Well I think it is time to have a page for getting out of Jury Duty.
Most everyone has to go through it sometime in their life and most of
the time it is at a very inconvenient time. So here we go folks, please
send yours in because I know everyone has tried and succeeded in getting
out of their commitment to society.
1. Ok this is Madtbone here and I'll start this page off.
Years back when I received my first notice for jury duty, we where
really busy at work plus I really couldn't afford to take the time
off from work to do this. So I talked my boss into sending in a
letter telling the appropriate department that their business was
extremely busy and I was the only person there that did my job and
they couldn't afford to be without me. Well folks it work and I was
excused from jury duty for the rest of that year.
2. I made it to the final table at the WSOP poker tournament the price money is $1 dollars, if you can match
my wages then I’ll be there on the first day of trial.
3. Once when I was actually before the Judge being asked why
I should be excused from serving on this jury and it was going to be
a trial from someone accused of possession of methamphetamine
and I said that I am a recovering addict and my drug of choice was
methamphetamine. I also said that I believe drug addiction is a
disease not a crime and the Judge thanked me for my honesty and
excused me!
4. My sister was excused by a judge from jury duty because
she told them that she thought the police in that town were
corrupt.
5. My dad told me of someone he knew who got out of jury
duty by standing up, looking over the defendant, and saying
confidently, "He looks guilty."
6. During voir dire for a criminal trial which was to last a
few weeks with the jury sequestered, the judge asked my wife if
there was any reason why she could not serve for such a period of
time. My wife answered that she could manage and her family could
manage, but that she was concerned about her cancer patients whose
treatments would necessarily be disrupted. She was excused.
7. When I got my notice of jury duty I was about to give
birth, and after my daughter was born I had to stay home to nurse
the baby (the excuse was accepted) [Reported in "Jury Duty No-Shows
Explain Why in Court," New York Times, 12 September 1993, section 1,
p. 47, col. 5.].
8. Another man in my apartment house who the same name as me
often gets my mail, so he probably got my jury summons (the excuse
was accepted; man showed page from New York City telephone directory
to back up his claim) [Reported in "Jury Duty No-Shows Explain Why
in Court," New York Times, 12 September 1993, section 1, p. 47, col.
5.].
9. A woman brought her boss along, who said that he was a
building contractor, that his business could not operate without the
woman, and that if the woman reported for jury duty she would be
fired from her job. The judge ordered the woman to report for jury
service the next week, and ordered her boss to do his jury service
upon his employee's completion of her jury service, and that if he
fired the woman he would be held in criminal contempt of the court.
[Reported in "Jury-Duty Dodgers Tell It to the Judge" by Jan
Hoffman, New York Times, 8 April 1996, section B, p.1, col. 2.].
10. When summoned to court for not answering repeated jury
inquiries, a woman told the judge "Due to my emotional problems and
chemical dependencies, your honor, I don't think I'm an appropriate
juror at this time." The judge looked at the doctor's note and said
"This just says you're being treated by him. How do I know it's not
for an earache?" The woman pointed to the letterhead and replied
"That's a methadone clinic, your honor." She was excused [Reported
in "Jury-Duty Dodgers Tell It to the Judge" by Jan Hoffman, New York
Times, 8 April 1996, section B, p.1, col. 2.].
11. "I'm a professional psychic so I would know who is
guilty even before the trial." (Excuse not accepted, man ordered to
report for jury duty) [Reported in "Juror Excuses: Creativity
Reigns" by Scott Goldstein, New Jersey Law Journal, 7 February 2000,
p. 1].
12. "Please excuse me from jury duty so I can attend a St.
Patrick's Day party" (not accepted) [Reported in "Juror Excuses:
Creativity Reigns" by Scott Goldstein, New Jersey Law Journal, 7
February 2000, p. 1].
13. "I shouldn't have to serve because I am too obese" (Fat
chance on that one!) [Reported in "Juror Excuses: Creativity Reigns"
by Scott Goldstein, New Jersey Law Journal, 7 February 2000, p. 1].
14. "I'm too busy practicing law to be a juror" (Attorney
was excused from jury duty, but called into judge's chambers for a
"private" talking to. It is noted that the attorney's large firm
specifically has a policy of paying its attorneys their salaries
when they serve jury duty.) [Reported in "Judge Find's Lawyer's Jury
Excuse Hard to Swallow" by Brenda Sandburg, The Recorder (San
Francisco), 11 October 1999, p. 4.].
15. I was once called for jury duty in Santa Clara County,
California. At the time, I was living in Key West, Florida.
Apparently, Santa Clara County officials had not maintained their
voting lists very well. I sent them a letter saying that I would be
more happy to serve jury duty but that I would for them to pay for
round-trip airfare (at the time around $1,000) plus
hotel room and rental car expenses. I never heard back from them...
16. I was at Jury duty last week, when at that time
Australia was having a remembrance tribute to Police Officers who
died in action, only passionate law abiders tend to wear the obvious
blue ribbons, the juror wearing the ribbon was challenged by the
defense attorney. When you get called in for Jury duty, you need no
excuse: just wear a T-shirt which says, "Guilty", or with prison
bars across the shirt. Or "I hate Cops". Nice One!
17. I've been called up for jury duty twice and both times
got excused when I told them I was a convicted felon. (I'm not)
Seems to work, though!
18. Idaho uses the driver's permit applications as a pool
for jury duty. While I was in the military, I got a Boise DP with
my dad's address. Mail sent there eventually worked it's way to
me. One day, got a letter forwarded to me that I was due to serve
on jury duty the next week. I called the contact, said I couldn't
make it. "Well," she said, "You'd better have a darn good excuse."
I explained that I was enlisted in the Navy, living in Jacksonville,
Florida, and the next week my submarine was departing on a 100-day
patrol. She took my name off the list, completely.
19. Years ago, when my mother was working and my dad was out
of work due to an on the job accident, my mother was called in to
serve on jury duty. The case was of a woman suing for being bitten
by a horse on her breast while at a farm. My mother was desperate
to get out of jury duty and when questioned by the woman's lawyer as
to whether or not my mother believed she could render a fair verdict
my mother said she believed she couldn't because she was too much of
animal lover to sympathize. She was immediately dismissed.
20. The last time I served on jury duty, the judge in
Martinez, CA told the 100 perspective jurors, "...and I don't want
to hear any O.J. Simpson the jury system doesn't work excuses. If
O.J. was in my court he would have been guilty as hell!
21. My brother in law is called in for jury duty (Illinois)
every two years or so. He, of course, is asked questions. Do you
think......... How do you feel...... he says the same thing, "Kill
them" - he's gotten out of jury duty for 15 years.
22. I was once told that jury duty was random. Someone want
to explain to me how random it is for me to get a summons (and my
husband) for 5 yrs in a row? We have to fill out a questionnaire
even if we send in an excuse. These people want to know our
hobbies, groups we are a part of, and even the stickers on our
cars! With my husband (since he works at a shipyard) I write out
the letter every blasted year that if he misses work then they can
fire him or lay him off until another ship comes in - he is always
excused. With me, since our children usually have a legal transfer
and I am required by law to provide transportation to and from the
school I am excused. Since the big guys couldn't get me I recently
got one for the Circuit court. They rarely accept anything but a
medical excuse so didn't accept my regular one this time and
rescheduled it for summer. My daughter is now in home schooling and
will attend it during the summer. But I am thinking of trying for a
smoker's angle as a medical excuse :-D
23. My Mom is a spry 67 year old and says exactly what she
means - quite often with a sprinkling of profanity. She didn't want
to serve on jury duty so she wrote a note saying, "I'm 67 and my
bladder causes me to pee quite often. I WILL NOT serve unless you
can guarantee I can pee every 30 minutes."
24. Hi I got out of Jury Duty, the same way # 23 did it but
my excuse is real. My Doctor gave me a note. I do have to pee
every half an hour. The lady was not to happy with me when I gave
her the note, asked her first how long do we have to stay in the
room at a time she said could be an hour or more said I can't do
that would have to get up to pee all the time she said go away now.
So I am out of it for life...... good job bladder finely paid off
for me.
25. My friend got out of jury duty for claiming he was
raciest- they never bothered him again.
26. My excuse is: I don't want to serve as a juror because,
I've had to defend my self, my family, and friends from the same
people that we pay taxes for. Then, why should I serve in a jury
who is run by people who are no better then the criminals they put
away?
27. I once was call for jury duty and there was three of us
use the excuse that we didn't live in that county any more and the
Judge told us that we need to register to vote in the county we
lived in. That excuse works ever time.
28. Sorry, I cant do jury duty because my sister is on trial
and I don't want to know when she goes to prison!
29. Since serving on a jury in a criminal case (the "crime"
was stealing a carton of cigarettes & the man had been in jail for 6
months awaiting trial), I have been called about every six months
for the last two years. The first time, I went before the judge
with school, work, etc. as an excuse; he gave me a continuance until
the summer. The next two times, I just didn't show. The last time
(earlier this month), I sent a letter including the attendance
policy of the university I attend, a paid tuition bill, and the
syllabus for every class this semester (with the attendance policies
highlighted). I haven't heard from them since. I'm SURE I'll be
called again in 6 months, so I plan to try a combination of a couple
excuses I've found here.
30. My mom gets out of it because she's a
single parent with a handicapped child.
31. Once one of my friends got out of
jury duty by pretending to collapse in front of the judge then get
up and not remember anything. It worked!
32. During voir dire for a murder trial
the judge asked me what I did for a living. I told him that I was a
Reading Specialist. He then asked me if the school hired a
substitute for me if I was absent. When I answered "no" he told me
to go back to school.
33. Unless the jury duty summons arrives
by a method that proves you received the summons (eg, registered
mail with your signature required), the government entity that
issued the summons cannot prove that you ever received the summons.
You can just throw it away with the rest of the junk mail. (Editor's
Note: This was submitted to me and I really don't know if it is
true! So check it out before trying it.)
34. A prospective juror in a Dallas
District Court was surprised by the definition of voluntary
manslaughter given the panel: "An intentional killing that occurs
while the defendant is under the immediate influence of sudden
passion arising from an adequate cause, such as when a spouse's mate
is found in a 'compromising position.' " "See, I have a problem
with that passion business," responded one jury candidate. "During
my first marriage, I came in and found my husband in bed with my
neighbor. All I did was divorce him. I had no idea that I could
have shot him."
She wasn't selected for the jury.
35. This isn't actually an excuse, but
has benefited me twice and could be used if you are not excused.
When showing up in the courtroom be sure NOT to arrive early! Wait
until the last minute before you're due inside, then go in. Many
times they start calling from the front of the #'s list and the
chances of them calling all members summoned for duty in a week is
slim. Also, the higher your number, the better chance that you will
just be required to call in on subsequent days instead of actually
having to go to the court. (For example, they may tell you that if
your number is between 50-100, you have to show up the next day, but
from 100-200 just has to call in etc.) The higher your number, the
better your chance of not being called. This worked for me in
Boston and San Francisco. Both times I was like # 370 or # 406 and
they just said, "anyone over 300 is excused from jury duty" since
they didn't have many cases that week. Of course, your court may
start calling the #'s backwards or some sneaky thing like that, so I
can't guarantee that this will work, but it's worth a try. Anyone
else have a similar experience?
36. All you need to do is mention "jury
nullification". This is the legal concept that a jury can find a
defendant NOT GUILTY if they believe that the law they are being
accused of is unjust. Judges and prosecutors HATE the concept
because it give juries actual power. See
http://www.fija.org/
for more information. The best trick, if you don't mind actually
serving on the jury, is to wait until the judge is about to dismiss
the jury for deliberations. When you're asked "Does anyone have any
questions?", ask "Can you please explain jury nullification to
us?". They love that. ( Editor's Note: read
the next excuse, it has more about "jury nullification".)
37. The jury duty 1,2,3's :
1. Tell them you are friends/family with a lawyer and have some
understanding of the law. They don't like jurors that understand
the law.
2. Tell them you know about "Jury Nullification" (look it up) and
you think it's a good thing.
3. If they still want you on the jury, serve. An informed,
intelligent juror would be such a nice change.
38. Most Honorable Judge, On Thursday
Aug. 15th, I was issued a subpoena to serve as a Civil Juror on
Sept.3rd. I would like to be excused because I had planned to play
in our annual Cotton Patch Golf tournament on Sept. 4th. If you
could schedule me for another time, I would be more than happy to
serve. Thank you for your consideration. (Have not heard results
yet)
39. Well I'm an epileptic and my fiancée
has anxiety disorder. She got a summons for one week and I got one
for the next week. We both go to the same psychiatrist (yeah, we're
a bunch of nutcases--you don't want us pressing the button) who
wrote her a latter. The City of San Francisco decided to postpone
her to the week of Christmas. I'm not sure how we're going to get
out of it but I think I'm going to tell the court that I'm
schizophrenic and everywhere I go there's someone following me
around with a clipboard.
40. Hi! I am actually scheduled to go
for jury selection tomorrow morning. I am, however, just not going
to go. My excuse, when they finally catch up to me, will be....
Ohhh! My GOD.... I totally forgot which day it was I was supposed
to call in. I just started a new job in addition to my old one and
I work 14 hours a day... you see the days seem to stretch into one
long year. I know this is irresponsible on my part and I do
apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused. I'll let you
know how it turns out.
41. I truthfully answered a summons to
jury duty, by responding that the Oakland County Executive
(Michigan) was a drunken fool and I take a dim view of the politics
involved in our legal system in this county.
42. This is a great way to get out of
jury duty. Tell the judge you will make an excellent juror because
you can spot guilty people immediately, then scream at the judge,
"You're guilty!!"
43. I have been summoned to jury duty.
Already went to selection once but we were all sent home because the
trails ended up having a guilty plea. If my group # comes up again,
I already know what I am going to do. I am a student at my local
community college, and have been studying philosophy this quarter
(awesome class!). Not long ago we were studying Socrates, and now
we're studying Descartes. Some of the methods we have been studying
may come in handy! Socrates questions everything, looking for
definitions. So if they mention "beyond a reasonable doubt" I can
ask what they mean by that, especially the "reasonable doubt". I
hear they might respond that " ..a reasonable doubt is a doubt a
reasonable person may have". well what is a reasonable person?
what is reason? etc. etc. Then there's Descartes, who encourages
doubting all that is doubtable. Therefore, if I even have a doubt
as to what a reasonable doubt is, I would have to go with not guilty
since I do not have accurate definitions to support knowledge of a
reasonable doubt, it would not be fair to the one on trial! (could
also go with "what is guilt, what is classified as not guilty, and
how so"? The philosophy class I am taking is awesome, and besides,
I kind of have to think this way if I hope to do well in the class
and on the tests. (another issue, if I miss classes because of jury
duty, and am absent and my grades drop, I could jeopardize my
financial aid).
44. Hello, I stumbled on to your page and
thought it was great, you see it is not the process of trial by jury
that I am against its the fact that it is mandatory. While the
government makes this process mandatory and calls it our duty to
serve as citizens, voting is also considered a citizen's duty, and
guess what its not mandatory. Anyways here is the excuse I always
use:
I belong to the libertarian party, we believe that jury duty should
be optional and not the tyrant process that it is today. Haven't
been called since '97 If your excuse does not work, let me give you
some advice. Befriend a police officer. Lawyers would never
eeevveeerrr pick a police officer that would volunteer his or her
time to the jury pool. They consider cops very bias, if you happen
to know a cop and she/he is nice enough to give you their full name
just say you are this person's close friend and they wont pick you.
I remember the last time got called, that I actually had to go back
in 95, I gave them the names of 3 cops I knew and I never got
picked... yeah I lost one day in that garbage, but its better than
losing five days at $40 while some A-hole judge makes nearly
$100,000. If you just don't know any police officers, you can also
question the validity of the whole process, something like you are
his attorney, but you were never at the scene of the incident so how
do you know your client is not lying, you are just going to feed us
you client's version of the story--- you'll be out of there without
getting picked. Take care and good luck!!
45. A good way to get out of jury duty is
to admit how scared you are to do it. I was absolutely scared to
death at the jury pool. Mercifully I was not chosen. Admit you are
scared and you may get out of it!!!
46. My husband was called to jury and sat
around for two days to be called. When he was asked if he could
give just verdict in the case he said, "No, it has been my
experience that all cops lie".. the judge excused him fast. AND
told him he would never be called again.
47. How to get out of jury duty.
Solution: Don't register to vote. (works for me)
48. I actually think that you SHOULD
register to vote, and to VOTE. You should also serve on juries ,but
it shouldn't be mandatory! Because this is your only chance to
actually decide the law. I believe in jury nullification, and if
for example, the "crime" is against yourself, i.e., smoking pot or
using it medicinally, not wearing your seatbelt, etc., etc., I don't
care WHAT the law says, it's not a crime, it's a vice, and therefore
un-punishable.
49. I'm hoping to get off by telling the
judge that I don't feel comfortable being in a government building
when the nation is on a High Terror Alert status.
50. This may work for some people who are
big mouths like me. Tell the court, "I have a problem keeping my
mouth shut, am I allowed to participate in objections? It just
kills me to see a good debate go by... and promise to not hold me in
contempt." (smarty and alien love)
51. I can tell if people are guilty just
by looking at them.
52. If a police officer told me I was a
bug, I'd believe him.
53. I think laws are for sissies.
54. Would I have to bathe?
55. Can each of my personalities vote in
the deliberation?
56. My religion specifically prohibits me
from sitting near other people.
57. I get dizzy if I try to weigh
evidence.
58. I am a former cop. Hang 'em!!! Need
I say more? Works every time.
59. Homer Simpson quotes: "The trick is
to say your prejudice to all races."
60. I was first summoned to jury duty in
Fullerton, California for every Monday of the month of June in 1989.
Of course, my group got called onto a case the last Monday. I was
going to be the sixth juror. The judge and both attorneys kept
questioning me about working at a law school and every time I would
answer, my voice would get quieter and quieter (I am a quiet and shy
person). They would keep asking me to speak up, which only made me
quieter. They got tired of dealing with me, so they excused me. I
practically skipped out of the courtroom. So, if the judge and
attorneys ask you to speak up, just get quieter.
61. My mother has a great act she puts on
to get out of jury duty. She will show up for jury duty and will go
to the window and put on what she calls her "Sarah Bernhardt" act
(very dramatic) and will tell them that she is a manic depressive
and very emotionally unstable. They would let her go just to make
her be quiet and quit causing a scene.
62. The anxiety/panic disorder excuse
does NOT work, folks. I LEGITIMATELY have this problem and the
judge was actually crazy enough to inform me that she 'thinks' I'll
do 'just fine'!! Can you believe it??? She is taking it in her
hands to put me on some poor fools jury! I wouldn't even want ME on
my OWN JURY! So maybe think twice before trying this excuse. And
YEP! I even had a Dr. written excuse.
63. The "Don't register to vote = no jury
duty" idea doesn't work. I am not, and have never been a registered
voter, and have been called for jury duty four times. Just figured
I'd let you know.
64. After being summoned for jury duty
for the first time in my life in 2001 and having the worst
experience imaginable, I was (and still am) determined to get out of
it from now on. I was recently summoned again in 2003 after only a
year and a half (which I found to be completely unacceptable
bordering on harassment) so I decided to put my new excusal method
to the test. Because my state chooses jurors solely on the basis of
the address that's listed on a person's drivers license or
identification card, and a person is only eligible to serve on a
jury in their county of residence, I decided to use these facts to
my advantage. I've always been a user of private street address
mailboxes (i.e. Mail Boxes Etc.) so I decided to rent a secondary
mailbox (currently $8.00/month per box) in a town that's just over
the county line from the town I actually live and have my primary
mailbox in. When I got my summons, I sent it back stating that I
had moved to the address of my secondary mailbox and waited for a
response since no response always indicates an excusal. I never
heard anything back so for good measure, I went to my state's online
drivers license address change website and updated my information.
For $10.00, I received a new drivers license with my secondary
mailbox address on it so my excuse would prove to be legitimate
should any court clerk decide to verify my supposed change of
residence. If and when I get a jury summons from the county where
my secondary mailbox is located, I plan to repeat the whole process
in reverse which was actually quite simple and only took a few
minutes to complete online. As an American citizen, it is my right
to change my place of residence as often as I want to and if it
always seems to coincide with my being summoned for jury duty, then
it is quite a coincidence indeed!
65. At my first jury summons, I stated I
had a low opinion of our legal system and simply could not be
objective in a trial-I was dismissed based on "bad attitude". I
just received my second summons and decided enough is enough-this
time I'm telling them I no longer live in this county. If anyone
knows what happens when you do this please post.
66. Last April, I had 6 way bypass
surgery. About a week after I got out of the hospital. I told them
I couldn't serve and I was excused. Three months later, almost to
the day, I got another summons that I couldn't wiggle out of.
67. My husband gave blood at a red cross
blood drive, when you do this you are registered for jury service.
He received a summons a few months later, but we had moved to a
different county so he was able to get out of it, however last month
a jury summons arrived at our new address for this county. He is
new on the job, has no vacation time and his company does not
reimburse for jury service, were thinking he can just get out of it
by filling out the form and returning it. Just goes to show they
will find you whatever county you move to!
68. I know a good way to get out of Jury
Duty. I have not tried it yet but I will in the future. Others I
know have never been called to serve nor have they gone to jail
because of the following advice. First, realize this - Your Jury
Summons IS NOT CERTIFIED MAIL, you don't have to sign for it, ( at
least in most states that I am aware of). That being said, when you
receive your summons, shred it. If ever questioned about why you
never appeared, tell them you never received it. Can the court
system prove whether you received the summons notice if it is not
certified mail? There is no record of you acknowledgement of the
summons. It sounds pretty easy to me.
69. If you are a chick then just say you
are pretty sure you're pregnant and mood swings would simply hold
back the court because you would keep changing your mind. (this
works for lots of other things)
70. As a court clerk, I am well-versed in
the jury selection process. First a computer randomly selects a few
hundred citizens from the entire county to report for jury duty on a
particular day. Then another computer assigns 40 of those present
to a courtroom. Then the 40 names are placed in a drum, and a dozen
names are pulled. During jury selection for one trial, the judge
asked potential Juror No. 1 if there was any reason he could not be
a fair and impartial juror. "There may be," he replied. "Juror No.
12 is my ex-wife, and if we were on the same jury, I guarantee we
would not be able to agree on anything."
Both were excused.
71. What angers me is that Jury Duty here
is MANDATORY, and if you want to give them an excuse you have to
have it witnessed by a very small list of "professional" people,
like lawyers and police officers. I don't have time for this crap,
so I just sent it back to them with the envelope labeled "Not at
this address" (and nothing on the form). Those bastards sent it
back to me, with a note saying that I must have it signed by one of
these professionals. WHAT THE HELL! Now I am even more resolved to
avoid this.
72. My husband has been called in for
jury duty several times, sitting for hours waiting to be questioned,
and then being excused because they picked the number of people
needed before they even got to him. However, the last time he was
called in, he showed up on time, after all, "you" must be there by a
certain time. And he and many others sat in the waiting room for
over 1 1/2 hrs, due to the fact that the defense attorney was
"running late." Finally the attorney showed up, and the process
began. This time my husband was asked the usual questions, and he
looked at the Judge, and said "Your Honor", I don't know how the
rest of the people in here feel, but we have all been told to show
up at 8 am sharp, and at this point, I would find the defendant
guilty before even hearing what the trial was all about, as I am
already "ticked off" at the Attorney. If we are expected to show up
on time, then he should also be on time. Our time is just as
precious to us, as his is. The judge looked around the room, and
asked if anyone else in the room felt the same way. Several other
people raised their hands, and the Judge excused them all. So, keep
in mind while you are waiting to be called upon, just what the
reason is that the process is taking a really long time to get
started. Oh and I sure wonder what happened after that jury was
finally selected. I imagine that Attorney was called into the
Judges chambers for a little "one on one" after everyone else left.
73. One of the excuses that I gave was
that I would be out of state at the time of summons. They excused
me without any form of proof.
74. I am not a registered voter and I
have been summoned 3 times. I have gotten out of it twice telling
them I couldn't afford to be off work and I was in school at that
time also, that worked up until July 2003 when I was summoned
again. I got out of that by telling them I had medical problems and
the doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong with me and I
had appointments all throughout July. It worked but they only
deferred me until November this year. I'm not sure how I'm going to
get out of this one yet, but if acting like I never received the
summons works. Believe me I will do just that. If anyone has done
this please let me know!
75. I live in Illinois and have been
summoned three times since 1995. I am a full time mother with 2
children. I work part time, but always there for them when they
arrive home from school. I simply write a letter with the original
summons form attached and state that I do not have babysitting
options for my girls should I get selected. In Illinois they also
ask for "supporting documentation". So I attach copies of their
birth certificates. I never get a reply, so I am assuming it
works. I also don't get the "warning" letter that is sent if you
don't serve. I have a friend who calls and asks if daycare is
available. They tell her "no" so she says she would like to bring
them, could they sit in the courtroom with her, it might be fun for
them. They excused her over the phone and she hasn't been called
since.
76. I showed up for my jury duty. The
case was about a couple who was suing a doctor for malpractice. I
said that the reason I would not be able to be an impartial juror is
because I have been treated by doctors for various medical
conditions. And they have saved my life and I hold doctors in a
very high category. Also my best friend is a doctor. I was excused
with no problem.
77. I was summoned for Jury Duty and, in
a spirit of civic-minded enthusiasm, served my turn. No nice murder
trials or anything like that for me... I got to deliberate in a
fraud case regarding frozen bull semen! I kid you not. You don't
even want to know who was doing what with that stuff! Next time I
was summoned for Jury Duty (5 more times in the next four years) I
told the judge that I was the sole person responsible for buying my
disabled grandmother's medications and groceries and if I were
sequestered she would have to do without. This reason excused me
from duty each time.
78. I am due to go to Jury duty on
0ctober 8, 2003. I am going to use the fact that I am a former
Criminal Justice Major and I will probably be biased. I want my job
to just write me a letter saying that I can't miss work, but I don't
really think that they will do it, because they do pay for jury
duty. They will probably regret it if I get called to serve on the
jury and we are already short staffed. Can you imagine me sitting
there with a little bit of knowledge of the criminal justice
system. If they pick me then they are the fools because I will be
difficult. Oh and the 'I never received the summons'... that does
not work. I think that they make the mailman sign saying that they
know that you live there, lol`
79. I have never been summoned but have
already come up with my excuse. Based on my religious beliefs, God
is the only judge and unless I personally witnessed a crime I
couldn't be sure a person is actually guilty. After all, I'm not
God.
80. This has worked for me for the past 10
years. Find the closest holiday and say you work for a company that
makes some kind of product associated with that holiday ( Christmas
=toys, Halloween=masks) then say you're the only person at the VERY
small company that knows how to handle the logistics of shipping
products to retailers, importing from china, etc. Also casually
mention the company isn't doing very well and could go out of
business if this season doesn't go well. Always works for me. Of
course its also the truth for me.
81. When I received my first summons on
August 4, 2003 I told them I wished to be excused because I have
another residence in another state which I stay at a lot of the
time. I do decorative painting there as all of my supplies are
there. Also, my husband and I are in the process of moving there
and starting a business. I sent a utility bill to verify my
residence. They told me I was not excused. My call-in number was
high, so I did not have to report, however, October 3, 2003 I
received a "re-summons" with a lower number. This time I told them
I can serve for a few days, but that I would be on vacation the
following week. I have to call-in Nov.18. So we'll see. I also
think that it should not be mandatory. I think if a person looks
guilty, he probably is.
82. My favorite excuse is "I am aroused
by trials, and spontaneously get erections, I hope the other jurors
don't mind."
83. I could not believe it... I was the
12th juror they picked to screen and they chose me to be on the
jury. I thought being a former criminal justice major they would
not want me. But the judge made it clear that I have to listen to
the law that he tells me to listen to not what I learned from
college. I was nervous and a bit relieved. So, know it's like I
have a vacation from work to do something that is interesting to
me. I'm a little excited to hear the words come back to me from
college. I just hope that I don't smile too much.
84. I'm from Australia and have been
summoned for jury duty for 6 weeks in a criminal trail that I do not
want to go to. Here we are not chosen and questioned like the US and
if we do not go we can be fined up to $2000.00, so I don't know if I
can use an excuse like I don't believe in the law system that seems
to protect criminals or that I have already decide the person is
guilty because with all the evidence against the person why else
would they be here. So can any one help me get out of it? Has
anyone in Australia done something like that and been excused?
85. Several years ago my daughter got a
summons for jury duty. At the time she was in college in another
state. I submitted the form for her and sent it in stating she was
in college in another state. I enclosed her class schedule with the
name of the college. Jury folks sent another card stating she had
to appear. I called jury folks and stated the situation. A few
weeks later I got another card stating she had to appear. I called
again with similar results. Then, they sent a notice that an arrest
warrant would be issued if she didn't appear. I called AGAIN. I
was told that she had to call them. I called my daughter and she
called the jury folks. They complained that I had "an attitude",
and my daughter just asked them how hard it was for any of them to
comprehend that she was in another state and could not appear. If
being in another state is not a good, legitimate excuse, what is??
86. I live in California, and I have had
several jury summons but haven't served on a jury. You can call and
try to get out of it, but that is hard to do. The best that will
happen is that it will be postponed. It is pretty easy to get a
postponement. The woman in charge of the whole jury selection thing
told us that they get prospective jurors names from the DMV and
voters registration. So not registering to vote doesn't keep you
from being picked for jury duty. She also told us that you can
ignore a jury summons, just throw it away, two times without
anything happening. She said something about after that you can be
held in contempt of court. You can try to get out on a hardship but
they wouldn't let us try that until we got into the court room to be
questioned. Then, it is up to the judge to say when you get called
back. I just got postponed three months the first time. Don't
depend on being a stay at home mom to work as a hardship. When I
was there, there were two women who tried to get out on a hardship
because they were stay at home moms and didn't have any relatives in
the area and had no child care at all. The judge DID NOT excuse
them. They were told to go find child care and come back the next
day. I kid you not. Don't try to get out on a hardship. Getting
excused on a hardship and for how long, is up to the judge and every
judge is different. You could end up being postponed for only a
couple of months. Just be resigned to having a day or so wasted and
wait until the questioning period to get excused. Say something
that will get you dismissed. I did this the last time I was called
to jury duty and got out of it. Say you can't be impartial for some
reason or another. That way it counts as having served on the jury
and you won't be called back any sooner than you would have if you
had sat on the jury the whole time. The second time I got into the
questioning period it was for a civil suit and I said I couldn't be
impartial because I believed in a no fault system and people and
companies shouldn't have to pay money because they did something
wrong. I got out of it. Say that they are obviously guilty or they
wouldn't have been arrested.
87. My mother served on a jury several
years ago. The defendant in the case was a Vietnamese refugee.
During the jury selection, one of the questions was whether one was
prejudiced against Hmongs. One man was excused because he "flew
Hueys into rice paddies in the Central Highlands."
88. Personally, if I had been one of
those two women in #86, I would have just brought the kids into
court the next day saying "Sorry, I could not find child care and
did not want to leave them home alone and be accused of child
abandonment" when asked why she brought them. How fast do you think
the judge would have excused her??
89. If you want to know an easy way (if
you are male anyhow) to NOT get picked for Jury Duty just grow a
beard. I have been summoned many times, gone thru voir dire, and
always been excused, not by making any remarks that would paint me
as biased, but because I have a full beard. Attorneys do not like
people who are "independent thinkers" because they might not want go
along with the mee-too mentality of a jury. Thus, if your
appearance is "out of the norm" you will be considered a free
thinker and get you excused.
90. Here in LOST ANGELES, CA they have
made some changes in the last year or so. Rather than being
"on-call" for 2 weeks, it is now ONE DAY or ONE TRIAL; the catch is
that NOW they only pay from the 2nd day onward. Oh, and don't try
that "never received it" bit either, it will get you served with a
summons and an $1,100 fine if you CAN NOT prove to the judge that
there was a good reason you did not respond or appear as ordered.
P.S. I think the reason they make jury duty mandatory is to keep
from having "professional" jury's of the same few people over & over
again.
91. In October 2000 I requested to be
excused from jury duty ( by Michigan 22nd Circuit Court) because I
have a sleep disorder. I am unable to sleep before 2:30 AM, unable
to awaken before 9:30 AM. I was on low income, couldn't afford to
get a doctor's diagnosis, instead sent several pages of info on the
disorder (Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome). The jury clerk phoned and
said I was excused. They never confirmed in writing.
In March 2003, I got another summons to jury duty. I called, was
eventually told they couldn't find a record of their having excused
me, only my letter, the information on DSPS, plus a note saying I
had FAILED TO APPEAR. The clerk ignored my claim that they'd
bungled and they had the original (sufficient) information. Their
new requirement was to get a doctor to send a FAX of his confirming
diagnosis. My own doctor requested a 6-month extension and they
granted that. I then spent a lot of time and money going to two
specialists. The last one sent a FAX confirming I have DSPS. This
was November 2003. The judge then REFUSED to grant me freedom from
jury duty because the doctor's FAX failed to include the phrase,
"this makes him unable to attend at the required time(s)." In other
words, the judge refuses to make the simple logical conclusion based
on confirmed data. Also, the jury clerk told me that, even if I
were excused, I'd have to provide REGULAR UPDATES of my condition!!?
People must be warned: Jury clerks and judges are not interested in
YOU or your real-life problems. This "system" is now entirely
controlled by the "Legal Industry" and operates in totalitarian
fashion. That this works AGAINST the spirit and letter of the
Constitution and Bill of Rights -- and against the service of
justice -- is something that must alarm us all.
92. I had to report for jury duty today.
When the judge told us that the trial was going to last about three
weeks I knew I had to come up with something. I told the judge that
I have the ability to determine when someone is not being truthful
by their speech patterns, breathing patterns, and their body
language. When the judge asked me how I acquired this ability I
told him that when I was in college I did a lot of research and
wrote several papers on the subject of deception detection and
polygraph countermeasures. He told me that it must be hard when I
go on dates then he dismissed me.
93. Just say that you would love to be on
the panel because you can spot guilty people instantly.
94. Well, to fill you in on how I thought
of this... My dad is a Doctor, he married my mom, a nurse, then he
divorced her, and married another nurse... so far (in less than 13
years) there have been 4 court cases... Well, the excuse is to say
you had always hated lawyers, jurors, and almost anything to do with
law. Your parents are in medical areas, you are racist, and used to
have ties to Ku Kluts Clan... and your grandfather was from
Germany, and left post-WWII... this should always work!
95. I was summoned by the Superior court
of California, County of Santa Clara recently. Told them I was
residing in Japan (which is true) indefinitely with my Japanese
wife. (a month, 2 months, a year, 10 years, I don't know) I told
them I'd be more than happy to serve on jury if they provide
roundtrip airfare, hotel and rental car. Let's see what they have
to say... :) I
bet I'll be excused or they won't even be polite enough to contact
me again.
96. I always respond with [Disabled]
which is true I am partly disabled (NBD) and suffer from what
Doctors call a Neurobiological Disorder aka Clinical Depression of
course I feel bad and wish to help Society function well, but don't
think my best help would be furnished by sitting in a jury. First
time I showed proof but they asked me again several years after
that. Be a good citizen if you really don't think you can help get
excused & back out politely, otherwise, like they say. No one wants
to be involved in something Criminal + My family doesn't believe in
Law Suits we just don't file Complaints against people even with the
Lure of Big Money. I believe The Good Lord will eventually Avenge
Everyone of Us & Punish Wrongdoers. They usually call you after
some friction with the law in which you respond favorably (I can't)
or after registering to vote in a popular party, so I register " non
partisan " I haven't seen the disconcerting green slip in years "
If you Trust & believed in God you would not ask me to Judge my
Brother. Surprisingly I enjoy watching Matlock.
97. Well I think actually this is funny
but back around '97 in Tulsa county Oklahoma my boyfriend was living
with me and had went to jail and few months after he was in there he
got a summons to be jury duty. So when he had called he said send
that up here I well give it too the guards and I tell them I well go
anything to get out of jail. But I guess they excused him from it
they said and haven't got a letter since. But now he don't live
here he lives in TX. kinda of stupid on the laws part and couldn't
even tell that he was in jail. How messed up is that. And the
religion part about cant judge people because only god is the
decision on that I think works because my dad back around '93 got
one but I cant remember but I think it worked. I'm not for sure what
all he told him but I remember him telling us that part.
98. I was asked to appear for jury duty,
and was (eventually) taken into a room with two dozen other people
and told that the case was about someone suing another person
because of an injury sustained in a traffic accident. When they
questioned me, I said that I think that everyone who even initiates
such a lawsuit is simply a money-hungry leech. The lawyer for the
DEFENDANT advised the other lawyer to excuse me!
99. My wife does not have a driver's
license, but she was called for jury duty anyway. She brought in
our two little kids, who proceeded to tear apart the entire place,
running around and climbing over things. A guard finally helped her
fill out a form that excused her for a few years, telling her to
come back when the kids are older and are in school. As my wife
left, she said, "No problem. By then I'll probably have another kid
or two anyway."
100. I wasn't even trying at this point
to get out of jury duty, but it worked like a charm! When they
wanted to have me sworn in on the bible, I simply stated "I am
sorry, but I believe that book to be a work of fiction, and it would
meaningless for someone such as me to swear on it. Would you have
something more suitable for me?" That was enough for the defense
attorney to excuse me. It seems the defendant had found Jesus when
he was in jail, and planned to play that card during trial.
Well friends we have more Jury Duty
excuses to go. The Jury Duty2 page has excuses 101
thru 200. Please click on the Jury Duty Excuse 2
link to go there.
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Madtbone
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