Jury Duty (not wedding related)

Just wondering if anyone knows .. since I won`t be able to call anyone til Tuesday because of the weekend and holiday. I was called for Jury Duty about three months ago, and had to postpone. When I called in for the postponement, I had problems with their automated system .. it was telling me the date I was choosing was a Sunday, although it really was a Monday! Anyway, now they`ve scheduled me for a bad week, not the week I requested. The form says you`re only allowed 1 postponement .. but does anyone know if they will allow for exceptions? One other thing I was wondering about .. in thinking about Jury Duty, what an inconveniece it is, and what a crazy world we live in .. do public personalities have to do this too? I mean .. how could an actor or sports figure or news anchor do this without fear of someone tracking them down if a convinction is made in their case?

Kel, you might try this...(little long)

I really don't know how public personalities handle this issue, but I imagine that, as long as they are registered voters, they are obligated to serve time on a jury. Perhaps their employers help them avoid duty at inconvenient times?? My personal belief is that jury duty is a very valuable part of our government and our society. It has it's good and bad aspects, and sometimes it isn't even fair. But it is our civic obligation (as citizens living in a free society) to contribute to the judicial system that runs our country. Now - to your specific problem: If the week they have scheduled your service for is really that inconvenient, you might have your employer write a letter that states it would be a hardship to the company, if you were to be out of your office to serve on the selected dates. Also, I have found that it is sometimes best to postpone in writing, not via telephone, so that no mistakes are made on the new dates you request. As a last resort, you could plan to show up on your given dates, b/c there's no guarantee they will need you. Usually, you have to call-in the evening before you are scheduled to report, and listen for your number. Good luck!

Jury Duty

Depending upon which court called you, they will usually allow a 2nd postponement, but it will be the last one. Additionally, in federal court, you have to call in and you do not have to appear unless they need you. That happened to my husband, he kept calling for however many days required and they never needed him to come in. Public personalities are subject to jury duty since all exemptions were removed a few years ago (doctors, lawyers, nurses, etc.). Whether an attorney would chose them is a different story. Kel, you have my condolences, but it is your civic duty. Find a good book or magazine, and enjoy the time off work.

I personally have no problem...

serving on a jury. I`m sorry if I gave that impression. I have already served on a jury, and was probably the only one at that time hoping to get picked to sit on a case. Believe me, I know it`s my duty, and I don`t mind it. I`m not trying to get out of this because I simply don`t want to go .. though my life is a lot more complex now than it was back then, but who`s life isn`t?? My problem is that I work in a small office of just three people, including myself, and one of the girls needs to go out of town late in that week for .. what else .. a wedding! Had it been the week prior or the week after, I wouldn`t be worrying about it. And with my luck, I will be called, and I will end up in the jury box .. so I don`t know if I should just leave it up to chance on calling to check in.

I think it can be very unfair

I got a summons for Grand Jury and let me tell you that I think it is totally unfair to even ask someone to serve on this type of jury. For one, it is 4 weeks, everyday. I get paid by my employeer for 5 days of Jury Duty, that is it. How on earth do they think people who are employeed or are home with young children can take 4 weeks off of their lives for $30/days. I postponed once but when it comes back up I am going to be very honest. I have a mortgage to pay, car payments to make and a job to keep. I think it is unfair to force anyone to serve on a jury who is not comfortable with it. You have someone's life in your hands (in many cases, not all) and not everyone wants that responsiblity. Besides I am so opinionated on so many topics, such as drunk driving, it would be hard for me to be fair to someone when I think they should put in prision for a very long time. Good Luck Kel. I hope that you are able to work this out.

Jury Duty

Please do not take any offense to this because I don`t mean to upset anyone, but, I am an attorney, so this is a subject that matters to me. Trial by a jury of your peers is a pillar of democracy and, although an utter inconvenience to most people, it is there to provide all citizens, guilty and innocent, with a fair trial. With that said, next time you are called for grand jury duty, be sure to bring a letter from your employer stating that after 5 days you will no longer be paid, tell them that it will cause a financial hardship to you and they may reassign you to petit (regular) jury duty, which lasts for less than a week, that is unless you are selected as a juror. Good luck.