Living Car Free - Car-free got me out of jury duty today

I was summoned this week and they finally called me in today. Living just 1 mile away from the courthouse, I decided to walk there. After about 3 hours of waiting, they called up everyone that came by bike, transit, or walking. They transferred the rest of the prospective jurors to a courthouse about 7-8 miles away, and those that didn't come by car were excused.

Next time you are summoned, go car-free, it may pay off :)

Next time you are summoned, go car-free, it may pay off :)
Didn't work for me - and almost cost me a speeding ticket.

Our Superior Ct. is about 20 miles away, but about half of that is on a Rails-Trail path so it's not bad. The last time I was on a jury (attempted murder case), I was riding down the path on my way there and was coming down an overpass when I spotted a motorcycle cop half-hidden behind a bush. He raised his radar gun and I hit the brakes at the same time. Would have been pretty upset about getting a ticket while on my way to jury service.

Didn't work for me - and almost cost me a speeding ticket.

Our Superior Ct. is about 20 miles away, but about half of that is on a Rails-Trail path so it's not bad. The last time I was on a jury (attempted murder case), I was riding down the path on my way there and was coming down an overpass when I spotted a motorcycle cop half-hidden behind a bush. He raised his radar gun and I hit the brakes at the same time. Would have been pretty upset about getting a ticket while on my way to jury service.

I would frame and hang up a speeding ticket I got on a bike.

I would frame and hang up a speeding ticket I got on a bike.

Classic. :thumb:

I was summoned this week and they finally called me in today. Living just 1 mile away from the courthouse, I decided to walk there. After about 3 hours of waiting, they called up everyone that came by bike, transit, or walking. They transferred the rest of the prospective jurors to a courthouse about 7-8 miles away, and those that didn't come by car were excused.

Next time you are summoned, go car-free, it may pay off :)

Getting out of jury duty is a laudable thing?

Getting out of jury duty is a laudable thing?

Not necessarily. But for many of us, it's a nuisance at best, and puts your life on hold. If you have nothing better to do, it's a great way to spend days or weeks or months, but many of us have jobs and responsibilities that need our attention.

A few thoughts about jury duty:

- It's so inefficient. They summoned 40-50 of us, and only 12 will be chosen. 90% of these people were entirely unproductive today, sleeping, reading the newspaper, watching TV, listening to music etc. Presumably most of us would have been working if we weren't required to be at court. This is in addition to all the oil wasted driving to and from the courthouse.
- Jury participation should be entirely voluntary. Our military operates in the manner, and is able to recruit millions.
- Jurors should be paid a decent amount, instead of the $15 that is given PER DAY, in Los Angeles county.

they pretty much pay for your lunch to sit there all day lol.

I dont think I can do Jury Duty Being Active Duty Mil.. atleast not while im in italy... ill save this info for a few years down that road heh..

I would also frame a ticket I got for being on a bicycle. I would also fight it to death saying speedometers are not required on bikes, and in order to keep a safe pace with the traffic, you chose that speed.

instant freedom

Not necessarily. But for many of us, it's a nuisance at best, and puts your life on hold. If you have nothing better to do, it's a great way to spend days or weeks or months, but many of us have jobs and responsibilities that need our attention.

A few thoughts about jury duty:

- It's so inefficient. They summoned 40-50 of us, and only 12 will be chosen. 90% of these people were entirely unproductive today, sleeping, reading the newspaper, watching TV, listening to music etc. Presumably most of us would have been working if we weren't required to be at court. This is in addition to all the oil wasted driving to and from the courthouse.
- Jury participation should be entirely voluntary. Our military operates in the manner, and is able to recruit millions.
- Jurors should be paid a decent amount, instead of the $15 that is given PER DAY, in Los Angeles county.
There's a reason it's called duty; it's part of the price you pay to live in a free society.

There's a reason it's called duty; it's part of the price you pay to live in a free society.
Yeah were real free... You see a lot of those guys on wall-street doing jury duty? Go wave a flag somewhere els. Im all about civic responsibility but jury "duty" is some serious BS.

Yeah were real free... You see a lot of those guys on wall-street doing jury duty? Go wave a flag somewhere els. Im all about civic responsibility but jury "duty" is some serious BS.

That is why I have never showed up for duty.

Getting out of jury duty is a laudable thing?

Nothing wrong with showing up and getting excused as the OP did. As they told me one time, just being there helps them. You do your part and help the system even when you are not chosen.

I personally am not the kind of person you want on a jury. Though one judge thought I would do okay as an alternate juror and I sat through the trial, took notes and then went home.

I knew I would be chosen as they were running out of prospective jurors for that trial and the woman before me told the judge that she believed that the defendant wouldn't have been arrested if he wasn't guilty. She got excused and I seemed like a reasonable choice I guess.

If I can make a recommendation, I think that the City of Indio has the nicest jury room. It's on the second floor and has an uninterrupted view of the mountains that ring the valley. But the guards freaked out about my Zefal HpX bicycle pump and required me to leave it with them while I was there, even after I opened it up to show them that there was nothing inside.

Sad thing was that riding my bike back to work after being excused from jury duty once, a passing motorist hit me with a full can of Coca Cola. Luckily, he hit my helmet.

Yeah were real free... You see a lot of those guys on wall-street doing jury duty? Go wave a flag somewhere els. Im all about civic responsibility but jury "duty" is some serious BS.

You're apparently free to spell things however the hell you want.

And yes, I know several "Wall Street types" who have done their jury duty when asked to. How many "Wall Street types" are you acquainted with? (That was a rhetorical question; you don't need to answer.)

Nothing wrong with showing up and getting excused as the OP did. As they told me one time, just being there helps them. You do your part and help the system even when you are not chosen.

Absolutely not, but the OP was recommending binking/bussing/subwaying to jury duty as a means to get out of it. That's another matter.

I hate jury duty. I hate taxes, too. But I usually do my jury duty & always pay my taxes because I believe that if masses of people start behaving like irresponsible children, the state will eventually try to treat us like children.

Legitimately getting out of jury duty, on the other hand, is nothing to be ashamed of. The OP showed up, did his duty, and was dismissed. Last year, I was summoned to jury duty in King County Court in Federal Way, and I pleaded hardship because it's close to a two-hour trip each way without a car, so they excused me, which actually kind of surprised me.

You're apparently free to spell things however the hell you want.

And yes, I know several "Wall Street types" who have done their jury duty when asked to. How many "Wall Street types" are you acquainted with? (That was a rhetorical question; you don't need to answer.)

Yes, I can spell stuff however "the hell" I want. Apparently it was understood and since this is an internet chat room most people don't bother to try and play the spelling card when making their arguments, except you.

There are a thousand ways to get out of jury duty, some of them legal and some not. Most of the time people who don't want to go... don't. There are thousands of examples in this country of it not being free and equal so why bother pretending that it is? I would rather go volunteer at a homeless shelter or a bicycle kitchen than waist all day at jury duty. As I said, I like civic duty and volunteer on a regular basis. However, Jury duty is a joke.

Absolutely not, but the OP was recommending biking/bussing/subwaying to jury duty as a means to get out of it. That's another matter.

Good grief! How often do those circumstances come up? If avoiding jury duty by riding a bike or taking transit or walking is a strategy, it's not a very effective one if you ask me. It's never happened in all my career on jury duty. But then again, maybe all the people who drove that day will remember what happened and take a better form of transport in the future.

I think that mostly the OP was relieved about his luck and wanted to share his story. Remember, he pedaled to jury duty with no knowledge of what would happen, prepared to his civic duty, and he did it to the full extent of the law.

Good grief! How often do those circumstances come up? If avoiding jury duty by riding a bike or taking transit or walking is a strategy, it's not a very effective one if you ask me. It's never happened in all my career on jury duty. But then again, maybe all the people who drove that day will remember what happened and take a better form of transport in the future.

I think that mostly the OP was relieved about his luck and wanted to share his story. Remember, he pedaled to jury duty with no knowledge of what would happen, prepared to his civic duty, and he did it to the full extent of the law.

You're right. The OP's crowing about getting out of jury duty just struck me as inmature and unsavory and rubbed me the wrong way.

Yes, I can spell stuff however "the hell" I want. Apparently it was understood and since this is an internet chat room most people don't bother to try and play the spelling card when making their arguments, except you.

This is a chat room?

This is a FORUMS SITE.

In 14 years online and 30 as a computer user I've never heard that said about a forums site.

I would frame and hang up a speeding ticket I got on a bike.

If I got a speeding ticket on a bike, ON MY WAY TO JURY DUTY, I'd make sure the cop noted my vehicle and speed on the ticket. Then I'd digitally scan it, blow it up and make a poster out of it... maybe a bedsheet too. Or maybe a 3'x4' flag and attach it to my bike.

man I love BF -- where else can you find rabid advocates for causes as mundane and comlpletely unpolarizing as jury-duty?




Up next -- "...Because they SAY not to rip the tags off RIGHT ON THE TAG, what is WRONG WITH YOU?":mad:

You're right. The OP's crowing about getting out of jury duty just struck me as inmature and unsavory and rubbed me the wrong way.

I just meant the story to be a humorous one. Seems everyone else got it except you.

I'll have to remember this- I just got a qualification questionaire for US District Court jury duty. It would be nice not to have to do it, but maybe I'll get to help send a Wall Street type to Federal PMITA prison!

Hey I did my month long grand jury duty car free a few winters ago. On a snow day they had to cancel because so many car dependent jurors didn't show. It was great, I had indoor secure bike parking with 24 hour armed guard. The guards checked ID's in and out. You couldn't park a bike there without a building pass. One of the assistant prosecuting attorney's was an avid bike commuter, he had a nice touring bike that he rode every day- even the snow days- from further away than I did. I highly recommend jury duty. I never try to get out of it.

This is a chat room?

This is a FORUMS SITE.

In 14 years online and 30 as a computer user I've never heard that said about a forums site.

I've seen many people equate forums with a chat room over the years, but in any case what is the big deal? Are you just looking for something to cry about?

IMO, getting out of jury duty because you're carfree is a little like getting out of it because of your race or gender. I'd be happy not to have to do it, but I'd be a little mad feeling that I'd been discriminated against for no good reason.

And having to travel 7 or 8 miles carfreee doesn't strike me as a good reason. It just shows that the court official is a typical car-dependent person who can't imagine going "so far" without a car.

I just meant the story to be a humorous one. Seems everyone else got it except you.

Well, very few people enjoy jury duty. You'd have to have a pretty big stick up your ass to think it's un-american to be happy about getting out of it. :D

Where I live, if you do not take a parking pass the Court gives you a free bus/train pass. I took that as encouraging alternative transportation. ;-)

The lawyers must not want me on their juries. The last two times after answering questions from the judge, the laywers excused me from duty. Oh well, so I just had to ride home of course.

Being a convicted felon I have a free pass from doing jury duty. Jury duty can be a financial burden on some; a coworker got stuck on a high profile case that lasted four weeks. While they did put him up in a hotel room his bills were racking up and his job didn't pay for the time he missed.

Financial hardship is not a reason for being excused, no matter how severe.
Last time I was selected from the pool for jury duty, it was going to be a long case and during the questioning I told the judge (honestly) that I would be driven to distraction by the fact that my one-man business would suffer not just for the time I was there, but probably permanently. Didn't cut it. The response was, in effect, Tough luck & sucks to be you.

"I sure wouldn't want me on my jury", I pleaded. "Well,...you're not on trial" the judge retorted...

Then the questions from the lawyers began.
During my answer to one question, I let it be known that I don't trust a thing cops say and I believe they lie as much or more than criminals. The judge looked at me strangely.
"I cannot vote guilty if the defendant faces the death penalty", I responded to another question.
"You don't have to decide the penalty, just the guilt or innocence" the judge said.
"But if he's found guilty, the defendant is subject to the death penalty, right?"
"Right", the judge said.
"Then I cannot, in good conscience, vote guilty", I replied.
"You're dismissed", the judge said.

Take home lesson: If you think cops are not above "testilying" and you are against the death penalty, they don't want you on a jury. The defense might, but the judge and prosecutors sure don't.

BTW, people who didn't have transportation were told to take a bus or a cab. No reimbursement was offered. Compensation was $6/day. This was some years ago. It's probably $15 by now.

However, Jury duty is a joke.

Do you have any personal experience with jury duty, anywhere, or you just repeating something you read on the Internet?

i've never experienced jury duty, but from what i've heard its a pain in the keister. getting out of it for walking there... thats kinda funny.

as for the guy on the bike that almost got a speeding ticket on the bike trail, well, was there a posted speed limit? i also agree that it would be worth keeping to hang on the wall... though i doubt i'd pay it. to me thats just a cop trying to meet quota.

Well, very few people enjoy jury duty. You'd have to have a pretty big stick up your ass to think it's un-american to be happy about getting out of it. :D
I'm one who enjoys it as an entertaining and educational diversion. Is there a fairer way to deal with people accused of crimes? How about secret military tribunals? Its a small way that a car-free perspective can be injected into these decisions. You also get to represent intentionally car free people as decent citizens to the judge and attorneys. I've never been on a case where car-free
was an issue but the assistant DA was impressed when the car-free guy showed up in a snowstorm while some of the car-dependent assumed the court would be closed and didn't even bother to call. The car-free juror also showed up on time when the car-dependent sometimes had the "traffic" excuse for being late.

- Jury participation should be entirely voluntary. Our military operates in the manner, and is able to recruit millions.

I can't agree about it being entirely voluntary. They'd end up with people whose hobby is going to courtrooms and looking to either make or break convictions.


Being a convicted felon I have a free pass from doing jury duty. Jury duty can be a financial burden on some; a coworker got stuck on a high profile case that lasted four weeks. While they did put him up in a hotel room his bills were racking up and his job didn't pay for the time he missed.

Okay, THAT sucks. It should be illegal to withhold pay when someone's called for jury duty. Employers continue paying military reservists when they get deployed, so how can they basically penalize someone who's stuck doing something that they didn't volunteer for at all?

I'd do jury duty if I could, but my job won't let me go for an undetermined length of time. Each time I get a summons, I tell my CO that I really wouldn't mind going. But, he says that they can't afford me to be gone (even if a months-long case is rare, it's still a possibility), and I get a letter to submit to the court to be excused. So, I haven't had to do it yet in DC; but still, I feel like I'm not fully doing my share as a local citizen.

I'm one who enjoys it as an entertaining and educational diversion. Is there a fairer way to deal with people accused of crimes? How about secret military tribunals? Its a small way that a car-free perspective can be injected into these decisions. You also get to represent intentionally car free people as decent citizens to the judge and attorneys. I've never been on a case where car-free
was an issue but the assistant DA was impressed when the car-free guy showed up in a snowstorm while some of the car-dependent assumed the court would be closed and didn't even bother to call. The car-free juror also showed up on time when the car-dependent sometimes had the "traffic" excuse for being late.

I said most people don't enjoy jury duty and I stand by that. I don't agree with trying to get out of it, but you don't have to pretend to be heart-broken if you do get out of it.

I enjoyed one stint of jury duty that involved a federal civil case--a truck driver who was hit by a train. I found the expert testimony to be very interesting, as transportaion is one of my interests. (I love trains, planes, trucks and automobiles--and especially bicycles.) I was the lone holdout on the jury. I thought the dead truck driver's family should have gotten more compensation than the other jurors wanted. Federal civil cases evidently allow one vote short of unanimous, so I didn't cause a hung jury. Who knows--maybe my carfree perspective made me think differently about the case, but I really don't think so.

Do you have any personal experience with jury duty, anywhere, or you just repeating something you read on the Internet?

I have gone to the summons twice but never been "selected." I also volunteered about once every two weeks when I was in highschool for "peer trials." Basically, an underage criminal who has already been convicted or admitted guilt is punished by his peers. There is a sort of mock trial but the person is already guilty, all you, as a mock jury member, do is deal out punishment in community service time, repayment, juvy hall, ect. It was pretty interesting at the time and I dont know if they still have that program or not. That was back in the day when I was still considering law studies.