MNQuilter

For federal jury duty, you are on call for a year. They can call you and let you know that in a month you need to be somewhere. My mom is currently on call for this. At least she doesn't need to call daily!

amandasgramma

Charlee -- when I was called for Fed. jury here in Oregon, they called me for one day and that was all. Lower courts do have an odd way of handleing it. Seems to me they'd figure out they'd have better response if they did it for only a week or so at a time....

Charlee

Difference would be, I didn't sign up for the military, and please don't get me wrong, I'm VERY supportive of our military! I come from and am part of a military family!
I do think of serving on a jury as a civic duty, and am happy to serve. I'm just not happy with the way they go about tying up my life for two weeks for something that may never happen. I'm afraid it would take a lot for me to see it differently!

QBeth

Although I've been called several times, the only time I actually served on a jury was for a three day trial.... a man was suing because he had a serious reaction to an over-the-counter product. The product? A laxative.

I know reactions like this can be serious but I couldn't help thinking "Of all the cases it could be, I end up on a jury for a laxative case!!" too funny

Grinster

In SW MI you can be sent a jury summons for a local or grand jury. Locally you are given a number and call in the night before to see if you are needed to appear. Then if you are selected for a jury it is one trial or one day depending on the circumstances. Last month I was picked for a one day trial. It was very interesting.

Lyn

I had just moved to NH when called for jury duty. You show up at the courthouse for 5 days. I think I got $15. I had to drive in a blizzard because they do not close down. You have to stay at the courthouse for up to 6 hours to see if they want you on a case. Some of my friends who have lived here for all of their lives and have volunteered have never been called. I found it very boring but I did it. Just hope it will be a while before I am called again.

vjengels

Colorado has a '1 day, or 1 trial' policy.... okay....supposedly you are randomly selected no more than 1 time in 12 months, you call in the night before with your assigned number to see if you need to report. In the county I live in, the Courthouse is 25 miles one way from where I live. I've been called 5 times in 10 years. 2 times in the last 5 months, because I got married my name changed, when I explained that I was the same person, the clerk looked at me like she didn't understand that they called the same person ..... My husband was born in Denver, lived here all his life; he's been called 3 times in 40 years. I finally told her that there ARE other people living on my block she could call, she did chuckle at that. I keep telling my husband to keep his cell on ,after I saw the way the lawyers on this particular case cross examined the jury for selection, .... I have a small problem with thier tone..... I may have to be bailed out for contempt!

QBeth

One last jury story... four years ago I was called. Showed up, was handed a questionnaire. Over the next three days, we were asked to fill out more questionaires, and the numbers started to go down. Finally, on the fourth day, those who were left (including me) were brought into the court room, in front of a judge, the prosecutor, the defendant and his lawyer for voir dire (sp?). This is when you find out the details.

It was murder trial! I'm sitting in the witness box, a bit nervous (thankfully I've never been a defendant or witness), and they start asking basic questions about "do I know the defendant?," "have I heard about the case?," etc. Then the prosecutor asks me "how do you tell if someone is lying?" Huh? I told him that I could only go on instinct by watching the proceedings. Guess he didn't like my answer because he pressed me on it again. I gave the same answer.

Then the defendant's lawyer gets up, asks a few questions, then HE asks me "how do you tell if someone is lying?" At this point I'm a bit frustrated so I snapped back "well you guys know more about lying than I do!" meaning, of course, that they're around liars for most of their careers. Let's just say the courtroom cracked up, from the judge to the defendant! Do I need to say I wasn't picked for the jury? :| :| :|

mistresssewine

How about parts of Ohio. My husband got called after he had been off of work for a very extended time...12m+ due to surgery and the economy. He would not be available for work and his employer was not going to hold his job...construction. We went through HELL. I found the court system beyond explaination. No work, no pay, no benefits and let us go down the drain so he could determine someone else's fate. I would not want someone on my jury if they are sitting there worried about how they were going to pay their bills on $20 a day and could be there for the next 3 weeks.

lindy

I was called a few weeks ago, but didn't have to serve. Mine was for a one-time jury. I agree with you. I don't like the jury system here. I cannot imagine how there can be so many people in such a large county and my name has been pulled 4 times!