am I chosen as a juror when summoned for jury duty? (Baltimore: crime, pool)

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by BaltItaly

If you do actually serve on a jury and the trial last three or more days, you will not be called again for 3 years. Not sure if that is still the case. Maybe someone else is more informed.

I believe that is still the case...though you have to serve through the verdict.. I was an alternate and got dismissed before deliberation occurred and thus got thrown back into the pool.. but I had to spend a entire week on a murder trial.


I get called EVERY year on the 366th day after the last time I was pulled.. Only had to serve once as outlined above... Looking forward to being called again... this Summer

Incidentally, one of my major beefs with the system is that people used to routinely throw their summons away and not even fill out the questionairre.. and nothing happended to them. I guess Mr. Conoway was too busy managing his disfunctional office to send Deputies out to arrest residents for the charge of not serving on a jury or else the jails would be overflowing with people...I think they have tightened up so you could actually get a brown and white car outside your home nowadays.. so I hear...

The other issue I had with my short stint on a jury was that we were dismissed for lunch they made was walk out into the courtroom which was filled with family members and other shady characters associated, affiliated or just curious with the above referenced murder trial.. I was like.. Umm should we be going back through the jury pool? The guard was like.. "eh.. they will see you on the outside anyway.. just take off your badge"... Gee thanks...

[P47P47]

I mentioned Werner's on Redwood St. as a good jury duty lunch spot. Any other suggestions for lunch in the courthouse area?

[RatGirl]

I just moved from Baltimore City to Baltimore County in September. While living in the city for 8 years, I was summoned to jury duty every single year (usually in March or April). It never failed. When we moved, I thought I would finally be free of receiving their annual summons. Not the case! I received a summons a couple of weeks ago from the City to my new County address!!! When I called to explain that I now live outside of their jurisdiction, they told me to fill out the form and send a copy of my driver's license showing my new address. My license shows the exact same address they sent the summons to so I don't know what good that will do. I just hope I don't end up with a bench warrant when I don't show up in March.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by RatGirl

I just moved from Baltimore City to Baltimore County in September. While living in the city for 8 years, I was summoned to jury duty every single year (usually in March or April). It never failed. When we moved, I thought I would finally be free of receiving their annual summons. Not the case! I received a summons a couple of weeks ago from the City to my new County address!!! When I called to explain that I now live outside of their jurisdiction, they told me to fill out the form and send a copy of my driver's license showing my new address. My license shows the exact same address they sent the summons to so I don't know what good that will do. I just hope I don't end up with a bench warrant when I don't show up in March.

Just dont come back into the City.... County Mounties will realize the mistake if a warrant is sent to them from the City.. Though if you are riding around the Harbor and get pulled over by BPD and they run your name.. you may have some "splaynin" to do .. though it will likely be down on Eager Street....

[thealfa]

Some areas of baltimore city and county you can't tell the difference if you're still in the city or the county. Maybe the summons didn't know the difference as well.

[thealfa]

I remember when getting my license at the MVA I was asked if I wanted to register to vote. Does this have anything to do with why I was summoned for jury duty? If so, can I opt out of being a "voter" since I could care less about poli-tricks? Would opting out of being a voter in Baltimore city, MD, USA exclude me from being summoned for jury duty again? The once a year thing that someone has mentioned here is bothering me as if I owe someone a favor. It's already a task living here. I considered this to be my last year in this city and or state but just in case I'm stuck for awhile, I'd know how to avoid getting summoned "next year". I know it has something to do with opting in to become a registered voter in the city/state, but probably not because I am a resident of the city according to my driver's license information.

Is this really a yearly thing? They send out a summons to all population of the city (700,000) throughout the year and each residents will likely have at least 1 coming?

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by thealfa

I remember when getting my license at the MVA I was asked if I wanted to register to vote. Does this have anything to do with why I was summoned for jury duty? If so, can I opt out of being a "voter" since I could care less about poli-tricks? Would opting out of being a voter in Baltimore city, MD, USA exclude me from being summoned for jury duty again? The once a year thing that someone has mentioned here is bothering me as if I owe someone a favor. It's already a task living here. I considered this to be my last year in this city and or state but just in case I'm stuck for awhile, I'd know how to avoid getting summoned "next year". I know it has something to do with opting in to become a registered voter in the city/state, but probably not because I am a resident of the city according to my driver's license information.

Is this really a yearly thing? They send out a summons to all population of the city (700,000) throughout the year and each residents will likely have at least 1 coming?

It used to be that voter registration was used to select jury pools, and that not registering to vote would prevent your being summoned for jury duty, but that is no longer the case. MVA records are now used, so if you have a driver's license or a non-driver's MVA identification card, you are subject to being summoned.

The frequency of being summoned seems to vary. Some say that they get called annually. My calls tended to be about every 14-19 months, although when I was called last September, it had been 4 years since the last call.

[thealfa]

how does the city know I served my jury duty? Do they scan this summons with ID number and reporting number? I know I'd have to call after 5 p.m. the day before my scheduled jury duty to confirm my service.

[picardlx]

If your number is called and you're not present, then the city knows you didn't serve. At least that's what I think happens. Many potential jurors of a particular set of numbers (including me) were told to leave without scanning anything very early-on since it was a slow day. We were still considered as having served. In my opinion the risk of being a no show isn't worth it.

[thealfa]

oh so they call out the number in the court and you must say you're present? I was just curious because how do jurors keep a record that they were present? Do we get a receipt that we were there that day?