Jury Duty Cancelled for this Week. I Won't Know About Monday Until Later Today
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
Midland, Michigan
February 1, 2019 9:10am CST
Well, I called the jury hotline last night to see whether it got cancelled and again this morning and nothing was said about it, so I went to the courthouse and through the weapons check. There were about four of us that went in early and we found out that because they were closed all week long related to the sub-zero temps, the phone line hadn't been updated yet. I will call again tonight when I'm off work to find out whether I have it for next week or not.
I will have to call every week in February to check and maybe I'll be doing it and maybe I won't. I have mixed feelings about serving. On the one hand I'd be able to sit a good portion of the day which is better for my back. Although, I don't know if my back will be fine on the hard benches. But, if I do have jury duty during the daytime hours, then I still need to work a portion of my shift once I'm done at the courthouse.
I will get paid my normal pay if I have jury duty during any portion of my shift, but only for the portion that I would have been working anyway. For instance, the earliest I go in is 1:30pm. If I have jury duty from 8:30-5pm, then whatever time I was scheduled for work in the afternoon I'd get paid for that, but then I'd be expected to finish my shift on site after I'm done at the courthouse for that day.
I can't take my phone inside, so that means I wouldn't be getting much mylotting done during that time/month. I'd probably try to keep up with my notifications but not much more than that.
Updated info:
Several of us went to the courthouse Friday by 8;10 and discovered that they'd not updated their phone lines yet as they had the week off because of the frigid weather. We had no jury duty yesterday and were all sent home. I called the phone line last night and it sounds like I probably won't have it at all this month, but I need to call back before the twenty-second to see whether there is a trial.
I plan on double-checking what I heard again before the weekend is over, but if that is correct then I can be around a bit more.
12 people like this
11 responses
@LadyDuck (502729)
• Italy
1 Feb 19
@JohnRoberts Yes, we are lucky. We had popular jurors in the past, but they finally decided to go for professional jurors because often popular jurors understood nothing of the case.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
8 Feb 19
@LadyDuck In most cases here those that are called have some form of education and should be able to understand what they are hearing about the cases. Since I've never been, I don't know how true that is or whether some that never finished school might be there, but I think they draw the names from those signing up to vote. And you need to be able to read well to vote correctly.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Feb 19
I am in the middle of jury duty and my thoughts concerning it would be expelled here.
3 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
1 Feb 19
Is this your first time serving, John, or have you done it before this and can you say what level you are serving, whether city, state or (I don't know what the other one is called, but someone here had to serve in the next city over too before).
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
@JohnRoberts Sorry you hate it that much.
It looks like if I have to do it this month it won't happen until almost the end when they may have a trial. The thing with that is that I'd think it could go over the month. I can see if it began the beginning of Feb and went into March but otherwise, I'd think they should have said Feb for sure but maybe March too.
Good thing we don't start our business up again until April. But, I might have other business things to attend to in March, so we'll see whether I end up doing it later or not.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Feb 19
@MarshaMusselman I have been called in the past. I am LA County which has to be the worst.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91150)
• United States
1 Feb 19
Hope your jury duty doesn't interfere too much with your work. Maybe they won't need you next week?
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Feb 19
In California, it is illegal to fire an employee for jury duty but the employer is not obligated to pay wages so some people get royally screwed.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
@JohnRoberts If the employee does't provide the wages, isn't it available there to fill out hardship papers so they can work their jobs instead of serving?? That's something we can do here and how I didn't have to serve the second time I was called.
I told them I could do it but five employees would be out of work for the month, and they let me off.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
This is the third time I've gotten called maybe it will be the third time that I've not had to do it but i still have to call for next week to see.
I have tried the powder polish as I'm calling it since I don't know the proper name. I began the process with my left hand and almost all the nails have fallen off completely on that hand whereas only one nail on my right hand fell off thus far. Yesterday made a week with it on which is longer than any other polish has ever lasted. I'm going to try it one more time to see if it can last longer. It could be that I'm too hard on my nails with my job to try to keep any type of finish intact. But that remains to be seen.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
2 Feb 19
@MarshaMusselman Hopefully, third time's the charm.
I just went for a mani/pedi today. I had the powder or dip as I call it, and it lasts me weeks without chipping or falling off. I would never try it myself. There is a huge process to it and lots of sanding/filing in-between. I get a French manicure and the only reason I went today is that it was growing out.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Feb 19
It wouldn't so bad if jurors weren't treated with contempt and slaves at their mercy.
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
1 Feb 19
I have never been called for jury duty and I hope I never am. It is not something I would want to do. Good luck to you.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Feb 19
You never ever want to endure the torture of jury duty.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
1 Feb 19
Fingers crossed :-) I got called and had to sit in the room all day. I got excused from a jury because I was a father.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
Even though you did have to sit and wait through the process of picking out the jurors, at least you got to leave afterward.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
12 Feb 19
@DocAndersen Well that was certainly easy. I wonder whether moms were disqualified too? If so, then you wonder whether anyone that really cares about the plight of young women were sitting on that trial.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
2 Feb 19
@MarshaMusselman that was true, I was the last person picked to be on the jury (it was a rape trail) when the defense attorney asked me if I was a father. I said yes, and he said you are dismissed!
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
1 Feb 19
I guess that it is our duty... but I sure wouldn't want to be called up!
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
3 Feb 19
@MarshaMusselman You have to wonder don't you??
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Feb 19
@Hate2Iron One friend got called twice. The first time she was sent home but the second time she sat on a case and she said she'd like to do it again as she liked it.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
Some people are called several times in their life while others are never called and we don't know why that is
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
2 Feb 19
the hubs's endured this task 'f callin' several times (my health issues scare 'em 'pparently 'n they don't call'n me). here they don't pay ya 'nless yer actually picked fer a trail, e'en though ya might'a been there waitin' fer such 8 hrs 'n lost wages from yer job.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
4 Feb 19
@MarshaMusselman the hubs likes to brag 'bout bein' gettin' those notices 'n don't care 'bout the pay.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
4 Feb 19
@crazyhorseladycx If he's not taking off from a regular job then it probably doesn't matter so much to him. I think I remember that he does odd jobs for other people, and if he gets paid for doing those, then it probably does matter to you if he does the jury duty rather than work for others, but he sounds like he does as he wants.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
If your job does''t pay you it might be possible to get an application for relief from jury duty. Even with getting a bit of money for serving, it's nothing in comparison for what we make per day at our jobs. If it's a hardship for people to serve, they can write a letter and usually get out of it. I would think it would be the same way in any state in our country.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24028)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb 19
OH dear it is annoying for you I guess not knowing whether you are going in or not! I hope it is to your advantage!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Feb 19
It looks like if I end up having it that won't take place until later in the month. They said to call back before the twentieth of the month to see if theirs a trial planned a few days later. The thing is, if there is a trial and it doesn't start until then, if I get picked I'd think their would be a possibility of having to be there again a portion of March. Unless, they know it should be a shorter type trial if there even is such a thing.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
2 Feb 19
It's interesting the number of days each state requires for jury duty. I've seen one day, yours is one month, and Wisconsin is one week. I served on a jury a couple years ago. I found it interesting.
