Called up for jury duty

[Mothballs]

Has anyone here been told to report for jury duty when you have a cruise booked?

My husband has been told to report for jury duty on the 23rd of this month for a case that is expected to take 2 weeks and we depart on our cruise on the 10th of february.I know that he will probably not make it to the jury as he has been called up a couple of times over the past 6 years without being picked but murphy's law will probably occur this time and I'm becoming concerned.

Regards Elaine.

[6andy6]

Has anyone here been told to report for jury duty when you have a cruise booked?

My husband has been told to report for jury duty on the 23rd of this month for a case that is expected to take 2 weeks and we depart on our cruise on the 10th of february.I know that he will probably not make it to the jury as he has been called up a couple of times over the past 6 years without being picked but murphy's law will probably occur this time and I'm becoming concerned.

Regards Elaine.

 

My partner has also been picked out before just before christmas when we were going away and he got it postponed..unfortunately they have postponed it till February (March is when we go away again).

 

There is a form I think you can fill out with a reason and send it in..they will postpone it for a period of time.

[Mothballs]

Thanks for the info 6andy6.I feel better now:)

Regards Elaine.

[Cruisegroover]

I got called 5 times during the last year and for 4 of them I had holidays planned and I was excused. So they will excuse your hubby but expect to be called again.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Yes . I got excused as I could prove I had a cruise booked before the call up came.

I was excused, but my name has gone back into the hat.:D

 

[Bescotti]

I was called up for a possible 13 week trial last year which would have gone into my 30 day cruise. It was my second call up for the year. I faxed off my travel docs but was told I still had to front up on the day. I was empanelled on a fortnight trial instead as that would finish before my cruise date but after several days the jury was dismissed so I'm now exempt for several years.

[callmewhatever]

Only been called up twice and both times had cruises booked. Sent off the form stating that, no problems!

[Sutho]

Just find a reason to disqualify yourself from sitting on the jury. Become a racist, sexist, homphobic, extremist, fascist and I am sure they will not even want you sitting on the jury.

[mochuck]

Just find a reason to disqualify yourself from sitting on the jury. Become a racist, sexist, homphobic, extremist, fascist and I am sure they will not even want you sitting on the jury.

 

No need to go that far ;)

If you have travel plans and have documentation you will be excused.

[kiwipete]

Over 65? then no need to worry in NZ you can excuse yourself!.

[mochuck]

I was called up for a possible 13 week trial last year which would have gone into my 30 day cruise. It was my second call up for the year. I faxed off my travel docs but was told I still had to front up on the day. I was empanelled on a fortnight trial instead as that would finish before my cruise date but after several days the jury was dismissed so I'm now exempt for several years.

 

My husband was called up for a 13 week trial and was empanelled but not chosen in the end. It turned out to be the trial of the guy who dismembered

his girlfriend!

[Mothballs]

Just find a reason to disqualify yourself from sitting on the jury. Become a racist, sexist, homphobic, extremist, fascist and I am sure they will not even want you sitting on the jury.

My husband couldn't be like that even if he tried.He is so easygoing and placid that sometimes I poke him with a stick to make sure that he is still alive:)

Regards Elaine.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I was once told that if you have to, and you don't want to be on a jury, just turn up on selection day wearing your very , very best clothes and looking absolutely immaculate and a pillar of society .You will then be challenged , not selected and sent home .....:D

 

[Mothballs]

Thanks for the replies everyone.You have been a big help.

Just another question.My husband will be on the call up list until next January and I have been thinking about booking the Rhapsody cruise in September but if we book it knowing that he is on the list then The Sheriff's Department might not be so lenient.

Regards Elaine.

[Sutho]

I was once told that if you have to, and you don't want to be on a jury, just turn up on selection day wearing your very , very best clothes and looking absolutely immaculate and a pillar of society .You will then be challenged , not selected and sent home .....:D

 

 

Yeah thats what I hear as well. They dont want biased people. In a way they are judging themself but if they think you are biased or some sort of pre judgemental type of person you will not be allowed to sit.

[The_Big_M]

Yeah thats what I hear as well. They dont want biased people. In a way they are judging themself but if they think you are biased or some sort of pre judgemental type of person you will not be allowed to sit.

 

I'm not sure how being dressed well makes you biased (any more than anyone else)!

[bazzaw]

I want to know why, after 66 years of undetected crime, I have never been called up for Jury Duty (nor has wife). Does my reputation really precede me that much????

 

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

I was once told that if you have to, and you don't want to be on a jury, just turn up on selection day wearing your very , very best clothes and looking absolutely immaculate and a pillar of society .You will then be challenged , not selected and sent home .....:D

 

 

AAH -- then my tuxedo that I purchased to wear on Cunard may yet have some further use???

 

Barry

[Cruisegroover]

Thanks for the replies everyone.You have been a big help.

Just another question.My husband will be on the call up list until next January and I have been thinking about booking the Rhapsody cruise in September but if we book it knowing that he is on the list then The Sheriff's Department might not be so lenient.

Regards Elaine.

 

I didn't have any problem with my 4 excuses as long it is booked in advance of the summons dates. The one time I was available they didn't want me! As someone said if a shorter trial can be fitted in they might still call you but all mine were within a month of the summons date.

[Bescotti]

I was once told that if you have to, and you don't want to be on a jury, just turn up on selection day wearing your very , very best clothes and looking absolutely immaculate and a pillar of society .You will then be challenged , not selected and sent home .....:D

 

 

Unfortunately nowadays court personnel are up on all the ways people try to avoid jury duty so clothes don't count as much as they used to. On my panel those called up were dressed in everything from ratty jeans and t-shirts to business attire.

 

It was actually quite interesting being on the jury as I'm a people watcher. Unfortunately we had a graphic case in a closed court but the resulting discussions in the jury room were very interesting. Some reactions had most of us scratching our heads and wondering which universe one of the others lived in.

[fishtaco]

If you cannot be excused by the sheriff before hand attend selection proses and you may not even be needed.

 

If chosen to go to a court room tell the marshal and he/she will advise you to front the judge just before selection, say you cannot do jury service because you have booked a holiday.

 

The Judge "may" say that you have to cancel your holiday plans :eek:if this does happen you will immediately be challenged by the defence if selected and thus excused.

 

I have had to do this in the past because judges get sick of excuses.

 

Most prosecutors and all defenders will "challenge" a selected juror who,s mind will not be on the case but going on holiday.

 

Den

[croydonCruiser]

you will immediately be challenged by the defence if selected and thus excused.

 

Bad luck though if they have run out of challenges! They only have a certain number, at least that was the case when my Mum worked as a judge's associate in the County Court and then the Supreme Court in Victoria. She said it was interesting watching to see who was challenged and who got through. Apparently there were certain types and occupations that were always challenged, depending on the particulars of the trial. She and the judge always made bets on who would end up as the jury foreman, but she said they didn't bother betting if a teacher was on the panel. 9 times out of 10 it was the teacher! :eek:

Usually though, any teachers were challenged, by either the defence or the prosecution, but sometimes they'd both run out of challenges, so the teacher got through. She wasn't really sure why that was the case, even though she was an ex teacher herself.

[Bescotti]

Bad luck though if they have run out of challenges! They only have a certain number, at least that was the case when my Mum worked as a judge's associate in the County Court and then the Supreme Court in Victoria. .

 

That's how I ended up on the jury last year - they had run out of challenges. :eek: Fortunately they had moved me to a shorter trial so I had no problems making my cruise.