the waiting room all day and never be asked anything because you were never selected as a potential juror for a trial. If you're selected as a potential juror then you get asked lots of questions to make sure you would be able to judge the facts of the case in as unbiased a way as possible. Does that make sense?

I view being on a jury as one of the most important civil duties a person has. I am a law student so I feel very strongly about this type of thing. There's nothing wrong with postponing if you have a valid reason (which you do OP, there's no sense in stressing about it interfering with your wedding. Most lawyers and judges would let you off for that. Also Usually judges set aside specific amounts of time for trials- since they have booked schedules. Unless something drastic were to happen, they would know exactly how long the trial would be - or at least the longest that it could possibly be- so you would know if it would end before your wedding).

I hate it when people get out of jury duty just because they think it's inconvenient though. A trial with a jury of your peers is an essential right in this country, made more difficult to provide when people don't take this duty seriously. 

ETA: ^^this is just a general rant on people's treatment of jury duty--I'm not calling out anyone specifically or anything!

daria24

In NYC (at least Queens civil, where I served) you can postpone once without giving a reason, you just send the summons back with the box checked.

If you don't postpone, you have to call in the day before your summons and see if your number has been called. You normally have to call in for up to a week. If your number isn't called, your name goes back into the pool.

If your number is called, you show up at the courthouse and wait for your name to be called. When your name is called, you get taken to a room with about a dozen other people and you are each questioned. Sometimes it's a lot of questions, sometimes they it's only one or two. I was the first person questioned in my group, they only asked one question (if I had ever been a party in a civil suit). That was it. I was selected for the jury.

If that trial rejects you, you go back down and wait for your name to be called again. You do that for two days, if you aren't placed on a jury, you are exempt from being summoned for two years.

I served for 6 days and got an 8 year exemption. H got stuck on grand jury duty and served four weeks.

MadHops21

They question jurors in every state, but only if your pool is selected. Most states call in more jurors than they'll actually need (in case they run out for some reason), it's possible to sit in the waiting room all day and never be asked anything because you were never selected as a potential juror for a trial. If you're selected as a potential juror then you get asked lots of questions to make sure you would be able to judge the facts of the case in as unbiased a way as possible. Does that make sense?

Makes sense to me! That would be a waste of time to question all 200+ of us when they only need a handful, and they can switch out jurors to question if needed. I just wish I didn't waste 8 hours of looking through wedding magazines and reading my book just to be told to go home. 

lyndausvi

I have never been called for jury duty.  EVER.   My mom gets called all the time.

wandajune6

I've been called more times than I can count. I usually don't make it to trial though. It's a civic responsibility that I take very seriously. I've postponed once (I was in college out of state) and that wasn't an issue, though I get called now more than anyone I know.

I've never been a massive, media-worthy trial but I have been on 2. The first was a smaller fraud case and took less than a day, the other was a murder trial that lasted 7 business days- and the judge apologized for how long it took.

Cookie Pusher

I got called once in college (got it postponed because it was during midterms). Didn't get called again until 3 years ago (10 years without a summons, whoo!). We were expecting a blizzard the following day, so those of us who showed up (we were told to come in at 1pm instead of in the morning) spent an hour hoping we didn't get called for the murder trial they were going to start, then got our vouchers and left. I'm hoping I can go at least another 10 years without serving!

AllOnOneDay

Man, I get summoned at least every other year and have always been seated. Usually short trials, half day of waiting (give or take), half of final selection, day or two of trial. Have sat two longer trials, both sequestered and I was rather shocked the defense didn't drop me on the second one. One of those was federal and out of state, but second was local. Local was harder because I was near friends, but couldn't talk to them.

No clue why I get called or seated so much, but I want a fair jury of my peers if I ever need one, so I go sit again. Then again, I'm also an election precinct worker, curse my parents for demanding civic responsibility.

JCbride2015

@mbross3 I'm also a law student and I would love to sit on a jury.  Never been called and now that I'm about to be a lawyer, I doubt I'd ever be picked if I was called.

Although interestingly, the managing partner of the law office I'll be joining this fall is currently serving on a jury.  The field is totally unrelated to his practice though.  So... there's hope.

QueerFemme

Lots of lawyers get seated as jurors.

mysticl

MadHops21 said:

They question jurors in every state, but only if your pool is selected. Most states call in more jurors than they'll actually need (in case they run out for some reason), it's possible to sit in the waiting room all day and never be asked anything because you were never selected as a potential juror for a trial. If you're selected as a potential juror then you get asked lots of questions to make sure you would be able to judge the facts of the case in as unbiased a way as possible. Does that make sense?

Makes sense to me! That would be a waste of time to question all 200+ of us when they only need a handful, and they can switch out jurors to question if needed. I just wish I didn't waste 8 hours of looking through wedding magazines and reading my book just to be told to go home. 

I didn't even have to report to the court house when I was "called".  The way it worked in the city I lived in at the time qA that you were called 1 day a week for 4 consecutive weeks.  In my case it was Thursdays.  On Wednesday night I had to go online and see if my number was posted.  If it was I had to report Thursday morning, if it wasn't I didn't.  My number was never posted.  It was annoying because I had to put in for those 4 days off of work in advance.  I worked it out with HR that I would then call if I actually wasn't going to show up to work, and if I did show he ripped up the leave request.  As for being excused my summons had a list of things that would get you excused (breastfeeding, being a care provider, certain employment situations, etc.) and if one of them applied to you then you could contact the clerk's office about being excused.  

sarahufl

I should add that, while I postponed the first time, I actually really enjoyed serving. I think it is something that is really important and interesting!

rajahmd

I'm kinda jealous! I've always wanted to serve on a jury. I've only been called once, when I was in college. Since it was during the school year, I was excused. I never got called again. At this point, I doubt I'll ever get to serve if I get called because I have a degree in Forensics and plan on becoming a forensic pathologist. It's pretty likely that at least one side will look at me and go "nope".

mbross3

@JCBride2014 I know how you feel! I served on a jury where the case went to trial, but it was before I was a law student. Statistically speaking, the longer you spend in law school the lower your chances are of being seated--culminating in becoming a lawyer and having your chances very slim. I'm glad I got to experience it once! It was pretty exciting  

@QueerFemme, lawyers do get seated for juries, but most lawyers do not want a lawyer on their jury and so statistically speaking it is quite rare for a lawyer to be a juror. Although I will say I just assisted on a trial where we allowed a lawyer to be on the jury, there was a mistrial declared though, and we probably won't be allowing a lawyer on the next jury panel (both sides had used their vetoes and we couldn't exclude for cause). 

AddieCake

When I went to serve mine, I was annoyed b/c I sat there all day long and never even got called.

ETA: They gave us a voucher for $6, which didn't even pay for my lunch. 

QueerFemme

mbross3 said:

@JCBride2014 I know how you feel! I served on a jury where the case went to trial, but it was before I was a law student. Statistically speaking, the longer you spend in law school the lower your chances are of being seated--culminating in becoming a lawyer and having your chances very slim. I'm glad I got to experience it once! It was pretty exciting  

@QueerFemme, lawyers do get seated for juries, but most lawyers do not want a lawyer on their jury and so statistically speaking it is quite rare for a lawyer to be a juror. Although I will say I just assisted on a trial where we allowed a lawyer to be on the jury, there was a mistrial declared though, and we probably won't be allowing a lawyer on the next jury panel (both sides had used their vetoes and we couldn't exclude for cause). 

Based on the number of lawyers in my firm who are routinely out for jury duty... I think it's stastitically speaking, not that rare.  It certainly depends on the type of case. They aren't going to seat a criminal defense atttorney on a murder trial, for example. And they are going to seat an IP lawyer on a trademark infringement case.

princessleia22

A few months ago, co-worker of mine got a summons that stated directly on it that the trial they were doing the selection for was expected to last long term (3-6 weeks).  And it had space to provide excuse if you are unable to sit on long term jury. If they found your excuse valid, they would do a postponement so you could do shorter jury term at later date. 

But, I like that they warned in advance that it was a longer trial.  And it makes sense so you don't end up with a lot of people in the jury pool that are unable to participate. It saves everyone a lot of time and trouble that way.  I had never heard of that previously, but then again longer trials are pretty rare.

vmj23

I've had jury duty (a couples times now!), as well has having to postpone it.  In NY you can postpone twice before having to serve.  It asked me both times when I woudl be available, and i had to give a date that was at min 3 months away but within a certain time frame.  I had to provide a reason, but was never denied the extension.  

  The likelyhood that the trial will last that long is slim, and if you do get called in they tell you before the selection process how many days they expect it to take.  At that time you have the ability to be excused for the day if you aren't gonig to be available for the entire trial and if they don't call you in for the rest of the week, your duty is done.    Every state is different though, so it will depend where you live. 

AprilH81

I would love to serve on a jury, but I think that as a conservative, educated, white woman my chances of actually being picked (if I ever get summoned) is slim to none.