Blacklisted from Jury Duty (Austin, Sparks: school, moving to, retired)

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by BentBow

Since I turned 18 and now in my mid 40's, I have been called to jury duty 5 times, 3 for municipal city court(traffic tickets) and 2 times for the county.

Being self employed, it really strains the schedule and the monetary loss.

Only 5 times? Its been around 10 times for me in the same period of time.

By the way, shouldn't you be working? Its the middle of a work day.

I swear the internet is costing businesses millions of dollars of lost work time every day.

[austin-steve]

I've been summoned about 12 times the past 25 years, but never been selected to serve.

there was a guy sitting next to me wearing a full SS uniform complete with a bandana emroidered in swastikas and goggles on his hat.

People can get in trouble for embellishing or exaggerating reasons they think would get them out of jury duty.

The last time I was there, a couple of years ago, the lawyers were asking us all questions as a group, i.e. "raise your hand if you believe you would be unable to ...", then they'd drill down and start asking deeper questions of certain people who answered certain ways.

One girl held several extreme positions during the Q&A but couldn't articulate the basis of her beliefs when pressed. Then the judge called her up and lectured her (quietly, but we could hear nonetheless) and told her she could be held in contempt if she wasn't answering truthfully.

Then the judge lectured the entire jury pool telling us that this wasn't a joke, or a game, and that if he suspected anyone was coloring their answers in such a way as to be excused on purpose from duty, that they better not be doing that. It was a fairly stern warning. This was for a fairly big case and the jury pool was very large, with three big waves of candidates being brought in that day. The Q&A process and the questioning was rather interesting I thought.

Steve

[1mintjulep]

Never served, but I got a letter in the mail about five years ago - I went online, answered a few questions (don't remember most of them, but one of them was what's your religion), and never heard anything else. I really don't think it's a big deal, unless you get called for a huge case that drags on - a friend of mine in CA recently was on a jury for a trial that went on for 3 weeks. I know people who refuse to register to vote b/c they think they'll be called for jury duty.

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

By the way, shouldn't you be working? Its the middle of a work day.

Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone! I'm typing up 3 wood floor failure investigation reports and 2 carpet failure investigation reports. 2 done, 3 to go by 5 o'clock, at least that's my goal.
Got sidetracked by an e-mail from here, that someone replied to a post.

[Mr. Solis]

To those of you who say, its kind of like our duty or something to do jury duty, and its part of our judicial system, and the founding fathers made this. I say, yea, I can understand your patriotic points of view.

But what about the patriotic point of view of freedom, ya know, let freedom ring.
What if I dont want to do jury duty, I dont have that right, I cant have that position?

Then whats all the fuss about freedom, if I cant have freedom of choice? I am not at all interested in other people lawsuits, any arguing lawyers, none of that, no grisly crime scene details, none of that.

But dang it, I dont have that right

Its a good thing I'm exempt for eternity from doing that, jury duty stuff.

[kiacook]

I think you have the right to not want to participate. The problem is when/if you're charged with a crime or someone sues you and you get to be judged by a jury of your peers - those people are making the sacrifice to be there. At that point you're just a freeloader. Which I think is wrong.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by BentBow

Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone! I'm typing up 3 wood floor failure investigation reports and 2 carpet failure investigation reports. 2 done, 3 to go by 5 o'clock, at least that's my goal.
Got sidetracked by an e-mail from here, that someone replied to a post.

Get back to work you slacker!

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Get back to work you slacker!

Got done at 4 o'clock, in time to watch Glen Beck.

[Tiberius Gracchus]

I filled out a Federal jury summons about twenty years ago, and in the comment section stated that since I had in the past accepted an office in which I had sworn to uphold the US Constitution, and the oath had no expiration date, I felt duty bound ho hold laws up to constitutional standards. I was released on that duty, and ever since, though I have been called every two years or so in several jurisdicions, I have always been released by phone within a few days of when I have been called. IMO, there is a blacklist, but the only way to prove it is if someone inside the system were to come forward. I'm all ears-TG

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by Tiberius Gracchus

I filled out a Federal jury summons about twenty years ago, and in the comment section stated that since I had in the past accepted an office in which I had sworn to uphold the US Constitution, and the oath had no expiration date, I felt duty bound ho hold laws up to constitutional standards. I was released on that duty, and ever since, though I have been called every two years or so in several jurisdicions, I have always been released by phone within a few days of when I have been called. IMO, there is a blacklist, but the only way to prove it is if someone inside the system were to come forward. I'm all ears-TG

I was released from jury duty again this week, the day I was suppposed to show up. There was a phone number to call (thankfully) before driving downtown, and the message informed me that the trial was no longer going forward and that I'm released from further obligation. I've never actually sat on a jury, though I've been called to the pool process several times the past many years.

This is what happens to most jurors. It's the most common outcome. I'm not important or special, nor am I on a blacklist. Neither are you.

Steve