ot: can they put me in jail for not repsonding to jury duty request to show

[eddief]

Hey, I'm self employed, work by the hour and noone guarantees my paycheck or would pay me if I was chosen for a jury. I have been summoned to show up to be considered for jury duty. Don't have time, can't afford it, don't wanna deal with it.

Can they really put me in jail for ignoring the summons to show?

I did send in a written excuse after speaking to a bureaucrat who said no excuses unless I have a standard business license...which I don't have for my mostly virtual career consulting business.

[gasman]

It depends on what your local judge wants to do.

I doubt you'de get jailtime but you may have to appear and pay a fine.

Earlier this year there were so many no shows one morning that the judge ordered the baliffs to go onto the strees and "ask" peopel to come in so the jury pools could be filled and the scheduled trials start.

[SoCalSteve]

Hey, I'm self employed, work by the hour and noone guarantees my paycheck or would pay me if I was chosen for a jury. I have been summoned to show up to be considered for jury duty. Don't have time, can't afford it, don't wanna deal with it.

Can they really put me in jail for ignoring the summons to show?

I did send in a written excuse after speaking to a bureaucrat who said no excuses unless I have a standard business license...which I don't have for my mostly virtual career consulting business.

Was the jury summons sent by registered mail? Did you have to sign for it? If not, there is no way to know that the jury summons actually ever made it to you...

Just a thought (for next time) as this time you acknowledged the jury summons by responding to it.

Go do your civic duty. Chances are you will not even be picked for a jury and you will have wasted an 8 hour day sitting around. Bring a laptop, you can still get work done.

Oh, chances are you wont have to do jail time (our jails are overcrowded enough with hardened criminals) but you may get fined $1500.00. This may be worth it to you, if you make more than that.

Good luck!

Steve

[sbornia]

Eddie, you should be able to go to the Alameda County court's Web site and request a 6-12 month postponement with no hassle. I did this a year ago - it takes about 2 minutes.

[rcnute]

It's part of being an American. Do it.

[eddief]

now they want me. Hopefully my nicely written letter sent today; more than two weeks prior to my show date will suffice. Otherwise, while I'm serving hard time one of you can watch over my huge stash of worldly posessions consisting of 3 road bikes and 2 bents.

[ti_boi]

"they" are coming for you now. :beer:

[eddief]

gotta keep working at my hourly gig to not go into foreclosuer with Kaiser Permanente HMO.

[Michael Maddox]

I never get chosen, but I do go in. Espousing interesting political and social ideals generally gets me out pretty quickly, plus it keeps me from being re-selected immediately as in a postponement request.

Mention "jury nullification." Works every time.

[sbornia]

now they want me.

Likewise. I'm supposed to go to Hayward at the end of the month, so I am practicing my lines for the selection process:

"He looks guilty to me."

"She must have done something wrong, otherwise she wouldn't be here."

Just kidding...I would be proud to participate if it were run well. But the sitting around and waiting is tough - if I don't work, I don't eat. No employer paying for me to be there.

[Dekonick]

Say - " I can tell when someone is guilty by the look in their eyes..."

Or - when they ask if you have friends or family who are police, say yes (you know some cops here on the forum!) - or just go do it. It is painless, and can be interesting. At least you don't have to take the stand!

[Z3c]

Frankly, I find the theme and majority of responses in this thread to be quite sad. Many countries are filled with folks who would welcome the opportunity to pariticpate in their legal system. You are too busy though. It sure is a good thing all the soldiers/marines/airmen have time to serve and defend our rights while we find ways to weasel out of supporting them.

Wow is all I can think of.

Scott

[bagochips3]

I'm not a lawyer, so this is not legal advice, but:

Every time I've been called, the Court was extremely reasonable about letting people off jury duty who had legitimate reasons to not be there (like financial hardship). The Court was also quite unsympathetic to people who were trying to pull something.

Personally, I don't mind serving, but have only actually served once (as an alternate).

For what it's worth.

[Bud_E]

I hate jury duty. In L.A. you used to be able to just chuck the summons in the garbage but in the last several years supposedly they've been enforcing them. At least now they have the system where if you're not enpaneled at the end of one day, you're off for a couple of years. Last year I was picked for a trial of a rapist. The jury was hung because of a couple of irrational people -- frustrating experience.

[gasman]

Frankly, I find the theme and majority of responses in this thread to be quite sad. Many countries are filled with folks who would welcome the opportunity to pariticpate in their legal system. You are too busy though. It sure is a good thing all the soldiers/marines/airmen have time to serve and defend our rights while we find ways to weasel out of supporting them.
Wow is all I can think of.

Scott

You have a good point Scott. The reality is most people don't want to take the time out from their lives to show up if called.

I consider it part of my civic duty. I have never had to be on a jury but would hope that if I was ever arrested i would have a jury of intelligent people that could see that i really was innocent.

Of course, most criminals I have dealt with are all innocentThey say).

And not always very bright.

[dgauthier]

Show up in bike attire. It's practically *guaranteed* you won't be called to serve.

[Ken Robb]

when I was in management and part of my compensation was salary I served as foreman and enjoyed the experience. When I was on straight commission that always got me excused for over 35 years. Now I'm retired so I went to serve, didn't get picked for a panel and was free by 10:30am. I was a little disappointed not to be picked.
San Diego only requires us to appear for one day to see if we get chosen to serve for the length of the trial. If the judge thinks the trial will be lengthy he notifies the panel and asks if anyone would find the long trial to be a big problem. Those folks are usually excused. Obviously not all jurisdictions make it so easy to serve.

[maunahaole]

The short answer to your question is yes. Remember that if you don't show, you are ignoring a summons, i.e. violating a court order. Will they send the man down to your house to round you up that day? Probably not, but they could issue a bench warrant and you might take a trip to the pokey when you get pulled over for a traffic stop or something similar. Go show up, if and when you get to the point where you get asked, explain your situation.

[Steve in SLO]

The sad fact is that many Americans would rather spend the day at home watching 'Law and Order' or 'COPS' or some other reality drivel than actually participating in it.

[rwsaunders]

Take your laptop, wi-fi card and Blackberry and you'll be somewhat productive for the day. It might be a citizenship issue, but I find it extremely insulting that the attorneys and court employees who are involved earn a full day's pay for their time, while you are given $14 for your time, parking and food.

If the parties that lost their case had to reimburse the jurors for their wages, you might find less frivolous cases in the system. I've never made it past the first day, as there was either a settlement or the selection process weeded out the prospective jurors who might actually have something else to do that day.

[Dekonick]

I always am dismissed - I want to serve on a full trial, but because I have many friends who are in law enforcement, the defense has excluded me every time thus far. Unfair IMHO.

[Bruce K]

If (heaven forbid) you should end up in a court proceeding think of who you would want on the jury deciding your case.

People like you, or some of those people like the group that let OJ walk (cynical exageration - sort of) ?

Show up and do your duty.

Fortunately, here in MA, it's a 1 day or 1 trial system. If you don't get picked on the first day, you are good to go for 3 - 5 years.

BK

[MRB]

It's part of being an American. Do it.
+1

[johnnymossville]

I'd love to be on a jury in a good case.

[cmg]

you have probably expended more energy trying to avoid jury duty then if you just man up and went. no jail time but i forsee a fine that will make you work harder. go to jury duty...............

[Jeff N.]

I always respond, and go, to Jury Duty, but I know people who've ignored every jury summons they've ever gotten, and nothing has ever come of it. Nothing. Personally, I don't mind all that much going to it. Get's me away from "the office". Jeff N.

[rcnute]

Take your laptop, wi-fi card and Blackberry and you'll be somewhat productive for the day. It might be a citizenship issue, but I find it extremely insulting that the attorneys and court employees who are involved earn a full day's pay for their time, while you are given $14 for your time, parking and food.

If the parties that lost their case had to reimburse the jurors for their wages, you might find less frivolous cases in the system. I've never made it past the first day, as there was either a settlement or the selection process weeded out the prospective jurors who might actually have something else to do that day.

It may seem insulting, but it's not meant to be. Just a lack of resources.

There are comparatively few frivolous cases in the system.

[93legendti]

If I am ever on trial, I hope that the jury is not composed 100% of those jurors not smart enough to get out of jury duty.

[Marcusaurelius]

Well I do have some compassion for your fiancial situtation, I also feel we have a duty to respond if called. I would hope that a judge would excuse you from duty when you go to the selection process.

[William]

I always am dismissed - I want to serve on a full trial, but because I have many friends who are in law enforcement, the defense has excluded me every time thus far. Unfair IMHO.


Ditto.



William


PS: I just got a call to round up a certain guy who is evading jury duty. Oh, it's not you Ed. By the way, where are you right now? Just wonderin'. ;)






William

[Peter P.]

Rcnute "gets it". Asking for advice in public on how to avoid doing your civic duty? You might as well tell us you beat your wife and enjoy it.

[tomwd3]

Funny that this should come up now. I just spent all day Monday in a jury pool for a criminal trial. I wasn't picked to serve.
I too run a small business, and right now things aren't that great. Before appearing, my intention was to ask if I could get out of it, but the more I sat there, the more I felt obligated. As previously mentioned, it IS our civic duty.
Most folks called to the jury box had to tell the court about themselves, and only a few were retired or un-employed. Most had other things they could be doing. At some point they were each asked if there was any reason they felt they couldn't or shouldn't serve, and they all said they would.
I was impressed.
Tom

[vjp]

When I was asked to come down for jury selection I was hesitant also because I am also self employed and we have had a few VERY long trials lately that had my future spinning in my head. When they walked the defendant in the courtroom in front of about 12 doz. potential jurors I yelled out "you'll pay for what you did you b@stard!!". It got me dismissed to prison where I am currently sitting, surfing bike forums looking for info on how to get out of this mess...

:no:

vjp

[Pete Serotta]

Time to go for a ride :bike: