My Tax Dollars at Work

I had to go to jury duty once, and I just had to "call-in" once. When I actually had to show up, I was there for two days. The first day we were told the rules, etc., and some people were called in to talk. We were dismissed early I think - it was around lunch time - and told to return the next day. The next morning, we had to sit in a room for hours, and finally we were brought before the judge and told that they had agreed on a plea bargain and we were dismissed. It was a complete waste of time, but I guess it served its purpose.

Hi dawnald I too have been down that dark road of jury duty. It has been several years ago since I was called. It was during the winter months and I had to be there by 9 am. When I got there they cancelled court the week before. When I asked why I wasn't notified no one could come up with an answer. I think that they forget about the us and that it is no big deal for to show up for no reason. Yeah they need a new system for the jury duty people..

I think that sucks. How's that for ya? Both my husband and I have been summoned for jury duty before. But as we don't live in the county that the summons was for we were able to get out of it. Hell, with our situation they way it is it's not like either of us could go anyway. Good luck!

Same thing happened to me,I had to drive all the way to Detroit. WHAT A PAIN! The website was down,the phone recording told me just call in the morning,don't bother trying to find out the night before. What the heck is up with that? Why not place a message telling people call this mail box to find out if you are needed? Why have a website if it is of no use? Anyhow I drove all the way to Detroit,got picked spent all day there,and right before the trial was supposed to happen,guy decides to cop a plea!

I've had jury duty twice in my life... and I'm not even 30! Some luck I have, huh? The first time I sat around the court room all day, watching other people get called up and asked questions. The lawsuit was about a high school kid who got injured, he was suing the doc for malpractice, thought the doc made a mistake, now the kid couldn't play sports. By the end of the day I'd still not been called up to be asked questions, but they let the rest of us go and said we'd served our jury duty for a 4 year period. The second time I was called in for Jury Duty, I'd just had my son who's now 3. He was only 2 weeks old. So I called them and told them... I mean a working mom gets 6 weeks so I assume I should get something off the jury duty, right? I was hoping a 6 months extention or something. Well, no, she said I won't be called on again for 4 years, even though I didn't do anything!! My husband actually got called on to serve in the Grand Jury. It was a totally different system! He didn't have a way out of it, but he didn't really want to go. It's just so hard on working parents.

I have had jury duty many times, in the state we live in now they can only call you every two years and not after age 70. In our old state I got called about once a year. When I first started we all had to go into the court three days a week for two weeks but last year when I was called, all I had to do was call in once a week to be excused. I would be calling the County offices or the Court before I made a trip to town. Hope you get this worked out.

Wow I would give them what for as you have to pay for the Petrol and that

oh guaranteed if you don't show up,then they'll be right on it. i've never been called for jury duty,but my mom has. 1st time,she knew the defendant. 2nd time,she knew the arresting officer. they pretty much stopped calling her cause she seems to know everybody LOL

A genuine piece of graffiti scrawled on the side of MI5 (our version of the FBI with shades of the CIA too) from the 70s: "Is (sic) Intelligence and Intelligence officers synonymous?"

Thank goodness, I have never been called to jury duty & i hope i never am. sorry u have been. I hope u are able to get them before u have to make the trip.

Hi dawnald, Lol! I had one of those jury service summons, I had to write a letter because of my disablity, I could not attend as I couldn't travel on my own and my hubby was working, so I didn't have to go, I really hate these service, I probaly, hang the lot, lol! Tamara

I live in a different country but governmental bureaucratic red tape is the same everywhere I think! It is so frigging annoying isn’t it? I have only been summonsed once for jury duty about eight years ago. I got out of it because I had just had a baby...Phew!! It was the last thing I needed with a six week old bub to take care of! I like your county’s style; try phoning-phones down, try going online-website down...Yep...Sounds predictable...

I hate dealing with anything that is government run to be honest with you. I have always had issues dealing with them. You either have to wait so long your hair turns gray or they are so rude you feel like you could fight a chainsaw when you get out of there.