Posted on 06/12/2011 10:46:04 AM PDT by swami7774
I've gotten a letter notifying me to report for federal jury duty(in Boston) on July 11th. Not a federal GRAND jury, just federal district court jury. I've filled in the online questionnaire and am supposed to call the court the night before the first day. Questions: the notice says "Monday, July 11 THROUGH Friday, July 29th." Does this mean that even if I am dismissed on the first morning I am required to keep calling for the entire two-week period? I live 62 miles--one way--from the courthouse. What is the mileage reimbursement(if there is one)? Is there a hotel reimbursement? Driving into Boston every morning for 2 weeks--with an arrival time of 8AM--is a nightmare. Are there "magic answers" I can give that will get me dismissed without angering the judge?
Just say cops never lie.
Also check on the distance. In Los Angeles if your drive would exceed 2 physical bus changes (tell them you will be taking public transportation) you can have the venue changed.
It may not be the same there but it is worth a shot.
Just tell the judge you hate everybody. It worked for some lady in New York, who was subsequently given Juror for Life award.
I’ll never forget a co-worker of mine disappearing for what seemed like months in the early 90’s.
Turned out he got nailed to be on the jury at the trial of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano in NYC.
Your jurisdiction will have it's own rules, but I suspect you'll get an orientation on day 1. When you call in each night. they'll give a list of numbers. Odds of serving kinda depend on length of service period, the docket, and the number in the jury pool.
When I served in CA, the round trip was 78 miles. I received no milage and only $7.50 per day. Sorry actually reported, when they questioned my I had a box of tissues and a really bad cold, so they said go away, we will see you next time.
You will only need to call the one time.
I was suprised by the questions asked:
1. What radio station do you listen to. Who do you listen to on that radio station.
2. Do you have a bumper sticker on your vehicle? What does it say?
I was in a court room with about 125 other people (all day) where they selected a jury for four different federal cases.
I wasn't selected for any jury duty and the people around me said that I probably wasn't selected because I listen to Rush Limbaugh and have A Free Republic bumper sticker on my truck.
I will only need to call one time? Meaning Sunday night before the first day? Are you certain?
Hopefully I’ll get the same questions you got. My answers will be:
1) “Rush Limbaugh”, and
2)”January 20, 2013”.
Dammit, GO! I would pay to be allowed to be on a jury.
They won’t let me. No scientists allowed.
The mileage reimbursement is very good. In Washington, if you live more than 60 miles away, the hotel, perdiem,and mileage can add up to quite a bit of money if you find a good deal on a hotel. I netted about $150/day after all my expenses and was still able to get work done. Lots of down time. Take a book to read or a smart phone.
show up reading the the pocket versions of Declaration Of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
watch both sides heads explode.
That's the way it was for me. I think the call is to say that everything is still 'go' (not cancelled) and that you still are on the selection list. I think they (the lawyers) are still culling the potential jury list to last hour and you could have been eliminated as a potential juror after the letter was mailed.(?)
Good Luck
BTW, I was paid $0.51 per mile, $10.00 for parking and $40.00 per day.
patton, I just served on a (state) jury 5 months ago. Very interesting experience. Got to see a good lawyer vs a bad lawyer, and ruled accordingly.
I work in the newsroom of a local TV station. Wonder if that’s enough to get me bounced? I’m also related to a retired cop. That should help too.
I got notified of county criminal court duty in February. We had a questionaire related to a first degree murder trial that had some big pretrial publicity.
We were divided into two panels and after Day 1, we called in to see if we needed to report.
I was never called. I received a check for $15 for that one session.
Let me restate my question: if I go in Monday morning for the first day’s session and answer the lawyers’ questions in such a way that they want no part of me, am I completely off the hook for the next 2+ weeks?
Also, do I need receipts in order to get reimbursement for gas, tolls, parking, hotels, etc.?
Arrrgh - why do you want to get bounced?
Jury duty is a fundemental duty of a free citizen, and it keeps us free. Jury nullification is our last resort, to tell the bribed class (politicians) FU.
As for a federal grand jury, do you reallize you can indict anyone? For anything?
And for a regular jury, what constitutes beyond a reasonable doubt?
One guy was charged with murder in NYC - the prosecution said, 1 chance in a million it was not him.
Defense said, OK, twelve people in the city are suspect.
No receipts required.
Unless you're selected as a juror, I wouldn't expect this to take but one day.
If you're selected for a jury, you're told what date and court to report to for the trial and then dismissed. When a person was selected as a juror, he was given that information and dismissed...many early in the day. I was not selected so I had to go through the day long process...just sitting and listening...bored.
Like I said before... four different juries were selected for four different trials. Some of the court workers said that four is unusual and one to two is the norm, a jury is selected quickly and everyone goes home early. Not us.
If I didn’t live so far away, and it wasn’t in the middle of summer, and if my income didn’t depend on my working every day(i.e., contract employee), I’d gladly serve on the panel. I believe in the jury system; to paraphrase someone(Franklin?): it’s the worst system out there except for all the other ones.
I just resent the fact that I’m being asked to practically put my life on hold for 3 entire weeks for something I didn’t volunteer for(like the armed forces).
Bah; that last sentence should read “UNlike the armed forces.”
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