Got summoned to jury duty about a year ago.  Got selected for a case, an illegal immigrant charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery on a then-eight-year-old girl.  On the stand he admitted to lying under oath when interviewed by a detective shortly after the events happened and again while being questioned under oath during the trial.  We found him guilty on all three counts and sent him away for nine years, which I've been told he won't survive.

The whole experience was utterly miserable, listening to a little girl discuss things no young lady should have to endure and no young lady should have to recount to strangers.  It took a week before I could get my head screwed back on straight.  I console myself by knowing that I helped get an evil human being off the streets and quite possibly sent him to his death.

No it's not fun, even for less weighty cases, but I helped make the world a better place.  You should too.

"I reject the jurisdiction as stated. Because no law can be made restricting a person's travel, the drivers license database for which the identity of the summoned juror was sourced is a database of commercial entities, and Mr X functioning in his commercial capacity cannot be made to forcefully compel his person to appear."

Problem solved

I've gotten two jury letters of the years.  Both had boxes to check if you were sworn LE.  So I never heard anything back after checking the box.  I've only in two been in two jury trials and was dismissed and didn't even have to testify in either one.  I would love to sit in the jury box.  David

You forgot to mention the gold fringe on the flag.

I got the mailed notice for federal district Court in 2021. I was dreading the covid mask BS. My employer gives court leave if serving as a juror or subpoenaed witness so I would have been paid full rate to go. I wasn't looking forward to it but definitely take that aspect of my civic duty seriously. If I was facing a trial I would want well grounded, working class people on the jury...

In my case, I never got past the questionaire...I did the online submission then never got called for anything.

I have been called three times and on one case. I would gladly be on one again.

Even fucking Walmart does this.

Because whether I have jury duty or not I have to do my job.  So sorry if I’m not too keen on listening to lawyers and judges bloviate and waste my time all the while I would be waiting to get home to do 10 hours of work.

Several counts of aggravated murder, all but one voted chair, last I looked he is still behind bars.  Pretty freaky when he was allowed to address the jury and called all of us by our last names.  Was a blood or crip or something, I've carried a gun since, that was 25+ years ago.  It was pretty high profile at the time.

Have done it many times though most of the time I wasn't selected for the cases. After a many year break, going again next week. No problems with it as I'm told it's just 2 days of duty(small city court, small fry cases). If it were very long, I'd get out of it only because I have a monthly deliverable to DOD that I have to make. (before someone says to get another employee to cover for me, we are a small company and there is no one to cover. If any of us get hit by a car, we will likely end up breaching our contract. Not ideal planning)

i shudder to think of a jury composed of retail workers.

Yes. Take it seriously. It’s one of the few civil duties that should be carefully attended to.

I served in a multiple assault/battery case that resulted in numerous severe injuries, but the case itself was nuanced. Justice was actually served quite well in the end. My faith in humanity actually ticked up a notch after that, but I might’ve gotten lucky with that particular jury. They were all great people.

Or "Is this an Admiralty court?"

I got picked once, it ended being a plea deal and I never had to show up.

How do you like your county? It looks like the population is actually slightly declining?

this.

I was on a jury in which we voted not guilty because it was obvious that the "victim" and her witness were lying about the encounter.

I'd not wish that person end up with a guilty verdict because everying that actually worked for a living shirked their duty.

I can see you've never been to jury duty in a big county like Harris.

You may get dismissed and probably will but it won't be before lunch.

Heck , just the hassle of having to drive downtown Houston and finding a parking spot sucks ass.

The time I was selected to serve was on a "child molestation" case.  In my mind after the prosecution finished, there was just barely reasonable doubt.  The defense, however, strengthened that doubt for me.  Some of the other jurors felt that there was not sufficient doubt and wanted to convict on some of the charges. We deadlocked at 4 to 8, and 5 to 7 on the most serious charges. Two of the charges we all agreed not guilty.

Unlike stories of jurors of the lowest common denominator, all those eleven folks I served with were quite well educated. intelligent, and thoughtful.  The deliberations were argued with surprisingly good reasoning.

I'd never hire that particular law firm for any crime with which I might be charged.  They were rather incompetent in my view.

I went last week. Hoping for a criminal trial but didn't even make it out of the big waiting room. Dismissed after 3 hours along with more than a hundred of my closest friends. Seemed like they summon 2-3x what they think they'll need just in case. Or maybe they summoned 5x as many and only half of us showed up.

I like it here for the most part, the life style is easy going, but yes it is declining. I’m not sure the reason why, other than to say the economy, people move away to look for steady work & never come back. Every other job it seems is “part-time”.  I didn’t grow up here, so my knowledge is lacking for sure. Once my wife’s folks pass, I don’t think we’ll stay here.

I received a JD summons a few days ago to appear in February.
This would be the fourth summons in ten years, still haven't been selected to sit on a jury yet.
Probably dismissal when I call in to see if I need to show up.

That's amazingly illegal.

Some crazy stories in here.

I actually talked with one of my coworkers, they were summoned last year & only got called twice. Mainly I’m being a drama queen on social media!

And to get my post count up!

I live in North County so switch mine to Vista which has free onsite parking.  The first time I got called though I didn't and got boned on parking downtown as I was running late, luckily I didnt' get picked and it was only that 1 day.

Boeing did when I was on a murder case Sept. 1998.  Spent 3 1/2 days, put the POS in prison for Life with Possibility of Parole.  He's been in prison now over 26 years, almost half his life.  I see he is now at a Mobile Community Center, which is a Min Security facility.  I guess they don't consider him dangerous since he's almost 60.

JFC here we go again with the fools who think it's smart/cool to try to get out of jury duty and being (rightfully) called on it by the people who realize jury duty is the one chance we have in our lives to really decide anything and see that real justice gets done.
Would said fools want to be judged by only people who were too dumb to get out of jury duty?    Well then get off your ass and do your civic duty!

You can ride Metro free with your jury summons or they'll validate parking for the 1401 Congress garage when you're dismissed. Fair enough, it's silly telling jurors to get there by 8 when they don't start sending groups to courtrooms until after 9, and the wifi blocked arfcom...

That sounds like Grand Jury

Is it in the “hood”? If so, you need to get out of it

I always get dismissed.  Wouldn’t mind it at all.  Job pays my normal rate if I’m out on jury duty.

HA!  I just got released from jury duty this afternoon.  There were 175 of us selected as potential jurors for this trial.  All we knew was that it was a trial for a murder with a gun in the city of Albany, which is just north of Berkeley, in 2015.  No further details.  We did three days of voir dire trying to whittle down the jury pool.  Keep in mind that this is in the city of Oakland, Alameda County, California.  The capitol of social justice and equity.  There are a lot of well educated and extremely liberal people here  (well, no shit Sherlock)  who suffer from extreme cases of white guilt and are very vocal about the inequities in the justice system and have no compunction actually arguing with the judge in court. Also quite a few immigrants from China, Russia, France and other countries who were very confused about the First and Fifth Amendments and had to be educated repeatedly while in the jury box.  

The judge was a friggin' superstar,  obviously the smartest man in the room (I'm not kidding, this guy was sharp) and extremely patient and tolerant with the fucking retards in the jury pool.  Plus he had a sense of humor which helped a lot.  It seemed to me that the most educated people in the pool had the most ridiculous opinions on the justice system.  People with multiple degrees and doctorates who hated the justice system and actually could not be convinced to abide by the requirements of jury service.  The judge politely and respectfully tried to convince them of the error of their ways and when they adamantly refused he just dismissed them with no further comment or response.  

Anyway,  after eliminating many people they finished picking the 12 jurors and 4 alternates this afternoon.  Just a few more dismissals and I would have potentially been in the box. This trial is expected to last 8 weeks.  The defendant was cleaned up and wore a mask the entire time.  He looked like like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.  Without the mask he looks like a killer,  someone you would avoid if you ran into him on the street.

The trial was just for one murder.  However after I got home I did some searching and came up with some news stories on this piece of shit.

One murder that they know of, at least 6 rapes, home invasion, kidnapping, burglary and some other heinous crimes.  He qualifies for the death penalty in multiple instances.  However this particular murder, despite being a death penalty case for multiple reasons, is not a death penalty case.  Thanks a lot district attorney and social justice warrior pamela price.  Go team equity!  Another piece of shit.

Please, if you can, do jury duty.  I actually find jury duty tedious but fascinating and I wish now that I was on this jury.

eta No idea why his photo didn't show in the first link, so here's another link.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Randhir-Kaur-UCSF-albany-killing-rape-Keith-Kenard-12754105.php

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Suspected-serial-killer-rapist-pleads-not-guilty-13104354.php

I was on a trial this last summer.  The bailiff and others were talking about the show Jury Duty.  Go watch it.

It was actually pretty interesting and fortunately only lasted a week

About ten years ago, I lost two weeks of pay getting called in daily for jury selection in the mornings and afternoons ( so they didn't have to pay for lunch).  Got past the first screenings then always got dismissed as soon as they found out I had L.E. experience.   My oversize vehicle would not fit in the county parking garage so I had to pay the exorbitant hourly rates of the private parking lots.   For two weeks of wasting my time, I was paid $52.00.   The parking fees (not reimbursed) were more than twice that, plus all my lost wages.  

I was never put on a actual jury, but several illegals were.  I think the court had officers just canvass the downtown area for potential jurors and grab them off the street.  They looked like filthy homeless and did not understand a word of English, not even when I said "good morning",  and the court provided interpreters to translate for them.  I think a few were mentally ill.  So much for being judged by a jury of your peers.

I got called last year for the first time since I've been eligible (35+ years)

I never got called back to actually do anything after the first day of showing up but didn't want to miss the opportunity to help someone that might be in need or to convict someone that definitely needs convicting.

Don't try and weasel your way out.

I had one last year. Idiot wouldn't let the LE exemption apply. I made the mistake of saying I was out of town and would not make it instead of pushing the LE exemption.

They rejected my excuse of being out of town. I told them 3 times that the report time was unreasonable and provided copies of a travel itinerary. They expected me to call in to see if my number was drawn and then report the next day. From the time of the call in until the report time was 14 hours. It was physically impossible for me to call in, confirm I am needed, and find a flight to get me home. I was a 3 hour drive from the airport and 6,000 miles away from the court house.

I called the DA on it and he said this is why people just ignore them.

Great story!
As for the pics,

That is truly some outrageous shit.

If your employer won't pay for you to be gone, I understand the reticence.

If you want to be struck, simply speak up during jury selection, and answer counsels' questions honestly and thoughtfully.  One of them will strike you.  I'm batting three for three over the last 6 years or so.

I wouldn't mind sitting on a jury, although this last one I was struck from may have tested that impulse. (Two week divorce case.  Really.  Took us until something like 7-8 at night to finally let the rest of the potential panelists go.)

Have received JD summons a few times over the years. Only time I made it onto a jury was as an alternate. What a frustrating waste of time. Can't talk to anyone, ask questions etc. I understand and accept the whole concept of duty, never tried to avoid JD. But that experience was very unpleasant.

I/we thought the prosecution should never have happened and the guy was sent home not guilty.

take it seriously, do your civic duty.

Federal court in NYC is a over 3 hour round trip commute that costs $50+ that they don't pay for.  That's BS.

Got called once, had a student exemption. Got called again last year and was looking forward to going, registered, got a text message the day before telling me I wasn't needed and would be off the list for 2 years since I did what I was supposed to.

I got JD once while I was unemployed and looking for work. Got paid $30 for the day.

I've been called 3 times.  1 time I had to call in to this number every night for a week, listen to a recording of the list of juror numbers, if your number came up you report in.  Mine never came up.

Other 2 times, I went in, waited until noon, the lawyers came to some sort of plea deal or settlement, and we all got sent home.  Never even found out what the cases were about.  

Someday I hope to make it all the way to jury selection before they send me home.

Could be something boring.  

 .. Like a trespassing case against somebody that got entrapped by a guard holding the door open indicating they should come in and take a few photos.


...
Maybe you should go.