Called for Jury Duty during planned Vacation

[grimley1968]

My daughter got her letter yesterday from the courts. She got her postponement for jury duty until January of next year! So we are all good to go and she says she can once again get excited for our trip!

Thanks for everyone's responses!

That's good news!

I've never even considered the possibility of something like this happening until I read this, partly because I have never been called to jury duty (yet). I'll have to keep this thread in mind if I ever do get called and it conflicts with a vacation or other trip.

 

[judypriv]

You shouldn't have mentioned the 3 year allotment, that just muddied the water and got them confused.

You're not just whistling Dixie! He told me he had to call and speak to three different people in three different departments and no one knew what he was talking about and the person who signed the letter didn't even know. Turns out they never read past the three year thing and just stamped denied right away.

 

[KCMiller]

I've lived in Ohio for 24 years, and been a registered voter for every single one of those years. I've never missed even ONE election. I don't have so much as an outstanding traffic ticket. And yet, I've never been called for jury duty. And I know people who've been called twice and three times.

At this point, I'd LIKE to be called, just to make sure I exist !

KC

 

[grimley1968]

I've lived in Ohio for 24 years, and been a registered voter for every single one of those years. I've never missed even ONE election. I don't have so much as an outstanding traffic ticket. And yet, I've never been called for jury duty. And I know people who've been called twice and three times.

At this point, I'd LIKE to be called, just to make sure I exist !

KC

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

I live in Kentucky, and any Kentucky court employees (or whoever it is that picks jury people) reading this thread: you can find me in the phone book under Grimley1968, at 123 ACME Street, in Disneyworld, Kentucky.

 

[mariepapa]

In NY state you have to go when you are called and you cannot get out of it, no excuses. They don't care if you don't have child care or anything. I guess so many people ditched the system they had to start becoming horrible about it.

 

[Grammie3]

I have had 2 times that I was called the first was federal, and of course it was for during the week we had a vacation in Aruba all paid for and ready to go. I was cancelled by the judge and not told I would have to postpone or be called again in any particular time frame. This year the end of May I got a summons for the county courts, for naturally the same week I was going out of the country again on a Scuba diving trip, we were not supposed to call to see if it could be postponed or write,, we were told this had to be done in person on the first day. Of course I was going to be in Turks and Caicos that made it impossible to show up. We know the county clerk of the courts and gave her a call, so she said she would pull my name out and put it back in the September rotations. I have my fingers crossed because I have another trip September 27-October 6th. I am staying at POR, but those first days 9/27-10/1 are not vacation days, I have to attend a class in Orlando for my job. I am not sure I can get it postponed or not if they do pull my name, seems like they do a lottery and randomly pull names.

Keeping the pixie dust being thrown that way just in case.

Grammie3

 

[Irish9697]

Here you have to SHOW UP every day to see if they need you. And then you wait in a room until you're called. It can be up to a week of showing up.

And that's AFTER having a day where you have to go to the convention center with thousands of other people and line up for the weeks you want. It's an insane system.

You must live in Memphis!

I've done that, but thankfully, got called on a case immediately -- immediately being I was the first juror's name called out. We waited around, went through selection for the trial, were briefed by the attorneys and then...the suspect changed their plea and we got to go home that same day (Tuesday - was Memorial Day week...I'm smart and chose that week for the 4 days. LOL) and were relieved of the rest of the week.

 

[Angeni11]

In Montgomery County, MD where I used to live it is one day or one trial. If you aren't picked for a trial in the morning then you are done until you are called again. You do have to call the night before to see if you number is needed. It is a great system and it is a shame more places don't use it.

I actually enjoyed my day serving and was sent home after only going into one courtroom where I wasn't chosen and by then they had filled all the jury slots.

I was called for Grand Jury Duty and ended up writing a 3 page letter as to why it was a hardship at that time (which it was) and how I would be happy to serve but was unable to then. I was excused and my name went back into the pot so to speak but was not called again.

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

The summons isn't sent return receipt requested, they can't prove that you actually received it, and they'll go a couple of rounds of you not responding without getting really serious about it.

Of course if you push it for long enough, they'll probably play a bit harder, but ignoring one, or even two notices isn't going to get their attention much, they'll just figure you are away from home or something.

Gotta chime in here as an attorney. This is what happens in my state....I have seen judges issue Bench warrants for jurors who failed to show up!!! It is much easier to just send a note in explaining why you want it postponed to another time.

My MIL did that and ended up with a bench warrant for her arrest until she served. Then when she did serve she ended up on a sequestered jury!!
She never let it go again!

Exactly!

Many friends have said to just ignore it since the state of FL hardly has the money or manpower to enforce it - but, I'm not taking that chance.

Please don't listen to your friends. If Florida allows for jurors who ignore service to be arrested, you could very likely end up with a bench warrant!!!

 

[heatherwillmom]

DH got a summons for jury duty once & really didn't want to go because of the hassles of getting behind at work. After asking some questions, I found out that since my BIL (on my side of the family) is an investigator with the Attorney General's office, we aren't able to serve on jury duty due to conflict of interests.

 

[WheelCEO]

I've heard of people just throwing it in the garbage.. it doesnt come certified mail so there is no proof that it didnt get lost

edit
this has already been covered i see

 

[Joshua_me]

Please don't listen to your friends. If Florida allows for jurors who ignore service to be arrested, you could very likely end up with a bench warrant!!!

heh...

Thanks, Momto...

Not to worry, I went. *NINE* hours in the courthouse later I was informed that I wasn't picked.

I'm VERY glad that is over, and I spent my day's "pay" ($15) on a pizza for me and the SO....

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

heh...

Thanks, Momto...

Not to worry, I went. *NINE* hours in the courthouse later I was informed that I wasn't picked.

I'm VERY glad that is over, and I spent my day's "pay" ($15) on a pizza for me and the SO....

So glad to hear you went!! And didn't get a warrant issued!!

I know it can be a pain to sit for jury duty! Heck, it can be a pain to be counsel! But thank for going and doing your civic duty!!!

 

[fmcsk]

Well I got the letter from federal court to report Sept 7th my disney trip starts Sept 5th

Emailed them Friday and sent the letter and both have my travel info and airline info, plan to call Monday morning to be excused and have told them in both the email and writing that I will serve but at a latter date.

This trip was to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and our honey moon started at disney 30 years ago.

Wish me luck to get rescheduled!

 

[Uncleromulus]

Since we're on (or sort of on) one of my favorite subjects (the jury system in the good old USA) thought I'd mention that about a year or so ago, the officials around here were concerned that a large # of people (adults) had failed to register to vote. They contacted many of them and guess what--the #1 reason by far for not registering to vote was that they were afraid it would subject them to jury duty!!!!

 

[grafxgirl]

I've never been called for jury duty during a scheduled vacation, but was called for it when I was 2 weeks from my delivery date while I was pregnant for my daughter. In WV we're allowed to call if we have any issues. I let them know this info and they immediately excused me. The lady on the phone told me they certainly didn't want me going into labor during court!

 

[momejay]

I thought I would chime in. Jury duty has never interferred with a vacation, but I did get my a notice when I was 9 months pregnant. I showed up on my son's due date, a Monday, & wasn't excused until I gave birth 15 hours later. They then asked how soon I could report. I was excused due to the fact that I was nursing my son or as soon as I got out of the hospital I would have had to report.
My first time getting called I was just 18. I was good friends with the judge's daughter. She was on my soccer team & I was excused. I ended up reading in the hallway as an alternate for another case about to start. It never started & I never actually made it to the jury.
My second time I knew the police officer involved in the case & I was excused.
My dad, 75 years old, just got a notice this week & has to serve in September. I am glad he goes in Sept & not Nov as we planned to go to WDW.

 

[fmcsk]

Does anyone have experience in the Cleveland Ohio area in getting their date changed? I am freaking out that my vacation and 30 year anniversary trip will get cancelled.

I have no problem serving since I have done it before but hope to reschedule sometime in January next year (have a 11 day cruise scheduled also for our anniversary).

Let me know your comments and ideas, Thanks

 

[verticalchaos]

In NY state you have to go when you are called and you cannot get out of it, no excuses. They don't care if you don't have child care or anything. I guess so many people ditched the system they had to start becoming horrible about it.

Nope. Well, unless it's changed in the past couple of years. I'm in Brooklyn, and I was called a couple of summers ago for the week summer school started. I was able to postpone until October (actually I could have picked any time within 6 months of the original call). Almost made it to the end of my third day of sitting there without being called into a voir dire (at the end of the third day if you hadn't been called you got released). Thankfully I knew enough about psychopharmeceuticals (which was what the trial was going to be dealing with) I was able to get myself off the jury by making myself VERY unappealing to one of the lawyers - so much so she used one of her "get rid of this person" quota on me. Hee! (I actually didn't have to make up anything - I was just able to say WHY I was strongly against them...and have close family reasons to back it up.)

But yeah, unless something changed in the past 2 years you CAN postpone once in NY.

edit: This wasn't Grand Jury. I don't know how that works. It was regular court. Possibly Grand Jury can't be rescheduled.

 

[rigs32]

But yeah, unless something changed in the past 2 years you CAN postpone once in NY.

You're correct. On the last jury trial I did, I had TWO students in the first pass that had rescheduled for summer as they were out of town for school when originally called. I kept them both. But the trial only lasted 1.5 days.