Should Jury Duty Be Mandatory??

[Wicked Jester]

Yes, it should be mandatory.

 

[Sheldon]

Hell, I'm all for making being a juror a legal profession.

What should be mandatory is fully informed juries.

Fully Informed Jury Association

True. Now the question is, how long will it take before someone starts making allusions to the "literacy" tests for enfranchisement done in the Reconstruction South?

 

[Ravi]

So do you want to serve or get out of it kat?

As I said, this will be my 5th round. Yes, I want out of this one. To begin with, I may not even be in town. It is for Nov 29th. Monday after Thanksgiving...

Your form should have a box that you can check asking them to reschedule.

 

[Kat]

So do you want to serve or get out of it kat?

As I said, this will be my 5th round. Yes, I want out of this one. To begin with, I may not even be in town. It is for Nov 29th. Monday after Thanksgiving...

Your form should have a box that you can check asking them to reschedule.

I wish. It is 2 pieces of computer generated print outs. One telling me to be there, and one giving a phone number to call and try and be excused.

 

[Granny]

Poll to follow..

I received a jury duty summons in the mail yesterday. While I am all for ''doing our duty'', I started wondering, should jury duty be mandatory? Should we be threatened with jail time and a fine?

Discuss please...

done jury duty 2 timesin the past 15 years ( Lousy domestic violence cases etc)

wil make some excuse to opt out if I get called again

What excuses are accepted?

This will be like my 5th round. They must like my name.

Excuses could be you or a family member is scheduled for surgery, or has died. If you know the defendant and/or some member of his family, you could get dismissed. I could never have sat on a Richmond, VA jury where the defendant's attorney is known to be the "go to" guy if you're guilty as hell - I would be dismissed as biased against the defendant. There are a number of reasons you could be disqualified - just don't lie about it.

 

[ginscpy]

I' ll just tell them my simple opinion if I get called for jury duty a 3rd time: if people are in court/trouble with the law there usualy is a reason.

Law-abiding citizens don't wind up in court for the most part.

 

[JWBooth]

If you want out, just mention that you have a firm, unshakable belief in jury nullification, and will make use of it regardless of any instruction otherwise.

Dismissal will be immediate.

 

[Granny]

Hell, I'm all for making being a juror a legal profession.

What should be mandatory is fully informed juries.

Fully Informed Jury Association

A defendant is entitled to a jury of his peers ... not a jury made up solely of attorneys or others in the legal profession. Jurors are smart enough to be informed - they are supposed to make their decisions based solely on the evidence provided in the courtroom and what is said or done during the hearing. Nothing else - not newspapers, media coverage. In some cases they sequester jurors so that they can't talk about anything with anyone, including spouses.

 

[Ringel05]

I was called once a few years back and since I was self employed, jury duty would have created a financial hardship so I was excused on the second day.
A couple of months later I received a new notice but in Virginia you can't be called but every two years. I indicated that on my notice and was excused, never had to go in.
It does seem that once one is "in the system" they are called back rather frequently.

 

[Kat]

I was called once a few years back and since I was self employed, jury duty would have created a financial hardship so I was excused on the second day.
A couple of months later I received a new notice but in Virginia you can't be called but every two years. I indicated that on my notice and was excused, never had to go in.
It does seem that once one is "in the system" they are called back rather frequently.

I guess that is why I keep getting hit up. And I can use the self employed excuse. Won't be a lie either.

 

[Ringel05]

I was called once a few years back and since I was self employed, jury duty would have created a financial hardship so I was excused on the second day.
A couple of months later I received a new notice but in Virginia you can't be called but every two years. I indicated that on my notice and was excused, never had to go in.
It does seem that once one is "in the system" they are called back rather frequently.

I guess that is why I keep getting hit up. And I can use the self employed excuse. Won't be a lie either.

The case I was being selected for was expected to be a long term one and under other circumstances I would not have opted myself out.

 

[Mr Natural]

Yes .

It's the price we pay for living in a civilized society.

And besides, a bad day of jury duty is better than a good day at work.

 

[jillian]

Poll to follow..

I received a jury duty summons in the mail yesterday. While I am all for ''doing our duty'', I started wondering, should jury duty be mandatory? Should we be threatened with jail time and a fine?

Discuss please...

What kind of people do you think you would get if it were vole tary?

 

[syrenn]

I was called once a few years back and since I was self employed, jury duty would have created a financial hardship so I was excused on the second day.
A couple of months later I received a new notice but in Virginia you can't be called but every two years. I indicated that on my notice and was excused, never had to go in.
It does seem that once one is "in the system" they are called back rather frequently.

I guess that is why I keep getting hit up. And I can use the self employed excuse. Won't be a lie either.

It depends on where you live. Here not getting a pay check, not being able to pay your bills, and being a single owner operated business is NOT an excuse to get out of jury duty. They basically tell you to bad if jury duty is a financial hardship. The only way to get out of criminal jury duty here is if you flat say you have ALREADY made up your mind how you will vote REGARDLESS of any evidence presented. For civil jury you can get out of it if you flat say you will not award a penny to anyone.

 

[Kat]

Poll to follow..

I received a jury duty summons in the mail yesterday. While I am all for ''doing our duty'', I started wondering, should jury duty be mandatory? Should we be threatened with jail time and a fine?

Discuss please...

What kind of people do you think you would get if it were vole tary?

Good point, but I am not sure. Some people love doing it (my husband), and some don't.
I guess what bothers me (only a bit), is the jail time and a fine.

Wonder of anyone has gotten that before...where they actually arrest you and out you in jail..

 

[Rat in the Hat]

Poll to follow..

I received a jury duty summons in the mail yesterday. While I am all for ''doing our duty'', I started wondering, should jury duty be mandatory? Should we be threatened with jail time and a fine?

Discuss please...

What kind of people do you think you would get if it were vole tary?

Good point, but I am not sure. Some people love doing it (my husband), and some don't.
I guess what bothers me (only a bit), is the jail time and a fine.

Wonder of anyone has gotten that before...where they actually arrest you and out you in jail..

Yes

Teenage college student arrested by federal marshals for failure to appear for jury duty | abc13.com

 

[Shadow]

Poll to follow..

I received a jury duty summons in the mail yesterday. While I am all for ''doing our duty'', I started wondering, should jury duty be mandatory? Should we be threatened with jail time and a fine?

Discuss please...

done jury duty 2 timesin the past 15 years ( Lousy domestic violence cases etc)

wil make some excuse to opt out if I get called again

What excuses are accepted?

This will be like my 5th round. They must like my name.

Usually they will accept an excuse....but will notify you that you have to re schedule at a later date. Twice I had an employers letter letting them know that due to a work situation I could not attend. Both times they called me again 3 to 6 months later. After you serve...they have to wait 3 years to put you back on the call list.

I didn't mind jury duty. My employer pays you for the time off...and so does the state (along with parking fees and milage). So for me...it was an extra couple hundred dollars for that two week period.

As an aside...I asked the judge how they choose jurors. He said via Voter registration and Car registration. And they do try to balance political viewpoints. I thought that was kind of interesting.

Oh...and,yes, I do think it should be mandatory.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I was on a jury when I was in my early 20's. Something about a factory worker in a fork-lift truck and his foot got hurt when he put it outside of the truck. Turns out it was his fault. I liked it . . . of course, I was single but still living at home and it got me out of work for a week!

I get called up all the time. I just did a few months ago. I have to be home at 2:30 when my special needs son gets home from school. No one else to watch him and he can't stay by himself. Since I never heard back from them this time, I guess it was excused? I actually forgot all about it until I saw this thread.

No, I don't want it to be mandatory.

 

[Kat]

What kind of people do you think you would get if it were vole tary?

Good point, but I am not sure. Some people love doing it (my husband), and some don't.
I guess what bothers me (only a bit), is the jail time and a fine.

Wonder of anyone has gotten that before...where they actually arrest you and out you in jail..

Yes

Teenage college student arrested by federal marshals for failure to appear for jury duty | abc13.com

It this is really true, that is a bit over the top. Shackles???

"They treated my daughter like she was a serial killer, and I don't understand that at all," he said.

Federal marshals showed up and arrested his daughter Kelsey while she was attending a college class Tuesday and brought her before Federal Judge David Hittner.

"They handcuffed her and put shackles around her waist and shackles around her feet in front of all her classmates," Gloston said.

What shocked Gloston more than what happened, was why.

"I found out that she missed jury duty," he said.

 

[DiveCon]

Good point, but I am not sure. Some people love doing it (my husband), and some don't.
I guess what bothers me (only a bit), is the jail time and a fine.

Wonder of anyone has gotten that before...where they actually arrest you and out you in jail..

Yes

Teenage college student arrested by federal marshals for failure to appear for jury duty | abc13.com

It this is really true, that is a bit over the top. Shackles???

"They treated my daughter like she was a serial killer, and I don't understand that at all," he said.

Federal marshals showed up and arrested his daughter Kelsey while she was attending a college class Tuesday and brought her before Federal Judge David Hittner.

"They handcuffed her and put shackles around her waist and shackles around her feet in front of all her classmates," Gloston said.

What shocked Gloston more than what happened, was why.

"I found out that she missed jury duty," he said.

if you get a summons for jury duty and dont show up, you will be in contempt of court
and as to how they treated her during the arrest is standard