Jury Duty

[thebuns1 4,323]

Thats right. I got summoned. Im over it already and havent even done it yet. To be truthful, I dont know if I can afford it. Its a week long deal from what the paperwork is saying, and Ive already wrote a letter to try to let them know I really cant miss a week of work for their bullshit 10 bucks a day, but I was polite about it.

 

Its already put a freeze on my plans, as well as other things until its gets sorted. Anybody else had to deal with the shit? I dont really want to dick with it, nor can I really afford to for up to a whole week, as my budget just doesnt comply with their threats of contempt of court if I dont show.

[Shotgun12 205]

In 2011 and 2012 i was summoned for jury duty both times in a row on my birthday.

[Bigtwin 219]

Funny you mention that! When I worked for a large company I would get a summons and always was dismissed on the phone(due to a cancellation), I would have loved to go and serve on a jury, I find that it would be very informational about how the system works. In the company I worked for I would have still received my salary and there were at least two people that could do my job, so no big deal.

 

For the last 15 years I have been self employed and run a small operation, I received several summons over that time and low and behold, they make my ass come in! I can't do business if I am in court(I tell them that, some judges are sympathetic, others not so much).

Never have I had to serve, but most times it fucks up my business for the day!

[thebuns1 4,323]

Well I work for a small company, and I do not believe that I will be paid for the time, which sucks. But I wouldnt really give a fuck if I was getting my full pay while doing so. lol. Its really a pain in the ass IMO, and the fact that they make you show up or threaten you with jailtime is bullshit.

[chevyman097 2,579]

Jury duty can be a pain and a strain on the pay check. But if you are lucky your employer will pay you. If not, that sucks. There really is nothing you can do to get out of it if you dont qualify for one of the reasons listed. All you can do is show on selection day and plead your case to the judge when he asks for people to come forward. If you are lucky he will have sympathy and let you off.....but not liekely. Jury duty seems to be one of those things no one wants to serve on. But everyone wants people to serve when they are on the other side of the jury.

 

I have had to serve over 5 times at least now. I get called at least 1-2 times a year it seems like my number is loaded. I dreaded going the first few times but just come to grasp with the fact that it really is our "duty" i suppose you could say. The people on the other side of the jury deserve a trial by jury, guilty or not. It actually can be interesting some times. Most cases i served on were pretty simple and straight forward. 2 of them were trickier and was iffy comeing to an agreement with everyone on. If you are lucky it will be a simple fast case. You get your ( i think its actually 30 bucks a day or something) and go back to work.

 

I pretty much just go and sit there and shut up. Maybe thats why i always get picked. ha.

 

If you honestly dont want to get picked during questioning stand up and answer as many questions as possible. Standing out seems to be the way to get out of it. If there are police officers names invovled or law firms when asked if you know them stand up and say yes. "oh they did work for me this one time" or "my girl friend worked for them" or some bullshit lol.

 

I seem to see a small crowd every time going the whole "my faith/Jesus" wont let me judge others its just not right route. They will always ask you if you feel like there is any reason you cant be fair in you opinion. Just stand up and tell them that your God wont let you judge other people. That seems to always work for the old ladies in the crowd that just havnt made it to age limit.

 

 

But in my opinion its really not that bad. I always like to keep in mind that if I ever had to be on the other side of the jury I would hope I get honest working people like me up there.

 

 

One of the first cases I ever served on was pretty funny actually. It was an estate dispute. An old 70 something year old man had died, he apparently was a player and had about 5 girlfriends that came and went from any given time. Two of them were suing his 3 children for his estate claiming they were his live in common law wife. It was pretty funny watching them all get up and testify abou their relationships with him. Ol gramps was a player. The defense even had picture albums of him out at bars/clubs all suited up with his arms around different ladies to prove he didnt have any wives but many. Needless to say, deliberation time was a hoot!!! We the jury voted in favor of the family.

 

Boy now im just rambling. Ill shut up.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Chevyman097

[ktcm7271 999]

You're lucky, I did 18 months of federal grand jury. Every other Wednsday, luckily my work paid me for the day and I got $40 from the court house too. It wrecked my perfect attendence for 2 years though, no disiplinary but we get shares of stock for perfect attendence.

[Voltia 375]

My grandma made the paper being a juror at 95.

[LuPiN8oR 333]

All i can say... is that im happy to be represented by my peers in the judicial system. Im sorry about the lost pay but its nice to know in some ways we still have a voice. Ive been summoned once but never had to take part in it. I tip my hat to you guys who have actually been able to take part in it just for the sheer presence of what most of us likely see as justice. I can think of no better words to surmise it; i blame beer! Take care guys.

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

My company pays my salary if I do jury duty, so no big deal for me.

I'd would hope for something really interesting.

 

In the past when it was hand to mouth, and no pay from employer(s), I would always get out of by honestly claiming hardship.

Homeless & hungry or jury duty? No contest.

[haugpatr 972]

Don't dismiss jury duty as BS, it is very important, what if you were on the jury for someone like Gearge Zimmerman?

 

I used to work for a shit-hole company and they would have paid me for jury duty, but I would have had to give them the amount the court paid me, cheap bastards!

Edited September 7, 2013 by HOG76

[chevyman097 2,579]

I will add too. Im sure it just depends from case to case. Or what mood the judge is in. But one time when i was there some one on the list did not show and they held us for about an hour extra while the judge sent a constable out to their home to see if they were there to bring them to the court house. So I would not recommend just not showing up. It could turn out to be very embarrassing. They will do a "roll call" of everyone that is not exempt before selection day.

[thebuns1 4,323]

Its not BS. Im on a very strict budget, and in my state, my employer is boderline on whether or not to pay me for the time off. If I have to do it, then Im fucked out of a weeks pay, and will have to sell shit to make my bills that I wouldnt normally have to do....like sell fucking guns I dont want to......so yeah, fuck Jury duty. If the system MAKES me do something, its no longer a duty, but a burden.....and it will be a hardship, which is what I stated in the letter I wrote them.

 

I dont see how this is a cool thing....ever. Maybe if they didnt send the fuckin jobs overseas and people still had a choice in the old free America, I could see doing it.....Not so much anymore. It brings on more heartache and stress than anything for most people.

I really dont see how forcing someone to do this, is a good thing, or a duty.

[garnaz 215]

The last time I got a summons I just explained to them that it would be a financial hardship. Which truthfully it would have been but not home or homeless choice.

They were not giving people hardship passes because of getting it all the time.

So I just explained to them that my family needed me to work to earn money to pay my bills and support my family and the many lazy ass welfare leaches that they don't bother with these duties.

 

Explained that one of the lazy welfare baby factory obama supporting nonproductive tax leach could come in for there free donuts and coffee.

 

Got my dismissal letter a couple days later. And thanked me for participating in the process.

[U.S. Pratorean 1,234]

Yeah it's a ripoff and you sure as hell ain't going to get paid what you do at your job. You get a free lunch though:) I get a summons every year but being the only anesthesia provider for a multi- county area different than where I live I usually get off because I am it 2 weeks a month 24/ 7 but I would love to serve on a violent crime/homicide/ rape case. I would be disqualified since the first question they ask is " have you ever been a victim of a violent crime"?

My answer is yes....... " he is excused your Honor".

Edited September 7, 2013 by U.S Praetorian

[Sim_Player 1,939]

I got summoned two years in a row.

 

It's lucky I didn't have to serve either time. The courthouse is about 1.5 hours away.

 

I'm also self-employed but, when I tried to claim hardship, they wouldn't exempt me.

 

My mom enjoyed her "duty" so much she baked a cake and wrote a song about it (you would have to know her).

[KTM 72]

do your civic duty and suck it up. do you enjoy your rights ? time for some payback to the country that you live in. Its not like you got drafted into a war. its a week or less out of our self absorbed lives. If I was in court I'd much rather have a working class white guy deciding my fate than a bunch of black welfare rats

[Sim_Player 1,939]

do your civic duty and suck it up. do you enjoy your rights ? time for some payback to the country that you live in. Its not like you got drafted into a war. its a week or less out of our self absorbed lives. If I was in court I'd much rather have a working class white guy deciding my fate than a bunch of black welfare rats

Unless the case was about welfare fraud...

 

I know white's that are abusing the system too...a family of 3 and every one of them is on disabilty. Two have "issues" but, all three are still able to work (two arms, two legs, and a brain).

 

Growing up in Virginia, when the issue of race came up, we always drew distinctions between good people and bad people and I never made assumptions based on the color of their skin but by how they acted arounds others. That was 25 years ago.

 

Why do you feel the need to bring up skin color? Don't we get enough of this, from the media and other people, trying to divide us?

 

My bullets are color-blind (read..."Equal Opportunity"). Aren't yours?

 

Rant over.

Edited September 7, 2013 by Sim_Player

[Wolverine 10,360]

I've been called twice. The first time they had me appear and placed me in a large pool. They then let us go home. I did not hear from them again until several years later. I was called and selected to hear a rape case. The jury was sent to the deliberation room and waited for instructions. After about two hours the judge appeared and told us we were all excused as the case was being delayed by new evidence in the case. Apparently the perp's mother told the court & police she had her son's bloody clothing from the incident date. She never washed them. The police and prosecutor jumped on that piece of new information and the rest is history. Frankly, I was looking forward to the experience but never got the chance to hear the facts and decide on the case. Pretty interesting.

[Voltia 375]

 

do your civic duty and suck it up. do you enjoy your rights ? time for some payback to the country that you live in. Its not like you got drafted into a war. its a week or less out of our self absorbed lives. If I was in court I'd much rather have a working class white guy deciding my fate than a bunch of black welfare rats

Unless the case was about welfare fraud...

 

I know white's that are abusing the system too...a family of 3 and every one of them is on disabilty. Two have "issues" but, all three are still able to work (two arms, two legs, and a brain).

 

Growing up in Virginia, when the issue of race came up, we always drew distinctions between good people and bad people and I never made assumptions based on the color of their skin but by how they acted arounds others. That was 25 years ago.

 

Why do you feel the need to bring up skin color? Don't we get enough of this, from the media and other people, trying to divide us?

 

My bullets are color-blind (read..."Equal Opportunity"). Aren't yours?

 

Rant over.

 

 

 

Here's why: Stereotypes are usually true.

 

Black people commit more crimes, have less jobs, and have more kids out of marriage (and get married less)

than any other race. This is documented fact. I believe this is because their culture has an ingrained inferiority

complex that is very hard to beat, although some of them do.

 

That inferiority complex is that they are somehow owed something, or that they need something, to succeed in life.

So, while it is very much wrong to look at someone and say "you're black, therefore you are a lazy welfare rat,"

it is very much correct to say "blacks have the most welfare abusers by far of any race, and we should find out why."

 

I try not to judge individuals. However, due to statistics, I consider a black person more of a threat to my personal safety,

my family's safety, and my property, than any other race. I work in a technical profession, and we are driven by the data.

The data in this subject proves my conclusions. It's not racism to recognize a situation for what it is.

[thebuns1 4,323]

do your civic duty and suck it up. do you enjoy your rights ? time for some payback to the country that you live in. Its not like you got drafted into a war. its a week or less out of our self absorbed lives. If I was in court I'd much rather have a working class white guy deciding my fate than a bunch of black welfare rats

 

 

Its got nothing to do with race, civic duty, or any other bullshit except the fact that I cant afford to miss a weeks pay at this point in time. And it has nothing to do with my rights and how much I enjoy my liberties. Its more a simple fact that Im being forced to do something I dont want to do, and am being threatened with jail time for not doing it. Pretty shitty IMO.

 

I do my civic duty by looking out for my fellow people, and paying my taxes to my county as well as supporting our local LEO's.

 

I also wouldnt have a problem doing this if I were to be paid my salary.

 

Not sure on how much more clear I can make it.

[lbsrdi 1,078]

Just start discussing jury nullification with the others and they will get you out of there and on your way. They don't want you spreading dirty rumors about citizens rights to also judge the law as well as the defendant.

[gunman1 1,753]

I get summoned every three years like fuken clock work, federal court this year. I like the idea of... "Just start discussing jury nullification with the others and they will get you out of there and on your way" I hope I can remember it for next time

[Sport Rescue 245]

Contempt??? How can they prove you received the summons. It's not sent certified mail. Just sayin'

Edited September 8, 2013 by Sport Rescue

[MT Predator 2,294]

I hear you Hero about losing pay. They should at least pay you what you normally make a day imo. I was summoned but here it is an electronic pool. You answer a questionnaire then check your number on the net by a certain date to see if you have to report. Maybe I answered the "magic" questions with the answers they did not want to have on a jury. I heard they are not interested if you know or are related to Law Enforcement Officers. I guess the fact my brother is LEO and the Sheriff here has been known to come shoot with our private group may have helped!

[Sim_Player 1,939]

Contempt??? How can they prove you received the summons. It's not sent certified mail. Just sayin'

 

Lol, I know someone who tosses them in the trash. Hmmm...

 

Just pay a reasonable wage.

 

Sitting on a jury is a "civic duty" that pays squat but, "serving" in the US Congress pays you a salary, lifetime benifits and dividends.....WTF? Can you say "Aristocracy"?

 

I guess it's unavoidable, given human nature and positions of power.

 

Anyone know where the "Reset Button" was hidden? It's passed due.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Sim_Player

[dayofruin 425]

I was summoned last month to hear a DUI case. I was not selected but saw a guy get out of it real quick. All he did was say the defendant was guilty before being presented any evidence. He said he hated drunk drivers and that if the guy was accused, then he was guilty. Lol!

 

I didn't get selected because I am related to the arresting officer.

[Big John! 2,062]

Take any one of re-nigs vacations that cost 100 million plus and give it to people for jury doody. There are a lot of people who simply can not afford that week off. Or at the minimum, it takes several weeks to catch up from it.

 

Those that get paid by their work... Suck it up!