jury duty

[lordsmurf]

Get up at 6:00 a.m., arrive by 8:00 each morning, across town fighting rush hour, losing about $10 for food/parking then getting paid $6 from the state.

In the meantime, unable to work to make a living. I'm getting screwed.

I'm just venting. Feel free to join me.

[pacmania_2001]

When you get questioned by counsel for jury selection just tell that because you are disgruntled from the little pay and the inconvenience of jury duty that any case you get put on you will return a guilty verdict no matter what.

[galactica]

actually what i did was tell them i'm republican conservative, pro-death penalty who listens to Michael W. Smith albums all day...

hmm... how come i always get turned away at the door!

[MOVIEGEEK]

I served on a jury once and I hope never again...at least until I'm retired,now everytime I get a jury summons I claim a hardship.

Look at the bright side lordsmurf you get to do some reading and meet interesting people. :P

[jeex]

jury duty pay needs to be reformed, this $6 a day shit is ridiculous.

how does anyone on trial expect to get a fair decision with a jury that is already disgruntled for being screwed?

i know that both sides get to decide who gets to be on the jury (in most cases i think), but its still not fair to the person on trial or the jury.

unless you're unemployed (and not looking for a job), jury duty is a wank.

i'm thinking jury duty pay should be ATLEAST minimum wage.

jury duty is a civic responsibility, but you shouldnt get screwed by it.

[John James]

I know of a friend who done jury duty on several occasions.

He even need to take jury leave from his real job and gets paid a little more just to attend. No more now.

My mother received notice to attend jury duty once and she wasn't well and with the help of my father, she excluded herself from duty with a doctor's certificate.

I never received one notice to attend and I just don't know how jury selection works. Jury duty payment is too low and needs to improve.

[thayne]

My job pays my regular salary when I have jury duty, but they never pick me I always get weeded out cause depending on my mood I say I will either convict no matter what or aquit no matter what....

I wouldn't make a good jurer anyway, I would make up my mind within the first few minutes and it would take an act of God to change my mind once made up....

[themichael]

Its pretty sad, the justice system in this country (US).

The fate of hundreds of people are decided by 12 persons too stupid or lazy to think up an excuse not to go.

[Will Hay]

Co-incidence, as we were talking about this very same issue in the office this week.
Everyone I spoke to can't wait to do it, and the other two who have done it loved it.
What's this $6 a day shit, you get your normal wage too, right?
In the UK we get our normal wage (the government pays the employer) and travelling expenses on top.
Will

[Conquest10]

What's this $6 a day shit, you get your normal wage too, right?
In the UK we get our normal wage (the government pays the employer) and travelling expenses on top.

Not in the good old US of A.

[Craig Tucker]

Bummer, so if you get jury duty you dont get paid ? well except for $6 a day. What if the trial goes on for weeks, or even months ? No wonder no-one over there wants to do it if it ends up costing you a shit-load of money. If we get selected for jury duty over here you would actually probrably be better off.

[tgpo]

I know a lot of places will still pay you for your regular job while you are at jury duty. Here where I work they know that it is a responsibility of citizens to to it and don't penalize you for doing it. So in actuality If I were to go to jury duty I'd be making $6 a day more than normal.

Unfortunately*not all places see it like that. Some places say "If you're not here working, you're not getting paid."

Ithought that their were laws passed that stated that for a certain amount of time your employer had to pay you for jury duty....did I just make that up or something?

[SLK001]

Well, I like trials! I am retained sometimes by the State as an expert witness in RFI matters. I get paid $150 an hour. And the clock starts when I leave my house. It stops when I set foot back onto my front doorstep.

Yep... love those trials!

P.S. I haven't lost a case yet and when the State wins, the poor smuck who challenged the arrest gets hit will all costs - which include my costs!

[edsmith77]

It all depends upon; the type of employee you are.
If you an exempt employee (i.e., salaried) your company picks up the tab. That is they will pay you your normal salary while you performing jury duty. The company incurs this as part of their overhead costs.

If you are a non-exempt employee, then your union should have a clause that covers this item. If you are not part of a union then.........

The monies you receive while performing jury duty are to cover out of pocket expenses like parking, lunch, etc. It is not intended to cover your wages.

[redwudz]

I get paid by my employer for jury duty. Last case I was called on was two speed freaks that hid in a closet and jumped out and stabbed a guy in the back eight times and were pleading self defense. I sat there for two days while they interviewed prospective jurors that said they would not be influanced by the fact that one of the people was a major meth dealer and the other was a user and a prositute. The perps came back a hour later and ransacked the room with him dead on the floor, got $2. These two sat in court pretending to be little angels. When I was asked by the judge if I had anything to say, I said the druggers that I have delt with would kill their own mother for a fix and I would'nt believe a word they said and could not render a fair decision. I was dismissed, but they were both convicted of first degree murder. A jury of 12 ordinary people put them where they belong, away from the rest of us. Jury duty is a pain, but it's important.
Edit: sorry this is politics, should have kept quiet.

[Devanshu]

$6 an hour? That sucks bigtime.

I'm reading this book called the runaway jury which has been turned into a movie...very interesting book, although I havent seen the movie yet. In it, Grisham describes the jury selection process...if anyone has read it(or if it's in the movie), is that how a jury is really picked? If not, then how is a jury selected?

[VCDHunter]

Everyone I spoke to can't wait to do it, and the other two who have done it loved it.
Will

Apart from the retards you get stuck with its a doddle.

I found the repetition a bit draining, we kept going over the same points again and again. Long case tho - six weeks.

[g_shocker182]

You owe your country more than it owes you lordsmurf.

[shoozleboy]

Some of us who work for larger companies most likely get paid for jury duty... I know I do...

Maybe Lordsmurf is losing money because he works for himself and since he is tied up all day in juryduty, there is no one watching the shop or bringing in the $$ ?? I don't know his case, I'm just suggesting a situation...

Is that what it is Lordsmurf?

In Pennsylvania, if you register to vote, then your name is put on a list for jury duty. They select the names at random and summons them to the courthouse on a certain day or week.

As far as what cases you hear, the attorneys get to ask you certain questions and can decide whether or not they want you on the jury... i don't remember all the specifics on how they can disqualify you and such, but it can be a long drawn out process sometimes....

[lordsmurf]

You are 100% correct. I am currently self employed. If I don't work, I am f'ed 100% for that day. If I had a "regular" job, it would not matter as much.

The thing ended today. Finally. I think I've had more fun watching paint dry.

Civic duty is fine and all. But that doesn't mean anything to my creditors.

It cost $5 for lunch (cheapest combo) and $3 to park. So I paid $8 and get back $6. Great deal, huh?!

[Solarjetman]

They should at least make parking free. It is free where I am.

I have only sat on one jury, but we never went into deliberation. the judge called a mistrial right before the end. The lawyers were breaking almost every rule in the book. It was actualy quite amusing.

I don't mind jury duty too much, I enjoy watching how government works, and its a way I can take part in that (I also vote in most elections both federal and local). Plus, I think I make a good juror.

[gmatov]

In Texas it sounds like 6 bucks a day.

In Pennsylvania, it is, I think, 16 bucks a day. Not per hour. Larger employers pay the difference to make you whole for the day. Smaller employers, and possibly some larger ones are the same pricks that fire the Military Reservists now serving in Iraq, because they are not at work.

They have lawyers who specialize in selecting jurors, with all the "trapped you" questions to pick or eliminate you.

You can be disqualified peremptorily, or for cause. There is a limit to the number of peremptory challenges, which amount to "I didn't like the way he combed his hair.".

For cause is when you answer in a way that indicates you would not be impartial, such as"If he wasn't guilty, the cops would never have arrested him", or, in a capital case, like murder,l telling the Prosecutor you are opposed to the death penalty.

I've been sommonsed once in my 59 years, called the number provided one day in advance, and advised that the jury had been selected, I was excused.

Here, we have "One day, one trial" which means you go to the courthouse on a given day, if you are selected, you serve for as long as the trial takes, months, perhaps, or, if not selected, your civic duty is considered performed.

I would not wish to serve on a jury determining a person's fate. If I had a hard on for a murderer, I don't really think I could be impartial.

A civil suit, on the other hand, I think I could be. We are only talking about money, here, not someone's freedom, or life.

My feelings.

Cheers,

George

As to lordsmurf, yes, a self employed person is royally screwed doing his civic duty.

Most jurors are too dumb, or prejudiced, to be jurors.

Since we are all video buffs, go rent "12 Angry Men " someday. See where prejudice rears its ugly head.

Prejudice means "pre-judged".

[Hardcoreruss]

Im with you Will can't wait to do it, hope I get picked !!!

[devinemi83]

I'm a broke ass mofo waiting to apply for college, 16 a day would be cool. Do they give you lunch to? I registered to vote like 4 months ago and I want jury duty LOL Seriously.

[indolikaa]

actually what i did was tell them i'm republican conservative, pro-death penalty who listens to Michael W. Smith albums all day...

Where I live, that's the last thing you'd want to cop to. You'd be on jury duty the rest of your life!

We lean a little to the Right out here. I mean, where else in the US would cattle rustling still be on the books as a capital offense?

.indolikaa.
Don't Touch my Cow

[gmatov]

You owe your country more than it owes you lordsmurf.

Shocker,

Where the hell do you kids get that idea? PT109, or the Bobby Kennedy movie, or what?

One of these days you will no longer be daddy's little exemption, will have to start paying taxes on your own, and will realize THEY owe you a hell of a lot more than you owe them.

If it should ever come to that, they will give you a set of fatigues and a piss poor rifle and tell you to go stop the bad guys, over yonder.

If it doesn't, they will tell you, well, you gotta pay more taxes, because we have more leeches feeding at the public trough. And, if we dont pay them better than you are paid, we'll lose them, and then who would write the regulations that we didn't know we were making into law?

Jesus, lad, read a little of the US history. Hell's bells, read a little of the US current events. Patriot, Patriot 2. You have just had 50% of your civil liberties revoked. You're a fat white 14 year old, or an 80 year old Medal of Honor winner, you are susceptible to a body cavity search. Ask General Joe Foss, 80 plus years old,and a bunch of Arabic looking people boarding the plane, he gets yanked, for a body cavity search, because he carried his Meda 0f Honor next to his person while trying to board a plane.

I gotta say, you yooung pups sure will sit still for anything a lying government feeds you.

And you will be of voting age, soon.

God bless America. You guys will never see it through to the end. "Well, really, we got it prettygood, don't we? Why shake up the people in power?"



Kinda pisses me off, you're all a buncha wumps, you might just as well emigrate to England, or Australia, or Canada .

You'd be at home there.

Cheers,

George
_________________

[lordsmurf]

you're all a buncha wumps, you might just as well emigrate to England, or Australia, or Canada . You'd be at home there.

<cough, cough> France <cough>

[pacmania_2001]

George,

Lets not close another thread with politics, keep it to PM's.

[gmatov]

Pacman,

You're right, I shouldn't have said "you're all".

But, that is pure BULL, "Ask not what your country can do for you...."

Horse puckey. That is why you pay half your income to the powers that be, for them to "serve and protect".

Except the Supremes say they don't have to protect YOU.

It's probably too much to expect the younger generations to know what they have lost, over the last 40 years, with so many going to college and being brainwashed by Liberal professors.

Don't get me wrong here. I consider myself a liberal. I identify with the Dems in this country, not the Reps, the "Conservatives" whose onle goal in politics is to take from the middle class to give to the rich. Conservative, to them means they want to conserve all they have.

And, ask you to do more for your country, while they move all the jobs to Bangladesh, or someplace even lower wage.

Remember my paraphrase of the Chairman of GE, who said he wished he could put all his factories on big barges so he could tow them to the country with the lowest wage scale that week?

I was reading a mag the other night, at work, and the boss came up and asked "Are we learning anything?". I had just finished an article and said yes, and pointed to a paragraph, which he read and had to agree with, that the goal of management is to do more work with less people for less money. He said that seemed to be accurate and I said, yeah, this crew was 28 people a couple years ago, we're down to 14 and 3 don't work with the crew. He popped back, yes, and we have just as many cranes as we ever had.

Rather taken aback, but he'd been downsized and called back, so maybe he's a bit disenchanted with the way the "powers" treat the peons.

Oh, well, off the soapbox. No more politics, if this was.

Lordsmurf,

France would be good, too, at least they didn't rubberstamp this Iraqi thing, like one of the UK leaders did, the lying politico one.

And, they have 200 kinds of cheese.



Cheers,

George

Started this 6 hours ago, had to go to my g'daughter's basketball game, then out to eat with my kids. Everything I wrote is probably outdated. Sorry.

[zzyzzx]

I'd love to get selected for a jury.. But since the OJ Simpson trial, being white means that you won't get picked anymore.

I did go once a couple of years ago, and they recycled unpicked jurors from one courtroom to the next. It was interesting to see the pool of unpicked potential jurors get whiter as the day went on.