I live in Venice,Calif.I recieved a jury summons about a month ago and was turned down for financial hardship.

Question

I'm a waitress and depend on my tips to pay the bills.My paycheck is only about $650 a month.My rent is $825. and health insurance is $415.I make about $100.-$150 a day in tips,4 days a week and thats what pays my bills.I caaaan't afford a week off for a trial.I have check stubs to bring to the court and copies of my monthly bils,but the court seem very strict on letting me out of jury duty.Any ideas that can help?I would be glad to do my civic duty,but the $15. a day that they pay will really break me.Thanks in advance,D.

Answer 1

just answer questions that will make you undesirable to a jury pool.  Can you be unbiased?  I believe the officer tells the truth.  Anyone in your family ever been a victim of a violent crime?  Yes, and they never caught the man, and I am still angry....get what I am saying?

Answer 2

you are hillarious. They will not let you out of jury duty. and they will explain that when you get into the room. There are only a couple of ways to get out of it and it has to be serious like your in a hospital recovering from some serious thing and cant be there in person, you have a grudge against the Judge or are  fanatical in your belief about the guilt of the person in the courtroom, or know the defendant yourself personally.

You can be a housewife and have to serve jury duty. if you own your own business and you are the sole person working there you still have to serve even if they lose tons of money the days they are in court.  

Look up the rules on your state's jury duty website.

again, LOL and good luck.

Answer 3

In Los Angeles it's one day one trial if they call you just give the wrong answers. you didn't say what court . You may not even have to show up just call when your supposed to your on call for a week maybe you will get lucky.

If your working a day job and making a 100 a day in tips your making a killing.

Answer 4

tell them you think that anyone they want you to try is guilty.......... you might miss a while telling them that, but if you make them guilty before you go to trial, they can't let you on the jury

Answer 5

You need to contact the courts direclty and point blank tell them that you can not afford to do this.  

I got out of juror duty twice by doing this.  You have to be persistent so push on.  

I would actually one day love to do jury duty as I think it is my civic duty, but both times I was summons I had very serious things going on that I could not do it.

Answer 6

My boss sent a very nice letter to the judge saying that it is a small company, wants everyone to do civic duty, but no one else could do my job & it will be a big hardship for the company if I can't be around for a while.

I also with my jury questionairre, whte it asked if there's any reason why I can't serve, I said 2 reasons

(a) I have a cold ... my sneezing might be a disruption to the court room

(b) I do some end fiscal updates & here is the fiscal calendar of my employer ... we want to steer clear of those dates

The judge said they ONLY reason they let anyone off jury duty is for health reasons, and my coughing did not seem that bad

but then when they were asking the potential jurors some very good questions. I think I had foot in mouth a few times, even though I was trying to be honest and fair

Answer 7

It  would  sometimes  be  interesting  to  witness  the  whole  process  of  a  trial  by  jury  and  help  make  the  judgement  .    In  your  case  as  a  potential  jury  member ; they  were  quite  right  to  turn  you  down  for  financial  hardship , on  humanitarian  grounds .   Most  people  depending  on  their  salary  would  receive  it  anyway  and  the $15  a  day  is  really  just  to cover  expenses  .