slo’s MONDAY 10/23 poll - Jury Duty

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In Atlanta (Fulton County), we can be summoned for Superior, State, Probate, and Federal.

Ooh interesting. I've only been able to find information based on Districts and Federal for my state. Some Districts are comprised of multiple counties. The District I'm in is just my county. That's a lot of things you'd have to keep track of potentially being summoned for in your county.

 

[john7994]

Ooh interesting. I've only been able to find information based on Districts and Federal for my state. Some Districts are comprised of multiple counties. The District I'm in is just my county. That's a lot of things you'd have to keep track of potentially being summoned for in your county.

They color code the summons’ - or at least they used too - might still do it and have not gotten the others beyond Superior Court in a while - where I appear to be on their greatest hits list - I get summoned annually - sometimes twice a year - then it will skip two years (at least as far as patterns). Invariably, if me or my wife gets one - the other gets one within 30 days.

Never been on a federal in the Northern District of Georgia - nor a Grand Jury. Always interested in those.

 

[E&Cmom]

I have never been summoned. DH was but the trial was canceled the day before Jury duty selection.

 

[tvguy]

In Atlanta (Fulton County), we can be summoned for Superior, State, Probate, and Federal.

Never heard of a jury in Probate Court but looked it up. In California, the Judge can order a jury trial, however the parties to the case don't have a legal right to request one. It's all up to the Judge. But to be honest, a Probate case must have to be REALLY REALLY nasty to justify a Jury trial!

 

[_19disnA]

I have no idea how the jury duty selection process works in the state where I now live and really don't care. I assume the city/county/state will send me a notice if I am selected for jury duty.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have no idea how the jury duty selection process works in the state where I now live and really don't care. I assume the city/county/state will send me a notice if I am selected for jury duty.

Sorta seems like an important thing to know.

Federal in my state is based off of registered voters and a qualification questionnaire sent out to random ones every 2 years. So if you aren't a registered voter in the state you'll never receive a summons.

County for mine is registered voters OR those with a driver's license. I think the DL is important because people don't always update their information so you could get a summons for the county and yet have moved out of the county.

 

[Adelle Dazeem]

I've been summoned 4-5 times, i think. I have actually served at least twice. I htink I may have servede when I lived in my hometown, but I honestly can't remember anymore.

I *love* jury duty - sitting in judgment of others is my jam! Both of the times I served in my current county were for criminal cases. One was armed robbery - guilty. The other time I remember being very excited I was summoned to the criminal court house only to be placed on a jury for a simple shoplifting case. It felt so ridiculous for a whole trial over a guy shoplifting about $250 of junk from Target that I stayed after to talk to the attorneys about what I considered to be a waste of resources. The attorney said there was actually more to the case than they were able to bring up - maybe a larger shoplifting ring or something - he couldn't discuss. The bottom line though, as the attorney reminded me, is that everyone is entitled to a trial by jury - no matter what the crime.

 

[amcnj]

In my state they summon jurors based on records of voters, motor vehicles and tax returns. I think that is it, or at least used to be. You can be called on the state level for Pettit jury (criminal or civil within that), Grand or State Grand jury service. The courts are grouped into vicinages. They are groupings of counties, and can be comprised of one, two or three counties (population sizes are involved here). You can be summoned every three years.

I lived in one county that sent you a notice every three years like clockwork. Others summon less frequently, some rarely or even never from what I have heard.

Over the years I served on two juries, one civil and one criminal. I was also called and not selected multiple other times. Once I was summoned for Grand Jury, but unfortunately it included a time I would be away, so my service was postponed. I was looking forward to grand jury service, and sadly my replacement service was for petit.

 

[john7994]

Never heard of a jury in Probate Court but looked it up. In California, the Judge can order a jury trial, however the parties to the case don't have a legal right to request one. It's all up to the Judge. But to be honest, a Probate case must have to be REALLY REALLY nasty to justify a Jury trial!

No idea how a Probate Jury is formed in my Jurisdiction, but the administrative body I get summoned from has the oversight responsibility for them as a separate category.

We also have the ability as jurors to ask questions of either counsel as the trial progresses, via the judge, but only the judge can determine if the questions are read aloud, answered in chambers or not at all.

 

[ronandannette]

I've been summoned three times since I turned 18; the first was only a few weeks after my 18th birthday! I've never made it as far as jury selection. In every instance (two criminal and one civil) the cases were pled/settled beforehand.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Where I live we get a summons every other year like clockwork. The last two times I got called in and my butt never left the chair in the jury assembly room. In the past I have been selected twice to be on the actual jury. One was a Grand Jury on a check-kiting case, another was a case where a guy tricked the police into letting him take possession of a big boat.

Generally I think it's a big waste of time and I resent the "everyone can afford the time away from your regular life" to serve. How would they know? Here's a thought; why don't they at least pay everyone minimum wage for their time? And by that I mean ALL of your time, all of your mileage and actually feed you? We get $15/day and mileage one way, and then only on the 2nd day on. That doesn't even buy you lunch.

 

[KayMichigan]

Last August 2022. Dismissed after going in to one courtroom, where they chose the jurors they needed and sent the rest of us back to the jury room. It was civil court and the one case where they picked jurors involved an insurance company. We did get a nice tote bag and some other goodies for our trouble!

 

[Lumpy1106]

I have no idea how the jury duty selection process works in the state where I now live and really don't care. I assume the city/county/state will send me a notice if I am selected for jury duty.

Are you registered to vote? That's usually how they get your info.

 

[mumto3girls]

I was called once—1997–we were living in an adjacent county at the time. I had to go the first day and was questioned, but not selected and then had to call in each day the rest of the week. I didn’t have to go back. My DH has never been called, oldest DD was called while she was away at college so she had to postpone and when she finally went they sent her home quickly.

I would love to serve. I find the whole process fascinating and with a flexible job and no young children it would not be a hardship for me at all.

 

[ncc1701]

I had Jury duty earlier this month. First day was a Zoom overview that was about 30 minutes. I had to call in the next 3 nights to see if I had to go in, but not this time. Same thing happened to DH in July. I have been on 2 Juries in the past .Now both us us are excused from local Petite Jury for 3 years.

 

[ncc1701]

Are you registered to vote? That's usually how they get your info.

In our State they also use the Department of Motor Vehicle records and State Tax records.

 

[RedAngie]

I’ve been summoned twice in New Jersey, once in California, and 6 or 7 times in Delaware, but I only had to show up once, in Delaware about 7 years ago.

I was the third or fourth number called in the first group of about 24 to go upstairs for voir dire, then was the second or third to be selected for the jury. It took about two hours to get all the jurors and alternates, then we were dismissed and told to come back the following week for the actual trial.

It was a robbery case and the defendant had a really poor public defender. I almost felt sorry for the defendant. The trial took about three hours, we went to lunch, then returned for closing arguments and deliberations. It took about 20 minutes to find the defendant guilty of 2 of the 3 charges he faced. We were divided about the third and wanted to leave.

After the verdict, the judge came back to the jury room and said it was the defendant’s 6th or 7th conviction.

 

[tvguy]

Are you registered to vote? That's usually how they get your info.

Here, they use that and:
Driver's License and ID card records from the state.
And records from the state Franchise tax board.
So if you are registered to vote, drive, have an ID cars or filed a state tax return, they have your information.

 

[prairie_girl]

I was summoned in 2018 (or 2017), but my number wasn’t picked. I was excited when I got the letter because I really want to be on a jury. One of the cases was a very controversial case of murder of a young woman. Everyone in the public thought he was guilty but he was found not guilty.

I always wondered, though, what happens if you really have to go to the bathroom? Can you slip in and out or do you have to raise your hand and get permission?

 

[leebee]

I was summonsed last spring for a jury that would start in early June. I had knee replacement surgery scheduled so I was excused. They said I'd be recalled for the December jury pool. I might have to juggle this, as we have a trip (pre-paid) January 6-13, but otherwise I wouldn't mind sitting on a jury. Having willing citizens is a large part of making our justice system will work. I am 67 and this is the only time I've been called. DH, on the other hand, has been called to serve in every state we've lived in: CA, MI, MA, PA, and ME. He's just a lucky guy, I guess, hahaha! He's only been picked for one trial, though. I think when they hear he is a PhD biophysicist, with a solid knowledge not only of chemistry and biology (specifically studies DNA) but also is well-versed in how all the testing machinery works (so anything that would analyze DNA, blood, hair, fluids, etc) most defense attorneys aren't interested in him sitting on their jury!