Just My Luck

I hope you can be excused! I know how frustrating it can be.

 

Every state is different. When I was summoned 2 years ago, they were in the process of interviewing us and when a lady was asked if there was any reason she felt she could not serve if she is requested to, she advised the judge she and her family were leaving that next morning for vacation. He said that was not his problem and he could not excuse her for that.

 

So, it is not that simple of getting out of it.

What a jerk. I'd just not show up. Worst thing that will happen is that when you return, you go to the court and pay the $100 fine. There is no state where it is a criminal offense the first time you don't show. Years ago I left town for an eight week work trip and a jury summons showed up probably the day I left. I didn't see it until I returned. I called the court and told them I had been out of town and offered to serve the entire month of January (my company shut down the entire month). They said OK but never called me again.

By the way, I've never heard of someone not getting service deferred the first time they requested it when they could prove they had vacation plans that included plane tickets, cruise tickets, a non-refundable rental, etc.

In MA, one no longer has to serve when they reach age 70.

They can if they wish but it is not mandatory.

I hope you can be excused! I know how frustrating it can be.

 

Every state is different. When I was summoned 2 years ago, they were in the process of interviewing us and when a lady was asked if there was any reason she felt she could not serve if she is requested to, she advised the judge she and her family were leaving that next morning for vacation. He said that was not his problem and he could not excuse her for that.

 

So, it is not that simple of getting out of it.

Yeah, though I think this person's problem was she didn't ask for a deferral right when she got the summons (in CO the summons come at least a month ahead of time). What did this juror do, plan the vacation the day before she had to report?

Not that my experience is vast, but in both CO and CA I've found the deferral process fair. Some hoops to jump through, but if you eventually serve, they let you defer (per their rules).

In CA (well, in Orange County anyway) there is no maximum age waiver:

There is no age exemption for jury service. If you are 70 years of age or older, the California Rules of Court allow you to be excused due to a medical condition without a doctor’s note. You must inform the court that you are not able to serve.

So, you can just say, I can't make it in. Or you can go, if you wish.

In CA (well, in Orange County anyway) there is no maximum age waiver:

 

There is no age exemption for jury service. If you are 70 years of age or older, the California Rules of Court allow you to be excused due to a medical condition without a doctor’s note. You must inform the court that you are not able to serve.

 

So, you can just say, I can't make it in. Or you can go, if you wish.

That seems fair. By age 70, lots of folks have aches and pains that would make it hard for them to sit for hours in a jury box or even transportation to a distant court could be difficult. That CA policy seems to provide for folks 'of an age' that it would be a hardship for them to sit.

About 20 some years ago, our errand runner showed us a letter he got from Superior Court that was threatening him with a warrant because he had ignored a jury summons. At that time, you were able to claim you needed to be exempt because you worked for a company that had less than ten or so employees...which was the case for us. So I wrote him a letter that stated this. Since he never got crated off in handcuffs, either the letter was an empty threat or my note worked.

Another noncruise related jury story. When I moved from Nevada to California, I had a jury summons forwarded in the mail to me from Nevada. I explained I couldn't serve since I had moved and was no longer resident. When I got the written reply back, I was told I was not excused, but that my explanation would allow them to defer me to a later date. Huh??? (Hope they don't think I'm going to travel to another state for jury duty.)

In CA (well, in Orange County anyway) there is no maximum age waiver:

 

There is no age exemption for jury service. If you are 70 years of age or older, the California Rules of Court allow you to be excused due to a medical condition without a doctor’s note. You must inform the court that you are not able to serve.

 

So, you can just say, I can't make it in. Or you can go, if you wish.

My mom was on a jury in NY when she was 72. She was called again last year at 82 and sent back the form saying she would need a toilet break every 45 minutes to an hour with short notice. They excused her without further question. :D

Another noncruise related jury story. When I moved from Nevada to California, I had a jury summons forwarded in the mail to me from Nevada. I explained I couldn't serve since I had moved and was no longer resident. When I got the written reply back, I was told I was not excused, but that my explanation would allow them to defer me to a later date. Huh??? (Hope they don't think I'm going to travel to another state for jury duty.)

NJ summoned me four times in the first year I lived in Florida. The first time I sent the notice back with the forwarding label attached, a photocopy of my FL DL, and a polite letter saying I had relocated and was no longer a resident of NJ.

The second time (about two months later) I sent back the same info with a strongly worded letter asking them to remove me from their jury pool.

The third time (after another two months) I sent them back the same things with a note saying, "come and get me." (You'd think by then they would have gotten the hint?)

The last time I tossed it in the garbage and figured I'd hit the lawsuit jackpot if they picked me up on a bench warrant due to their incompetence.

The most ironic part is that in the 12 years I lived there I only got called twice.

How often do people get called for jury duty in your state? Is there a pattern so you can plan your cruises in the 'off' time span? :)

How often do people get called for jury duty in your state? Is there a pattern so you can plan your cruises in the 'off' time span? :)

 

 

In California, I believe it is once per year. It is pretty easy to get rescheduled if the time is not suitable.

How often do people get called for jury duty in your state? Is there a pattern so you can plan your cruises in the 'off' time span? :)

 

 

I was called once in Florida but didn't need to report. My husband has been called twice but didn't need to report. Our son has been called (and had to report) three times. All were different months with no rhyme or reason.

Hope you can get the date changed OP.

Not sure if it's the same way for the whole state, but in my county you can go online and defer your jury service twice for up to eight weeks at a time.

Also no pattern as to how often you are selected. I've been called twice in the same year and then didn't get called again for about four or five years.

In California, I believe it is once per year. It is pretty easy to get rescheduled if the time is not suitable.

I was called once in Florida but didn't need to report. My husband has been called twice but didn't need to report. Our son has been called (and had to report) three times. All were different months with no rhyme or reason.

There doesn't seem to be a pattern in MA but you in CA seems to call on people more often than in MA. It seems to be random here but who knows if there could be a 'secret formula'. :D Hard to plan a vacation if you might be called for jury duty once a year but at least you can get rescheduled.... as can we.

How often do people get called for jury duty in your state? Is there a pattern so you can plan your cruises in the 'off' time span? :)

 

 

Typically, in California, you can be summoned for jury duty once in a 12 month period. However, there are different court systems (county, superior, maybe others) and each system has it's own timeline. You can get summoned in up to 2 or 3 different systems. But, if you've already served (or reported) in one within that 12 month period you can be waived from subsequent summons.

No pattern in NJ. But they use voter roll, DL data base as well as state and local tax records. That leads to sometimes frequent summons. There is an age exemption and automatic excuse if summoned within three years; just a phone call for excuse. Our county excuses fairly easily for trips if you call as soon as you get the summons.

I lived in Caroline County MD for 12 years in 2003 I was called to jury duty. Six month term. Got excused for the first six weeks when I broke my foot. The judge actually laughed when I hobbled up to the bench on crutches. She said. "Does your asking to be excused have anything to do with those crutches?" She smiled and said. " I think you can be excused until you are out of the cast and off crutches six weeks. I did eventually serve on a jury. I got called again about 6 months after I got sick in 2011 and was excused permently when they found out I was permently disabled.

In all that time dh was never called. This past year dh was called to jury duty in our new home of FL. He is over 70 and has been permently excused. For him age wasn't the issue. His hearing is the problem.

I don't see where the OP lists their state, and I know it is different in every state, however all the states should have a law on the books to allow you to defer service.

In MO, the state allows the counties some individual flexibility in how they do jury duty. In my county, you receive a letter telling you that you've been called, then you serve for 4 months, checking on the phone every so often to see when you have to show up. They also ask you at that time to list any dates you are not available as of the date of the summons. If you already have plans, and they are reasonable, you are automatically excused for those days. Vacations are accepted, as long as you report them on the form in advance.

It is interesting how judges look at things. The last time I had jury duty, my children were 7 and 9 or 8 and 10. They are now 18 and 20. We were to appear for a panel to be formed on the Thursday before Easter. Work wasn't an issue for me, as a teacher they called a sub and it wasn't allowed to count against me by law. However, my children were off school on Good Friday. So we are in the courtroom, and the judge is asking if we have any problem with being on a jury that will start that day, probably go late that day, and continue the next day all day. He wanted to get the case over with.

I stated that I had a problem with the next day, as I had fairly young school-aged children who were not old enough to left at home alone for the day, and I had no one else to stay with them the next day when there was no school. I commented that I was off the next day to stay home with them since I also worked for the school.

Another woman said her children were in school, but they would probably be OK at home alone.

She was placed on the jury, I was not.

Interested in the outcome . . .

never mind

 

It is not that simple in my state. That is not the protocol here.

 

Not in our state either. We have to submit paperwork, no phone calls, and wait for written answer giving permission to either get out of or reschedule duty.

I've had to do that when I had a trip scheduled. No problem getting the permission but I had to follow our county's procedure of how to ask.

My wife was called for Federal Grand Jury in VA and the judge said hed didn't care if my wife was disabled with Lyme and she could just forgo her treatments until it was over (6 months) and another lady had a newborn a week old and he told her to get a nanny and she could feed the baby at break time. They also paid $50.00 a day for her to drive 70 miles one way and there is a 4-$5 toll going to the courthouse. I going to fall in dead if they summon me.

How often do people get called for jury duty in your state? Is there a pattern so you can plan your cruises in the 'off' time span? :)

In our county we serve six months (calling in each Friday after 5pm to see if we are needed the following week) but are then exempt for three years.

I agree that in California it's very random. But again, you can postpone it without having to justify why. Then you get a phone number or website to check every night to see if you need to come in. After five days, if you're not called in, you're excused until the next summons. You get a small daily stipend if you do get called in. If you get on a panel, once the trial is over, you're excused until the next summons.

The one time I actually served on a jury it was for a DUI. In the couple of months between his arrest and the trial, the dude got caught coming out of the same Red Onion DUI.:rolleyes:

His poor lawyer was trying her first case. Among the jurors she didn't excuse were 1) someone who said she volunteered for MADD, 2) a psychiatrist who was our foreman and our go-to rolling-our-eyes expert when one of the defendent's expert witnesses actually claimed that BAC goes up in time (which some of us knew isn't true and the psychiatrist agreed was a bogus claim), and me, even though I said that one of my public relations clients had an association with the DARE campaign (totally true).

I had a chuckle last year when I took an alcohol training class (so I can sell booze for a nonprofit group -- the Rose Bowl food service uses groups wanting to fundraise for causes) and the fact that BAC doesn't normally raise if you stop drinking for the night came up.

My wife was called for Federal Grand Jury in VA and the judge said hed didn't care if my wife was disabled with Lyme and she could just forgo her treatments until it was over (6 months) and another lady had a newborn a week old and he told her to get a nanny and she could feed the baby at break time. They also paid $50.00 a day for her to drive 70 miles one way and there is a 4-$5 toll going to the courthouse. I going to fall in dead if they summon me.

Wow.

I can't imagine that both could not get medical excuses from their doctors. A woman who had a baby one week prior should not be driving 140 miles a day and then sitting on a grand jury. Same for your DW. She had to have her medical treatments.