Why Have I Never Been Called for Jury Duty?

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Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever

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With all this jury selection news for President Trump, I find myself wondering why I have never been called for jury duty...NEVER.

It seems like everyone I know have been called, but not me. Many friends/family have been called several time. Me, zero.

I wonder if some of my background has put on some kind of "do not call" list? The only things I can think of is I am an Eagle Scout and a Life Member of the NRA, Are one of these an automatic disqualification for jury duty?

What is your experience? Are other members here never been called for jury duty?
 
Me either, not once. I remember getting a letter many years ago but i was overseas at the time then relocated to another state when i returned. Never heard anymore about it. I think conservative political views would have gotten me rejected in most places i have lived.
 
I was called twice, Once I got out of it because of a medical condition. The 2nd time was because I was the care giver for my Step Father. And no, I wouldn't have been picked for the jury on Trumps trial. I'm in the wrong political party plus a Trump supporter.
 
I’ve been a registered voter long time. I was called, um, last fall I think first time ever. One of my sons was called twice in 7 years, he was called a couple months before me. One of my daughters, under 25, was called for this month. My son and everyone in our groups were dismissed due to not being needed that day.
 
I get called to serve every year, beginning the year after retiring from law enforcement.

This being said, i am excused everytime, with a quick phone call. Rarely does any criminal action result in a trial, they want you to plead guilty to a lesser charge to save $ from a jury trial.
 
Patchouli said:
I’ve been a registered voter long time. I was called, um, last fall I think first time ever. One of my sons was called twice in 7 years, he was called a couple months before me. One of my daughters, under 25, was called for this month. My son and everyone in our groups were dismissed due to not being needed that day.
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I was going to ask him if he was registered to vote.
In Bama, their jurors come from the voter rolls.
I was called a couple of times when I was there.
The vast majority were insurance lawsuits and the two sides would negotiate while jurors were being selected, no cases actually made it to trial. :(
 
I thought that is how they get our names, @Supervisor42 from the voter registration records. Or…I had just renewed my license and my son had also. Fresh records. A jury of peers, they wouldn’t want everyone being the same political party either. I responded online then had to answer several pages of questions.
 
I’ve been called 3 times. First I was not chosen because a close relative had been mugged and it was a similar case. Next 2 times I was excused because they felt that working in a pharmacy made me a vital health care worker.
 
I've received written notice 3 times, but I have never gone any further.

1. I was going to school in Washington, DC and received my notice in Colorado. By the time I got home, it was past the date. I think I called or something, and it was somehow dismissed.
2. I received a notice and the date I was supposed to be called for was on a day during schools big annual testing. I was in charge of testing for my school and there was no way I could be there. I may have forgotten to respond, because I was so busy at the time.
3. Received a notice a couple years ago. There was a procedure where you had to call in and see if you needed to appear or if you were dismissed from duty. I was dismissed.
 
Looks like this is it, broadly:

  • Any reason deemed sufficient by the court.
  • Medical reasons.
  • Undue hardship.
  • Dependent care.
  • Student Status.
  • Military conflict.
 
I’ve sat on every type of jury the State of Alaska has. I’ve declared people guilty, not guilty and dead. When I turned 70 I got a permanent exemption.
 
I have been called several times, but only had to serve on a jury once. It has been a long time since I have been called.

I wouldn't mind it so much now that I am retired. I find the legal system interesting, but having to take time off from work was a PITA.
 
Cabin Fever said:
With all this jury selection news for President Trump, I find myself wondering why I have never been called for jury duty...NEVER.

It seems like everyone I know have been called, but not me. Many friends/family have been called several time. Me, zero.

I wonder if some of my background has put on some kind of "do not call" list? The only things I can think of is I am an Eagle Scout and a Life Member of the NRA, Are one of these an automatic disqualification for jury duty?

What is your experience? Are other members here never been called for jury duty?
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Nor I.
 
When I was in my early 20’s, I was called for County jury duty in Cook County, Chicago. I had to go into downtown Chicago from a distant suburb to court in the Daily Plaza. I got selected for an armed robbery and attempted murder case. I was very young and naive and I was scared sh*****ss. We found the guy guilty and I cried on the way home but not in court. I felt so bad ‘sending him to jail’ until someone corrected me and said he sent HIMSELF to jail.

The second time I got called for jury duty was in DeKalb County, Illinois. I was going to go but one of my kids got sick and I had to stay home with the child. I called and explained and that action put me in the ‘do not call’ list. They don’t want to risk selecting you for a case and in the middle of it you have to call in because a child was sick. I was never called again. 😭
 
I was called for jury duty several times during the 10 years we lived in Washington State. I had to report once. The judge asked me if there was any way that a person who drove drunk, was in an accident in which his passenger was killed wasn't guilty of at least manslaughter. I said "no" and I was sent home.

I served on a jury in OKC and it was a very good and interesting experience. Thankfully it was involving a contract dispute and not the death or injury of someone.
 
havasu said:
I would honestly love to serve on a Grand Jury. I also think it would be interesting.
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I guess we'd better be careful about what we ask for, but even sitting in court can be very interesting, imho.

I was in court one day, where a young man I knew was being tried. Ahead of him were 3 men, being tried together. They had been in a bar on a Saturday afternoon and someone insulted them. (oh, boohoo!) They went and armed themselves and sought out the people who insulted them. A lawyer described it as a gangland shooting. There was a big scene on a fairly busy street that I have been on many times, and there was quite a shooting by the three men on a carload of the insulters. I don't remember the details, but I'll bet it made the news. Those 3 will never be free. I went to visit that young man in prison and there were some of those 3 men, being visited by their family, some young children. Was it worth it to retaliate against someone who insulted them? Evidently it was for them. But there was all kinds of crying and wailing in that court that day. They did it to themselves.
 
I’ve been on jury duty multiple times, been on a jury and received a notice that I was supposed to be at Portland OR jan second for state jury duty when my children were little and I was a single mom. I wrote back and said I’d be glad to go but they would need to pay me $X, and arrange transportation because I wasn’t driving through the gorge in the middle of winter as all the crazy kids were heading back to college and they would need to provide certified daycare for my children for the hours I was in JD because I wasn’t leaving them and didn’t have anyone in Portland to watch them. That was the 4th time in a 2 year period I had been summoned for some sort of JD and I had enough on my plate and was struggling just to put food on the table. I felt that I had fulfilled my duty. I didn’t have to go and I’ve not been contacted sense.
 
I sat on a murder trial once. The defendant had shot another guy in the back. Both witnesses, one being a Trooper, told the same story. If it had been in our power we would have locked up the prosecutor. The other witness was the man whose life the defendant saved.
 
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