It turned out I knew the defendant and his family, grew up with some of his cousins but the judge kept me even after I told them that I grew up the defendants family. So, low and behold I get selected and then during Voir Dire I get picked off. I did not want to be on the jury anyway. It was for a DWI case (why is that a circuit court case???) and I have never been selected for a jury ever before. Only a month left and hopefully I will not have to go back.

It was really boring and drawn out plus I think to myself if the law applies to this guy why not the illegals crossing the border. Guess I just to do not see how the law is not the law sometimes and it is in others.

I have never been a defendant (thank goodness) but always wondered if I had been, I'd be judged by 12 people that weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

A month of jury duty left?

We get a week. Starts on Monday, but can call in starting Sunday afternoon. If your group is selected, you go to the court house. If not then your told when to call in next. Last time I called on Sunday, my group was to call Monday afternoon... called and was told Thank-you for your service see you in about two years.

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Not enough space

I can not figure out why the judge kept me there, the defendants cousin was there and got dismissed while I did not grow up or know the defendant personally. I knew his cousins and friends so I should have been dismissed as well. Plus his lawyer kept playing sympathy like my poor little ole client. I was like your approach sucks.

Simply knowing the parties or someone involved does not disqualify you. It is only if that relationship prevents you from deciding the case impartially based on the law and the evidence that you become a "for cause" strike.

Here it's a one day/one trial deal. If you aren't picked the first day you are done, unless you are in the pool for a case involving a multi-day jury selection (usually a death penalty case).

The last time I got called for jury duty they asked "Does anyone here know any Police Officers?"
I raised my hand.
"Who is it you know?"
My reply: "Most of the Bartlett Police Department. I fix their patrol cars."
"You're dismissed."

I don't do jury duty. Too old.

here it is like a 3 month pool, 2 panels and they alternate among them. Most cases settle but the ones that do not they put us in court for jury selection.

Grand Jury is one year for us. Never been picked, but I ain't tryin

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Not enough space

The last time I was up for jury selection I was taking Furosimide & Metolazone, two heavy duty water pills that keep me close to the facilities & help me plan my day. I still am, actually. Anyway, I ran into my doctor at the cattle call, & told him I hoped i didn't get selected because of the pill I mentioned. He got called before me, & while he was before the judge he pointed me out to him. When I was called the judge excused me. Sometimes it helps to have connections!

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

Got the same response when asked. I know my next door neighbor, and the neighbor next to him and the neighbor across the street, and the people I see at the coffee shop most every morning, and also I was an MP in the army.

The last time I was called for jury duty I was dismissed by the judge.
The person on trial was a purported drug dealer.
I guess my statement to the judge that IMO All drug dealers ought to be taken outside and shot upon conviction had something to do with it!
Jim

This is an interesting spin on it. I know a lot of people want to get out of jury duty. Why? Personally I see it as a civic duty; being part of the community.

I've received several notices that I was "on call" for jury duty. Here you get a card in the mail and call in on the Friday before you report. If your pool number is selected, then you call every day for a week. If they need you, you'll be told when to report. If you're dismissed from even one jury selection, you're done.

I've always been dismissed on the Friday before.

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Freedom isn't free.

If I'm ever a defendant I want my lawyer to ask every potential juror if they ever watch Nancy Disgrace. If they say yes, they're outa there!

Absolutely, so do I. And am thankful for good juries.
My comment was only to be humorous.

I have been called several times for JD, but have never made the cut into actual trial. Now that I am retired, I would like very much to be on a jury for a really involved felony of some sort. .............. Big Cholla

Been called three times but only served once. When I became seventy I no longer had to report.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

called once, served once
murder case
guilty (of being a drunk mexican playing with a gun)
20 years

On a typical day, I sat in the "jury pool waiting room" all day, and was never even called for screening.

The one time I was screened, I had to fill out a very long, very intrusive, questionnaire. I wasn't comfortable giving all of my personal information to a gang member accused of murder.

Was recently dismissed. Assuming they settled before trial. Was the fourth time ive been selected I swear they recycle the jury pool list. Study up on jury nullification.

Years ago, on a double murder case, I was questioned by the defense during the voir dire. "Are you familiar with the .45 Automatic?" "Yes counselor, I own one." "And are you familiar with the mark left upon the cartridge case upon ejection?"
Having just read one of Julian Hatcher's books, I replied, "There are several such marks, counselor..."

He cut me off. Boy, was I excused quickly.

I wrote the software that picks jurys for a local clerk of court. It is a one day/one trial system. In addition they may pick a pool that is larger than they may need and the night before the court date they will decide that they do not need all to show up. Potential jurors can call in to see if they are needed. To be fair, the last ones picked are excused.

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Corripe Cervisiam

It is like Yaktamer said, here it's a one day/one trial event if your not picked one the first day then you're done. You call in the night before to see if you even need to go. I have never been picked to serve. Like some others though I consider it a civic duty.

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

Never been called and I am in my mid 50's. The wife was called several time. I think both kids at least once. Me, the one that would actually want to do it? Zip.

In my 74 years at life, I have been called for jury duty at least 30 times---sometimes twice a year, but have never been picked. Came close one time but the defense said "NO!".
Never avoided the calls---never tried to get off.
Defense attorney's just seem to not like me and it is always the defense.
I never figgered it out.
I feel rejected, misjudged, put upon-----I should get compensation for this rejection and the damage it did to my self esteem. I feel so rejected !
Maybe a cell phone would restore my self-confidence.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD

I wonder if the odds of being picked for jury duty, and serving, are higher, or lower than the odds of being a victim of crime.

I'd rather be doling out justice than needing it.

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But then, what do I know?

Since I've never been summoned for jury duty, I have no idea what standard questions are asked. But the same reason you listed, along with conflicts in people's daily routine, etc. are likely the main concerns some may look at jury duty as an annoyance. With me being LE, I could be called for a civil matter but never criminal. My non-immediate family is also rejected and most all have thanked me for it.

I take both those pills and totally understand you. There is NO WAY you can be under the control of someone that decides when bathroom breaks will occur. The doctors understand what’s going on and at least in my area give you a signed paper stating what’s what!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

There was a Federal judge in Cleveland, many years ago, who got called for state jury duty. Neither one of the attorneys wanted to be the one to use a "for cause" strike on him, so he was on the panel. IIRC, he later wrote about it and said that being on a jury was very educational for him as a judge.

I've never been called. If I'd been called in the last three years, given my salary and no vacation, I'd have ended up homeless.

From what I've read here I guess not all states handle strikes the same way. Motions for strikes, whether for cause or peremptory strikes (i.e., the set number of "free strikes" allowed to each side) should be made outside the hearing of the jury pool. I'm also guessing that the story about the federal judge would have involved peremptories, insofar as being a judge, standing alone, is not cause -- in fact it's presumably the opposite of cause, since you have to presume a judge would be fair (a rebuttable presumption, of course).

I was called once in Cook County, Illinois. Since I had worked in the States Attorney's office and knew all of the prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges, I didn't even have to show.

I would not mind sitting on a jury at all.

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No good deed goes unpunished.

I have been called for jury duty twice and picked for a trial both times. The first was a bunch of high school kids dealing marijuana and one of them happened to be the sheriff's son. I had a lot of respect for that sheriff, as he didn't cut his son any slack. They had a good case on them and were all convicted. It kind of hurts to hear all the mothers in the court room cry when the verdict was read.

The other case was when a boater ran over a jet skier. As it happened they were both drunk at the time and no damages were awarded. As the 12 jurors were picked my name didn't come up and I thought I had missed on that one. Then they picked one alternate and guess who? Yep me.
It wasn't but about 10 minutes later that one of the women picked got herself excused and I was a juror.

Now I'm older and They would just have to hold everything up while I go pee. I don't think they will pick me again.

I got called for a one-month stint on the grand jury. The upside is that after grand jury service, you cannot be called for jury duty in the same court system for eight years.

I get called every two years like clockwork. I actually enjoy serving. It's nice to be on the good side of the dock for a change.
Free coffee, newspapers, big screen TV in jury assembly room, start late leave early $5.00 a day and a Sheriff's get out of jail free card.

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Back to back World War Champs.

I think I need to clear any possible confusion up on my first post. I have served on juries back before my health took the turn it did, & I was fine with doing it, because I too felt it was my civic duty. When I posted the above, I didn't mean to sound like I was happy I got out of it, just that I was glad I didn't have to sit on a jury when I would have needed to be excused every hour or so. Enough said.

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

Similar experience with me!
They asked us to raise our hand if we knew any of the parties involved in the case. I along with a couple others raised my hand. They questioned the others first as to who and how they knew them. One was let go. They then asked me who I knew and I said the investigating officer. They asked me how I knew him and I said I was his supervisor. The Judge chuckled and asked the Deputy Prosecutor if he wanted to keep me as a juror and he replied “Your Honor, I think he'd make a fine juror”. Everyone in the courtroom including the Judge laughed. The Judge then asked the defense attorney what he though of me as a prospective juror and the defense attorney immediately had me thrown out! Imagine that! Everyone chuckled again and as I stood to leave the prospective juror next to me whispered...”You'll do anything to get out of jury duty won't you!” We both chuckled and out the door I went.

Last time I went was last year. I made it onto a panel for service in a criminal DWI case in which an injury traffic accident occurred. We went into the court room and they began the voir dire process. I find this both interesting and irritating at the same time.

I love to watch the attorneys go through the panel with their question. I find it interesting that the intelligence and pertinence of the questions by the defense attorneys is usually in direct proportion to the financial situation of the defendant while the prosecutors questions are almost always dead on and very astute.

I find it irritating that so many people on the panel have such difficulty understanding/answering the question by the lawyers. I have to wonder how some of them found their way to the court house.

In this case the judge must have been a stand up comedian in another incarnation. He entertained the panel at length with his witty and elaborate version of the instructions. He made quite and effort to instill in us that none of the questions by the lawyers was in any way indicative or descriptive of any of the facts or circumstances of the case and that we must not draw any conclusions or form any opinions based upon these questions. Yeah, right.

At one point the defense attorney (and this guy must have been assigned by the court. The defendant was a young African-American man with a lot of kids and no job.) posed the question: in a situation where you have bystanders and police officers both as witnesses do you believe that either of these would make a better witness than the other? Do you think that the average man-on-the-street is able to see and remember in detail as well as a police officer?

Well, I no longer have any hair on my head or the back of my neck but if I had it'd have been a wavin' like tall wheat in a high wind at that point. Obviously the accident had been witnesses by civilians and police officers alike and there were some serious differences in their stories. (Come on your Honor, give me a break.) A recurring bit that Jay Leno had on the Tonight show was "Jay Walking" where he'd approach people on the street and ask them questions. Who's the vice president of the United States. He show pictures of people known the world over. The level of ignorance that is walking around unassisted these days is scary!

By the time the question got to me I was biting my tongue. I knew that after my answer I'd be headed for the bus stop. I said: Police officers are TRAINED to observe and remember. They are trained to notice small details and to keep them in order and in their memory. They use these skills every day...all day long. The average man on the street can hardly tell you what day it is or what town he is in. OF COURSE a police officer would ALWAYS give a more detailed and accurate description of an event.

I was unable to keep the grin off my face as the defense attorney looked down at his list of jurors and vigorously scratched out what I was certain was my name. When he looked up he gave me a look and said THANK YOU VERY MUCH, but I could tell that in his mind I thought he began that sentence with an entirely different word.

I also got a kick out of all the muttered "yeahs" and "uh huhs" I heard ripple through the panel box. When those that didn't make the cut were dismissed the defense attorney's eyes followed me all the way out the door and just before we broke eye contact I gave him a wink.

I never heard if the defendant was convicted or acquitted but I imagine that the defense attorney made an effort to ask better questions from then on.

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Real men love cats!

Also and interesting look at it. I'm pretty sure the jury member's personal information is not given to the criminals or anyone else for that matter.

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Freedom isn't free.

I know that many people feel differently about having to serve on a jury. I know that there are a lot of people that have very valid reasons to want to be excused and I'm glad that the law provides exemption in those cases. But I and my wife both enjoy jury service. We are both serious people watchers and students of the human condition. There is no better opportunity for this than Jury service.

My job was never at issue because my employer treated jury service the same as sick days. We were always paid for days off for jury service with provided documentation from the court.

Both of us usually get picked unless the jurors are all selected before they even get to us. I can understand it in her case because she looks like (and IS) the living essence of the traditional American grandmother and home maker. I don't know why I am selected so often but maybe I just look honest?

I never try to manipulate whether or not I'm picked or struck by either side. I always answer the questions from both sides honestly, candidly and in some cases like the above case, at length. I knew in that situation that I would be struck for my answer but for some reason I really just wanted to burn that guy, the attorney that is. What a rube!

As of my last birthday I was 70 years old and exempt from further jury service. But as long as my health allows me to serve without too much discomfort or inconvenience I will continue to participate in the justice system.

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Real men love cats!

I'm wearing my NRA baseball cap next time I get called. That ought to get me out of it really quick.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

So did my last three. I don't get EITHER.

I can take as much time off as I want... without pay... and eventually employment.

Reminds me of a joke;

A guy on trial for murder discovers his best friend is on the jury. He knows he's guilty, so asks his buddy to get the jury to vote for a manslaughter conviction.

Sure enough, he's found guilty of manslaughter.

When his buddy visits him in prison, the criminal asks if it was hard to convince the other jurors to go for manslaughter.

"Sure was" the friend replies. "They all wanted to acquit you!"

I find these comments strange. You cannot be fired for jury duty. If you were, you have a clear cut case that many lawyers would love to take.

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Freedom isn't free.

That's nice. They supposedly can't fire me... but they don't have to PAY me either. How many days off without pay do you think I can eat before I end up on the street? Do you think Bill Mason (former Cuyahoga County prosecutor) would have let me stay at his place after that happened?

Of course these are the same people who unlawfully coerced us into working unpaid overtime as hourly workers... and who got me mixed up with the cops because they like to hire crazy people who'll do free overtime, and who fight on the job.

Strangely, my landlord doesn't think that "good citizenship" counts toward my rent...

That's interesting. I don't know, either, and I am pretty sure that the jury member's personal information IS given to, among others, the defense lawyers. If it wasn't given to anyone else, either, why would they be asking in the first place?

In my case, as part of the screening process for a specific trial, I had to fill out a very long, very intrusive questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to both the prosecuting and defense attorneys, for the purpose of deciding who they did / didn't want on the jury. The questionnaire asked things like "what television shows do you watch", but it also included name, address, and work information. In short, a gang member accused of murder had access to my full name, where I lived, where I worked, and lots of other information.

I have been summoned two or three times in the last four years. I have never been selected to serve.

You're right and I should have been more clear on what I meant. That info should not be given to anyone who doesn't have a direct need, like the lawyers. Of course, the police shouldn't be giving out names when you call them either, but I know that has happened so, I understand the concern.

Obviously there's more going on with your situation than we know about. I don't want to push you or dig into your personal life, especially not here. If your financial situation is that close then that would certainly be a reasonable consideration for not serving on a jury. Any judge worth serving on the bench should see that and let you off.

I wasn't attacking you, though it may have seemed that way. I was just commenting that a person can't be fired for being on a jury, that's all.

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Freedom isn't free.