interesting insight on how courts work

[PepperElf]

They don't really care if you've been on a jury or not other than if you've served, you get a 1-year break before you can be called again.

Oh no I don't mean being called up again... Yes I guess every state is different.

I'm on district jury duty which runs for 2 months. We pretty much only do low-level stuff: disability hearings, misdemeanors, & civil cases under a specific dollar amount (I forget the amount though). Once we're done we're off the hook for 2 years; so if we get called up again all we have to do is fill out the paperwork to indicate when we last served, etc. (Even if we don't actually get selected for a jury)

So far we've had 4 cases - 2 disability cases and 2 misdemeanors.

What surprised me was that one of the ladies who served on the jury for last friday's case was picked for the final 12 for yesterday's case too. And some of us haven't even made it up there yet. (Like me).


I was selected once before, but that was back in NY and I was in the military at the time, stationed out of state. So they pulled my name from the books altogether. I mean military *can* serve - heck even cops can be picked - but not if you're stationed outside a specific radius etc.

Oh and I forgot to mention, Dad was called up again a couple of years back. Mom filled out the paperwork for him though to get him excused for medical (age combined with various conditions etc).

See? You don't have to lie to get out of jury duty. Just tell the truth!

Pretty much, really.

I mean hell we went through 5 jurors before they even got to the part where they whittle the jury down from 12 to 6.

[PepperElf]

Totally off topic, I did see the most God-awful piece of commemorative jewelry the last time I went to jury duty.

Forgot to mention this I think... I haven't seen any outlandish jewelry but I have been pretty astonished at what people wear to court. No one's worn ripped clothing at least, but some of them... I suspect the only "iron" they've ever encountered is in a frying pan. I mean if I'm walking the dog I might wear wrinkly ass clothing like that but... this is a courthouse. at least try to look like you didn't sleep in your shit.

One of the ladies in particular caught my eye yesterday... Her hair was perfectly put up in a braid wrapped around a bun. Now if only she paid as much attention to the sloppy clothes she picked out.

[LillFilly]

I've had to go to the local magistrate for stuff that happened at work. Some people don't show up, some do and lose but decide to appeal to district court, some show-up, see the witnesses (me and police!) and waive their hearing for trial in hopes we don't get called to testify against them. Same thing happened with the Boyfriend. All witnesses for the DA showed-up for the hearing, so the DUI guy decided to go straight to trial.

[kpzra]

Forgot to mention this I think... I haven't seen any outlandish jewelry but I have been pretty astonished at what people wear to court. No one's worn ripped clothing at least, but some of them... I suspect the only "iron" they've ever encountered is in a frying pan. I mean if I'm walking the dog I might wear wrinkly ass clothing like that but... this is a courthouse. at least try to look like you didn't sleep in your shit.

One of the ladies in particular caught my eye yesterday... Her hair was perfectly put up in a braid wrapped around a bun. Now if only she paid as much attention to the sloppy clothes she picked out.

I saw a bit of that, but grand jury just sits in a room and never sees a judge, just the prosecution witnesses (cops usually). We usually wore jeans and t-shirts after the first day, some actually brought slippers which I thought was tacky.

[Sapphire Silk]

Notably, I also thought that once you served on a jury you wouldn't be picked until everyone else had a chance.

The way it usually works is if you are summoned you get a break for a certain period of time. Where I live, it's one year. I got summoned in 2011 and had to sit in the jury room for one day. I didn't get picked during jury selection, but couldn't leave because they thought they might get to jury selection for another case.

I brought my laptop with me so I could get some work done while I was there, and fortunately they had free wi fi. They also had several computers for juror use, and a TV, and the chairs were fairly comfortable all things considered. Jury pay was enough to pay for lunch, that was it.

I'm eligible again starting next year

Notably, I also thought that once you served on a jury Maybe it was knowing that the cops had video evidence to support their claims. Or facing people he personally knew in the jury... but for whatever reason, the Defendant changed his mind and changed his plea.[/QUOTE]

This happens a lot. The Defendant gets nervous, or the prosecutor offers "such a deal."

When I worked as an ER nurse in California, I regularly was summoned as a witness in DUI cases because our hospital had a contract with the county to draw legal blood alcohol levels. Usually I'd call the day before and be told the Defendant had pled out and didn't need to come.

Finally, I do have to show up in court. I dress professionally, arrive early, and have a quick interview with the prosecutor who explains how things will go and what to expect. Since we still had awhile before court, I asked if I could sit in the gallery and watch the other cases to keep occupied until the case I was testifying in was called. The prosecutor said sure.

It was interesting. After awhile I see some folks walk in and recognize the Defendant. I remembered him immediately: he'd been a complete and utter ass, and had to be physically restrained to get the blood (you can't refuse a blood draw in California if you've refused a breath test and the charge is a felony).

He sees me, and immediately walks out. A few minutes later, the prosecutor comes in and tells me I can go home: she's reached a plea deal with the Defendant

[Andara Bledin]

What surprised me was that one of the ladies who served on the jury for last friday's case was picked for the final 12 for yesterday's case too. And some of us haven't even made it up there yet.

That's because until they're actually dismissed or actually serve on a jury (you said the case didn't go to trial, if I recall correctly), it's still the same jury duty session. And since they likely operate with a system similar to what I saw when I went in recently, they went back to the same place they had been in the queue, which was ahead of you.

In my case, the computer system assigned everybody a number, and then arranged the queue based on some criteria I'm not privy to (it's probably as random as they can make it) and all of us were referred to by number or seating position.

^-.-^

[kpzra]

In Alaska you are excused for a year of you did regular jury duty, 3 if you did grand jury because there is a chance that the cases you handed indictments down on would be going to trial in the next year or two. You can hear evidence that is not presented during trial, hence the longer excused period. You can still be called for grand jury again though after a year.

[Anglesmith]

My aunt has served...I think she said three times? Once on the grand jury. Apparently she loves it, and loves when she gets called. She sadly, since moving to Washington State in 1996, has only been called once.

I got called this year in March, and ended up serving. I almost got dismissed though because I graduated high school with one of the witnesses for the Prosecution. No clue on his name, but when he walked in the courtroom, my first thought was "Hey, he looks familiar!"

[PepperElf]

The way it usually works is if you are summoned you get a break for a certain period of time. Where I live, it's one year. I got summoned in 2011 and had to sit in the jury room for one day. I didn't get picked during jury selection, but couldn't leave because they thought they might get to jury selection for another case.

I think people are getting confused. I don't mean being summoned for jury duty again. I mean being picked from the pool of jurors who showed up.


This is our our system here works: We get picked for district and have it for two months. We don't get dismissed unless we get disqualified altogether. So the same people who served at the disability hearings, and at the mistrial still have to show up next time we're called in.



What I thought was that they'd just not put the previous juror balls into the roundy-bin thing until everyone had a go at it, and then recirculate. but apparently they just pick from who's there. even if that person just served at the last case. (regardless of the case outcome)

it's still the same jury duty session.

For us, it'll be the same session until the end of this month. That's my point really. regardless of if a case is dismissed, heard, gets a mistrial... we're still the same pool of jurors.

it's a 2-month duty. not a one-case duty.

[Jester]

I have been pretty astonished at what people wear to court.

I live on a very laid back island with very laid back dress codes. (You can, for example, go into the finest restaurants in town wearing shorts, sandals, a t-shirt, and a ball cap, and they will simply say to you, "How many in your party?") But even our courts have a bit of a dress code. Some people fail to bother adhering to it...with which certain judges is a bad, bad idea. I have seen more than one potential juror/defendant/plaintiff/witness castigated by the judge for their inappropriate and/or unacceptable attire.

Of course, my very first jury duty, I took it very seriously. Perhaps too seriously. I wore dress slacks, a shirt, and a tie.

NO ONE wears a tie down here. Well, no one except lawyers.

Yes, many people kept asking me for directions that day in the courthouse, because they assumed I was a lawyer.

...some actually brought slippers which I thought was tacky.

Perhaps, but they are comfortable!

And to be fair, in most jury boxes, you aren't going to see the jurors' feet.

[kpzra]

We never saw a court room after the first swearing in day, we sat at tables in a room. It was only tacky because the woman was annoying anyway and made a point of bringing big, ratty character ones and making sure everyone knew she had them. I so wanted to smack her after the first day. Most cases in Alaska to be honest are felony DUI, there is NO need to ask why the cop pulled them over, did they cite them for anything else, blah blah blah. What should have been in and out 5 minute cases she dragged on to an hour each.

[Sapphire Silk]

This is our our system here works: We get picked for district and have it for two months. We don't get dismissed unless we get disqualified altogether. So the same people who served at the disability hearings, and at the mistrial still have to show up next time we're called in.

What I thought was that they'd just not put the previous juror balls into the roundy-bin thing until everyone had a go at it, and then recirculate. but apparently they just pick from who's there. even if that person just served at the last case. (regardless of the case outcome)

Ugh. That's really ugly.

Where I'm at it is a one day thing. You show up, you sit all day. You may serve on multiple cases or none depending on how fast the cases go. But unless you get on a case that lasts more than one day, you do your day and are done.

They must need a lot of jurors, so I'm pretty much expected to get called again next summer.

[PepperElf]

Ugh. That's really ugly.

well to be honest it's not that bad, i mean the 2 month part. so far we've only been called in 5 times including orientation.

our last day is in about 2 and a half weeks, and by the time the next disability hearing is called, it'll be a new set of jurors. So, from here until the 2nd of november who knows if they'll even need us.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've been called up for jury duty once, but since the case was thrown out of court never got to be in court. I just got paid my usual rate plus expenses for sitting in the jury room reading.

My dad's never been called up at all. My mum got a call up once, but was excused due to having four children and no transport or any childcare.