The jury selection process is in love with me

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

Two other cases were settled while they made us wait. They couldn't have settled any time in the months leading up to the trial, had to be that day?

That’s a typical result - they play chicken and wait to see who flinches first. At least they settled and you didn’t get stuck in trial for the rest of the week.

The pay in Pennsylvania is criminally low. How do you get a jury of peers when most people can't really afford to participate?

Honest question… do most employers really stiff their employees for time served on jury duty? I’m salaried, so it’s never been an issue for me.

Anyway, I agree that the $35/day my county pays jurors is ridiculous. That might cover lunch at the court cafe and gas to drive in. Maybe.

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by Alistair

That’s a typical result - they play chicken and wait to see who flinches first. At least they settled and you didn’t get stuck in trial for the rest of the week.



Honest question… do most employers really stiff their employees for time served on jury duty? I’m salaried, so it’s never been an issue for me.

Anyway, I agree that the $35/day my county pays jurors is ridiculous. That might cover lunch at the court cafe and gas to drive in. Maybe.

Mohave County AZ pays for missed wages so people don't lose money. I was salaried and my employer just paid me. I got $32/day for meals. I was one of the department managers at work. One of my peers was on a state grand jury three hours away in Phoenix and would be gone weeks at a time.

[GregL]

The county I reside in (Onondaga County in New York) went through a thorough update to their jury duty process about 15 years ago. They cut way back on exemptions/exceptions. They also cut back on “professional jurors” who had more free time and often sat on juries. By enlarging the juror pool, they made it very unlikely that you would be called for jury duty more than once in ten years. When I was last called to jury duty, the commissioner of jurors spoke to all in attendance and briefed us on jury policies. I was very impressed with the professionalism. I served on a civil case jury and had a positive experience. Approximately 7 working days from jury selection through verdict. True to their word, I haven’t been called to jury duty in the past 11 years.

Greg

[djg21]

Originally Posted by Big Dan

Down here is 1 year for County courts and 2 years for Federal courts.
They should pay retired people, students or people that like that stuff.....

There is this pesky little thing called the 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution that guarantees, among other things, that a jury consist of a representative cross-section of the community.

Report for jury duty. You often get dismissed on day one and you are done, and the don’t get called again for a number of years. If you get put into a jury pool, and then make it through jury selection without being discharged, serve. It’s your civic duty.

[Big Dan]

Originally Posted by djg21

There is this pesky little thing called the 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution that guarantees, among other things, that a jury consist of a representative cross-section of the community.

Report for jury duty. You often get dismissed on day one and you are done, and the don’t get called again for a number of years. If you get put into a jury pool, and then make it through jury selection without being discharged, serve. It’s your civic duty.

Done it plenty of times.
Anyways thanks for the lecture.

[Polyglot]

Originally Posted by zmudshark

I've found that being really old exempts you.

It works for me.

My mother-in-law got called every year between age 90-95. My wife and I simply sent in a request to be exempt due to age and they immediately excused her but the jury summons continued.

[Louis]

Over 20 years ago I received a letter saying that I'd been selected. As it turned out I was going to be out of town on business and was excused. (The test was rescheduled, so as it turns out I could have served, but it was too late to tell them that.) Then about 20 years ago I not a notice that I might be selected for some sort of Federal jury, but that too fell through.

Bottom line: I've lived in St Louis 38 years, and those were the only two times I've received anything related to jury duty....

[Peter P.]

To add to big bill's and Spaghetti Legs's stories, when I was on a jury I experienced similar behavior: Jurors doing crossword puzzles and engaging in idle chit chat while not fully understanding nor debating the case. They just wanted "out of there", while the parties were paying their lawyers to sit on the other side of the door waiting for a verdict. Just plain poor judgment and behavior.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

To add to big bill's and Spaghetti Legs's stories, when I was on a jury I experienced similar behavior: Jurors doing crossword puzzles and engaging in idle chit chat while not fully understanding nor debating the case. They just wanted "out of there", while the parties were paying their lawyers to sit on the other side of the door waiting for a verdict. Just plain poor judgment and behavior.

"Twelve Bored Men"

[vespasianus]

Get a higher degree. They never choose people that have a post-graduate degree.

[Hindmost]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

throw away some garbage at the city dump on thanksgiving day

One of my high-school teachers played that for us in class, about 1967. I didn't know what the heck it meant!

[Elefantino]

Would that I ever be in the position to face a jury, I wouldn't want it to be composed of pissed-off Why-Am-I-Heres.

[sokyroadie]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Anyway, I agree that the $35/day my county pays jurors is ridiculous. That might cover lunch at the court cafe and gas to drive in. Maybe.

Wow that is a fortune - the county I live in pays $12.50 a day

I have been summoned 5 times in my 44 years of residence, served twice, got out due to work 3 times.

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

Get a higher degree. They never choose people that have a post-graduate degree.

I think it was why I was chosen. I think it depends on the case. In a wrongful death case against a doctor, a juror needs to understand the standards of practice as presented by both attorneys. Did the doctor follow the standards established by their specialization? In most cases, it's not a matter of opinion, it's a checklist of standards, and if the doctor followed them, and did nothing additional that could have caused death, then they did nothing wrong.

For the graduate level case, folks who have been through the process understand that if you object or disagree, you have to support your answer. Personal feelings have to stay out of it.

[YesNdeed]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

Get a higher degree. They never choose people that have a post-graduate degree.

I remember the subject coming up during a meeting at an old job of mine and a manager saying "Just tell them you're a PhD, you'll never get selected". That education level can always sway the verdict. Loved that guy. He said it jokingly, but there's probably some truth to that. Unless of course the case involves a Doctor.