I was called for jury duty!!

[Janet]

Got a call around 5:00 last evening from the Sheriff's department saying I needed to be at the courthouse this morning at 8:30 for jury duty. Fun Fun!!!

I found a sub for the bus and went to do my duty. They already had a jury of 12 but needed two alternates. They called the first two up to be interviewed, a man and a woman and dismissed the woman because she had type 2 diabetes. They called another woman up and she was dismissed also. Next was a very young man who was a youth minister. They picked him to stay so me and this other man were able to leave.

I'm glad I didn't have to stay because it was a child molesting criminal case. They were going to have the girl that he supposedly molested testify and I just don't think I would have wanted to hear it.

Hopefully they'll never call me again...it's just not something I would feel really comfortable doing. Oh I think it would be a great learning opportunity, but that would be about it.

[Blueyes]

Oh, I'm glad they didn't pick you! You didn't know until the night before that you had to go? Wow..what a pain!

[gja1000]

WOW! Janet, you dodged a bullet. I would not want to sit on a child molestation jury either!!

I was on a murder case jury - the person had confessed to the murder, and they plea bargained for no death penalty, but we had to decide whether it was capital murder or plain murder. In Texas, capital murder means murder committed in the act of another crime and is much worse than just plain murder - and the penalty is worse.

This was a sweet faced, blond headed, blue-eyed 21 year old boy - but he had steely cold eyes. It was clear that he planned to rob the victim (and did) and thus, made it capital murder. The sentence was 45 years - before he was eligible for parole. So, we sent the kid away till he was 66 years old - not an easy thing to do, but the right thing.

We had to look at pictures of the murder victim, post mortem - it was awful, I don't want to have to do that again. BUT, it was a great learning experience, for sure!

[Janet]

They did apologize for the late notice, but said they were short on help.....who isn't??? LOLOL

[DianaB]

In our county you receive a letter a week or two ahead of time so you can be prepared. That was very inconsiderate of your sheriff to give you such short notice especially where you work.

I've been called a few times but I've only had to go in once. While we were in line to go in a lady was telling another lady all about what had gone on to cause the trial. We went through the part where the lawyers were picking the jury and we took a break for lunch and when we came back we were all dismissed because of the lady talking before we went in.

[Gina]

Like Diane mentioned that is inconsiderate to give you a short notice like that. Wow, they call you personally by me also they send a notice in mail a few weeks before. I was called two years ago for Grand Jury the cheese of all cheeses.lol But luckily when I got there and sat I was dismissed, they had selected the jurors. Whew! was I happy..

I once was picked for a muder trail in NYC when I lived there, but when I was called to the judge I told them I work for the court system and thankfully they dismmissed me.

Gayle that is a hard call to make, when someone's life is in yours and the other jurors hands. Everything I guess is based on how the attorneys present it and evidence. I applaud you.... It must be stressful..

Anyway I am glad you got off Janet, how much do they pay you for each day you are out of work? Back in the day jury duty I think was 15 dollars a day plus transportation to and from. Maybe Judy could quote me better on this. It has been years..

[Janet]

When the sheriff's office called he did apologize saying they just found out 20 minutes earlier to call me and when we got there, the guy in charge of the jury said they were short of help...so I don't know the real reason. They did send out a paper late last year, a questionnaire type thing that I had 10 day to get back to them. I filled it out of course and then was told I'd be in line to serve for the first 3 months of 2009. I almost made it ....LOL.

They only pay $15.00 a day and no mileage. I think if they want people to serve then they need to pay them their salary for the time missed. If Rick had still been out of work and then me only getting $15 we would have been in trouble if the court thing had lasted more than a couple days.

[judy]

It's good that you got off. A child molestation case has some very bad energy.
Poor kid!

I love jury duty, but you can get on horrible cases like that. I did get on a case where the daughter was accusing her father of molesting her, and with him denying it. Was she just trying to get back at him for who knows what? She could have been, or he could have molested her. It really was a question of he said, she said. The girl went to a school where I had once taught. One of the witnesses they called was a counselor there, and I knew him. I told the court officer and was taken off the case. Was I glad! I did not want to have to decide who was telling the truth in this case.

I don't know what they pay - I got paid from work, so didn't keep the check. I seem to remember $40.