I know that Jury Duty is mandatory in both nations (USA all 50 states / Canada all 13 provinces) meaning citizens have to show up in person when they receive the “dreaded letter” via the mail telling them the date / time and court in which they have to attend, excusals exist if you manage to plead your reasoning for excusal with evidence.
I mean, have you received a summons from the court saying you’ve been chosen as a juror? There are penalities on failing to attend. If you were selected on being part of the jury, what is the experience like and how much are you paid? If you weren’t selected on being part of the jury that time, is there a chance you can be summoned again at any given moment?
Neurodivergent people (i.e. Autism, ADHD, dyslexia) who have received the summons can plead their reasoning as to why they aren’t eligible to be a juror only if they have medical evidence (diagnosis of their condition, psych report, doctors letter, medical certificate) explaining why their condition makes them unable to serve & etc.
Don’t try to get out of it. It’s the most power you will ever get as a single citizen in the US. You can make the difference in someone else’s life, and it may be a matter of life and death based on a law that you don’t even think should exist. If you ever have a trial by jury, you don’t want to be judged by a group of people who couldn’t think of a good-enough excuse to get out of it, you want smart people who will potentially put their foot in the door between you and unjust laws.
Read up on jury nullification. Try to get on a jury. Don’t tell them anything they don’t ask directly. Dress like anything but who they think they don’t want on their jury during the voir dire process.
I was summoned once, but no juries were selected that day. My younger brother was the foreperson of a grand jury.
My first summons was when I was 18 …I ditched it… paid the fine. Back the it was 80 bucks. The next time some 30 years later I went. It was in San Diego superior and there were hundreds of other people in a huge hall and they were calling names. I tried my best to be invisible but my name came up. Next thing I know is everyone in the nury thinks I’d make a good foreman… Despite my objections that’s what they wanted. Ended up being a slip and fall case for a lady in a restaurant. I fought like hell to get her more compensation and w eventually reached a compromise. I got her a better settlement and wow what a cool experience.
I think its $12/hr compensation, and fuel only gets reimbursed if you gotta drive for more than an hour to show up. I got my letter on my desk, but its for an undetermined date in july
how much are you paid?
I don’t remember exactly, but I remember feeling insulted by the stipend because I spent more on parking in downtown Detroit and had no means of transportation into the city other than driving myself. I had such a hard time finding cheap parking spots within reasonable walking distance of the court.
Me and two friends were coincidentally summoned at the same time - 3 different counties across two states. Mine and one of my friend’s summons were cancelled, and my other friend just got sent home yesterday from a case as he wasn’t needed. But the position has tenure for 3-4 months so we might have to go back.
I served on Grand Jury in NY state. 2 days a week for 8 weeks, listened to the evidence and decided if there was enough to charge/not charge. Really interesting experience.
I once got summoned while I was in the hospital being treated for Leukemia. They gave me an exemption and some get well wishes.
I was selected 3 times and sat on juries for murder cases each time. Guilty, not guilty, and guilty. Last time was 2017. It was worthwhile thing to do even if it was inconvenient.
I’ve been summoned a couple times. Was paid $12 for not being selected to the jury. I think you’re off the roster for awhile? They were about a decade apart.
I’ve been summoned twice in the past 7 years and neither time did I actually even get to the point where they interview to decide if I would have been a juror.
First time I got summons was like a month after I moved to a different city for work and I let them know and they said okay you don’t need to come.
Second was like last year and I accepted the summons but then got a notification that I was no longer needed as the trial wouldn’t happen. I assume plea deal or something.
Not yet, but everyone I know that were summoned, total 3 instances, never actually served.
I’ve never actually served, but the pay is like $2 an hour plus maybe parking in the US. How frequently you actually receive a jury duty summons depends on jurisdiction.
I’m 47, I’ve been summoned twice, but never selected to actually serve.
No, I don’t live in either of those countries, so have never been called up there.
Thank you for your contribution!
Ive been summoned a few times but only picked once for a single day trial. I showed up at 8am and drank shitty coffee and ate snacks while watching HGTV on a big screen in the jury room. About 2 or 3 hours later the judge came in to tell us that the defendent had taken a plea deal, so we could go home. I got a check for $12 some weeks later and don’t have to serve again for a year or two.
All in all not too bad, and my work paid me my full wage for the day for doing my civic duty.
The summons prior to that was for a grand jury, which I didnt realize at the time and also got the dates mixed up so I didnt actually show up. I really lucked out here because for the grand jury, you have to serve for two weeks straight. When I realized I had the days wrong I was able to call and get it sorted out which lead to the above summons in which I was called, but according to the law, I technically could have been thrown in jail over missing the summons.
