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Judging from Maggie’s How To Get Out of Jury Duty & David’s dispatches from jury duty (maybe: “How to Get Into Jury Duty”?), we at mental_floss definitely haven’t shied away from how to cope with the litigious life. I haven’t actually had to/had the pleasure to serve on a Los Angeles jury yet, but I did cast the syndicated “Jury Duty” television show last year…Maybe there’s some viable conflict of interest there that would get me off the hook.
But at least I haven’t yet encountered “emergency jury duty”–as the people of Greeley, CO have recently:
After 161 out of 200 people failed to show up for jury duty, the Greeley courts resorted to what they refer to as “emergency jury duty subpoenas” — picking 50 random people off the street and forcing them to participate in jury duty. Citizens were approached on the sidewalk, in the supermarket and even at the local gym.
But these people didn’t just happily volunteer their sweaty armpits and grocery bags full of spoiling milk to sit through a riveting trial. Instead, they were threatened with contempt of court citations if they refused to drop the day’s plans for a seat in the jury.
And that’s the third time in the last two months they’ve had to launch such surprise attacks! The best quote was from Karen McMillan:
By early Wednesday afternoon, more than 50 people had reported to emergency jury duty, many perturbed that they had to drop everything to possibly serve on a jury.
“I have like 5 tons of stuff to do at work,” McMillan said.
Man, jury duty was the single most boring day I have ever spent.
An easy way to get out of it in Illinois is to move and not register to vote at your new address. It’s like the state never heard of you.
posted by Moon on 1-29-2008 at 7:39 pm
Actually . . . Illinois now uses drivers license numbers to select residents for jury duty. The voter non-registration trick no longer works. (Just ask my buddy Bruce who just sat through a week-long “taser” trial).
posted by Jojo on 1-29-2008 at 7:56 pm
When I served jury duty, it was a three-week commitment and consisted mainly of sitting around in the jury room waiting to see if any cases would require a jury that day. No TV or radios or newspapers allowed (in case there was any information about a case that was being tried); instead we had boxes of jigsaw puzzles and decade-old Reader’s Digests to keep ourselves amused. We also had to wear these badges the size of Amazonian breast plates that identifed us as jurors, so that if we went to the bathroom and any attorneys were nearby, they wouldn’t discuss any cases within your hearing.
posted by Jill on 1-29-2008 at 8:12 pm
I live in the Chicago area and was called for jury duty 4 consecutive years, always during the 2nd week of December. At least it was at the Daley Center and not 26th and California so I got to visit Field’s on State Street during lunch breaks.
Anyway, the last time I served was 2002 when I was chosen as an alternate in a personal injury case. Upon being dismissed prior to the actual jury going into deliberation, the judge told me and the other alternate that we wouldn’t be called for another 12 months to which I replied something like “Your honor, I’d better not be called until every other person in Cook County with a driver’s license has been called 1st. I think I’ve done my time” We had a chuckle over it, and I don’t know if he did anything, but I’ve not been called for jury duty since.
posted by mpefour on 1-29-2008 at 8:57 pm
Haha! “Judging from Maggie’s [article]”. Judging from! Haha! Pun!
I don’t have anything else to contribute, except that that made me giggle. =)
posted by Courtney on 1-29-2008 at 9:24 pm
Hahahaha, #2, you may be right. I haven’t had a driver’s license in 27 years. But they still got me when I was registered to vote.
So I guess there’s TWO things you have to do. :D
posted by Moon on 1-29-2008 at 9:52 pm
I just served in NY State and the Commissioner of Jurors said they use five different sources for selection. She also said if you add a middle initial to your name on some documents and not on others, they consider you two different people - a little tip.
posted by karen on 1-30-2008 at 3:31 am
This is sort of unrelated, but speaking of jury duty reminded me of it. A guy on the radio the other day said he had to report for jury duty on Columbus Day. When those called in asked the judge why there was court on a national holiday, the judge apologized and said that this particular county (some county just outside of San Antonio, TX) did not celebrate Columbus Day . . . poor jurors.
posted by nutmeag on 1-30-2008 at 7:33 am
mpeFour: I used to live in the Chicagoland area and DID have to serve at California St! I also had to serve on a local in Rolling Meadows which was ok. I lived in IL for 8 years and got called twice. I lived in NJ for 30+ years and never got called (knock wood). Go figure!
posted by JaneM on 1-30-2008 at 8:31 am
I was stoked to get called for jury duty. It was the first week in January about 3 years ago, and we were told that there would likely be nothing for us to do. So we had to call this hotline each night to see if we were to serve the next morning. My manager was uber pissed, because he didn’t know until 9:00 at night if he needed to find coverage or not. I was only called to serve one time, and I got a flat tire on the way and they excused me. I was actually really disappointed. They still paid me my $6 dollars though!
posted by Pearl on 1-30-2008 at 8:46 am
I find it disgusting so many will scream and yell about the government taking away our rights, yet will be the first in line to hand over the Sixth Amendment when a fellow American may need us.
posted by Ryan on 1-30-2008 at 9:47 am
I was just called for jury duty. All the questionnaires were available to be filled out online. I was given a phone number to call at 10 in the morning. I called it for 2 days and was then released. Pretty painless. A triumph of technology!
posted by larriann on 1-30-2008 at 10:01 am
I’m one of the oh so “lucky” ones. I’ve been called 7 times. 4 times in my home state of MS and 3 times where I live now. I’ve only had to serve once though. I consider it a relaxing day to sit around and read all day waiting for the judicial system to kick in.
posted by fran on 1-30-2008 at 10:46 am
I have never really understood why people get so upset at the idea of jury duty. I have been called a couple of times but only had to show up once (on the Friday before the 4th of July, of all times). After sitting down in the chair, one of the lawyers took one look at me and decided that they didn’t want me (I guess because I looked too young, or something) and that was that.
posted by Karen on 1-30-2008 at 11:40 am
Well, I think I have some sort of record, and I actually have a commerative certificate to prove it: 2 1/2 years on a federal grand jury. Most of it was interesting, but going thru other peoples tax returns is not. If you ever get called to a federal court, watch out!!
posted by Terry W on 1-30-2008 at 11:42 am
Thanks, Ryan (#11). I was thinking along the same lines. If I (or someone I loved) ever needed to go before a jury, it scares me to think that the people making important decisions which might have a major effect on the rest of my life might be sitting there thinking the whole process was a joke, an inconvenient burden, or a waste of their valuable time.
posted by Betsy on 1-30-2008 at 1:49 pm
I would like to know what happened to the 161 people who did not show up. In some places the sheriff would come and arrest you.
posted by Joanna on 1-30-2008 at 3:45 pm
the best way i know to get out of jury duty is…. hemaroids!! noone wants to sit all day, and judges being mostly older folks have had some themselves
posted by dave on 1-31-2008 at 2:01 am
I am 43 and I’ve never been called for jury duty once in my life. I don’t even know why I haven’t been called.
I’m certainly eligible. I have tons of free time. I wouldn’t mind serving, and I would not try to get out of it.
I’m still waiting to be called. I wish I could volunteer for it, or take someone else’s place.
posted by Dianne on 1-31-2008 at 2:52 am
I was called for jury duty when I was a teenager because we had my name in the phone book instead of my mothers. She called and explained that I was underage and asked if she could substitute. They said that it “didn’t work that way” and she couldn’t sub for me. A few years ago, I simply got a doctor’s excuse. He wrote, “Please excuse *name* from jury duty.” and signed his name, no explanation is needed. It’s a legitimate excuse.
posted by Tdave on 2-4-2008 at 3:15 am
p.s. I was called one other time. I sat all day in the almost dilapidated, dingy courthouse only to be dismissed, knowing all along that I would be dismissed.
posted by Tdave on 2-4-2008 at 3:24 am