Why does everyone want advice on how to get out of jury duty?

Question

Almost everyother question is 'how do I get out of jury duty?'. Why? If you were charged with a crime, you would be entitled to be tried by a jury of your peers. Wouldn't you want someone who is literate and has a modicum of intelligence sitting in judgement? What happened to civic duty? Would you want to be judged by a group of people eligible by virtue of having a driver's license but no job, no future, and probably no life only sitting there for the free donuts and $9/day? Wouldn't you want to be judged by someone other than those too thick to even come up with a reason to be excused?

Answer 1

You may be true, but most systems to take care of jury duty are not effective.  In most cases, you sit in a room waiting for hours without even entering a court room.  If the system would change so if you report for jury duty, you actually see a trial, maybe most people would not have a problem with it.  I have a busy life.  I do not have time to wait in a room looking at the four wall all day.  If they respect my time, I would have no problem.  If not, it is a waste of time.

Answer 2

$9 a day, You mean you can pay rent on $9 a day, dude thats 270 a month, my monthly rent is $875 and that's about the cheepest around Boston.

Answer 3

I'm happy to say that I'm actually excited about my jury duty I have in a couple weeks.  I've been told I'm weird, but I am very thrilled to go.  It's my first time.

Answer 4

it's not worth missing work to go to a place to sit in hard *** chairs, starving and get paid enough just to cover the parking...meanwhile you are loosing money from work

Answer 5

I am not sure I want to be judged by 12 people that were not smart enough to figure out how to get out of jury duty :)

People want out for many reasons:

1. Many jobs don't pay while on jury duty. Some people would be financial destroyed by a 4 week trial.

2. Jury duty can be mind-numbingly boring. I had a job that paid during jury duty and I thought jury duty would be interesting. It was very boring. Four days, literally an hour of testimony.

Answer 6

I just finished serving on a jury yesterday.  It took a few days, and it was a rough case (sexual abuse of a minor), but I don't regret serving.  First off, my job does reimburse me, so I'm not out any money.  But I do have a job, a future, and a life.  And we didn't get any donuts, just really bad coffee.  

I suppose I could've gotten out of it, if I'd wanted to or lied (under oath) a bit.  But you know, it's called jury DUTY.  It's an absolutely, totally necessary part of our government, and if I get called again, even if it's for an equally unpleasant case, I can suck it up and do it, even if I'd rather be doing something else.

Answer 7

I was psyched about having my number called for jury duty. I get some paid time away from work, get to kick it at the local courthouse with other locals doing the same thing.

I hated calling the phone number each night for my week, to see if I would make it or not though.

I'm always ready to put the smack down on some meth head, but the Mrs. works for the local police, and I know and have partied with many of the officers, along with attending weddings, babysit their kids, etc...so I was dismissed. Yeah, I got my donuts and coffee on first! :D

Pisser, as I hate meth heads and crack heads! There will be another day, but I might get dismissed again...How unfair!

Answer 8

Well, I always get out of jury duty because I have small breastfeeding children. If I did not have small children who relied on me for care, and nourishment, I would have no problem serving. Or, if I could bring the breastfeeding baby with me, that would be fine.

When I was in college, I received one jury summons. It was during finals week, so I was excused. I would have had to fail all of my courses for the semester in order to serve. Not terribly fair, considering I had a 4.0! I told the judge I would be happy to serve during the winter break during a semester when it wasn't finals time.

My husband recieved a jury summons not too long ago. Had he served, we would have not been able to pay our utilities or buy food. He was excused. We both believe strongly in the value of a jury, but we truly would have starved had he served. His job does not offer paid time off for jury duty. We do not have any debt, but in the area we live, it is nearly impossible to get by one one salary. A week or to without pay is enough to break us.

I think that the real issue is that jurors are not offered adequate compensation. Our courthouse is about 10 miles away. With the cost of gas what it is, the "pay" would not even cover that! And, in my jursidiction, we don't get free donuts. If you were on trial, would you want to be judged by me? I would be VERY cranky that my small kids were being ignored while I was serving, that I had to forgo things like electric service to pay for the gas to get to the courthouse, etc. Sure, I could take public transportation. That takes about an hour from where I live to get to the courthouse (if I had to drip my kids off at some crappy day care, you can add another hour each way). So now we are looking at my TINY children being with some daycare center (who is going to pay for that?) for 9-11 hours a day. If you have a small income, and do not work for a government agency, it's nearly impossible to afford jury service. I don't leave my children with anyone other than my husband. I don't think it's responsible to do so (we have no realtives in the area). You;d practically have to hold a gun to my head to get me to leave them with someone else.

We need to pay jurors what they would be earning (or close to it). I know that most areas do not have a ton of extra revenue lying around, but I think that the priorities for government expenditures are out of whack. Fix the roads, pay for police and fire departments, pay jurors what they are worth, and then fund extras like community programs.

Answer 9

I guess people don't want to have to be sequestered for ages when they have a job or a family.  You essentially have to put your life on hold until the trial is over.

Answer 10

Probably because:

1)  You always seem to get called at an inopportune time (I served last week---Yuk, Thanksgiving week was bad)

2)  You have to listen to lawyers all day long.  Remember, they are not seeking the truth, they are seeking to win their case.

3)  Civil case juries are a particular abuse.  This is one of my #1 beefs about the U.S. justice system.  If a civil case is filed, the Judge should appoint an investigator to marshall the facts and file a report.  Any trial thereafter would be to challenge the findings, with the Court, not a jury, deciding, with the burden on the challenging paraty.

Answer 11

From what I have seen in the "real world", most cases DON'T go to juries because the juries would be pissed off about having to try a case.   The defense lawyer thinks the person would be better off with either a plea or judge-only trial.  Also, the days of people just hanging around scarfing up donuts and coffee are gone, they are often just on a call basis.  Third, a jury of your "peers" is ancient history.  You certainly did not see OJ Simpson's trial being decided by a jury of professional football players!  BTW, I've been in this county for over 40 years, owned property for over 30, had a license for over 45 years, and NEVER have been called.

Answer 12

yes, i would. And by the way I just got called for Jury Duty and I am not going to come up with an excuse not to go. I am looking forward to serve in any way I can.

Answer 13

The problem is that America is seriously lacking people who give a hoot.  They are only interested in what they can get.  If they can't get anything good, they want no part.  People in this country constantly want something for nothing.  Don't want to work to support their families, they'd rather have the government do that.  If you have some problem with a company, sue them, you'll be sittin' pretty for the rest of you life on the settlement.  It's always someone else's fault so someone else should deal with it.  Someone's daughter ends up pregnant, it must be because the school wasn't permitted to provide birth control.  It couldn't possible be because her parents never discussed purity and the importance of waiting for marriage to her.

Sorry.  You struck a nerve with that one.

Answer 14

I actually enjoyed serving on a jury

most people try to get out of it because they have no sense of responsiblity to their nation

Answer 15

Why? I'm eligible once every 3 years, and even if I get called EVERY time I'm eligible it's alot more interesting than going to the dentist, and I get called for THAT every 6 months!!

Answer 16

Yes, I would want to be judged by a jury of my peers.  Although I would likely find jury duty to be fullfilling and interesting, and my civic duty, it would also be a major pain in the f***y.  Time away from work, plus travel to a county seat (where courthouses are generally located)- in large metro areas, can be hellish for many people.  Just trying to find parking can be a nightmare if there is little or no public transportation.  So the ideal is wonderful, the reality, less so.

Answer 17

Very good question.  I was chosen  a long time ago to serve but due to surgery could not appear, I welcome another chance.

Answer 18

I agree.

I was excited to be called for jury duty recently, after having been legitimately excused a few times.  At the last moment, the group of prospective jurors entered the courtroom and heard the announcement: "thank you for your time, but this case was resolved this morning.  You're excused until two years pass."

I was looking forward to it, and was disappointed.

Answer 19

Part of the problem is that many people do report for jury duty and are never chosen for a trial.  They sit for days and then end up without an assignment.

Answer 20

Because they are not aware of how important their part is when it comes to local government.

I said this yesterday, Serving on JD is your chance to make a difference in your community.  Cases that are seen are anything from Business fraud, child molesters, rape, and it is how they are treated by the judicial system that most people make their judgments calls.....BUT,..if you choose to NOT do your civic duty, you have lost your right to complain and btich.  Most cases don't even go to trial, and you are still paid just for showing up.

I'm sure that should any of the whiners end up being in need of a fair and impartial jury, they would think twice about what they ducked out on.

It is no big deal...if you truly can't afford the lost work day, you have the chance to explain that.  I know of many Moms who have families who did not shirk their duty....LOL in fact, it was a break from home that they ended up enjoying...imagine the peace and quiet to finally read the news, a book a magazine w.o the kids clamoring....

You know all those people that get pissed when people 'get of lightly'?  Well maybe next time you'll serve.

I look forward to the next time I get called.

SIDENOTE:  As for the pay, it some get reimbursement, some don't...depends on where you live.  As for making more money, that doesn't work either, cuz then you have people in it for the cash, and then the system goes all wonky, worse then it is.

Answer 21

You are arguing the wrong side of your own statement.  People that want to get out of jury duty don't really care that the accused gets a fair trial.

Also, since most crimes are committed by uneducated, under-employeed donut eating people. your argument seems to imply that they do get a jury duty of their peers.

Most intelligent, gainfully employed, educated people don't find themselves on trial very often.