<p>I guess it varies a lot. A few years ago on the Western Slope some judge sent deputies to the local Wal-Mart and had him select and bring folks back since they were short of jurors.</p>
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<p>That is one of the top three stupidest sentences I’ve ever heard. </p>
<p>If I was on trial, I would not want a jury full of people who were angry to be there (& with very good reason.) I’ve always wondered why we don’t have professional jurors?</p>
<p>The irony is that there are plenty of people who would be happy to sit on a jury who are never called. (No member of my family has ever been called, for some strange reason. And we have always been registered to vote, had registered cars, and all that.)</p>
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That’s a good point.</p>
<p>[Weighed</a> down by recession woes, jurors are becoming disgruntled - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/15/local/la-me-reluctant-jurors15-2010feb15]Weighed”>Weighed down by recession woes, jurors are becoming disgruntled)</p>
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<p>It just makes no sense. I have only been called once and received an exemption back when my 4 kids were age 5 and under. Now I’m an empty nester with a part-time job that I can easily take time off from and I never get called. Yet D1, who is in graduate school 4 hours away, has been called to duty by both the federal and local courts just in the last 10 months. She was excused from one, we’re waiting to here about the second one.</p>
<p>This woman needs to report this judge to whatever board reviews judicial conduct, pronto. This is unconscionable.</p>
<p>Moonchild, I thought in CA, young kids were no longer an excuse – unless, I think, you are nursing an infant. Do you know the exact rule? It seems that in CA, nothing will keep you off of jury duty job/commitment-wise. My son was also called up for duty and it was getting down to the wire and he was still on the panel and he told the judge he had finals and was told it didn’t matter. You could be the only guy in the city who performs a rare life-saving surgery every day, and they wouldn’t care. I read an article recently though that jurors are revolting – not about serving, but about serving when they feel that the system lets people out too fast. Their point is that they don’t want to spend the time serving, if criminals don’t have to serve the time.</p>
<p>A friend of mine had a coworker who served on a famous murder case in NYC. They were sequestered for months–and then shortly after they began to deliberate the case was settled! Needless to say they were ticked.</p>
<p>Edit: “Settled” probably isn’t the right term. A plea bargain was arranged.</p>
<p>It is very difficult to get out of jury duty in Cuyahoga County. Having your jury duty postponed until a better time is not difficult.
[Cuyahoga</a> County Common Pleas Court](<a href=“Jury Duty | CCCCP”>Jury Duty | CCCCP)</p>
<p>Last time my husband was summoned, the woman next to him was excused because she had a bunch of calves that had to be fed. The judge said that he didn’t want hungry calves on his conscience.</p>
<p>I was called once when my children were small. Childcare costs were more than the state was offering to pay as a per-diem. And i was going to have to drive 20 miles and pay to park. I was asked if couldn’t I find someone to watch my kids … for free? Not happening in my world. I was excused.</p>
<p>When I was called again, I was a small business owner with a scheduled and paid business trip during the trial dates. I was excused again. I still had to take a day out of the shop and show up to explain my excuse and it was not a good time. (Do the customers understand when the business owner is out of the shop on <em>jury duty</em> and the replacement staff is not up to snuff yet?)</p>
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<p>Texas has an exemption for full time students as well. I guess there’s a few things we’re not backwards about, lol.</p>
<p>By the way, I didn’t check the link, but somehow I’m guessing the judge in this case was a man and never had to actually figure out his own kids’ childcare, if he had any. I know there are lots of progressive dads out there who get it, I’m just guessing he is not one of them.</p>
<p>"It seems that in CA, nothing will keep you off of jury duty job/commitment-wise. " I’ll have to see it that’s true. My husband just got a summons. He’s been dead two years.</p>
<p>(Okay, what really has me flummoxed is death certificates are public record. Wouldn’t you think they would cross check for that?)</p>
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Teachers in CA aren’t paid for the days they are on jury duty?</p>
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<p>The most important thing that a society does is to raise the next generation well.</p>
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<p>It’s clear that laws vary widely from state to state. In general, if we’re unhappy with
the laws in our states, we should contact our elected representatives to get them
changed.</p>
<p>I think that most people don’t think about legislative changes to address this as it
doesn’t affect us that often but it’s clear that some states have done a better job
than others.</p>
<p>We have 10% unemployment - just pay jurors enough and I’m sure that there would be plenty of volunteers.</p>