Ever Been Penalized For Non-Attendance/Jury Duty

[Keith B]

Understood. However in my profession no one is picked to actually serve.

Oh, me either. The last one I went and the Judge started asking questions about what is needed to arrest someone. His first question was 'What does a LEO need to stop someone who was driving down the road.' I was the only one to raise my hand. When he called on me I thought about answering 'Red lights and a siren' , but answered 'Reasonable suspicion.' His second question was 'What does he need to to search the car?' Again, only one to raise a hand. My answer was, 'Probable cause.' His third question was 'Mr. Keith B, do have a law enforcement background?' My answer, 'Yes I do your honor.' That pretty well knocked me out of serving on the jury for a DWI case.

[chabouk]

I don't think I have a "civic duty" obligation to the government to serve, but I do feel an obligation to my fellow citizens to make sure they're not getting railroaded. Plus, it might be an opportunity to engage in some jury nullification.

I've never tried to get out of jury duty, even when bosses strongly hinted that I should. Only served twice, once in a civil case that lasted a week, and once for a traffic ticket that lasted about 10 minutes because the defendant didn't show up.

[03Lightningrocks]

Here is an interesting read. This guy missed jury duty and served 83 days for it.


http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/05/0 ... -jury-duty


Texas man jailed 83 days for skipping jury duty
Sat May 9, 2009 1:30 PM EDT
us-news, us, jailed, juror, absent
Associated Press

MCKINNEY — A man arrested for allegedly failing to appear for jury duty was released Saturday after spending 83 days in jail, a length of detention that a judge called "unacceptable."

Douglas Maupin was released a day after The Dallas Morning News brought his plight to the attention of a Collin County judge.

Maupin, a masonry contractor, was arrested Feb. 15 after police pulled him over for speeding. Police then detained him on a 2003 warrant for failure to appear for jury duty.

He wrote a letter to the newspaper about his lengthy jail stay, then said in a jailhouse interview that he, his friends and family could not afford his $1,500 bail.

He said his attempt to get a public defender was rebuffed by a jail clerk.

District Judge Chris Oldner said he was unaware of Maupin's detention until Friday, even though the case was assigned to his court. The judge who signed the original 2003 warrant had retired, and officials said the case was assigned to the court of his replacement but the offense didn't fall under that court's responsibility.

"He should not have spent that much time. This is unacceptable," Oldner told the Morning News. "I don't know why the process failed to notify us."

Oldner also said that Maupin should have been allowed to apply for a public defender.

Maupin, 34, said he just wanted his day in court.

"I do know I have the right to due process and a speedy trial," he said. "I've had neither. It's not right."

The judge said he was "disappointed this has happened," and promised to investigate.

[jimlongley]

Because I was a volunteer fireman from the age of eighteen on, I was ineligible to serve on juries under New York's "Volunteer Fireman's Benefits Act" until 1987. I received my first jury summons in 1989 and my boss at the time actually called the clerk of the court and told her I would not be attending, of course that was his opinion, I was actually glad to go, partly because it would irritate the heck out of him. I went, was not picked, and that's pretty much that, long stories about the pick process and the issue with my boss, good over nachos and drinks.

In 1993 I relocated from NY to IL. In 1996 I received a notice, address to my IL address, that a warrrant would be issued if I did not respond to the jury summons that had been sent to me a couple of times IN NY! I kind of ignored it at the time, and then, a couple of days later, the actual summons arrived. The summons had been sent to my 1993 NY address, and when returned it had been sent to my 1985 NY address, and when returned it had been sent to my pre-1970 address (my parents' home), all this being conducted on the front of one envelope, with my IL address penciled in by my father before it was sent back to the clerk of the court.

I called the clerk of the court and told her I would be glad to serve, but that plane fare, and per diem for lodging and meals would be expected. This worthy told me that I would have to pay my own expenses. I pointed out that the summons was pretty much null and void since I had not lived in that court's jurisdiction since 1993, that I had legally changed my address, driver's license, and everything else, and wasn't even on the tax rolls, and that I did not intend to travel to NY to serve unless and until all of my travel expenses were paid. At this point she was pretty mad and spluutered something about they would forgive my service if I would write a letter explaining the circumstances. When I suggested that the court should pay the postage because I didn't feel responsible for their mistakes, she spluttered even louder and hung up on me.

I haven't heard anything since, I wonder if I am in trouble. Of course maybe my move back to TX in 1999 just confused them even more.

[ELB]

I do think one has an obligation to serve on a jury, whether you see it as "to your government" (which like it or not you and your fellow citizens voted in) or to your fellow citizens -- it is one of the few places you have direct influence on the government's course of action, and direct input into applying the law to your fellow citizens. It is unfortunate that it has become an irritant and something to get out of. It doesn't help that the jury selection process has the feel of a cattle call crossed with a hostile cross-examination, and the only one in the courtroom with less priority and control (until deliberations) is the defendent...

However, I still feel you should make your best effort to do your duty.

I don't know about Texas, but in my birth state of Indiana, if the jury pool is exhausted before a full jury is selected, the judge can and will send the sheriff out to pull citizens right off the street to reconstitute the pool on the spot. I grew up in a small rural county, and this happened several time there. Talk about short notice!

[seamusTX]

I do think one has an obligation to serve on a jury, whether you see it as "to your government" ...

I see it as a service to the people, in the sense that the Constitution uses the word people, and criminal cases are styled The People versus Joe Blow.

The defendant in a criminal case or the parties in a civil case have a right to a fair hearing. Any of us could be on the other side of the bar one of these days.

It is unfortunate that it has become an irritant and something to get out of. It doesn't help that the jury selection process has the feel of a cattle call crossed with a hostile cross-examination...

That's the problem. Galveston County is really not bad. In Chicago, they treat the jury candidates like unruly children.

Then you go through the whole process of being selected and sworn in, and the case is settled one minute before the trial is supposed to start. It feels like a waste of time, as it was in this instance.

- Jim

[CrimsonSoul]

My wife has recieved two jury summons and has only lived in Texas for about 5 years, I've lived here 27 and haven't gotten one. Of course one of her jury summons was recieved two days after she was suppose to be there