Well, that was a fun civic experience.

[rivka]

I am free from jury duty for another year.

In contrast to Michael's jury duty experience, in which he sat in the juror's waiting room all day long and was never asked to stir, I went to jury selection for two trials. The first was for cocaine possession (my honest-to-God first reaction, jaded Baltimorean that I am: "they actually try people for that?!"), and the second was for cocaine possession, intent to distribute, and unlawfully carrying a handgun.

The first courtroom was unbelievably gorgeous. It was small, with marble walls and a magnificent high domed ceiling covered with elaborate plaster rosettes, and an ornately carved judge's bench that spanned the whole room and had little gilt heads set in its dark wood. The grandeur and majesty of the law conveyed thereby was marred by the fact that, while we were waiting for the judge, we heard her in her chambers, screaming like a fishwife at someone on the phone.

When the judge entered, we stood and were sworn in. She explained jury service and the process of voir dire and took attendance by juror number. The attorneys and defendant were asked to stand and present themselves for inspection, and she asked if any of us knew them. Then she went through a long roster of other questions. If your answer to any of them was "yes," you stood and, when asked, recited your juror number, which she entered into her computer. Most useless question: "If anyone is prejudiced about race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, please stand." Most interesting question: the one where she explained, carefully and at length, that police officers were just as likely as anyone else, but not more likely than anyone else, to be truthful, and asked people to stand if they had strong opinions one way or another about the truthfulness of the police.

I appreciated that she spelled out exactly what she expected of the jury: what time they would start in the morning, how long they would break for lunch, what time they would finish, how many days she expected it to be. Then she asked if anyone felt jury service would be a hardship, and I stood along with a lot of other people. That was her last question. We were called up to the bench one by one to explain any of our answers that she felt needed greater elaboration. At the bench were the judge, both attorneys, and - this surprised me - the defendant. Huh. A white noise machine prevented the other jurors from being able to hear what you said.

I explained about the grant deadline, and the judge was extremely skeptical. Then I mentioned the ninth-month-of-pregnancy thing, and said that although I didn't expect to go into labor in the next few days I found sitting still for a few hours to be very uncomfortable. She dismissed me for cause.

The second courtroom was larger but much less attractive. No marble, no museum-quality woodwork, no dome with plaster rosettes. It did have a bunch of big oil paintings of, presumably, historic Maryland judges. The judge was less enthusiastic about explaining jury service in minute detail, probably because it was the end of the day and all of us had been through one selection process already. The procedure was the same, but he had a different long string of questions for us. Most interesting question this time around: "If anyone has very strong opinions about narcotics, so much so that you would not be able to give full consideration to the law as I explain that it applies in this case; for example, if you have a very strong belief that narcotic drugs should be legalized." Also the same question, for handguns.

The second judge introduced the question of jury duty as hardship by explaining to us that he had been drafted out of law school to go to Vietnam. Jury duty was inconvenient for everyone, he pointed out, but we would not be asked to wear a uniform, leave the country, carry a gun, or put ourselves in harm's way. He made it clear that we were only to declare a hardship if jury service would be "almost impossible," not just inconvenient, for us. I tried for it anyway. When it was my turn to approach the bench and give my reasons, he told me that he couldn't excuse me for either one, but that the court would keep my "unique situation" in mind. And after a long, long conference between the judge and the attorneys, I was excused along with a bunch of other people - maybe a third of the number who had attempted to claim a hardship. That was that. By this time, it was already 5:30 - I felt sorry for the people who still needed to wait and see who the attorneys wanted to empanel. But I escaped and went home.

It's a shame that my jury service came at this particular time, because I would actually be happy to serve on a jury. I think it would be interesting, and I also think it's my civic responsibility. But not the day a grant is due. And not when a baby is grinding his head against my cervix on a regular basis.

Well. I'll have other opportunities.

Comments

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I have never served jury duty - I've never even stepped foot in a courthouse for it. I always get called when I am physically not present (in college) or am 40 weeks pregnant, or I get put on the alternate panel who doesn't have to show up (and gets excused by phone). And like you, I'd *totally* be willing.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

This was my first time, and I've been registered with various DMVs (which is usually where they get the jury pool) since I was 18. I've never even been an alternate before. I don't know why not.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I spoke too soon. I just got today's mail - and I have a summons for April. Maybe this time I'll get to serve.

[lizardling.livejournal.com]

The only time I got a summonses was when I was in CA for college and thus three states away. I'd be curious to see what happens if I ever get a summonses here in WA state.

[dornbeast.livejournal.com]

Speaking only for myself, I had to go to Kent the second time I was called up for jury duty. Not a bad drive, but a terrible bus ride from north Seattle.

I have no idea how useful that information is to you, though.

[lizardling.livejournal.com]

Hey :)

If I ever get called up for Kent jury duty, that's something to remember -- thanks!

[puzzlement.livejournal.com]

How long would you typically be required to serve if selected? In Sydney it is quite common to be told that the service will be in the order of six to ten weeks. Quite a lot of people get exemption for financial hardship (being paid minimum wage for ten weeks could force some people into dire financial circumstances).

On the other hand, a pregnancy at any stage is an ironclad reason to be exempted from jury duty in NSW: one would probably not even have to appear at the courthouse.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

How long would you typically be required to serve if selected? In Sydney it is quite common to be told that the service will be in the order of six to ten weeks.

Holy cow. Who can do that?! Retirees and unemployed people, I guess?

In Maryland, jury service is for one day (if you aren't seated on a jury) or one trial (if you are). They told us that most trials last 2-3 days - obviously some will be longer (a murder trial is going to last a lot longer than a drug-possession trial) but they know that, and can inform prospective jurors about it, going in. If I had been selected for either one of today's juries, I would have probably served through Friday.

[puzzlement.livejournal.com]

Well, employers are obliged to provide the leave for jury duty, however they aren't obliged to pay for it, so it's retirees (although anyone over 70 is exempted too, so the pool is not as big as it could be there), unemployed people and public servants and other people who have employment contracts which pay them salary while on jury duty. The state pays minimum wage to you otherwise. My PhD supervisor was a juror in a (four week?) assault trial a couple of years back.

It's an issue of some concern at the moment, that jury trials are very very lengthy and that professionals are rarely able to sit on juries without serious financial hardship. In addition it is obviously increasing the length of time people have to wait for their case to be heard, especially problematic if one is held in custody. But the legal profession are also having difficulty avoiding it, as apparently it is now standard to call every possible witness to any violent crime and get expert testimony all the time too, and if they don't do that, appeals are more likely. Apparently for murder an eight week trial is now considered exceptionally short.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Every time I was called, I explained that I would really love to, but I had children under the age of ten, one of whom was special needs. Now that the kids are older and D. much more independent I could be on a jury, but haven't been called.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

In Canada you can't be on a jury if you've ever been to law school, even if you haven't been called to the bar.

[kanabysstee.livejournal.com]

Jury Duty in IL is also 1 day/1 trial, theoretically per year, but it is unusual to be summoned more than once every, say, five years. I assume frequency of summonses varies inversely with the size of the eligible jury pool for the court district in question. I also assume that the 1 day/1 trial rule is pretty common throughout the US.

Anecdotally, the "sit in the waiting room and be bored until they send you home sometime after lunch" pattern seems to be common.

I've had that once. The last time they called up my group at about 10:30 and we were marched to the sekrit Jury Elevators[1], and then to a small court room. It was modern, and a little sparse. They selected 12 of the about 20 of us, and had us sit in the jury box which was about 1/4 of the whole room, and asked us all the questions. Any answers which required examination by the judge were followed by "Can you put that aside and be impartial?"

The case I was on was a civil automotive damage case with the plaintiff being represented by her insurance. Despite having a current policy with the same carrier, and having had a total loss claim processed to my satisfaction by said carrier, I was not excused from serving on that case. I can only guess that the defendant's attorney was less than aggressive in his trade. We were in deliberations by about 1:30 and done at about 4pm.

I think I'd rather sit on a jury than do my "civic duty" in the jury pool room, and not just because it's less boring. But long trials do happen here, some high profile ones. Those could quickly become more than annoying.

[1] Most of the Divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County (except Felony and Domestic Violence) are located in Daley Plaza which is a 31 story Mies van der Rohe style steel and glass tower.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I would have liked to have been on a jury when I worked, but I wasn't called until I retired out here to Manassas (smaller pool). They sent mail twice and on both I wrote that I couldn't sit up for very long, couldn't go up or down steps, and tended to nap frequently. They let me out of both. I wish I'd been called before I became sick and disabled.

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

I really want to serve on a jury, but it will never happen given my profession. Lawyers always strike other lawyers.

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

The one time I was called for a jury, I had to point out that while the DMV had me on record, I now lived over 4 hours from the courthouse location (I got a call for the county I used to live in.) If I was called for jury duty based on my actual address, it might be interesting.

[janetl.livejournal.com]

I've done the sit-around thing several times, and been on a jury once. I agree that actually being on a jury is a Good Thing to Do, both as a civic duty, and just as an education. It's interesting. I can't imagine doing a really long case, though. My impression is that those are uncommon. The trial I was on was about 5 days, and they told us that most are a day or two.
Advice to pregnant ladies who want out of jury duty -- try saying that you'll need to pee frequently. Taking a break has to be done en masse, with the trial paused, and whole jury ushered out together and kept carefully away from any area where they might see a witness. ;^)

[telerib.livejournal.com]

The last time I was called for jury duty, I was in PG County. They have a process where you call the morning you're supposed to go in to see if they still need you, and the robo-receptionist told me I could stay home.

[naomikritzer]

I have never been summoned for jury duty. Neither has anyone else in my family. My father, as it happens, would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to serve on a jury, though he probably wouldn't be allowed to -- he's a Political Scientist with a specialty in the American Judicial System and teaches at a law school. (You never know -- Wisconsin had a sitting State Supreme Court Justice serve on a jury once. But he'd probably be in the "knows too much to be trusted" category.)

I would love to serve on a jury, but there are definitely days that this would not be true. While nine months pregnant would be a good example of this.

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

My husband sat on a brutal murder trial where the primary defense was insanity due to abuse. Not fun. I've only been called once and was flying out the next day to my grandfather's funeral, but wasn't even asked.