Jury duty - what to expect (crime, retire, teachers)

[masterori]

Anyone know of a good place to park in downtown san diego? Also what time I should get there to find available parking

[skeke]

There is a lot of parking all around downtown but it is not cheap and they don't reimburse you. I park at a free trolley lot and ride the trolley to downtown and back when I am participating in the jury process.

[3chidogs]

How far is it from the trolley stop to the courthouse?

[skeke]

Originally Posted by 3chidogs

How far is it from the trolley stop to the courthouse?

There are several trolley stops. I choose between one of two that are very close. You walk a couple of blocks, no more than you would walk from a parking lot.

[masterori]

Which trolley lot did you park at? I checked the map, there doesn't seem to be any parking lot at the civic center station or the America Plaza station

edit: I called after 5pm and they told me I'm not needed for the day I was scheduled, but still to call again on that day.. How many times until they say okay you're not needed, don't call again until your next mail call up?

[Mike930]

Originally Posted by masterori

Which trolley lot did you park at? I checked the map, there doesn't seem to be any parking lot at the civic center station or the America Plaza station

edit: I called after 5pm and they told me I'm not needed for the day I was scheduled, but still to call again on that day.. How many times until they say okay you're not needed, don't call again until your next mail call up?

There is free parking at Old Town transit center, Fashion Valley mall and Hazard Center.

[3chidogs]

How did you get to call in? My summons says I have to go in the first day. I would love to just call in. In L.A. county that's all you had to do, unless you were needed.

[JohnAlt]

Originally Posted by JohnAlt

I think I'm damaged goods for jury duty, having served on a jury in 1987 that was hung. Since then, three times I've been to the point where we get interviewed by the lawyers (voir dire). They ask about prior jury service and all three times the prosecution has cut me loose, I think due to the hung jury.

Well maybe not. To my shock I was selected for a jury this week.

[hitman619]

Originally Posted by JohnAlt

Well maybe not. To my shock I was selected for a jury this week.

LOL!
Hopefully you get paid from your job. At my old job i use to get a full days pay when i served on a jury.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by JohnAlt

Well maybe not. To my shock I was selected for a jury this week.

I was chosen for a jury while my wife was within days of having our first kid. I was told "we'll let you go if your wife goes into labor". I was chosen as an alternate and 2 jurors lied, bailed and no-showed and the judge asked no questions and was forced to serve. It was horrendous. I'll never forget the social worker saying "we'll just stay here as long as it takes until justice is served". The jury consisted of retirees, schoolteachers, an anti-government gun nut, a millenial who showed up late every day and almost got charged with contempt of court. Everyone was being paid to sit there and waste time. I spent 3 weeks on a rape/kidnap trial that was supposed last 3 days, my son was born and my boss pitched a fit and I had to go back to work after a week. If it wasn't for me and the foreman (also a software engineer) forcing the jury to actually review the evidence and make a decision, we would have ended up spending a month in deliberation and ended in a hung jury (this guy was completely guilty). It was an eye opener for sure and showed me that if you ever get in trouble with the law, you need a good lawyer, and whatever you do - do not end up in a jury trial.

I made the mistake of being honest, not lying and ended up nearly losing my job because of it. Everyone else lied. The prospective jurors, the defendant, the police. The judge was an uncaring beaurocrat. I will never, ever under any circumstances serve on a jury again.