A better explanation of how jury duty will work
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
United States
March 2, 2016 11:38am CST
In the letter my husband received it stated that jury duty is for one year and you have to call in daily to see if you are needed. After putting a lot of thought into that we figured what the heck, how do you plan vacations and what about doctor appointment, etc. You can't just cut off your life for a year. And many of you were wondering if we lived in America LOL!
So after the hair salon we stopped at the courthouse. I asked one of the ladies how jury duty works. She said basically the grand jury only meets 4 times a year. Those are the times you have to call to see if you are needed. She said the first one will be in April.
I asked about vacations and she said just give her the dates and it will be fine. So we felt a little better and then she said that last year they only had two grand juries - and she chuckled a little! This isn't the big city remember!
We feel a lot better now. I just pictured us being in '24/7 lock-down' for a year!
photo: pixabay.com/en/graphics-court-justice-design-882729/
23 people like this
23 responses
@celticeagle (159710)
• Boise, Idaho
2 Mar 16
Things are not usually as bad as we think they will be. That is where a lot of my anxiety and stress comes from. The unknown on things like this. So, I am glad this turned out a lot better than you had thought.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159710)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill ....They don't want to make it too easy on you.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
@celticeagle We;re the smarter people in this county, not sure how the rest do reading it.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
That's why we went to ask. They could have explained it better in the letter they sent. At least we know now.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
3 Mar 16
that makes ALOT more sense than calling once a day!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
You have to call but only during certain periods of time. They still haven't made that part clear.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
@Jessicalynnt He would too but I'll be the one reminding him.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
3 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill that's not as bad, while still a tad confusing. I'd mix up and not call when I was supposed to
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
I didn't know that, interesting. Yes, we feel better about it now.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
2 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill Yes,unless which I doubt if they have a person doing signs.But do not.It will disturb the rest of the jurors there.
1 person likes this
@beaniefanatic13 (5076)
• Grand Junction, Colorado
2 Mar 16
The jury that I received a summons for last year had a hearing impaired person called as well and he was chosen for the jury. Maybe in some places across the country, but apparently it doesn't matter here. They only have a few reasons to opt out and they must have documentation attached.
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
2 Mar 16
i'm glad'ja went'n got that all straightened out, hon. i reckon i've 'lucked out' these days coz they don't wish to've me'n jury duty due to the health hiccups. i'd not liked the thought'f callin' daily fer'n entire year neither.
kinda funny how that works though. my hay fella used to get roped into such e'ery year...in the midst'f harvestin'. he kept tellin' 'em he'd be more'n happy to do his civic duty - if'n they'd allow him to do such durin' the winter, lol.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
I was told that since I used to work for an attorney and then a judge that I would have a good excuse not to be on a jury. I've never been called, watch, now that I said it....
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
@crazyhorseladycx I would hope so! When I got divorced my 'former' boss would have been the judge, but of course he had to reuse himself from the case. He went on to be a big shot in court.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
2 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill ya may get called, but if'n ya remind'em'f such i'm sure they'll relieve'f ya duty :)
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
3 Mar 16
That doesn't sound so bad..., I'm glad you found someone helpful to explain it to you.... why didn't they put that explanation in the letter too ...lol's ...it would have saved you the worry ...and the trip to the court house....
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
That's what I said, I think I will write them a letter (once this is all said and done) and suggest that give potential jurors better information in that original letter they send.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
3 Mar 16
It would have been nice if the letter had explained that completely to begin with @AbbyGreenhill . Good thing you found out.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
They need to improve their communications!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
2 Mar 16
To the best of my knowledge in England a person on jury service is given a two week period in which to be in attendance.
Reporting to the courts 365 days in a year would be a greater sentence than many of the convicted felons would receive.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
You got that right! This is doable....
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
3 Mar 16
I knew jury duty could be a pain but being called for a year seemed extreme until I read that it was for the Grand Jury. I've served regular jury duty but never on a Grand Jury. My father did, several years ago, and the GJ he was on met 3 times that year.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I hope this is the last time we go thru this since he just did it a few years ago in a different county.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (80050)
• United States
2 Mar 16
Glad you were able to get that straightened out as it would have been crazy calling every day for a year.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
We might as well have moved into the courthouse to live LOL!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
I think they need to rewrite their letter!
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
3 Mar 16
Good thing you got it cleared out. Now you can go about it without feeling trapped for a whole year....
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
You are right, and we feel better now.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
2 Mar 16
I got summoned for jury duty later this month. I've never done it before.
1 person likes this
@teresaschultz (50)
• East London, South Africa
2 Mar 16
That's so much better than having to call them every day! It's always such a relief when one goes and asks about something and the replies or explanations one gets are favorable!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
It pays to ask instead of worrying. This we can deal with.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157769)
• United States
2 Mar 16
It must feel good to have taken the bull by the horns and gotten all of the details.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
Instead of stewing in my own juice, I like to take the bull by the horns!
@beaniefanatic13 (5076)
• Grand Junction, Colorado
2 Mar 16
So glad our jury duty downs't work like that here. I received a jury summons last year at the beginning of December and had to actually report to the courthouse, thankfully I wasn't part of the jury and was dismissed before lunch. I still took the rest of the day off. I was also told that since it was at the end of the year I wouldn't receive another jury summons until at least 2017.
@beaniefanatic13 (5076)
• Grand Junction, Colorado
2 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill glad that you feel better and you can go about everyday life with not much worry.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
@beaniefanatic13 Yes, very true, thanks.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
This is a small county in the sticks, it works differently but we feel better now. My husband was called at our previews county but it was just orientation and he never got called for a case.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
Absolutely. Now we can relax a little.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
3 Mar 16
He'll bite the bullet now and be done with it. We've lived in this county almost 3 years and there hasn't been a murder yet.
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
2 Mar 16
I've been called to jury duty twice. Here we are only obligated for 1 month. We have to go to the courthouse on the date it says to. Then we may or may not be called in for questioning for sitting on a jury. Then we have to call in on the dates that it is requested we call in if we are not picked to be on a jury. I only sat on one jury. I've have several people tell me of ways of getting out of jury duty, but I feel it is my obligation as a citizen to not to try to get out of it just because I don't want to do it.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
2 Mar 16
They only way you can get off here is if you are a caretaker for someone seriously ill, or if it would be a hardship financially. There is a form to fill out if those things apply and those ware the only way to get off.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
2 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill Yes, but once you are being questioned for a jury there are things you can say to get out of it like, "I don't believe in the US justice system," or "I don't care what the guilty person did–I want that person to hang!" or "I read all about the case in the newspaper. The guy is guilty," or "I believe the justice system is rigged, so I'm going to vote innocent no matter what." No lawyer is going to want you on the jury with that type of attitude.
@Rianel_Lewrej (225)
•
3 Mar 16
Pretty much the same here in my Place! Well, except that juries have a lot of work to do. And I am studying to be one actually. But then again, it usually depends on the country how a jury's work really work.
