How to get out of jury duty?

[Craig Vecchione]

Just go. Everyone has tried every lame-ass excuse presented here a thousand times. The chance of being selected is slim, and the chance of being on a trial that goes more than that day is even slimmer.

 

She has no legit excuse as far you've described. Everyone has a job, or goes to school, so that isn't close to working. Dependent children only works if you're sole caregiver or will be sole caregiver due to a spouse's job travel, etc.

 

At selection, lawyers are looking for specific people. The things that get automatic exclusion:

 

1. You know someone in the trial.

 

2. You know someone in the court staff...the lawyer, the judge, the arresting officer, the court clerk.

 

3. You have family members in public service. Any cops, firemen, detectives, DA's, etc in the family, no matter how distant? They will ask right at the start of selection, "Does anyone have family in law enforcement?" If you say yes, you're out, just like that.

 

4. You've been involved in the same type of trial yourself. You've been convicted of a crime. This is a legit reason to answer "no" to, "can you render a fair and impartial verdict?"

 

After this, they specifically seek people who can be manipulated. They don't want independent thinkers. If you come across as a "law & order" conservative, the defense attorney will boot you. If you think "everyone's entitled to a fair trial", the DA will give you a pass.

 

It might be worthwhile to just serve and be done with it. She'll have to lose a day no matter what, even to just show up and give her excuses. As long as it's not a murder, rape, or complicated trial, it'll likely only last an hour or so...judges don't like to waste time, because it costs the jurisdiction money.

[lug]

"I'm a stong supporter of Jury Nullification"

[Goofball Jones]

Walk in reading John Grisham's book "Runaway Jury"

[Craig Vecchione]

It should be noted that a few of the example excuses presented here can land you in a cell for contempt of court. Say whatever you want to the clerk before the day you're called, but watch your mouth in front of the judge. They do this all day long, for many years, so they know where you're going with the weird statements. If nothing else, they'll let you sit long enough to have one of the attorney's boot you. At worst case, you could sit in a cell until the judge is damned good and ready to let you out. Doesn't happen often, but it happens.

 

How do I know this? A friend of mine was an assistant DA in Manhattan. He had some good stories.....

[fretless]

yay I made a 11 dollars a day , whoooo Go Cali ! , Ok do whatever the intellectuals do , because all I've ever seen are fuktards on the jury . :poke:

[Goofball Jones]

It should be noted that a few of the example excuses presented here can land you in a cell for contempt of court. Say whatever you want to the clerk before the day you're called, but watch your mouth in front of the judge. They do this all day long, for many years, so they know where you're going with the weird statements. If nothing else, they'll let you sit long enough to have one of the attorney's boot you. At worst case, you could sit in a cell until the judge is damned good and ready to let you out. Doesn't happen often, but it happens. How do I know this? A friend of mine was an assistant DA in Manhattan. He had some good stories.....

 

Bah...just put on a show...judges like that. Then when being lead away just yell over and over "ATTICA ATTICA"!

 

Oh, and a few "Don't taz me bro!" thrown in. It's good to stay topical.

[citizenralph]

 

I agree. I just had jury duty on tuesday. Yes, it's inconvenient. Yes, I have "better" things to do like run my business. But I'm still of the mind that it's a solemn duty that we all have an obligation to perform. Chances are she will only sit in a room for half a day and not actually serve anyway after thedefendant pleas out. If she doesn't show up they can (and will in Colorado) issue a warrant for her arrest. With all of the priveleges that come with living in this country I don't think it's too much to ask to do this one small thing.

 

+1

I'd hate to be the guy being judged by the people on the jury that had nothing better to do.

 

It's your civic duty. Do it proudly.

[mmb]

My own experience when called for Jury Duty in a Michigan Court.

 

I was scheduled for jury duty a few days into a vacation trip that had been scheduled for months. A politly worded letter to the Judge's Office asking to be excused from the summons was all that was needed for me to be able to bypass jury duty.

 

I'd assume that the phrase "I'll be out of town during the specified days on a pre arranged trip" would work wonders.

[btb&dr=tone]

 

NRA T-shirt.

 

 

 

Wear this and when she walks in ask is this momas trial?

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Bah...just put on a show...judges like that. Then when being lead away just yell over and over "ATTICA ATTICA"! Oh, and a few "Don't taz me bro!" thrown in. It's good to stay topical.

 

 

 

How about, "*I'm* out of order??? YOU'RE out of order!!!!!"

[baracuda2004]

 

How about, "*I'm* out of order??? YOU'RE out of order!!!!!"

 

 

Or a good "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" works sometimes...

[RSBro]

I just didn't go??

[Craig Vecchione]

Or a good "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" works sometimes...

 

 

There's always room for Jack.

[PaulyWally]

Have her talk to her teachers and the administration at her school as well.

 

If there's no way she can't get out of it, I'd have a hard time believing that the school won't cut her some slack.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Have her talk to her teachers and the administration at her school as well. If there's no way she can't get out of it, I'd have a hard time believing that the school won't cut her some slack.

 

 

+1

[jnewcomer]

If she ever makes it into the courtroom with the judge, attourneys, and defendent, have her stand up and say to the defendent, "Hey! You owe me money!" It won't matter if it's true or not.

[jannda]

In oregon if your called you have to serve ,you can postpone it for up to 6 months but you still have to go and if you don't show up the first time they will send the sherrif out with you next summons if you don't show up for that one the serriffs next visit isn't as pleasent. to get out you have 3 options you dead, your incarcerated or mentaly unfit. the last one you need a letter from a doctore and preferably a pcyciatrist and even then if they feel your just trying to get out of it you might have to go before a judge and talk to him or her as to why your not capabale of serveing it's a bitch .It happend to my wife. WELCOME TO OREGON.

[picker13]

full time student is an out in the state of Texas.

[chugheshc2]

tough. civic duty calls, she should answer.

odds are she will not get picked, odds are the case will be plea bargained out.

I'd imagine that school will make an allowance for jury duty; if it is a state school they may even be obligated to do this.

Jury Duty is an important civic obligation, same as voting.

Don't even want to know if she does not vote.

kudoes to wildlife biology major though - my daughter is in school for that.

cheers

C.

[Funkee1]

Tell her to suck it up and go!

 

Here's why:

 

Although she'll miss a day at school, there is slim chance that she'll be picked for the jury. If you show up for jury duty, and are not selected, your name gets dropped out of the pool for something like 5 years, but if they excuse you (this time) they can re- call you every 3 months.

[Psilocybin]

Don't even want to know if she does not vote.

 

Yeah and we burn US flags while planning our defection to Canada too.

 

I really didn't expect all the holier than thou responses, but meh. To each his own.

[Kerzeck]

When they do jury selection...wear tie-die, sandals, and nod-off several times.

[ec437]

My girlfriend recently received a jury duty notice. This is really a problem for her. She starts her spring semester of college next week and the trial is in February. When she called the courthouse to say she was enrolled in school they basically told her tough {censored}. If she was able to find a way out of it they said she would have to serve over the summer. Summer is when she has her seasonal job working at a dam doing studies on salmon (she is planning on being a biologist). What are some good ways to get out of this? She does not need this burden.

 

I got one and wrote in that I was enrolled in an out of town university and wasn't able to get to the courthouse. Worked for me

[Psilocybin]

When they do jury selection...wear tie-die, sandals, and nod-off several times.

[Decker]

"She doesn't need this burden"? WTF? Do you know what people do on juries? They hold lives in their hands. Everybody thinks that jury duty is some sort of nuisance, but they never think about WHY we have juries. Because they think being accused of a crime is something that happens to OTHER people. Would you really want someone you love to be judged by people who WANT to be on a jury? Of course not! Think it couldn't happen? "But that only happens: on TV/to THOSE kinds of people/to n*****s and s***s/to people who are guilty/ whatever, they deserve what they get." Get your head out of your ass! You enjoy freedoms and privileges and wealth that most people in this world only dream about. Most people in this country contribute to the common good in only three ways: by voting, paying taxes and serving on juries. If serving on a jury is the toughest thing you have to do in exchange for living in this country, you are blessed. So stop whining.