Jury Duty

Contempt
An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure....

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I showed up for jury duty and I was nearly selected to serve on a jury that would have been heard testimony for 2 months. This would have ruined my life. I got out of it by telling the judge in advance that I thought the guy was guilty and I had reasons for not being impartial. I was dismissed. Whew!

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Be proactive. You should call, apologize and request another date to fulfill your civic responsibility.

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Just go. Chances are really good you will not be called. And, like ebrown says, if you can't make it that day, just call in and tell them and they'll reschedule you.

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Quote:

The cooperation of every citizen is necessary if our system of justice is to function fairly and efficiently. Refusal or failure to appear for jury duty could result in fine, jail term or both, for contempt of court.

http://www.cityofsouthfield.com/46court/juryduty.php

I feel fairly certain this is similar in most jurisdictions.

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Enforcement probably varies, but I agree that one should do the right thing. I speak as someone who's been on jury duty quite a few times, for some reason, and served on a few juries. It was actually educational and gave me new respect for the system.

But be sure to bring a book or a Gameboy or whatever amuses you (that you can do in a public waiting area).

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This is a much larger thread from a year or so ago dealing with "Jury Duty" if anyone wants to be so adventurous as to find it Wink

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Hey ebrown. I did Jury duty again two years later for a drunk driving case. It was only one day and we found him not guilty.

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I was called for jury duty two times - both murder trials. After all, I lived in Houston at the time. The murder capital of the world; home of the misdemenor murder.

First one, I served and we found him guilty (as most felonies actually are) and sentenced him to 25 years. The judge was happy with the results. Told us she had offered him 16 years earlier. As he had spent the 1 year til trial in city jail (unable to post bond) - he got a nine year reduction in time.

The second one, they did not select me - I was too far down the list.

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BillW wrote:

Quote:
Refusal or failure to appear for jury duty could result in fine, jail term or both, for contempt of court.

http://www.cityofsouthfield.com/46court/juryduty.php

I feel fairly certain this is similar in most jurisdictions.

Thanks Bill. That was the kind of answer I was looking for and sounds about right. My question was a hypothetical one, as I was curious about the potential punishment for failure to appear.

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As fate would have it, I just returned from answering a jury summons a few hours ago. I was not selected this time, but I served a week on one jury not many years ago. It depends on many circumstances what happens if you don't cooperate. The Bill gave is the law, but sometimes they just let it go. About three months after I served on that long trial, they sent me another summons. I showed up. Several months later they sent me another. This time I ignored it. Enough is enough. They never contacted me. My wife did not drive until three years ago. They used to send her jury summons', but she had no way to get there. Bus service doesn't go out as far as Tomball. When she'd call and tell them that, they told her to be there anyway. When she didn't they always let it drop.

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edgarblythe wrote:

As fate would have it, I just returned from answering a jury summons a few hours ago. I was not selected this time, but I served a week on one jury not many years ago. It depends on many circumstances what happens if you don't cooperate. The Bill gave is the law, but sometimes they just let it go. About three months after I served on that long trial, they sent me another summons. I showed up. Several months later they sent me another. This time I ignored it. Enough is enough. They never contacted me. My wife did not drive until three years ago. They used to send her jury summons', but she had no way to get there. Bus service doesn't go out as far as Tomball. When she'd call and tell them that, they told her to be there anyway. When she didn't they always let it drop.

The government moves slowly. My fear would be they might catch up to you/her ten years from now.

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Ooh, I'm so frightened. Actually, there are so many hundreds of thousands of such cases by now they couldn't possibly get them all.

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edgarblythe wrote:

Ooh, I'm so frightened. Actually, there are so many hundreds of thousands of such cases by now they couldn't possibly get them all.

Ok. But when Ashcroft gives the orders to shoot don't say you weren't warned. Smile

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He can't shoot me. I'm a pseudo-pacifist.

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I get called about every bunch of years . I never make it through voire dire

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edgar, reminds me of the Houston Judge that got mad because of the limited jury pool he had day in and day out - he simply went down on the street and got candidates. If my memory is correct - that was just last summer; well beyond the Roy Bean days Smile

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CerealKiller:According to the Rhode Island Superior Court website:

The Superior Court has implemented a one day - one trial system in Washington and Newport counties to make more efficient use of jurors' time. This system of requiring petit jurors to serve for either one day or for the duration of one trial permits those not selected to serve on a case to be dismissed at the end of their first day. Similarly, a two day - one trial system has recently been established for Providence/Bristol and Kent Counties. This program is a cost saving measure, and is also beneficial to employers, as employees are able to fulfill their civic obligation with a minimal amount of time away from work.Source (.pdf file).

Cook County, Illinois also has a one-day/one-trial system. You show up to the courthouse: if you're picked for a jury, you serve on that jury and then you're finished. If you're not chosen that day, then you have fulfilled your jury service and can't be called again for another six months. It's a much better system than many counties which require jurors to serve for longer periods and, in effect, keep them "on call" for the entire time.

On the other hand, (and you need to be aware of this), the one-day/one-trial system runs through a lot of jurors very quickly, so judges are very reluctant to allow anyone to get out of jury duty and much more inclined to punish those who shirk their duty.

My advice (along with practically everyone else here): when you get the notice, show up. If you're chosen, serve.

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My home county used to require two weeks, and you stayed in the pool two weeks even if you served on a jury during that period. I once sat on three juries in two weeks; they were all, obviously, for fairly minor crimes.

Anyhow, the powers-that-be wised up and now require three days, and if you're on a jury, you get to leave as soon as the trial ends...

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