…to a manageable date. The jury summons the Superior Court sent the other day gives one a chance to plead extreme financial hardship (we’re told this stratagem almost never works) or to ask for a postponement of jury duty. If you go online or telephone the talking robot, your choices are to postpone 60 days or 90 days.
Well, a 60-day postponement would land me smack in the middle of finals week. Ninety days would land me at the courthouse midway through my summer class.
However, if you call the talking robot and hit 0000, it will shunt you over to a human being.
This person kindly reset the appearance date to May 14, the Monday after spring semester grades are due.
Since I’ve never actually been empaneled on a jury (too nerdly, I guess), it’s unlikely they’ll take me this time. So with any luck all that will happen is eight hours of my time will be wasted cooling my heels in the jury-duty waiting room. Even if they do select me, the May 14 date provides two weeks and a day before class begins.
My summer course is a night class, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If I’m unfortunate enough to get stuck on a jury for a long-running trial (one colleague was tied up for over four weeks, after the judge had estimated the trial would take three or four days!), I’ll be looking at two Days from Hell a week, but at least I won’t lose pay.
Jeez. I have gotta get myself a real job. That, or get the editorial business to crank a steady flow of decently paying work, all the time.
I get called every year during finals week for some reason. I am always excused.
I’ve been called only twice, but never asked to serve (first time excused probably because of my written statements of opinion; second time they didn’t need my pool). I’ve always looked forward to it, though, because it means a day not doing the 9-6 shuffle, no phone calls, and lots of downtime to work on other stuff or read. (Now, 4 weeks of this would not be so great, without paycheck coming in.)
I was called twice in Colorado (lived there 16 years) and 7 times in Nevada and I can tell you that the judge wants a jury and he doesn’t care what you are bellyaching about.
Case in point. This Mexican guy tells the judge he works 3rd shift and just got off work and if he is picked he will probably fall asleep.
Judge tells him if he falls asleep he’ll place him in contempt of court.
Mexican guy tells the judge I work 10 to 6 am, I need to sleep.
Judge tells him again that he will be in contempt of court if he falls asleep.
I was not selected for the jury but he was so I don’t know how this turned out but in my mind when a juror has his sleep turned upside down, dismiss the guy.
The next thing is a jury of your peers.
Voir dire means to tell he truth but the lawyers on both sides will pick their jurors depending on where they are leaning.
In my mind, if you don’t want to be there you probably won’t be a good juror. Why let the judge decide for you?