The last three times I was called when someone tried to weasel out based on financial hardship the judge said he would call their employer to confirm.
The highly pregnant woman who said that her t 1/2 between bathroom breaks was 30 min got a pass!
yrs,
rubato
Jury duty
Re: Jury duty
I have never, ever been called. My job pays full time for jury duty so its not a hardship and it might actually be interesting, but friends I work with say engineers are not usually choosen anyway.
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way. Mark Twain
Re: Jury duty
Guinevere wrote:The point being you were supposed to ask for hardship relief from the court, not just fail to appear. Whether you are excused or not is up to the judge, not you.
I said, I forgot; not that it was deliberate evasion - that was the point of my asking wot happens now.
What was the point your ignoring that?
Re: Jury duty
Forgetting makes no difference. A claim of hardship makes no difference. Only the court can excuse you, in advance- which I've stated multiple times. Otherwise you remain in contempt of court.
Sean, each judge handles his or her courtroom differently. I've been on trial and had a judge excuse an unemployed juror who needed to attend a job interview after the trial began ( that's why they seat alternates) without any "proof" she had an interview. I've also seen judges deny hardship requests because the prospective juror didn't appear sincere. But it is all up to the judge.
Sean, each judge handles his or her courtroom differently. I've been on trial and had a judge excuse an unemployed juror who needed to attend a job interview after the trial began ( that's why they seat alternates) without any "proof" she had an interview. I've also seen judges deny hardship requests because the prospective juror didn't appear sincere. But it is all up to the judge.
Last edited by Guinevere on Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: Jury duty
MA jury website confirms: only reasons for disqualification are over 70, under 18, moved away, or taking care of seriously ill family member. All other excuses need to be made to the judge directly, who is the only person who can lawfully excuse a juror or potential juror.
See:
http://www.mass.gov/courts/jury/disquali.htm
See:
http://www.mass.gov/courts/jury/disquali.htm
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: Jury duty
I didn't excuse myself, I forgot. They can't excuse me in advance, if I forgot to inform the court. That does not make me irresponsible nor without pride, just forgetful.
Therefore, I don't see how your explanations of contempt, can retroactively make me remember to inform the court in the past. I can only deal with the present situation; pls advise if there is a viable alternative to trying to change the past.
Therefore, I don't see how your explanations of contempt, can retroactively make me remember to inform the court in the past. I can only deal with the present situation; pls advise if there is a viable alternative to trying to change the past.
Re: Jury duty
Took me less than 3 minutes to find this, Loca.
http://www.scscourt.org/general_info/ju ... ices.shtml
From the above url:
http://www.scscourt.org/general_info/ju ... ices.shtml
From the above url:
Hope this helps.What happens if I do not respond to the jury summons?
For your information, California Code of Civil Procedure Section 196 {c} provides that "Any person who fails to respond to jury commissioner or court inquiry as instructed, may be summoned to appear before the jury commissioner or the court to answer such inquiry." California Code of Civil Procedure Section 209 provides that "Any prospective trial juror who has been summoned for service, and who fails to attend upon the court as directed or to respond to the court or jury commissioner and to be excused from attendance, may be attached and compelled to attend; and, following an order to show cause hearing, the court may find the prospective juror in contempt of court, punishable by a fine of up to $1,500, or 5 days in the county jail, or both." [CCP 1218(a)]
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Jury duty
Wow. You take it VERY seriously over there!dales wrote:Took me less than 3 minutes to find this, Loca.
http://www.scscourt.org/general_info/ju ... ices.shtml
Hope this helps.What happens if I do not respond to the jury summons?
Any prospective trial juror who has been summoned for service, and who fails to attend upon the court as directed ... the court may find the prospective juror in contempt of court, punishable by a fine of up to $1,500, or 5 days in the county jail, or both." [CCP 1218(a)]
It only warrants a $550.00 maximum penalty for a 'no show' over here.
* 1 penalty unit equals $110.00.Part 9 Offences
41 Nonattendance
(1) A person who has been served with a jury summons shall not, without a valid and sufficient reason, fail to attend in accordance with the summons.
Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units.*
(We draft legislation with 'penalty units' so the CPI can be taken instantly into account 'when warranted' and then we just need to alter the value of a penalty unit as opposed to having to identify every penalty and increase it 'when warranted'.
Dull legislature, I know. But a most practical solution for instant increases in revenue ... 'when warranted'.)
Bah!
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quaddriver
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Re: Jury duty
I dont think she means contempt as in you walk around doing a Timsterish "Cali court - *spit!*"loCAtek wrote:I didn't excuse myself, I forgot. They can't excuse me in advance, if I forgot to inform the court. That does not make me irresponsible nor without pride, just forgetful.
Therefore, I don't see how your explanations of contempt, can retroactively make me remember to inform the court in the past. I can only deal with the present situation; pls advise if there is a viable alternative to trying to change the past.
Its more like you didnt treat the correspondence as if it were messages from God, act accordingly and make it your number 1 priority. Court people of course being a bit egotistical after all, they control your fate and often get there not thru ability but rather election or appointment by friends. And besides, contempt charges are one place where the man can deprive you of life/liberty etc without due process.
Powerful stuff indeed.
Re: Jury duty
Contempt is merely a legal term; Guin used it as such.
And it is not correct that Contempt results in punishment absent due process; in some limited cases it does and is entirely within the Court's authority; but charges for contempt of court are also tried before juries. I just had such a case recently. The jurors had no sympathy for the defendant's blatant contempt of the judge they elected, and convicted the defendant accordingly.
I'm certainly glad - as a liberal 'thug-hugger' - that more folks than not have respect for our system of laws and the courts and other legal persons who enforce them.
And it is not correct that Contempt results in punishment absent due process; in some limited cases it does and is entirely within the Court's authority; but charges for contempt of court are also tried before juries. I just had such a case recently. The jurors had no sympathy for the defendant's blatant contempt of the judge they elected, and convicted the defendant accordingly.
I'm certainly glad - as a liberal 'thug-hugger' - that more folks than not have respect for our system of laws and the courts and other legal persons who enforce them.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: Jury duty
According to a local attorney that I've spoken to on the subject of not showing up for jury duty when being called, it is very unlikely that a person would be contacted for dodging jury duty one time. On the other hand, if someone has a history of not responding more than once, chances increase that the person will be called on it.
I know three people that have skipped jury duty and none of them were ever contacted.
On the other hand, I've been on two juries and like being called and serving. I was even called for Scott Peterson's trial but told the judge I believed Peterson was guilty. Two friends of mine served on that jury. At the end of the trial I said to them "I told you so."
I know three people that have skipped jury duty and none of them were ever contacted.
On the other hand, I've been on two juries and like being called and serving. I was even called for Scott Peterson's trial but told the judge I believed Peterson was guilty. Two friends of mine served on that jury. At the end of the trial I said to them "I told you so."