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How often have you gotten that letter from a court "inviting" you to be a "keystone of our justice system".

	Never
	Once
	Twice times
	Three times
	Four times
	Five times
	I've lost count; I'm their "boy"

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I'm their "boy". Since around 1996 or so, I get a jury duty letter every 2-3 years. I start standby duty for the Sacramento Superior Court May 21st. If that's not enough, I got a letter from the feds today telling me that I have 10 days to respond to an online Qualification Questionnaire to serve as a federal juror in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. I am so tired of this. There must be somebody else who should get an "opportunity to serve". Am I wrong in thinking that jury duty should be something you have to do once or twice in your whole life? Both of my parents are in their 80's and have never had to serve...

If it was "once or twice in your whole life" there would not be enough jurors to go around.
I'd be find with every five years.
There was a stretch when I was called twice a year, until I asked about that, and they discovered that I was actually on the rolls TWICE, which was why I was getting notices to damn often.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Fortunately, fingers crossed, I have fallen off their list for a bit. But since I moved into my house over 30 years ago, I was getting a summons every 2-3 years until about 3-4 years ago. Usually closer to 2 years, the 3 years was the one year where i actually had to show up in court for possible selection to be a juror.

I answered incorrectly: twice is how often I actually was on a jury (grand jury once, petit once). I have gotten called in for jury duty more often than that. I think the last time was 2015. I should be off the hook for another 3 years.

I had to show up once but was not selected.

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Ukulele music I couldn't find anywhere else.
[colquhoun.info]

I'm self-employed. That lets me off the hook.

It might be six instead of four if you are only counting getting a letter about serving and not actually showing up. It was very regular when I lived in Sactomato. I was excused twice when I called in the night before/morning of.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

Called up five times. Excused for illness once. Excused for lack of cases once. Served on actual jury once.

I’ve never served on a jury; made to the jury selection stage once; made it to the courthouse jury holding room three times; been called for jury duty six times. This for an approximately forty year period of being eligible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2018 11:24PM by pqrst.

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Wags
I'm self-employed. That lets me off the hook.

Not in the state of MA.

Used to get nabbed about every other year for over 35 years, then finally had to get a permanent medical DQ awhile back. Got polled for a few juries, but only got seated as a real juror for one, which of course settled before any fireworks. Mrs. Buzz OTOH has had the pleasure of actually sitting for a few juries since we've been together, as well as a couple more before we met; she's a pro at it. If you don't get any postponements, you could/would probably get a jury summons about every 15 months in parts of LA County. Around here, everybody seems to ask for postponements, since IIRC they give you two w/o much of a hassle, then you ask for a change of venue because travel is a hardship, then if you're lucky you can wrangle another postponement, then you're finally stuck, and assuming you've picked a courthouse that does phone in service from the get-go, you call in each night until you're told to report the next day, or your duty is up. The days of milling around the courthouse for a couple of weeks, waiting for Godot, were over last century.
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I’ve served on four juries (though one was as an alternate): three DUI cases and one armed robbery by gang members of a drug dealer. Fascinating and very rewarding process.

I’ve been summoned to jury duty at least eight times and maybe as many as 10-12. Pretty much every year or two.

I get called once every two years, served as a juror once, and have been seated but excused once. I find people who complain about this obligation highly irritating. Jury duty is such a minor price to pay for having a functional justice system.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

I have received notice many times, most of those resulted in my group not being called in. One time I was on call for a holiday week (I think Thanksgiving or Christmas), and figured that the lawyers wouldn't schedule cases, and sure enough, all groups dismissed on the first day of being on-call.

I did get called in twice, once was superior court about 30 years ago, a hospital being sued by a wheelchair bound patient. On the second day of jury selection the case was settled out of court, I think they had only selected 7 jurors by then and I was never called to the stand to be questioned.

The second time I was called in was about 4 years ago, judge asked if there were any special situations, I requested to be removed because it was scheduled to be a lengthy trial and my mother in law was near death (and died two weeks later). Judge dismissed me, to be recalled in 6 months. Never got another notice.

I've been called for both local and federal, but never selected.

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“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.” -- François de La Rochefoucauld

"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

The German word for contraceptive is “Schwangerschaftsverhütungsmittel”. By the time you finished saying that, it’s too late

I've been called 12 times or so in 35 years and sat on a jury 5 times. I teach and so I can get a delay until a break between semesters and the jury assembly area is full of teachers during those breaks ("jury of your peers???").

After the last trial the judge came in to thank us and asked for questions. I asked if my number of callings was typical and he said no--it was much more than usual. I also asked about what happens when somebody who was called doesn't show up. The deputies always get very active with their list and I assumed those people would get a hand-delivered summons. The judge said they didn't do anything to those people. But, they had a right to summon them with a hand-delivered letter and hold them in contempt if they didn't show up from that summons. I guess I'll keep going...

The only complaint I have about it is the inequity of the service. I don't know anybody who says they've been called and served more than a couple of times in their adult lifetimes. Yet somehow my wife and I have made it onto the "yeah, they'll show up list." I don't have any real data on this, although the judge seemed to confirm it, but that's my subjective concern.

If you are frequently called for service, it's worth asking those in charge if your name appears more than once on the list and to remove the repeat occurrence.

I have served on three petit juries and 2 grand juries (1 Federal and 1 County). Grand juries are very interesting but you serve for a year, usually once a month.

3 letters. Time between 1st and 2nd was 15yrs.

Between 2nd and 3rd was 10yrs.

Excused once.

Did the call-every-morning thing for one of them.

Did the call-every-night-before thing for one of them.

Was never told to report in-person.

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Twice for me. First time, I was asked if I trusted police officers. Having been taken downtown years ago for suspicion of attempted kidnapping, My hesitation in answering seemed to have given the DA side pause. Second time, mobility issues got me excused. It's a civic duty I feel committed to fulfill if my circumstances improve.

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....hehehe....doodee.....

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Never selected (sat in the jury room all day) until last month.

First juror seated in superior court (felony) case.

Finally dismissed at the end of the day by the defense, probably because the arrest occurred in my neighborhood.

.....nobody really.....trusts my judgement.....

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

I have gotten the letter a dozen or so times. Usually, I called in and didn't have to go the courthouse. I have been in the courtroom for jury selection twice, never selected.

(knock wood) Never.

About 25 years ago I got a Grand Jury summons letter (if that's the right name for it, called to the jury pool, not as a witness or anything) sent to my parents' address, but I was a student and resident of another state at the time, so that was that. Only time it's ever happened.

I was only called twice. I lived in Wisconsin for the last 21 years, never called once. In Chicago, I was called but was to be out of town for work so I was excused. The second time was a criminal case, murder, I found it extremely interesting and happily served, I was even elected foreman. Now that we moved to another state, I'm actually hoping to be called.

.....it also sounds like a Paul Shore movie.....or an Adam Sandler movie......it may have already been one............

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Thrice. Don't know other states laws but in MI, names go in a pool. Although one is excused for a year after serving, your name goes back in the pool after. Then it's back to the luck of the draw. I, too, know people who have never served on a jury...

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...more music...

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I get notification letter every 2-3 years. Dismissed by phone on first day of service in all but one. Went to selection once, but jury pool was seated about 3 folks before they got to me, so I only lost a half day.

Served on a jury once about 15 years ago. A "Third Strike" felony case. Real slimeball. Used kids to sell drugs near a school. Trial took about 3 days. When we (the jury) came back into the courtroom with a verdict the sitting defendant was surrounded by 4 court officers at the ready in case he became violent. We presented our verdict. Judge thanked us for our time. And we all got out of there in a hurry.

I've forgotten how many times I've gotten the summons. I very vividly remember I've had to serve on a jury twice. both were rather painful experiences...

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Skill without imagination is craftsmanship. Imagination without skill is Modern Art.

Of all the times I've had to report (or call in) for jury duty, I've done only two questionnaires, and been through voir dire only once. I was seated and it was fascinating. I'd be happy to serve again, but even though I get called every 18 months or so I just show up, sign in, get sent home at lunch time.

Got the letter 5 or 6 times, had to show up onsite 3 times, selected for and served on jury once: we found the defendant guilty. I loved the experience and hope to serve again but even so, I still feel relieved when I call in and am not asked to show up at the courthouse.

I've only had to show up twice. Once I sat there the whole day until about 7pm, then we were all told to leave. The other time, I left for lunch and when I came back, they told me I could leave.

I always enjoyed doing it. The last time I got called up was right after my back surgery and I was having
some bad Meniere's flare ups. I contacted my ENT and asked him to give me a written excuse for this
time. Instead he put in for me to be permanently excused because of my severe hearing loss and
Meniere's patients don't need anymore stress than necessary. Stick a fork in me I'm done with that.

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Grateful11

I usually get a letter every 10 years. My last letter had a questionaire in it for a pre screening process. One of the question was "Are you a law enforcement officer". Being a corrections officer I checked the yes block and have not heard from them since.

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Portsmouth, Va

Had a friend seated who was called for a death penalty case.

Voir dire included the question "so, could you vote for the death penalty...for the defendant sitting right over there?"

Happily for the eventually-convicted defendant his court-appointed was a drunk who kept falling asleep during the trial so he cut a much better deal prior to retrial.