I got petit jury duty to go to tomorrow. What are my chances that I'll be called in for the selection process and possibly be picked to be on the jury?
Anything that I can do within reason that might help me not get selected? (besides saying something extreme or dressing inappropriately)
Any idea what to wear? Thanks.
Odds vary too much from county to county. It's maybe 10% here. Dress like you're going to a school or better. I avoid having shoes with metal and leave my pocket change in the car to breeze thru metal detectors. Most trials only last 2 or 3 days if you do get picked. Sometimes you just sit there in the assembly room and finally someone comes in and says "they settled, thank you for your service."
It may depend on the state you live but the lawyers will likely ask you a question or two. Just give a bad answer and you are off. In fact, just say bluntly that you would be a bad juror and you don't want to be there.
A criminologist once told me that you can even say something subtle like "Yeah, I'll make sure we get 'em" and you're gone. Or, you can do the old standby:
It is all about prejudice (not the racial kind, but that can work too). Just say that you would favor one side over the other for some reason (personal experience, etc.) and then tell the judge/lawyers that in all honesty you would be biased and would not be fair. If that doesn't work, tell them that you don't recognize the court because it is supported by money that the government takes by force from you.
ryan foreman wrote:
It may depend on the state you live but the lawyers will likely ask you a question or two. Just give a bad answer and you are off. In fact, just say bluntly that you would be a bad juror and you don't want to be there.
This ^^^. My personal experience is that I unfortunately made it to the last round of questions to a case I didn't want to sit in on (murder case which was projected to take around a month or more). I just blurted out "I'm racist" before they even asked me their first question. I was asked to leave the court room and obviously didn't serve.
0 if you don't show up.
There are always enough wanna be jurors that if your are stand offish and say something that rubs either side the wrong way you will be booted.
Now . . . would you rather sit in a jury trial and do your civic duty or sit in the auditorium all week and pick your nose?
Become a convicted felon.
I, seriously, do not believe in "innocent until proven guilty" and I tell them that when give the chance. MOST of the time, they did the crime, they're guilty.
thanks for the responses. If I get called to be questioned, do I do this in front of a whole bunch of people in the court room or just the attorneys? If the former, I don't think I would have the guts to give a crafty response that might get me out.
I destroyed all chance of ever having to do jury duty ever by filling in the forms as if I was totally illiterate.
That was 18 years ago.
Just indicate that you have an advance degree of some sort. Lawyers on both sides are weary of people who are free thinkers and can not be easy swayed. I've been called for jury duty more than 7 times in the past and have not once served on a jury. I'm usually one of the first to be asked to leave- right after the dregs depart. It suits me just fine.
If it is a criminal case, and the jury is to both determine guilt and set the sentence, at voir dire the defense counsel will probably ask you if you could consider probation instead of incarceration. If you don't want to serve, answer "No".
don't I have to take an oath before I answer any questions?
Update? Did you get out of it? How?
It is sad that our justice system depends on the decisions made by the poor schmucks that are not smart enough to get out of jury duty.
Snatch wrote:
I destroyed all chance of ever having to do jury duty ever by filling in the forms as if I was totally illiterate.
That was 18 years ago.
You sure fooled them!
Snatch wrote:
I destroyed all chance of ever having to do jury duty ever by filling in the forms as if I was totally illiterate.
That was 18 years ago.
I've always thought that there should be an easy way out for people who lie or pull crap to get out of jury duty. There should be a trade off available. You should be able to opt out of jury duty for life. In exchange, you waive your right to trial by jury if charges are ever brought against you.
I think that this would be fair. If you don't want to participate in the process, you don't have to. However, you aren't going to choose not to participate in the process when it is inconvenient to do so and then swear that it is your right to have the very same process protect you when it becomes beneficial.
I enjoyed jury duty. Much better than being at work.