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<p>Very nice. 
She needed to be reminded that she’s talking to real people. In Los Angeles, you can postpone without any hassle, but then you had better be available. I remember my Dd having to postpone until summer one year, but it worked out. I like the system we have where you call in or check online each day to see if they want you to report. More often than not, it seems that we don’t wind up going in at all.</p>
<p>My S got hit in Boston with jury duty, got on a panel and being my son got thrown off, probably for being a wise guy (he made a comment about the law being idiotic, must have done the trick). Most places if it had happened during finals are willing to postpone it, or if it is during the summer when the kid isn’t there, they can’t force you to serve. Likewise, if my S is in Boston and they try to get him to do jury duty back home here in NJ, they would not say “he has to serve, college is no excuse” if he is not in the area. </p>
<p>I don’t think most people object to jury duty, I think they objected to the jury system that would treat them like they were at the DMV, rather than people being asked to do a supposedly important task. The person who was snippy when someone explained they were 400 miles from home, or who had finals, is not saying they won’t do jury duty, they are explaining why they can’t at that time. I have delayed serving on jury duty because I was bogged down at work, but also later served. </p>
<p>One of the nice things is these days you no longer face multiple days of waiting around. In NJ you check in the night before, and a lot of the times they may not need you, and if you serve, it is 1 day or one trial, so if you don’t get on a jury (or get on a panel that doesn’t finish questioning), you are done, it is lightyears better than the old system, and at least where I am, the attitude of those running it is much better, they were notorious for treating prospective jurors like cattle and being downright nasty, at least now it seems like they treat jurors like they are important. Don’t know what NYC is like these days, back when I did it, wasn’t all too pleasant. </p>
<p>@sylvan8798, it’s not necessarily that people try to get out of jury duty. The OP was asking because her son was too far away to serve in the district to which he was summoned.</p>
<p>I got summoned when I was studying in France my junior year. My parents did something like @thumper1 recommended and just wrote that I was abroad until June. </p>
<p>Our area pays jurors $10 a day, where are these places that pay more?
A couple years ago I had jury duty on New Year’s Eve. It didn’t carry over through the new year, but it was a huge hassle because I was disabled and bus service is restricted on holidays. ( all the walking and sitting was also very uncomfortable)
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<p>Thanks, MassMom - I wasn’t asking so D could “get out of” jury duty, but because local rules require you provide an alternate date within 6 months of the date on the form and D is in school now and will be out of state for most if not all of the summer.</p>
<p>My son received a jury summons. He called and found out that our county excuses college students not attending college in the county. The excuse wasn’t one that was listed on the form’s check list, so it might be worth a call. </p>
<p>ucbalumnus, we are in Maryland. The office that handles this actually called him and apologized for their mistake. Apparently someone was quick to assume that college was not an excuse, but when my son had pushed it with copies and links to their own website, they became very cooperative and did in fact allow him to delay - they even let him pick when it was convenient. So, in the end, all worked out rather well and I think he is looking forward to it.</p>
<p>Older d was called and requested postponement and was called again. She did appear, it was the week before she was leaving for semester abroad, watched the movie about civic duty and the glories of jury duty and then all who could not commit for two weeks were asked to report to front desk. She gave them copies of her travel schedule and registration forms for semester abroad and she was dismissed, hasn’t ever been called again and this is no longer her legal address. Younger d was just called for the first time at her now legal address and she did appear, went through the same process and as she was appearing in play that was going to require daytime rehearsal came to front desk and presented schedule and was dismissed. She figured that was better than postponement when she might actually have a better gig or be on an out of town tour or summer stock. Here in NY if your employer does not pay you for jury duty, NYS pays you something like $40.00.<br>
Last time I was called I appeared and was dismissed without ever being called for jury selection. Last summer I was called to report for federal jury and same thing happened. Actually neither d would mind serving. If only you can schedule the best time to be called. I was called when I was pregnant with older d and then again six months after I had given birth. At that time in NYS, if you were responsible for dependent children you were automatically excused. Since I was nursing at the time, my daughter was definitely dependent on me.</p>
<p>Well this is very timely as my college daughter had jury duty today! </p>
<p>She attends college in Boston and as was mentioned they require out-of -state students to serve. She is registered to vote and has a driver’s licence in our home state of NJ - so they must have gotten her address from the school (somewhere I read that schools in Mass are required to submit student addresses for this purpose.)</p>
<p>Anyway, she got a notice last year and was able to go on-line and request another date within 12 months. She selected today as it was the first weekday after finals but it turns out she is on coop so instead just needed to take the day off of work (and btw in Mass the state does not pay you but your employer is required to pay you even if you are part-time). </p>
<p>She was excused after lunch today when the case they expected was settled. So she is done for three years. It was actually very painless and the hardest part was finding the courthouse and which entrance to use!</p>
<p>I posted on this topic several years ago. i wrote a letter for son, giving dates he’d be available. It worked, and then his friend’s mother called, as her son called for duty while in NJ. I sent her all my letters, and it worked for him.</p>
<p>In our county, the compensation for the first few days is $9/day and for me it’s about a half hour drive and $6/day parking at the court. Our court FAQ says “No” to the question, “Do I have to miss class?” which makes sense. Contrary to what others feel, I have no problem with self employed, or workers who won’t get compensated to try to avoid jury duty. On the occasions I got called there were many more of us than what was needed.</p>
<p>The last time I had jury duty I was summoned to the court and was made to wait for two days in a dirty room with other people with no internet or wifi service. The court staff were totally uncooperative and also in a foul mood. They didn’t know anything and couldn’t tell me when the judge would be ready to see us. They wasted two days of my life (I will never be able to get that time back) for no good reason. I vowed after that experience I would never respond to a jury summons again even if that makes me a lawbreaker. There is no reason why they can’t have me go at a specific time and keep the wait time to less than a hour.</p>
<p>I have willingly served on at least five juries in the last 18 years, been seated for several more and seem to be called at the legal minimum time.
. In my dreams! Several? Not here.
That said, I have also deferred online (although our county seems to let you use that just once), and appealed to the bailiff (she’s awesome) when a multi-day assignment would have been impossible. Wish our county let you know your assignment ahead of time. Driving downtown, paying for parking and waiting around until 10 AM to discover you are assigned to your hometown court = bad technology.</p>
<p>My kiddo got a summons and I called and got a deferment. She never got a follow-up summons. </p>
<p>My daughter got a summons last month. The form listed as an exemption being enrolled and attending an institution of higher learning and it specified that in that instance a parent could request and sign for the exemption. </p>
<p>You can be called for both federal or state juries–serving on one won’t have any effect on the other.</p>
<p>My son received a notice, we told them he was away at college, and we never heard anything else about it. I’ve been called once in 25 years, and wasn’t needed. I don’t think my wife has ever been called.</p>
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<p>Southeastern MI. $25 for the first day and then $40 each day after.</p>