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Ronin-Democrat
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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makes sense to me..... why not.
also volunteer at least it will get you out of that x-box, high fructose corn syrup, bad diet stupor.

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bhr
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Ronin-Democrat: Worst part of extended unemployment. The at-home boredom led to significant weight gain.

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Oranges w/ Cheese hates what Christmas has become
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@bhr: That and feelings of worthlessness. Doing something with your time helps your self-esteem too.

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rpm773
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese has 2 cats! ahahaha.: Sure, go do something with your time. But then you run the risk of missing an infomercial for that \"Make money at home\" scheme that really does work!

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superberg
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@rpm773: Wait, so I won't make $40,000 with this simple-to-create website kit? Aww... 'scuse me while I weep into my Snuggie.

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RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I've been called a few times, but never selected. I don't think they'd take me as a volunteer, either. Something about listing my hobbies as LARPing, D&D, and Heavy Metal seems to turn lawyers off to me sitting on a jury. :-/

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Jevia
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: That must have been on a big case questionaire, I've never seen a normal voir dire include asking people their hobbies. Most of the time its occupation, occupation of spouse and adult children living at home, do you know anyone involved in the case, and if ever been a victim of X (where X equals the incident at issue in the trial). After those general questions, sometimes there's more specific questions, but not usually about hobbies (unless that happens to be the issue in the case).


I say this because I've been on several juries, plus I've seen many trials (and voir dires) and never seen that question before.

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theothered
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster:


You never know what they want on juries. I informed both sides of an Assault trial that I was a \"card-carrying member of the ACLU\" expecting that it would get me excluded in the pre-emptive challenges but I still ended up getting selected and was made Foreman.


P.S. Despite my civil liberties inclinations, we still sent the Defendent away for 3-5 years.

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GitEmSteveDave_Isn'tFreshPerked
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: 2 damage!

But seriously, perhaps it's your policy of rolling 4d8 to determine guilt, and factoring in the charisma of the defendant.

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RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@GitEmSteveDave_Isn'tFreshPerked: It was either that or the Slave Leia costume (I thought I looked rather fetching in it). I figured the dice were the perfect impartial method of decision making, but apparently the judge seemed to think we should decide the case based on \"facts\" and \"evidence.\" Whatever.

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Trai_Dep
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: I never thought about it before, but D&D players would make excellent jurors. They accept rules-based schemes that incorporate unexpected inputs, who then base decisions independently to reach their optimal outcome. And they're even OK with spending many hours gathered around a table until the mission's completed!

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Trai_Dep: I actually find that the skills used in strategy gaming (D&D, video, tabletop) translate extremely well to litigation. You're given a limited world with an arbitrary set of rules, and your success is determined by how well you can exploit those rules to maximize your character's chances for success.

That's exactly what litigators do -- work with a limited set of facts within the construct of court rules to attempt to defeat someone else doing exactly the same thing.

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Jevia
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): They don't call them \"rules lawyers\" in D&D for nothing.

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speedwell (!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@DangerMouth: What?? You're a D&D player and you can't fudge a character sheet? What kind of geek are you? :)

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AustinTXProgrammer
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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If it would reset the clock and prevent you from being called in the next two years, at the most inconvenient time possible (like 2 weeks into a NEW job!) than it would make sense.

And like the first comment said, it could be a needed change in the day.

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subtlefrog
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@AustinTXProgrammer: In CA it only resets the clock for one year. So YMMV.

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floraposte
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@AustinTXProgrammer: It's going to be jurisdiction by jurisdiction, but it certainly might, especially if you're actually impaneled.

Here they're pretty good about saying \"if you can't now, when can you?\" and calling you when you've been able to work the time. I think that's a win-win, frankly, and I think more jurisdictions should do that.

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DoubleBaconVeggieBurger
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@floraposte: My one experience being called for jury duty was in Idaho, and they were definitely on the ball with the \"if not now, when?\" policy. I was in school in South Carolina at the time and got a summons. I wrote a nice note saying, sorry, I'm in school, I only come home for a week at Christmastime. Sure enough, I got a notice saying, see ya on Dec. 22! Luckily I just had to call in and find out if I was needed for a couple days, and I never was. I couldn't believe they were having court the week of Christmas. Ah, the life of a college kid - I'm working up til Christmas Eve this year.

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UGAdawg
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@AustinTXProgrammer: Plus you might run into someone who can hook you up a job. It's a possible networking opportunity.

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Applekid
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@UGAdawg: Yup. After being presented with evidence during the case, you can take notes about what not to do when you decide to turn to a life of crime.

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UGAdawg
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Applekid: Not during a case. Usually there's a time before you get assigned to a jury pool for a case. I was sitting in the main reception area for a good couple of hours before getting called. I then went into a courtroom to be selected. I would call that time sitting in the reception area to be ideal.

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Quake 'n' Shake
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I admit that when I was laid off a couple of years ago, boredom was definitely my biggest enemy. However, I don't believe that volunteering for jury duty is the smartest way to alleviate that.

Assuming that one is still looking for work, one needs to find a way to kill time while leaving oneself available for interviews and sudden hirings. If you volunteer for jury duty, I'm not sure the judge will be too keen on you saying, \"Your honor, I've got a job interview tomorrow so I'm not going to be able to make it in for deliberations until 2:30ish.\"

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ponycyndi
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Around here, jury duty pays $6.50 a DAY, and parking downtown is minimum $5.


Unless the rules are different when you are unemployed, and suddenly they pay $40, I hardly think it's worth it, especially condsidering I'd be spending another $10 on gas just to get there.

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subtlefrog
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi: Los Angeles gives free parking, and pays transportation for one way each day, starting on your second day. Payment depends on which court you're at - I don't remember details, not $40/d but not $6.50 either.

BUT - they will also apparently pull a crappy thing where they'll walk you to a different court house in the middle of the day if you have a car. This of course only happens on your first day, before you've been seated on a jury, and before you get mileage - supposedly if you are on a bus, they are kind enough to not make you go.

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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi: here (charlotte NC) jurors get free parking, and $13 a day

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@gStein_has joined the star bandwagon: $12 and parking in the parking garage if it's not full up on the other end of the state

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thehouserules
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi: I get paid jury duty leave, and I work near the courthouse, so I'd get free parking and I wouldn't have to drive any farther than normal.

Where can I sign up for this again?

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madanthony
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi:

Baltimore County pays $15 a day, plus they validate parking, so you don't pay for it.

And they have free wifi in the waiting room, but not nearly enough power outlets. And the wi-fi was pretty locked down - I couldn't rdc or run citrix apps.

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nybiker
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi: Here's the NYS petit juror handbook. We get $40 per day (there are exceptions, so read the \"compensated\" question). No transportation reimbursements, though. So, let's see, add the $40 to your income but it costs $4.50 here in NYC to get to/from the courthouse via the bus/subway.

[www.nyjuror.gov]

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colorisnteverything
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi:


That is the case here,too! I have always wanted to do jury duty - just shoot me - but my involvement with volunteering to help juvenile defendants with community as a Teen Court educator and the fact that I love to argue, am very opinionated, and also applying to PhD positions in political science and public policy as well as getting a Poli Sci BA in May limits me, according to my friend who is a judge. As a prosecutor, she would probably have liked me, but not as a defense attorney she stated.


My Dad always gets picked and he usually has auditors or something big going on at work. The last time he had to go to court just to explain why the IRS wouldn't let him off work (he would have relished it I am sure! Who likes auditors?!) and it cost him $10.00 or something rediculous to park his car and he didn't get reimbursed. I think it pays $15.00 a day and no reimbursement and NO public transit to district court. That wouldn't even begin to pay for his food, either.

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voogru
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ponycyndi: This is why jury trials usually come up with really stupid decisions. Only people left are the ones that couldnt figure out a good excuse to get out of doing jury duty.


Not the brightest crayons in the box. If jury duty actually paid well, then perhaps people wouldn't be going through so much trouble to dodge it.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@voogru: In fact, jury trials typically come up with very good decisions, and that line about stupid people on juries is older than the hills -- and not particularly true.

I was a research assistant on the Arizona Jury Project, so I know a metric assload about juries and jury selection.

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AnthonyC
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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What bothers me most is the statement, \"We're getting a lot of Wall Streeters and other professionals. It's not your typical jury of civil servants.\"

Wall streeters and professionals are not allowed any kind of occupational reprieve or deferral when they get a jury duty summons, nor would they be able to demonstarte that their missing work (esp. at a large firm) would be any kind of hardship.

Why aren't they sitting on juries normally.

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Scuba Steve
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@acvicari: Because they make more money working. And its hard to arrest someone for failing to show up for jury duty.

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kwheless
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Scuba Steve: I was called for jury duty in a small town, and when there weren't enough jurors who showed up for jury duty, the judge called in a police officer, gave him the list of names and addresses, and told him to \"go out and round 'em up\". About an hour later, the officer came back with 5 or 6 sheepish looking people. (Evidently you CAN get arrested for not showing up for jury duty.)


I really wanted to get picked, because I was unemployed at the time and I always wanted to be on a jury. But the first question was \"have you ever been the victim of a crime\" and my apartment had been broken into the week before. They dismissed me in about 5 seconds.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@kwheless: Oh, definitely ... and they may put you in jail for the day for contempt.

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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@kwheless: when i had jury duty, i never got picked, but got to talk to some of the other potential jurors - some of them got called in on some sort of vehicular collision, and the first question was \"have you or any member of your family ever been in an automotive collision\"

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Traveshamockery
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@acvicari: OMG MICHAEL MOORE NEEDS TO MAKE A WILDLY UNFAIR FILM ABOUT THIS.

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squinko
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Traveshamockery: What does your comment have to do with anything?

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b4k4
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Traveshamockery:
I think you mean:

MG MCHL MR NDS T MK WLDLY NFR FLM ABT THS.

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nybiker
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@acvicari: I'm guessing he means that the Streeters & professionals who are also unemployed are volunteering? If not, then your question is valid.

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ludwigk
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@acvicari: Because randomly selecting juries creates a particular distribution of job types (based almost entirely on the natural distribution of the job market), and unsolicited volunteers from the unemployed creates another (based partially on unemployed, and partially on other factors). There's some set of conditions, such as the desire to do something productive, or to get jury duty \"out of the way\", which apparently appeals to banker types \"and other professionals\".

Why not just reason it out instead of jumping wildly to conclusions?

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Rectilinear Propagation
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@ludwigk: Since when is a question a conclusion? OK, they ended that last line with a period but that was clearly a question.

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SkokieGuy
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I so wish we had professional juries taken from experts (perhaps retired) in the appropriate field.


If it's a malpractice case, would scientists, doctors, nurses and those with a medical background be better qualified to evaluate the evidence, rather than average citizens?


It is supposed to be a jury of your peers, yet seldom is.

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azntg
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SkokieGuy: Actually, I see that \"professional jury\" being problematic in its own right.

There are honest people out there, but with varying shades. All you need is one bad thing to spoil it for the rest.

For example, in that malpractice case with the jury being composed nearly exclusively of those with medical backgrounds, there's a very good chance of conflict of interest.

See, even with the jurors not knowing the defendant/plaintiff personally, those with medical backgrounds are also equally likely to get hit with malpractice suits. I can easily see the jury showing sympathy and fear of retribution (with or without a trial) and erring to the side of acquittal, even if it actually turns out to be a legitimate case of malpractice.

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lilyHaze
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@azntg: I could see that. I'm an IT professional, and jurors (and most judges) have a really difficult time understanding the technical details of a case. I'm thinking of the recent music pirating trials where even the judges had difficulties understanding IP addresses, etc.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@lilyHaze: Sometimes this is solved by having specialty judges (as in tax court); a judge knowledgeable about the issues can then keep the trial on track and force the lawyers to present relevant issues and help keep the jury's focus on something comprehensible.

The questions to the jury are typically \"Does X violate law Y?\" or \"Did Company Z do enough of X to qualify as violation of law Y?\" or \"Did X happen or not happen?\" It's fairly rare that jurors need to understand the technicalities; I worked on a very technical patent lawsuit, but the dispute wasn't actually about the technical aspects (although the lawyers had to have a pretty good grip on those). The dispute was about whether one company had poached the info from the other company, which required very little knowledge of the subject and a lot of looking at e-mails to decide whether they were saying, \"Hey, let's steal this patent!\"

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utensil42
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SkokieGuy: I have never sat on a jury and likely never will--even though I want to. I am a research psychologist who focuses on psych/law issues (e.g., children's testimony, juror behaviors, lineup memory). Lawyers do not want experts on the jury because then they cannot tell jurors the story they want jurors to hear.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@utensil42: While that is frequently the case for individual lawyers, research doesn't bear out that one or two experts (or attorneys) on the jury results in substantially different decisions than excluding those individuals.

I find, however, that lawyers can be shockingly superstitious -- baseball superstitious -- about jury selection. His tie! His tie says he'll support the defendant! All the research in the world doesn't shake these convictions. :)

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utensil42
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Yes, that's really what I meant. The research doesn't (generally) support the lawyer's beliefs about what does/does not make for a \"good\" juror. But that doesn't stop a lawyer from excusing me.

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SkokieGuy
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@utensil42: Exactly and all the more reason it should happen.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SkokieGuy: \"If it's a malpractice case, would scientists, doctors, nurses and those with a medical background be better qualified to evaluate the evidence, rather than average citizens?\"

Not necessarily; the Illinois Labor Relations Board here decides workers comp claims and they find in favor of the claimant something like 99% of the time. They're \"professionals\" but they have a particular bias.

Doctors and other medical professionals can be problematic on malpractice juries because almost every doctor has been sued at least once, it's extraordinarily stressful, and their gut instinct is to side with the doctor on the grounds he's also being \"persecuted.\"

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wgrune
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SkokieGuy:


I totally agree but think juries should be comprised of retred judges. They would be less likely to fall for the tricks of sleazy lawyers and wowed by forensic evidence that is possibly less than scientific.

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Aquaria
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SkokieGuy: I agree completely. Being an oil and gas accountant, I would have *loved* to be on the jury on any one of the Enron trials, and I think I would have understood a lot better than a layperson on what accounting shenanigans were being alleged. But they would have struck me before I could say \"oil\".

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pecan 3.14159265
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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What does it say about me if I've never been summoned? Nearly everyone I know has been summoned for jury duty, but I haven't. Mr. Pi hasn't either, but the important thing is that I haven't been summoned. I mean, I make really good cookies.

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drjayphd
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: I'd never been summoned until about two months after I got fired. That was almost 10 years of eligibility.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@BytheSea: Most states also use drivers license & state ID records and sometimes property ownership records ... taking voters only would be far too small a pool.

If your state has a poor merge process for those records, or if you have a different name in different places (\"John Q. Public\" on your license but \"John Quincy Public\" on your voters card), that's the most typical reason for being called \"too often\" and most states can do a manual merge to get your identities together and only call you the right amount.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Depends on your jurisdiction, and then further on how your state puts together the records to call jurors.

I haven't been called in five years because the county I live in now just doesn't have that many jury trials.

When I was in Cook County, though, I got called every two years, like clockwork.

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pecan 3.14159265
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Well, if that's how they do it, I should be getting tons of calls. We have lots of crime in the DC area.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: They may plead many of them out, and your particular jurisdiction may or may not have a lot of civil trials. It just depends on local conditions; and then it depends on how often the state merges its various records to make the juror list, and if your county is responsible for updating its own, how often they do that, and so on.

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Anathema777
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: My mom wasn't summoned for quite a while. Then, when she finally got her first summons, she was eight months pregnant.

Lousy timing.

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nbs2
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: I haven't either. It makes me sad. The Missus has had one jury summons in the 4.5 years we've been married.

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Kuchen
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: The only time I was summoned I had just registered to vote, but wasn't actually 18 yet (I could register for the local election because I was going to be 18 by the next general election). I couldn't legally be on a jury though, because I was only 17.

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melking
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Kuchen: I was summoned once, almost got on a jury but then they let us all go. Mr. HeMan has been summoned several times despite the fact that he is not a citizen of this country and tells them so each time.

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Areia
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@melking: I've been summoned once in the four years I've lived in the US. I was actually sort of disappointed to find I couldn't serve until I'm a citizen.

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FatLynn
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I've always wanted to be called for jury duty, and the one time I got a summons at my old address, my mother wrote \"no such addressee, return to sender\" before I had a chance.

(Seeing that it was more than THREE YEARS after I changed the address on both my DL and voter registration, they really shouldn't have been summoning me there)

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webweazel
November 18, 2009 4:53 PM
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@FatLynn: I had gotten summonses for jury duty 3 YEARS after I moved out of the STATE. DL changed over, voter reg changed over, etc. I knew because the summons went to a relative's house at my old address. 4 summons over 3 years. Each sent back with a note- \"Moved out of state, not available.\" After number 4 showed up, I called them to change their database, since they couldn't take a hint.


I always wondered about that, though. What if they summons a person who moves out of state, and never gets the notice(s)? Some states can put a warrant out on said person. What happens if this person comes back to that state in the future for a visit and gets pulled over?

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SirWill
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@FatLynn: Now that is funny. I got a summons earlier this year. It was mailed to my OLD address, one that I moved out of 1.5 years earlier, forwarding was expired. The only reason I found out about is, my old postal delivery person recognized the name, and manually wrote my new address on it, and put it in the new carriers slot to deliver to me. It wasn't the summons, but rather the notice that I MISSED my assigned date / time.

I called the number and explained that I had moved out over 1.5 years ago. That I had changed both my drivers license and my voter registration. She said they used voter registration information. I said, well I voted last year in the primary and general election at my new address. In other words my voter registration was up to date. She tried to argue with me. I quickly just told her that I would LOVE to serve on a jury and can we re-schedule. She said yes. We scheduled for December this year. I was thrilled, I have an employer that pays me while serving... Then I just got a new job offer. I start 12/1. I would be serving 2 weeks after starting a new job. I called, and they were kind enough to postpone it to April, long after my 90 day window before I can take any time off.

I have never been summoned until now, and I'm 41 have lived almost my entire life in this county.

Oh, and we get paid a whopping $10 a day.. with free parking. But I don't know about WIFI yet... ;)

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Loias calls you out if you can't RTFA
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I fully support this. One: unemployed people get a small boon. Two: employed person then become less likely to have to serve on a jury and thus no longer have to be bothered by their public service duties. It's a win-win!!

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XTC46
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Loias: I agree. I think the unemployment line should be the first stop of calling jurors.


But im guessing in doing so, the vast majority of people unemployed would be disqualifed from being a juror for the same reasons they cant get jobs.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: um, they'd be disqualified because there aren't enough jobs to go around?

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Span_Wolf
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I am currently posting FROM the juror room. ;)

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nbs2
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Span_Wolf: On what? I can't think of a smartphone without a camera, cell phones are banned in every courhouse I can think of, and I wouldn't trust the jury room with my laptop.

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Shadowman615
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@nbs2: Maybe Span_Wolf is waiting around with the potential juror pool. At least in my state, that consisted of a day of sitting in a waiting room with about a hundred people. Cell phones and computers were allowed there.

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RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Shadowman615: Yep. The Superior Court in my county actually provides computers for potential jurors to surf on while killing time.

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pecan 3.14159265
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Span_Wolf: We get it, you're on a laptop with free wifi. You can reply to multiple people, and everyone can see your comments, so there's no need to say the same thing three times.

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Span_Wolf
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@nbs2: I am posting from the juror room not the court room, on my laptop with free wifi.

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Shadowman615
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@robodomo: He might have an iPod touch, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd probably imagine he was using a laptop. Maybe even with free wi-fi. But I can't be certain.

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secret_curse
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@robodomo: Actually, I bet he's posting from has laptop with free wifi...

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barb95
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Ugh, Jury Duty is boring. Most of the cases are not the exciting stuff you see on TV. I sat on a jury pool for two days on a misdemeanor case and the two attorneys were so junior that the judge had to coach them through the entire process. I was soooo happy when I was let go.


What was fun were the excuses people came up with to get out of it. A lady who spoke perfect English and was a human resources rep said she only understoon 50% English (she was a Philipino-American). The judge made her repeat it 5 times then excused her. 10 people used that excuse in the same day. Hilarious.

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Jesse in Japan
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@barb95: The best way to get out of jury duty without getting a contempt of court is to just ask a lot of very specific questions about the procedure.

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BytheSea
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Jesse in Japan: My grandfather was a cop, so I always mention that and say that I implicitly trust cops' judgements. All cops. Cuz they're all just like my grandpa who I wuv ever so.

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joeblevins
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I am almost 40yos and never got summoned either. I have always wanted to do it, just never got the summons. I even have a job that makes it easy to go to jury duty.

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IphtashuFitz
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I actually would like to serve on a jury. I think it would be an interesting experience. A couple years ago I sat in as an observer on a murder trial (the wife of an acquaintance was stabbed to death during a home invasion) and found it rather interesting, if not very dry. Of course most court cases likely aren't that interesting, but still...

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RandomHookup
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I'm curious -- are there states where accepting even the small payout for jury duty would disqualify you from unemployment payments for that week? Some states let you earn a certain amount without making you requalify (and may or may not offset your earnings against your UI), but I had heard that some states won't let you earn anything... Having to go through the process (even if it's quick and simple) to requalify and then wait a couple of extra weeks for your check would be a painful way of doing your civic duty.

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H3ion
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@RandomHookup: Here in Maryland the daily stipend is $15 and they recommend that you donate it to charity.

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DoubleBaconVeggieBurger
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@RandomHookup: When I was on unemployment, any income would just deduct from that week's payment. So you wouldn't be any worse or better off, I suppose.

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RandomHookup
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Ayarkay: I've heard of that, but I was wondering if there were still states where any money earned means no unemployment for the week. Here in Mass. we are lucky -- no deductions from UI until you earn 20% of your weekly payment (max of over $600 here, so you could work some hours and still get full UI).

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Jesse
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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It's amazing how people who want to serve on juries never seem to get summoned but the folks who think it's a waste of time and fight tooth and nail to get out of it are the ones who get called.

Maybe they pull from the list of people who don't vote regularly. Who knows.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Jesse: An acquaintance of mine had this whole ginormous meltdown when she got called because her five-year-old was too special to go to daycare. My county allows a limited exemption for breastfeeding mothers of very young children and will sometimes excuse the primary caregiver of a very young child if there is no alternative care available, because we don't really have \"as-needed\" day care around here for infants, so if your baby isn't in daycare and you don't have local family, you don't really have options other than bringing the kids with.

Anyway, she was calling me FRANTIC to help her get out of jury duty because they refused her \"mother of a very young child\" exemption by pointing out he was five, there was plenty of paid care available, he had two parents, and he should have already been in school but they had opted to homeschool because he was too special for school. I pointed out that two days in the local camp-style daycare would be a hoot for him, and she freaked out, insisting other kids would get her kid sick (in the middle of summer, before swine flu), they might tease him, he might get hurt and she wouldn't be there, some of these places hire child molesters ....

Anyway, I told her I wasn't going to help her get out of jury duty. She was pretty pissed. She started floating the lies she was going to use in court to appear biased, and got even more upset when I told her some of the local judges will hold people in contempt of court and have them held in jail if they try that crap.

But she was just too special to serve on a jury!

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MostlyHarmless
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Trai_Dep: By the way good sir... would you be interested in a google wave invite?

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MostlyHarmless
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Interesting. Lets see. I have 2 invites left. And I have already asked two people. If either of them turn it down, you get it.

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subtlefrog
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@MostlyHarmless: @Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): When I get mine, i can pass one to Eyebrows. If they ever arrive.

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MostlyHarmless
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@subtlefrog: Cool. Thanks.

But we dont know when they will come.

The calculations were thrown off by initial reports of 11 invites being available. I got only 8 to hand out. Which crimped some off. Because otherwise i had 5 meatspace friends on the list, and 3 of them got wave around the same time as i did. Could have covered good ground with the other 3.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Trai_Dep: It's an ongoing saga of catastrophic parenting decisions. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

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jeffbone
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Yup. Wait until Lil Precious is in the workforce and gets his/her first less than perfect performance review...Helicopter Mom to the Rescue!!!!

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subtlefrog
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@jeffbone: It'll start far before that - helicopter mom will likely put the kid in school at some point, or the kid will have to go away to college - won't that be fun?

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@subtlefrog: She finally put him in school this year, for a combination of reasons -- she knew she couldn't possibly meet the homeschooling requirements and the state was about to get interested, he is cutting into her leisure time now that he doesn't really nap, but mostly, she was pretty sick of dealing with a 6 year old who acts like a toddler all the time ... because she never freaking bothered to socialize him or teach him to TALK. He's come a long way since he started school a few months ago, but he has to go home to that cesspool of cluelessness every night.

She's not even really a helicopter mom. She's just ... clueless and afraid of everything. SHE is very shy and so avoids interacting with people unless she can't avoid it, so most of this crap about him getting sick is so SHE doesn't have to leave the house ever. And then on top of that, she wasn't really willing to change her lifestyle even though she became a stay-at-home mom. And on top of THAT, they can't stand to listen to him fuss, cry, or complain, so there has never been even the tiniest bit of discipline. Remind me in the Friday thread and I'll share some of the craziest crazy I've observed.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@MostlyHarmless: Oh, they are just ... almost every story I've ever told on Consumerist regarding bad parenting comes from this woman. The whole thing is stunning. We actually found out who their pediatrician was just so we could pick a different one because I was APPALLED their pediatrician had yet to intervene in some of the worst decisions, like pointing out he was 24 months behind on language milestones because they let the TV babysit him 24/7 and talk to him like a toddler.

(They actually did finally go see a behavioral therapist, and he told them EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING THEM FOR YEARS which comes from a) common sense and b) a loose familiarity with human children.)

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SG-Cleve
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I have served on jury duty several times. The new jurors arrive Monday morning at the county courthouse in a sour mood complaining about being forced to give up a week of their time.


By the end of the week pretty much everyone who was picked to serve on a jury says it was a worthwhile experience and are glad they did it.

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FatLynn
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SG-Cleve: The bottom line is that you would want someone else to do it for you.

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wgrune
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SG-Cleve:


I can see that for a majority of cases where the entire case is wrapped up in a matter of days.


What if you get picked to sit on a capital murder trial that could last 6 months or more?

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@wgrune: My mother sat on a capital murder trial. The jury portion didn't last nearly that long. Her major complaint was she got called at 26th and California instead of somewhere nice like Skokie.

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nybiker
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@wgrune: When I've been called, the lawyers usually tell you the expected length of a case. And if being on such a long case would be a hardship. If so, then you are dismissed and sent back to the pool. Of course, the 3-day civil case could be an aberration and you end up on a 2-week case; in that event, well, you're probably stuck.

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ScarletsWalk
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SG-Cleve: everyone I know who's sat on a jury (including me) thought it was worthwhile and interesting.

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humphrmi
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I got called last year and my employer pays for time off for jury duty (and lets us keep any payments from the court) so it was a pretty good deal. I was one of the first groups called in to a court room, but then was weeded out randomly (they called 20 people for a six person civil trial jury and got their agreed six before I was even asked a voir dir question.)

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StanTheManDean
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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No, you can not volunteer to serve on a Jury.


I alreay petitioned the state. Sorry, no go.


The State is worried that somebody might volunteer to serve in hopes of being called for a specific case.

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Shadowman615
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@StanTheManDean: There's a slight possibility that not everyone here is from the same state.

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floraposte
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Shadowman615: And around here the jurisdiction isn't state, it's county.

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utensil42
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@StanTheManDean: This may vary by state, you know.

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Yurei
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Dude, $40 in NY? Sign me up! Here we get $10/day apparently, as my bf just got called to go whilst unemployed. What a waste of his time. /sigh/

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XTC46
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@Yurei: Its a waste of an unemployed persons time to go make money?


Unless he is out there 8 hours a day hitting the payvement looking for a job...I doubt it was a waste of his time. It may not have been profitable, but you were saving somone else the pain of skipping work.

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edrebber
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Suppose it comes out in the trial that the defendant is someone who just layed off workers from their company?

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floraposte
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@edrebber: Possible biases are usually dealt with before empaneling the jury in the first place.

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cmdrsass
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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It's a shame that such an important job pays less in a day than you can make panhandling for an hour.

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KittensRCute!
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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i have a question, i am disabled so i would need to take public transit to jury duty, so my question is, can i request jury duty in a different county or nearby state, if it is easier to get to by public transit.

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BytheSea
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@KittensRCute!: If you're disabled, get a note from your doctor saying your disability, whatever it is, prevents you from attending, for whatever specific medical reason. Send it in with the questionnaire they send you. That's how I got out of it for being too bipolar and anxious to serve in a high stress environment.

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floraposte
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@KittensRCute!: I've never heard of a jurisdiction that's willing to let you serve in another jurisdiction; that doesn't mean there isn't one, but it seems unlikely to me. In some places the jurisdiction isn't by county, but I'd be surprised if any crossed state boundaries.

If there's more than one venue within your jurisdiction and one's easier, it's definitely worth trying to request the one with better accessibility. I did that back when I lived in Chicago with no problem.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@KittensRCute!: i've been summoned once where i live now and the summons said you can write a letter requesting transportation hardship for disability here

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takotchi
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Before I found my first job out of college, I was an election officer (poll worker). It only happens once a year (usually), and it is a -really- long day, but it was about 100 bucks and was kind of fun, so it wasn't that bad.

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SpruceStreetPhil - in a new Pine flavor
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@takotchi: my mother just did this, she was made the chief officer or whatever its called and it was her first time. It sounds like an easy 100 bucks though if you have nothing to do.

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Elginista
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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@SpruceStreetPhil: I was an election judge a couple times when I was first out of college. I think I made $150/day both times? It was a really long day but fun meeting all my neighbors.

Since I moved into my current home, I volunteered to serve again, but was rejected because I don't speak Spanish. Bummer.

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SpruceStreetPhil - in a new Pine flavor
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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they should have a checkbox on voter registration cards on whether you want to serve or not on a jury. Obviously this would bias the pool if they only chose these people but maybe 2/3s of them wouldn't hurt.

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morlo
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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$0 for the first three days in MA.

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OmicroN
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Back in 2001 when I was unemployed, I contacted the DuPage County (Illinois) Jury Commission and offered to volunteer. I was told that would be considered jury tampering, and the jury is selected at random through those who have Illinois Drivers Licenses and registered voters. My wife has been called THREE times to my ZERO, and I think it's totally unfair. I WANT to participate in the jury process....

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halcyondays
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I served on jury a few years ago. I believe it was 5 days and I was paid $100. It was a worthwhile experience but I wouldn't really want to do it again.

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SatisfriedCrustomer
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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The trial I served on was awesome. It all depends on how nice the judge is. At this trial, one lawyer was objecting after every other question and the judge finally took a huge bag of Hersheys Miniatures out from under his bench and starting throwing handfuls of them into the courtroom after each objection and whoever caught them could eat them. At one point he also squirted a water pistol at the defendant. OK, I'm just kidding about all this but you never know, yours could be the first jury trial where they do this. :)

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swearint
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I served on a jury for a aggravated sexual assault case back in my college days during the summer. It lasted about a week and I enjoyed the experience. I found the whole experience very enlightening, and I can say that I am responsible for putting a serial rapist away for life. The fascinating part came after we were done and the prosecutor was able to disclose a lot of information that was excluded. By the way, this was in Texas where the defendant gets the option of the jury determining sentencing.

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ric2046
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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I seem to get a summons every couple of years. Though I'm not unemployed, I still like to get out of the office once in a while. I like to think of jury duty as a temporary side job. Maybe someday I'll actually get selected as a juror!

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H3ion
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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Been called twice. The first time, the judge asked the usual question as to whether anyone on the panel knew anyone in the courtroom. I raised my hand, the judge looked at me and said \"OK Bob, you can go.\"

The second time, the defense counsel was a personal friend who used a peremptory to keep me off his jury. The charge was arson and, if proved, I would have voted for the death penalty. (Only joking, no one was in the house.)

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
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i've been summoned twice. once in florida and once where i am now but both times i called the night before like it said on the letter and there was an answering machine that said if you were needed and i wasn't.
i want to serve and it would be no problem with my job, but i don't know if they would let me since i am under doctor's orders to check my blood sugar every hour. i could see that being distracting to the court or grossing people out.

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littlemisslondon
November 18, 2009 4:53 PM
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I've never been called to serve, and I'd kind of like to be. I think I'd be a good juror.

(Though I hope they don't call me anytime soon; I'm a nursing mom and I don't know if they'll let you out of it to nurse your kid.)

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zekebullseye
November 18, 2009 4:53 PM
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I'm a psychiatrist. I'm thinking there's no way I'd ever be chosen for a jury.

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