Jury Duty..Random Selection?

Now, don't get me wrong I really don't mind doing my civic duty and serving on a jury; but, I live in Sacramento County which is Large, yet I've been randomly selected to jury duty every year for 7 years. What would be the odds?
Should I start playing the lottery or going to Vegas?
Reporting for Duty Monday at 8! They should give me an assigned parking space.

This message was edited Apr 28, 2007 7:27 AM

Hmm. Sounds like you pay your taxes, don't move, don't get tickets,
are a well behaved citizen, perhaps?

;-)

Don't most places pick names from lists of registered voters?

I went for many, many years without a jury summons....I think the citizens were better behaved and less sue crazy in the former days. Finally I got two at the same time. One was county duty and the other was Federal duty in Indianapolis....course I couldn't do both at once. Neither gave parking help and the closest to reporting was a Sunday night call canceling my duty the next morning. It was settled out of court.

SacValley - yet again?
Me, I get "randomly" selected at airport screeings more often than not.
Kiska

I got called for Jury Duty 3 times and I about died....I panic when i even hear the words "JURY DUTY". The first time was right after i had my first child 13 yrs ago...i mean like a week after...got outta that one. The 2nd one was here in NC and my husband got me outta that one..type up this whole letter about me being the homemaker and here with my two young kids and only had one vehicle and he could not get off work. The third one well...that was cancelled cause the previous hearing was not done and they said i have served just being called.

I know i should do my civic duty that it is not all that bad..and i have honestly tried to talk myself into it...but i get all nervous and and start to have a panic attack. I can't be around alot of people i don't know. I don't even go to birthday parties or any kind of party for that matter... I just assume to stay in my lil ole daves garden world...but alas that is not always possible.


Char

I only had to spend one day! I was selected for two courtrooms and wasn't choosen to serve on either trail.

o.Interesting thread, Jo.
I was "on call" during the month of last October. Served on one jury; made the first cut on a second one, but when I said to the lawyer questioning us, that I thought the question was a trick question and I couldn't answer it; I was dismissed. Maybe not the reason, but sure seemed to me to be.
Kiska

Here's a twist. I received a summons today to appear as petit juror.

Sigh.

Likely they won't select me. I'm sure to set off a few alarms, sending
both attorneys scrambling to dismiss me.

;-)

So you'll serve a month? And if you don't wear a petit size 2, can you get out of it?

I think all states do it differently. Here they do a "jury wheel" I think either every 6 months or annually. You are on call for that amount of time. It's a random drawing using Driver's License information.

LOL Sac, I can do a four, but they are often too short. ;-)

Joan, I appreciate the information on the driver's license. My driver's
license has reflected my previous name for years now, even though I
am remarried. Red tape I just haven't gotten around to resolving. Now
I know why it arrived as such.

I guess I'll look at it as a way to get dressed up and go out to lunch
for the day. with an allowance

:-)

Never been called for jury duty, but I would consider it an honor. We are, after all, a nation of laws. That is said with a smirk on my face, because the laws are not the same for all the people. If you think that are just look at what has been going on with those stupid men and women drunks and drug addicts who are "celebrities" in Hollywood. What jokes and sorry excuses for humans they are. But what bigger jokes are the people that fawn over and kow tow to them. LIZ

My suspicion is that if they select you once and they find you are eligible (e.g.., your employer pays for jury service, you are retired, you don't have a criminal record, you aren't a stay-at-home mom or caregiver, you speak English, etc.) you are more likely to get picked again, though every year is quite a bit excessive. I've been picked five times in the 20 years I lived here, though once I was on call-in and never had to go in. It seems like it's a once or twice in a lifetime event for my relatives in PA.

One older man in Florida didn't want to do jury duty. Course the judge said it was his duty. The man replied that he didn't cause all these trials in that he behaved and didn't sue and such. The judge had to agree somewhat and let him off. I feel a lot like that too. If courts were depending on me for business, I don't know if there would be any standing courts!!!!!!

Back from the first day of jury duty.

Today was the day to sign in, then hurry up and wait,
only to be sent home with the entire group that remained
after a long line of jurors asked to be excused from duty.

In the waiting time, the room was packed, so they had us
lined up like sardines. Talk about a claustrophobic nightmare!
I absolutely cannot stand to sit or stand so close to anyone, so I
moved my chair forward and leaned on my knees. Ugh! Even in
the line, I could feel the breath of a woman standing behind me, or
rather, on top of me. There goes the idea of three feet of personal
space. (cringes)

While waiting, the room was abuzz with general chatter, but since
I'm not one to strike up a long winded conversation with strangers,
I just listened. My gosh, people just let their personal business roll
right off the tongue, don't they? On DG, we chatter a bit about everything,
but I can't imagine letting out personal and private dirt about my life
for all to hear in a courtroom. Jeez!

Can't give out certain details, but I can share my first jury duty experience
with you. LOL

:-)

I've heard that here in Texas you're most likely to be called to serve if you VOTE (but they say the deciding factor is "eligible to vote."

I got a summons once last year and again this year. Last year I served on a felony cocaine case and the trial only lasted 2 days. I enjoyed the experience and felt good about serving. After an initial straw vote for "Guilty/not guilty," I was the person who called into question some of the State's testimony about the girl who was driving the car (and so the drugs were "hers" just because of that) of a friend.

My lesson learned: If you drive someone else's car, what is in the car is YOUR responsibility! Scary, huh?
Lesson #2: ANY cocaine possession here in Texas (even residual powder left in a baggie) is a FELONY.

This year I was placed "on call" for a 3 week period that I was able to select (online) but was never called.

In this area, selection is now based on anyone with a valid driver's license.

The judge told that once upon a time, selection was from a pool of land owners.
It then moved to registered voters and then to licensed drivers.

Also, disqualification used to be anyone who was a habitual drunk.
They have since replaced that with "lawyers and politicians". So said the judge!

Ba ha!