The whole system is crap.
- You receive very little notice. I was given less than a month right before the holidays.
A got a month ...- You receive very little notice. I was given less than a month right before the holidays.
- You're not told how long you'll have to serve. They helpfully mention that most cases take a day or two, but add that some can take weeks. So, what, clear your schedule for the next month? Or just hope the odds are on your side?
Once in the courtroom for jury selection, we were told this particular case would go about 2 weeks.- If you're unlucky enough to be sequestered, you're pretty much cut off from society completely for days/weeks.
Fortunately not me! That would've sucked worse than anything.- You're told to bring a book when you show up because you might have to sit around at the courthouse for most of the day.
I was not told this, and it sucked, sat 3 hours in the courtroom with nothing to do that first day.- You're paid an absolute pittance that comes nowhere near reimbursing the cost of missing work.
Very true, 40$ a day doesn't cover much. One of our jurors is a flight attendant, she had to cancel on a flight to Paris- If you don't want to serve, you have to send a physical snail-mail letter to the court begging to be let off the hook, and it's up to them to decide based on who knows what criteria.
Yeah, I missed this part, I would've sent the physical snail mail too and asked for a postponement. In NY state you are allowed one postponement that pushes back the duty up to 6 months.- If you're unable to get out of it, and you cancel all of your plans to accommodate jury duty, you still may be dismissed the night before, or the day of.
I wonder what happens to the jurors who leave for medical reasons.In short, the entire jury duty process is/can be expensive, inconvenient and inefficient. It's not just a matter of people being too lazy to put in a couple hours of community service; jury duty is an extremely disruptive life event. Certainly not for everyone and not on every case, but there's always the possibility that you'll take a major financial hit and be tied up for weeks to do a job that, by its very nature, nearly any other citizen could have done in your place. You are a meaningless cog being asked to perform an onerous task under terrible terms with no attempt made to compensate you. It's no wonder people try to get out of jury duty and I can't blame them one bit; the process is draconian.
Fortunately I won't be called back again for another 6 years at least. 
Jury Duty!
- 20/02/2012 11:46:38 PM
1006 Views
You really shouldn't be posting opinions about a legal case that is underway.
- 21/02/2012 01:47:41 AM
721 Views
A mistrial can be declared for a juror simply making a conclusion?
- 21/02/2012 03:18:45 AM
619 Views
God Bless you!
- 21/02/2012 05:55:46 AM
621 Views
It's perfectly understandable for people to avoid jury duty.
- 21/02/2012 06:57:34 AM
732 Views
Re: It's perfectly understandable for people to avoid jury duty.
- 21/02/2012 07:39:02 AM
604 Views
I have no problem with the giving of thanks, only the giving of, uh, scoffs. 
- 21/02/2012 04:13:05 PM
641 Views
- 21/02/2012 04:13:05 PM
641 Views
You left out the part of making sure the wrong person won't go to jail... *NM*
- 21/02/2012 03:45:10 PM
373 Views
Yeah? In which part of my message would you like to see that added?
- 21/02/2012 03:53:42 PM
618 Views
I must be more arrogant than you 
- 21/02/2012 05:46:01 PM
744 Views
- 21/02/2012 05:46:01 PM
744 Views
I agree that it's an important civic duty, I just think it has a terrible supporting system.
- 21/02/2012 07:34:04 PM
613 Views
Yeah ...
- 21/02/2012 10:40:04 PM
759 Views