I see that Canada has taken up the British concept of impressing people for governmental duty.

We can haz urban legendz for getting out of jury duty thread?

/tell 'em you eat babies. Always got my buddy out of jury duty

I came really close to doing this at a trial a few weeks ago. Between holiday excuses, illness and others we had a small pool to start with and only 2 left over after we seated the alternates.

I work in a courthouse. Usually what happens around here when lots of people don't show up for jury duty - and that's far more common than dismissing 120+ jurors - is that employees get pressed into jury duty. Doesn't happen very often, maybe once or twice a year, but the jury coordinator will come down and ask if anyone is available to do jury duty. I can't do it any more, because I don't live in this county, but it seems like a better system than grabbing people off the street.

Still, jury duty is one of those things you have to do as a citizen. It shouldn't be something you try and get out of just because you don't want to do it - otherwise the jury pool is not a representative sample. Here in the US, where I am, there are a lot of messed up laws that should be opposed by people who are informed and willing to not just do what they're told by lawyers.

... or solicitors, in the UK, where this story is from. Same principle applies.

In the end, no jurors' service was required. After the 12th seat was filled by a woman pulled in from the street, the case was resolved, Beasley said.

*snerk*

/As someone who's currently on call for jury duty, I'm getting a kick out of this.
//So far,they told me to turn up twice, sat around drinking coffee for half an hour, then haven't had my number called before the jury was full, and went home. Getting $50 each time is a nice little bonus, considering I'm unemployed at the moment, but I'd really like to get onto a trial - $110 a day +expenses is better than most of the jobs I'm applying for.

SteelDraco: ... or solicitors, in the UK, where this story is from. Same principle applies.

United Kanada?

/It's London, Ontario

Tip for avoiding jury duty.

1. Throw the notice in the trash. I've been doing it for nine years.

superfudge73 Smartest
Funniest
2012-01-18 11:32:27 AM


Tip for avoiding jury duty.

1. Throw the notice in the trash. I've been doing it for nine years.

That can get you a one way trip to the local jail for ignoring a court order. Our local judge regularly hauls people in for failing to appear.

Jury duty is one of the few government burdens that I support and believe in without reservation. So I wouldn't have a problem with this at all.

Don't hang around the courthouses in Texas, they can do the same thing here.....and they have.

I managed to avoid jury duty by loitering around the courthouse. I was called for jury duty, brought into the court room, survived the first round of eliminations, and then we broke for lunch. I brought my lunch so I was eating outside the courtroom, as I had nowhere else to go, when the plaintiff and his lawyers came out and started discussing strategy. After a minute or so, a lawyer looked up and said (exact quote) "oh sh*t, a juror!" and they ran off.

First order of business after lunch break was my being called up to the bench to be dismissed. The judge flat out said I didn't do anything wrong, those yahoos shouldn't have been talking about it without looking around first, but thems the breaks so I got to go home. And that's the closest I've been to serving on a jury.

/CSB

maddermaxx: In the end, no jurors' service was required. After the 12th seat was filled by a woman pulled in from the street, the case was resolved, Beasley said.

*snerk*

/As someone who's currently on call for jury duty, I'm getting a kick out of this.
//So far,they told me to turn up twice, sat around drinking coffee for half an hour, then haven't had my number called before the jury was full, and went home. Getting $50 each time is a nice little bonus, considering I'm unemployed at the moment, but I'd really like to get onto a trial - $110 a day +expenses is better than most of the jobs I'm applying for.

Yeah, but the money only kicks in after the first week or so.

I recall a recent article about how the jury system is outdated. They still select randomly using names on cards rather than a computer and a lot of jurors are retired or middle to upper class because others can't afford to take time off work. It would be a lot more balanced if they paid out like unemployment, matching your income up to a certain cut-off, then a maximum rate after that.