Jury Duty?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>S just informed me that he got a summons for jury duty in Massachusetts. He is not a legal resident of the state. He is registered to vote in CA and has a CA driver’s license. He said many of his classmates have received summonses also.</p>

<p>I asked if there was a place on the form to indicate he was not a resident of _____ County. He said no, that’s not how MA works.</p>

<p>Obviously he cannot serve jury duty there. Whenever he would be available (during break), the dorms will be closed.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any experience with this either in MA or other states?</p>

2

<p>Yikes! IMO, they’ve gone too far. It looks legal, but suggest you pm marite our local resident expert.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www-tech.mit.edu/V114/N40/jury.40n.html[/url]”>http://www-tech.mit.edu/V114/N40/jury.40n.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>My daughter (at Williams) got called for jury duty too. They have to do it. Here’s the details:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=1723879&postcount=16[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=1723879&postcount=16&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>from Williams website – ain’t google great?</p>

<p>Information on Jury Duty in Massachusetts </p>

<p>Massachusetts has recently changed its laws for jury selection to include all Massachusetts inhabitants. This means that any U.S. Citizen, 18 years or older who resides in Massachusetts for 50% or more of the calendar year is eligible to be called for jury duty. The main impetus behind this change it to include a broader range of jurors. The previous selection process relied on voter registration lists and thus limited the diversity of jurors. In addition, under the new laws there are virtually no status exemptions (e.g., under previous laws, all teachers, legislators, etc. were exempt. This is no longer true). Therefore, unless you do not satisfy the basic qualifications of an eligible juror (see Part A below) it is likely that you will have to serve. However, you should keep in mind that the laws have been modified both to shorten the length of jury duty and to allow you to schedule your duty at a convenient time. First, check Part A to make sure you are not exempt from jury duty. Then, if you do not qualify for an exemption, check Part B for suggestions on how to plan your jury duty. </p>

<hr>

<p>Part A. Students exempt from jury duty in Massachusetts. </p>

<p>You are exempt from jury duty if any one of the following conditions are true. Note that if you are exempt, you still need to return your forms indicating to the Jury Commissioner the reason(s) for your exemption. </p>

<p>You are under 18 years old. </p>

<p>You are not a U.S. Citizen. </p>

<p>You have served on a jury (anywhere in n the U.S.) within the past 3 years. </p>

<p>You have committed a felony in the past 7 years. </p>

<p>You will not be residing in Massachusetts for 50% of the calendar year. This means that any senior leaving the state by July 1 is exempt. (Indicate this exemption by checking box #5). Note junior year abroad students are not exempt and must serve jury duty. </p>

<hr>

<p>Part B. Students Who are Not Exempt --How to Plan for Jury Duty </p>

<p>Choose a day that is convenient for you. You are allowed one automatic postponement of up to a year. Keep in mind that 95% of jurors serve 3 days or less and it is most probable that you will only have to serve 1 day. This is because even if you do have to appear in court, you may not get selected as one of the jurors. In addition, at the judge’s discretion you can be dismissed from serving on trials lasting for more than one day. </p>

<p>If you are on standby status, call the Courthouse in Pittsfield after 3 p.m. the day before you are scheduled to serve. Ninety-nine percent of potential jurors in Berkshire County are placed on standby status. Notification of status is through the mail about one week before your scheduled date. If you are placed on standby, call the Courthouse the day before your are scheduled to serve to see if it is necessary for you to appear in court. If you are not needed, you do not have to go to Pittsfield and you will have satisfied the jury duty requirement for one year. If you are needed, you will have to go to Pittsfield (see below). If you do not receive standby notification, you will automatically have to appear in court on your scheduled date. </p>

<p>Arrange for transportation to Pittsfield. You will need to be at the Courthouse at 8:30 a.m. for an orientation meeting (a 20-30 minute film and brief explanation of procedures). Following this orientation you will have a chance to request that the judge limit your service to one day. (You might explain to the judge that you are a full-time student with a difficult schedule, transportation difficulties, grade problems, etc., - if applicable.) </p>

<p>If you have further questions contact the Dean’s Office or call the Office of the Jury Commissioner (1-800-843-5879) or Pittsfield District Court, 43 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA (clerk’s office 413-442</p>

5

<p>I live in Massachusetts and, over a period of about 20 years, have had jury duty three times.</p>

<p>If you are called for jury duty in Middlesex County, I would say that it is highly likely that you will be put on a jury, so, unless you manage to get yourself excused, you probably will serve more than one day.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the information. I guess S will have to deal with it after spring break.</p>

7

<p>S who is a CA student received his jury duty notice in January. He was able to postpone it until summer, and he may show up at the courthouse on any convenient Monday to fulfill the requirement.</p>

8

<p>Operamom, was his summons for jury duty in CA, or MA?</p>

9

<p>Kinshasa–S is a CA student in a different city from the jury duty summons. He has to fulfill the obligation in his home town.</p>

10

<p>My son was called for jury duty in Oregon while he was in school in California. Our state excused him. So if he went to college in Massachusetts, he could be called to jury duty in two different states? Interesting…</p>

11

<p>good luck to him, tell him to schedule it for a convenient time if it’s Middlesex - I have been on a trail for six working days so far and expected to go into middle of next week…sigh, I know it’s my civic duty, but…</p>

12

<p>When I was a student, I was mailed a notice of Jury Duty in each state, just after I graduated & was leaving the state for good, OR & later CA (the date to report for each was after I was scheduled to leave for good). I told each state & they excused me. I was a HI resident, but otherwise would have willingly served.
Generally, there is info on the notice about where to contact for more info. It is a right & privilege to serve on the jury, an obligation of being a democracy. A judge I highly respect said that he doesn’t excuse anyone from jury duty–even his wife served on a jury. I enjoyed the one week I served as a juror & found it a very positive experience.</p>

13

<p>Jury duty rules vary from county to county in California. One mistake my daughter made was registering to vote in Santa Barbara County while she has her drivers license from Orange County. This means she is in two databases. She was called for jury duty in SB county, they wouldn’t let her out of it. She showed up sick, during finals, with a pillow and books. We figured the judge would send her home. She sat there all day and when she spoke to the judge he did send her home, but with it deferred, not served. I then told her when her new summons came she should say she was no longer a resident of the county, and she promptly re-registered to vote back in Orange County. They do expect kids to do it, and don’t care that they have nowhere to stay on breaks. It’s pretty ridiculous and while she would like to do her civic duty, she can’t drop out of school to do it!</p>

14

<p>Wow, ocliberal! Thank you for the heads up on this. I will suggest to S that he register to vote (and sign up for absentee ballots) in our home town where his DL is unless he wants to do double duty. Interesting as it can be, students just do not need this during school. S does not have a car, and just getting to the courthouse would be a major project.</p>