Anyone doing jury duty?

[lene1949]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I've been summoned twice (once while in college and I was in another state at the time, and once here and I was excused for a few days, and not called the other days), and I had to fill out a questionnaire for another round, and this reminds me I haven't been summoned yet. Maybe I'll luck out.

I have to admit, I'm a little scared I'll end up on some scary trial and they'll start harassing my family to get me to vote not guilty. Do you think that's a direct result of too many courtroom movies over the years?

The defendant does know your name, if paying attention.. After the Jury is selected, the names are called out to make sure everyone is there.

Maybe there could be a threat due to that... I've no idea...

[lene1949]

Originally Posted by John Carroll

*rolls d20 to resist making joke . . . rolls a 1*

I work with intellectually disabled people too . . . .

Don't know what you mean...

[lene1949]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I'm up for (potential) jury duty later this month; this'll be the first time in many many years I'm not going to check the box that says "financial hardship" and send it back. (For most of my adult life, a week on jury pay would've made me homeless. I've just barely got enough cushion to avoid that now.)

I don't expect to be selected; I'm aware of fully informed jury legalities, and willing to mention it. (There are FIJA supporters who try to hide that affiliation in order to get on juries; I can't afford it.) Also, any organization that pays me $15/day for my careful perception, consideration, and judgment, is obviously not paying for my *professional* knowledge, which goes at a much higher rate; they must be asking for something else. The other arena where I have practice with discernment and conclusions is religious.

I'm considering, if I get called in, showing up in full robes, which would probably get me dropped quickly. More than either side doesn't want "liberals" or "conservatives" or "people who hate cops" or whatever--none of them like wild cards. They want to believe they can predict the jury's response by their demographics, and I skew that assumption.

I work for the Government, and I get the same pay as I would have gotten, if I hadn't been on Jury Duty..

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by lene1949

I work for the Government, and I get the same pay as I would have gotten, if I hadn't been on Jury Duty..

I've never had a job that paid for jury duty; it's always just been "we're not allowed to fire you for not being here those days." And CA's new system (nationwide, for all I know) is that you don't get paid for the first day at all.

I'm hoping to get told I don't need to come in, because I'm dreading dealing with the questionnaires.

[lene1949]

We get paid $30 if we're called in... There can be 100 people there, but only 12 are selected for jury duty... If you're selected you get the minimum wage per day... In my case, I'm already being paid by my employer, and will have to pay back, what I get from jury duty...

That sucks, because it's very hard work, and we have a HUGE responsibility.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I've never had a job that paid for jury duty; it's always just been "we're not allowed to fire you for not being here those days." And CA's new system (nationwide, for all I know) is that you don't get paid for the first day at all.

I'm hoping to get told I don't need to come in, because I'm dreading dealing with the questionnaires.

I don't know about not being paid for the first day... perhaps it is not paid until you are actually selected

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I don't know about not being paid for the first day... perhaps it is not paid until you are actually selected

From the info-pamphlet with the jury summons:

California pays jurors $15 every day starting on the second day of service, except employees of government entities who receive full pay and benefits from their employers while on jury service. All jurors receive at least 34 cents for each mile they travel to court. The mileage payment, only for one-way travel, also starts on the second day. Many courts pay you what it costs to use mass transit instead. Ask your local jury office for information about your court's payment process.

If I'm called in, I'll be using public transit, and will point out that, if there's no food storage/prep available (fridge, microwave), I may be skipping lunch, which has a deleterious effect on my decision-making processes. (I can do a couple of days' food that stores and can be eaten at room temperature; not sure I can afford a week of that.)

If I'm lucky, using the phrase "deleterious effect" will indicate to the lawyer of one side or the other that, between the vocabulary and the green hair, I'm too weird for them to want.

I think I'd make an excellent juror. I'm good with analyzing data from multiple sources; I'm capable of being impartial, or at least not thinking that someone is right, or telling the truth, just because I like them. But if they want me to comply politely, they should pay at least minimum wage for it, so that it's not financially crippling for anyone living from paycheck to paycheck. And the security measures involved with courtrooms are borderline 4th amendment violations.

[kindlekitten]

as I said before, I think it is because you are not possibly a seated juror until the second day. having said that, you are absolutely correct about the horrible way that jurors are treated. for anyone who is NOT a government employee, it is a punishment (financially) to sit on a jury. there are many complaints about people trying to get out of jury duty but few if any reforms ever conducted

[Exer]

Here in Alaska -- nearly 10 years ago when I first served -- we were paid $25 a day, provided free lunch, free parking vouchers and free public transportation vouchers.

This last time I served was about 2 years ago, they had dropped it to $20 a day, lunch was no longer provided (though they had free coffee) and you only received a parking voucher if you parked in an approved parking zone, and brought your ticket to the court clerk each day to be stamped. Same with public transportation, though I'm not sure how they had to prove they took a bus ...

[Shayne Parkinson]

The last time I was called for jury service there was a power cut over the whole downtown area (a car crash caused it, if I recall correctly). We sat around in the gloomy lobby for a couple of hours, then got sent home. It did get counted as a half-day's service, though.

I had to come back on two more days, but wasn't selected either time.

From memory, the payment was $35 per half day (and even just turning up counted as a half day), plus the cost of public transport to and from home.

[daffy4u]

I was up for Jury Duty the week of November 8th. That was the week with the Veteran's Day Holiday here in the U.S. I didn't have the go in the first 3 days and because of the holiday I was considered to have completed my duty.

The last time I was called in for a murder trial. I was voire dired for most of one day but was released because I was prejudiced against the defendant (they shared some of the facts of the case which made me prejudiced). I donated my $15 pay to a Children's Charity.

I'm a freelance person, so I don't get jury duty pay or sick days or vacation days. A long trial would financially difficult for me.

[lene1949]

If we're called in we get paid $30... If we are empaneled we get paid the minimum wage per day...

We finished this afternoon after 5 days... We could not agree on one of the charges.. Last night I was the only one 'out', this morning I had another 4 people with me... The pressure in the room was unreal... and even after we had agreed to disagree, there was still a lot of animosity from the people with a different view..

It was HARD work!