<p>I was called to Jury Duty many times but had never been to a Jury selection. Each time I was either not required to show or dismissed in the Jury room.</p>
<p>Went to Jury Duty today, first time was in for actual Jury selection in a court and it turns out to be a double homicide! The judge told us that we will be in this for a long hull, 4 days a week and for a month. Boy, just to fill that 20 pages questionare is a job by itself let alone the high tension in the court room.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I was dismissed as the defendent lawyer didn’t like me at the last moment. What would you do in a situation like mine? Try to stay or leave? The $15 pay is nothing, but the thrill?</p>
<p>If you try to stay, you’re sure to be eliminated. It would certainly be interesting to be on a jury in a case like that, but probably not thrilling after the first couple of days.</p>
<p>A thrill? I wouldn’t feel one. Those were real people who died. We lost a family friend to murder last year. It’s so devastating for the family, and even friends and acquaintances. I don’t see how I could sit in a jury box and hear the testimony about any murder now.</p>
<p>If I was retired and had a ton of free time on my hands, I might find a long case… intruiging. But I am not retired and I dont have much free time. I woudl find that time demand untenable.</p>
<p>fantasy: getting an inside look at how the system works, the intriguing process the prosecutor goes through to build a case, your chance to make a difference by taking a murderer off the streets.</p>
<p>reality: bored to tears most of the time and scared to death that the defendant or his friends might come after you.</p>
<p>Good point! I have never thought that way. I was kept on thinking what I have to do to get away from work to do this. I really don’t want to be tied up like that.</p>
<p>I’m retired, have time on my hands, and have never served. Only one time was I dismissed and usually am the one who doesn’t get called up to be questioned or instructed the night before that my attendance won’t be necessary.</p>
<p>I know I am probably in the minority, but I would like to see “professional jurrors” even if the trial involved me or a family member.</p>
<p>My son was just called for jury duty earlier this summer. They did not say what the case was about, but they did say that the case would go on for a minimum of 2 weeks and could go on longer and one would need to be available until the end of the trial. DS was very lucky not to have to serve on that jury. He was working a summer job on an hourly wage and he needed to work to have money at school (not to mention the 3 taking credit summer class ). He explained to the judge that he is a full time student OOS, but was currently working for money that he needs during the school year. The judge was kind enough to free him from serving on this case, but he did not have to do so. My son did have to sit there in case he would be needed for a one day trial (never happened). I don’t think that he will be asked to serve for 3 years (that is how it used to be, but could have changed). In any event, he won’t be asked to serve again for some period of time.</p>
<p>Thanks for your kind words, artloverplus. Even if my family had never been touched by a murder, I don’t think I’d make a good juror in a murder trial, from the viewpoint of either side. And what an awful hardship to be away from one’s own family for weeks and weeks, not to see newspapers, have to watch every word one says, etc. And the thought of getting caught back up at work after a long trial - horrible.</p>
<p>We have tens of millions of people out of work - and then we have those that are in jobs where they need to get their work done and we pull them out of their jobs providing risk to their employers and risks that the employee might lose their jobs over an absence. Seems to me that hiring those out of work would be an easy win.</p>
<p>I had jury duty last year. While I take the responsibility of citizenship very seriously- it was lots of waiting & sitting. A trial would have made it slightly more interesting, but I am slightly squeamish and wouldn’t relish the thought of looking at evidence of a violent case.</p>
<p>I did enjoy the cross section of life in the jury pool however- interesting folks.</p>
<p>BCEagle, With stimulus money? Currently, jurors in NJ receive $5 per day of service.</p>
<p>For my son, losing 2+ weeks of summer earnings would have been a real hardship. He has a roof over his head, but he needed to earn that money. The judge understood that, and was kind enough to dismiss my son for a long trial. I don’t think any lawyer or their client would want a resentful or angry person on their jury anyway. There are plenty of folks on salary (ie: school teachers with tenure that can and do take time to sit on trial. I found that a disruption to my kids’ educations, but they survived).</p>
<p>The time involved is the least of it. It is a huge pressure to be on a jury like that. Your decision has a major impact on both the accused and the family of the victim.</p>
<p>I got called in college and was more than happy to take a couple of weeks off. The dean had other ideas, and wrote it would be a hardship. These were minor cases. The idea of life and death would be so much more daunting.</p>
<p>I’ve been a registered voter for over 30 years and have never been called. Long story, but my dad registered to vote for the first time a couple of years ago, and was called a month later!</p>
<p>Many years ago, my MIL was called to jury duty on a corruption trial involving the Teamsters. She served 9+ months before the jury convicted. She was