worker4youth

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

prathmann

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.

worker4youth

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

mijome07

Classic.

KurtAV

Getting out of jury duty is a laudable thing?

worker4youth

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.

MaroSteve

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

KurtAV

There's a reason it's called duty; it's part of the price you pay to live in a free society.

zeppinger

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.

mijome07

That is why I have never showed up for duty.

Artkansas 

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.

KurtAV

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.)

KurtAV

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.

bragi

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.

zeppinger

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.

Artkansas 

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.

KurtAV

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.

Rollfast

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.

jdmitch

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.

clancy98

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?"

worker4youth

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

vinfix

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!

gwd

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.

mesasone

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?

Roody

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.