How to Avoid Jury Duty
Capital of Nasty, an Electronic Magazine - ISSN 1482-0471
Monday, January 11, 1999 at 04:00 (116/10496)
As you are flipping through the mail, sorting out the bills from the advertisement, you see a strange envelope. You open it up and, surprise, surprise, you have been picked for Jury Duty. This happens to almost everyone and everyone has the same two feelings about it: dread at the time involved and a feeling that, somehow, this is their duty.
Living in modern society has its price, and Jury Duty is simply a part of that cost. Should you feel that the cost is too high, should you wish to avoid the burden, the following tells you the best way to escape.
If you have just received the Jury Duty letter, DO NOT fill it out and DO NOT return it. The letter will, no doubt, inform you that not returning the form is a criminal offence, subject to various penalties. You can safely forget about those penalties. Each batch of mailed out Jury Duty forms gets about an 80% return rate. The 20% not answering include those who have moved, who have not picked up their mail or who do not, for whatever reason, want to get involved.
Almost always the 20% who do not answer are completely ignored and their names are removed from the process. Very rarely, a second request is sent out. The threatened penalty of criminal charges are so rare as to be virtually unheard of. In the extremely rare event of a "crack down" on people ignoring the call for Jury duty, the people in the Judicial process will have to prove that you received their notice. Normally this is done by sending a registered letter, something that has to be signed for.
All adults should have two `signatures', one good for cheques, contracts and credit cards, and another illegible one for anything you are not certain about. If you chose not to return the Jury Duty form, sign any future unexpected registered mail with a meaningless scrawl. The odds, however, of you receiving future mail from the Judicial process are extremely slim.
Perhaps you are one of the 80% who does answer and perhaps you have already sent back a completed form. Returning that form enters your name in future drawing process for possible future jury members.
If your name is picked, you will receive another letter, demanding your presence at a location noted in that letter. A penalty for not doing so will be spelled out. Again, a certain percentage (usually less than 10%) do not show up and generally one of the following things will happen: 1. They are ignored. 2. Their names are placed back in the lottery for future jury duty. Or, 3. They receive a registered letter or a police visit asking why they did not show up. The letter, if signed for with that illegible scrawl, can be ignored. A police visit means show up next time, exactly as told.
Various regions have assorted ways of running the Jury Duty lottery. With any luck, you will be passed up. Receiving the second letter, asking for your presence (generally at the courthouse or at a hotel with the needed space) is your entry into a further lottery. In what can be a long and boring day, groups of people are picked for possible jury duty. Likely a Judge will speak or a film shown, thanking you for being there, outlining what may be ahead for you and congratulating you on being a fine citizen.
Fine citizen you are, but you can still very easily get out of this process. If you are picked as a potential juror, the Judge and lawyers for the prosecution and the defence will ask you a number of questions. Both lawyers have a number of opportunities to remove people from the potential jury and it is rather easy to get them to give you your freedom.
Each time a lawyer tries to pick people they think will agree with their side in the upcoming case. Both lawyers will approach all potential jurors as if they are long lost friends. This gives you a great chance to escape.
As soon as you see the lawyers for the prosecution and for the defence, pick one, or both, as a potential `enemy'. The stronger you can feel the emotion, the more powerful your body language is. Shake your head, glare, make faces. The lawyers and any staff with them are carefully noting all reactions by all potential jurors. They are trying to pick out any prejudice against them, against their client or even against their case. Showing a prejudice, even if you do not have one, gets you quickly out of the courtroom. Almost all lawyers will excuse any potential juror who they cannot see as a potential friend. Their questions will be delivered with so much fake charm and friendliness as they can master.
The Judge may ask questions of his own. For example, in a case involving car theft, the Judge may ask all potential jurors if they have ever been a victim of that type of crime. Even if you give a positive answer to that type of question, the Judge will only ask if that experience will influence your decision in the case they want you to hear. No matter your answer, the Judge makes his own decision on if you stay or go. Your answer to that second question may, however, cause either the prosecution or the defence to want you excused.
Almost sure to get you off, is a loud "What?!" after any question, from anyone, to anyone. You will be quickly asked if you have a hearing problem. Yell out "What?!", make them repeat the question and then loudly say that you do not have a hearing problem. No lawyer wants to yell throughout the case and a fake hearing problem does wonders to get you out.
Normally, financial concerns will not get you out from Jury Duty. Check with your employer to see if you will continue to get a pay cheque (a surprising number of companies do pay you while on Jury Duty). If not, this knowledge will aid your skill in acting the part of a juror neither side wants.
Health matters are more of a concern. If you are receiving any type of medical treatment, or if you will in the near future, a Doctor's letter will allow you to escape. Many have claimed non-existent health problems, often on the original letter form asking them to report for Jury Duty. As a firm rule, the Judicial system does not check on any claim of health concerns. Most Doctor's will supply a letter to excuse their patient, because of `stress', `headache' or even `inability to concentrate'. However a loud "What?!" to your Doctor will only result in an unnecessary hearing test.
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Jury Duty is a Privilege as well as a Duty if you are a Citizen of the united States of America. However, the system has become so corrupted by its employees (judges and lawyers) that you need to educate yourself before participating in the process.
Check out www.fija.org . I learned about FIJA (the Fully Informed Jurors Association) while educating myself about Jury Duty when I was called to participate last year. I thought that perhaps FIJA's claims of corruption within our legal system were - like most content on the web - perhaps a bit "overstated". Let me tell you that they are *NOT*. My story follows... Prior to juror selection, the judge asked the courtroom of potential jurors if they had a problem with basing their decisions in a case on "the Law as interpreted by me (the Judge)". I raised my hand, was called forward, and explained to the Judge that as an intelligent, adult Citizen of the united States I know that I have the right to judge not only the facts of a case, but the rightness of Law being used to prosecute as well, if I feel that the Law is being used or interpreted wrongly or unfairly (Ask yourself - What is the point in having a Jury, if they are only there to rubberstamp the judges decision?). The judge looked at both trial lawyers, informed them that I was not to be called as a Juror, and then told me not to say anything about this to anyone else in the courtroom, a gag order which would have put me in Contempt of Court had I broken it. Where did my Free Speech just go? I was not called to sit on jury for the entire week, nor did the judge speak to me again. You really should see what FIJA has to say. They are spot-on, as the saying goes...
If I had the time, I'd send them all to jail.
The cops, the judge, the lawyers. Hang 'em high.
"HANG THEM ALL, HANG THE BASTARDS!!" Answering that to any question is sure to get you kicked out of jury duty. If not, take a shit in the corner and rub it on the judges face.
Three surefire ways to get rejected...
1. Say you can tell if someone is guilty just by looking at them.
2. Explain that a friend of yours was a victim of a similar crime and that you have strong feelings about it.
3. Say you are taking drugs for psychiatric problems (such as depression).
4. No friend of Dave's should have to sit through jury duty...
Why would I want to avoid jury duty? This could be my only
chance in life to be involved in the killing of a person! (For those with no sense of humour, it was just a joke)
Should Juries also be Judged?
This is well done, and timely for me! I just got the damn envelope!
what a complete waste of time,this judicial system is a joke
when a murderer gets less time than some guy with a pot seed in his pocket!!!!!let the homeless and the scumbags on welfare do it
The jury system was established some centuries ago to prevet lunching of inocents in kangroo courts. A civil and reasonebly deversified society like us dose not need this subjective and wasteful proccess. We need tribunal system for criminal cases. Civil matters should be handeled by professionals.
Well, I just got that envelope. So this was very timely for me!
I'm going tomorrow and I am damn pissed
I had to go to jury duty back in June in the Oakland, CA and I notice this hot looking prosecutor who resemble of actress Jennifer Beals from the movie Flashdance keep staring at like she was sizing me up while being sitting on the jury box for 7 minutes. When it was her turn to interview me, I had a hard time hearing her due to her soft voice and she appeared annoyed by it and went back to her chair. Few minutes later, I got excused by her and she continued to stared at me with a gaze look on her face as I walk off the jury box like if I was in a single bar or something. When the judge said “thank you for you time serving on the jury”, I acknowledge the judge and she seem surprise I did it since most people just ignored him when they get excused and she started to mumble toward my direction when I pass her to walk out of the courtroom. I just wonder if she had second thought of excusing from the jury box? I was tired and nervous that day.
She reminded me of this lady. http://www.angelfire.com/80s/flashdance/images/shot6.jpg
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800025731&cf=gen&intl=us
Ever feel like a Newman?
Yes.
Well I had ignored the first notice as you advised and in Fridays mail I received a follow-up questionaire. So I guess I am going to reply to the City of New York. I will however take your advise on bad hearing. Faking a hearing problem is GOLD and it works. I work for a large company and they are subject to the "Americans with Disabilities Act". The ADA is basiclly a free pass for acting out in the workplace. There is a group of us in my office that scream and yell all day long. It makes people crazy and we get to sit in a cluster by ourselves. If someone is moved into our space, we crank up the volume. When confronted by management, we simply state that we are talking in a normal tone and that we are aware of our rights. There is nothing they can do about it, so I know playing deaf is a great strategy.
Last week I had to "call in" and on Thursday I had to report. It was for Civil Court and we were hearded in groups of 30 to rooms in an administrative building to be polled by the attorneys. I was doomed. I was the only white guy in the room! On the suggestion of my assistant, I asked a lot of moronic questions (what color was the car, was anyone arrested, did they have collission insurance, were they good drivers, what intersection, was there any illegal substances found at the accident scene, how do you know they were hurt). When I finally shut up, I asked to be excused for the mens room. I left to pee 2 more times and on my return wanted to know if I missed anything. The attorneys were basiclly kids. I could tell they were dying when it was my turn to sit in the front row and participate in their Q & A. When I was dismissed, I returned to the Jury waiting room. Within 2 minutes the bailif called my name and told me I was "released" and should not call back the next day.
To avoid jury duty just say you can't stand black people during the interview. It really isn't that hard.
So I got the letter...Filled it out...got another letter back... Here's the problem... I thought I had to go in for the 14th... turns out I had to go on the 12th (yesterday, lol) Sooo can someone let me know what will be my "penalty" for not showing up? I'd actually like to check this out... I my be crazy for this hahaha but yah...I filled out the fuckin' form and sent it back!
I don't think there are any penalties. There seems to be an expectation that so many people will fail to show up--never mind filling out the paperwork in the first place--that, generally, these things are over-booked.
The jury itself is then reduced further from those that did show up, to an even smaller number.
If anything is said to you about your lack of attendance--which it probably won't--just confess your mistake and that you're eager to do your civic duty. If in doubt, call them: it's always the best approach when being "in the wrong" and it shows that you're not negligent, if that's what you're worried about.
In most cases, you'll probably never hear from anyone again. Unless the random jury-picking lottery selects you again.
HOW CAN THEY TELL IF YOU GOT THE LETTER IF YOU DIDNT RETURN THE FORM SIGNED ?? THEY CANT. JUST DONT RETURN THE FORM !
I live in a very small town, and we had two big employers. One packed up shop and moved two years ago, the other is the prison. I work for the latter as a correctional officer.
My first wife and I bought our home in 2000 (I still live there today). Sometime in 2005 I received my first questionnaire for jury duty. Between 2005 and 2009 I received no fewer than 13 questionnaires. I dutifully filled each of them out, explaining that in addition to working full time I attend classes at the university, and we had three children at home who were not old enough to be left unsupervised. Each time I was mailed a summons 2-4 weeks later. Most times I simply had to call in, and that was the end. The first time I actually had to schlep down to the courthouse I was excused because I had a midterm exam. (Luckily I was released in time for it.) Second time we had our first vacation in 3 years planned. I was released after showing proof of our reservations, and allowed to postpone until afterwards. When I received my last one in 2009 I actually had to get administrative leave from work to go down to the courthouse and wait around. Upon arrival, I met 3 of my fellow officers (All of us had indicated on our questionnaires that we were correctional officers.) Do they even read these things?! Now, the prison pays us our full salary for jury duty. So, the 4 of us were down there wasting more money in a state that's already bankrupt, to sit through the process when no attorney/judge in the world would have allowed us to perform as jurors. Sounds about right when you think about government (in)efficiency. Unfortunately, having to call in does not satisfy the requirement for temporary exemption (thus, the exorbitant number of questionnaires I've received.) After sitting in the courthouse and wasting one of the few days we had nice weather, the judge thanked us for our service, and stated that we were exempt for the next two years. The following week I received another questionnaire, upon which I stated that I had just fulfilled my obligation. That was late January of 2009. Jury selection happens quarterly here, and guess what? Last Thursday (June, 2011) I received yet another questionnaire. I'm all for doing my civic duty, but does this sound a bit excessive to anyone here? I think this time I'm going to follow the advice of this article and just not return the questionnaire. If I get summoned anyway (the paper says I will) I will remember my two new favorite words...JURY NULLIFICATION!!
Well, this puts my mind at more of an ease. I got the letter about 2 months ago, but completely forgot to fill it out until about a week after i was supposed to have been summoned. However i filled it out already, then saw this site about 5 minutes later. luckily i wasn't called.