Called for Jury Duty

[crosscountry]

That was very anticlimactic. I got there at 1:20 for a 1:30 start time. The judge came in at 1:35. He told us that most of the cases for the afternoon had already settled and that we were waiting to hear back from two more. He also said that all of the cases were Class C Misdemeanors with maximum penalty a fine. None would carry jail time if convicted.

A couple of minutes later a clerk entered with paperwork. Then we were dismissed. All cases had settled. I was out by 1:42.

[DonM435]

The last time I (almost) served, we got to sit around and wait, of course, and there was a great deal of griping about how many unemployed people could be here instead of taking us away from our jobs.

I guess that juries full of people who didn't mind taking as long as needed has some appeal, but it could lead to skewed justice: they might be prejudiced against someone who had a job, I guess.

Some judge dropped by to give us a pep talk. He himself had fled from opression in another nation in his younger life, and he reminded us how many people in other countries would gladly risk their lives to be where we were today, and would be willing to endure this responsibility as the price of freedom. He also pointed out that just by being here and available, we affected the resolution of the cases going on right now.

I got the point. I still left once excused, but tried not to look too happy about it.

[grapes]

Glad it worked out, crosscountry!

The last time I (almost) served, we got to sit around and wait, of course, and there was a great deal of griping about how many unemployed people could be here instead of taking us away from our jobs.

I wasn't called in thirty years, but once that once-every-two-years clock started, I seem to get called regularly. I've only been on one jury, most times I just sit in a large room with everybody else, waiting.

One year, the call caused me to miss a parks and rec commission meeting. Then I noticed the mayor sitting by himself, unrecognized. He'd never set foot in the P&R department, so I bent his ear that morning, and got him to pay some attention to city parks. There was no place for him to run. :)

[Moose]

I guess that juries full of people who didn't mind taking as long as needed has some appeal, but it could lead to skewed justice: they might be prejudiced against someone who had a job, I guess.

And would interfere with those folks' ability to be actively seeking work or being available for interviews, something that would be problematic for employment insurance which mandate both as conditions for receiving benefits.

[grapes]

And would interfere with those folks' ability to be actively seeking work or being available for interviews, something that would be problematic for employment insurance which mandate both as conditions for receiving benefits.

I'd be surprised if that wasn't already accounted for, by law.

I'll see if I can find something.

ETA: NY Dept of Labor FAQ:
http://labor.ny.gov/ui/claimantinfo/...iedfaq.shtm#26

Q: What if I receive a call for jury duty?

A: If you receive a call to jury duty, you will still be able to receive benefits. This is true, whether you receive a call to a grand or petit jury of any state or of the United States. We consider you ready, willing and able to work while serving on jury duty.

[Moose]

It's the same in Canada. (It makes sense. How seriously could people be expected to take jury duty if other government agencies were inflexible about it?) The latter half of that objection (for lack of a better word), then, is withdrawn.

[Trebuchet]

So did you get your $10/day jury pay for the 22 minutes work?

[crosscountry]

And would interfere with those folks' ability to be actively seeking work or being available for interviews, something that would be problematic for employment insurance which mandate both as conditions for receiving benefits.

I would definitely change that rule, but that is for another thread.

[crosscountry]

So did you get your $10/day jury pay for the 22 minutes work?

It was $6, but they gave me the option to donate it to our county Child Welfare department, which I did.

$6 for showing up
$6 for being chosen
$10 for serving on a jury.
------
$22 total for first day.

Second day was $34 or something like that.

[R.A.F.]

I am rather surprised to see "some" who would even consider trying to "get out" of Jury duty.


It is exactly like voting....a "right" we all should embrace...not deny....



aside.....someone knock me off my "soap box" before I hurt myself.

[swampyankee]

And would interfere with those folks' ability to be actively seeking work or being available for interviews, something that would be problematic for employment insurance which mandate both as conditions for receiving benefits.

It is, "Sec. 31-235-15. Availability--jury duty print print this regulation (PDF, 74KB)

When an unemployed individual is summoned to jury duty, the Administrator shall consider the individual to be available for work during the performance of such duty.

(Effective June 24, 1986)"

( http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/appeals....htm#31-235-15 )

I would, however, expect that I'd have to report the income to the state's Dept of Labor.

It used to be much easier to get excused from jury duty in Connecticut: police, sheriffs, lawyers, physicians and surgeons, nurses, and the self-employed were pretty much granted automatic exemptions. No longer: about the only work-related concern is financial hardship, and that is very difficult to get unless you're self employed.

[Noclevername]

I am rather surprised to see "some" who would even consider trying to "get out" of Jury duty.


It is exactly like voting....a "right" we all should embrace...not deny....

Some seek out nonselection, others have nonselection thrust upon them.

[swampyankee]

It was $6, but they gave me the option to donate it to our county Child Welfare department, which I did.

$6 for showing up
$6 for being chosen
$10 for serving on a jury.
------
$22 total for first day.

Second day was $34 or something like that.

Wow! We're well-paid for jury duty here: $50/day plus parking, but we only get the $50 if we're picked for a case. If we're not, we only serve one day. Federal jury duty, if I remember (did that, too) pays slightly better. In Connecticut, if one is working full time (over 32 hours/week), employers have to make up the difference between juror pay (the $50/day) and regular pay. It applies whether or not one gets paid time off (a coworker, also working for a temp agency, was told by the company "we don't have to, even though your assignment is in Connecticut, because our HQ is in California." The company lost this argument). Luckily, I never got called when I was working in NYC, as, like most workplace-related laws, it only applied to people working in Connecticut, not people living in Connecticut and working out of state. It also only to Connecticut jury duty. Since there are people who work in Connecticut and live in other states, your Connecticut employer doesn't have to pay if you're called to jury duty in, say New York, nor do they have to if you're called to federal jury duty.

[DonM435]

It was $6, but they gave me the option to donate it to our county Child Welfare department, which I did.

$6 for showing up
$6 for being chosen
$10 for serving on a jury.

...

. . . Puttin' some pot-smokin' malcontent under a jail for twenty years . . . priceless!

[DonM435]

By the way, I got $15 for my half-day of waiting around and being excused. Seems like I had to take it.

I had to do a lot of running around to get my employer to dock me $15 for that day like the rules say they should: I'm suposed to get my regular pay less the jury payment. The payroll depertment acted as if this had never happened before, so maybe nobody ever failed to avoid jury duty entirely, or everybody keeps the bonus and clams up. (Me, I didn't want the chance of being charged with double-dipping at some future date for a measly fifteen bucks.)

Finally got them to deduct it, so my record is clean.

[Moose]

I had to do a lot of running around to get my employer to dock me $15 for that day like the rules say they should: I'm suposed to get my regular pay less the jury payment. The payroll depertment acted as if this had never happened before, so maybe nobody ever failed to avoid jury duty entirely, or everybody keeps the bonus and clams up.

Heh, I had the same experience when I'd served. Payroll (for the Province of New Brunswick) didn't seem to know what to do with it. They dithered for a solid two weeks of prodding until I wryly (and not seriously) suggested that I was quite willing to keep it if they didn't want it. It didn't take long for them to figure out how to accept it after that. Maybe thirty minutes, including drafting the email with instructions to our office admin.

[NEOWatcher]

My county has suspended pay for jurors, and we still have to pay for parking (which pretty much wiped out the pay anyway).

[Jim]

Well, my daughter got a jury summons yesterday.

I blame all of you for bringing up the subject.

[DoggerDan]

I was going through mail last month and found a jury summons. Eeek!

Fortunately, they'd sent it to the wrong address. It was forwarded to me by a kind former neighbor of mine, and it arrived long past when I was supposed to show.

That and the fact that I no longer live in Florida...

[swampyankee]

By the way, I got $15 for my half-day of waiting around and being excused. Seems like I had to take it.

I had to do a lot of running around to get my employer to dock me $15 for that day like the rules say they should: I'm suposed to get my regular pay less the jury payment. The payroll depertment acted as if this had never happened before, so maybe nobody ever failed to avoid jury duty entirely, or everybody keeps the bonus and clams up. (Me, I didn't want the chance of being charged with double-dipping at some future date for a measly fifteen bucks.)

Finally got them to deduct it, so my record is clean.

When I worked for a large, private employer in Connecticut they stopped docking the $50 for jury duty. They were not noted for excessive generosity to their employees, so I don't know why they stopped.

[Trebuchet]

When I worked for a large, private employer in Connecticut they stopped docking the $50 for jury duty. They were not noted for excessive generosity to their employees, so I don't know why they stopped.

They may have figured out it was costing them more than $50 to make the payroll change.

[swampyankee]

They may have figured out it was costing them more than $50 to make the payroll change.

Probably, although I'm not sure either HR or Payroll were quite smart enough to figure that out. Somebody probably lost the original copy of the form.

[R.A.F.]

I will be reporting for Jury Duty, Monday morning at 8 AM.

[DonM435]

Remind me to stay out of trouble with The Law next week.

[R.A.F.]

Unless you've been "bad" somewhere in Butte county, Ca., you have nothing to worry about.

[DonM435]

Unless you've been "bad" somewhere in Butte county, Ca., you have nothing to worry about.

I dunno, I'd probably be unable to resist making some rude comment about the county's name . . .

[ABR.]

I dunno, I'd probably be unable to resist making some rude comment about the county's name . . .

Everything has a "Butte" in the name here -- but Butt Valley Reservoir is over the county line in Plumas County.

Have fun in Oroville, R.A.F.

[R.A.F.]

Have fun in Oroville, R.A.F.

Gee...uh, thanks...

[R.A.F.]

Got picked for a Jury...criminal trial...looks like a short one, lasting only to tomorrow, noon.

[Moose]

Short ones are okay. I served a sixteen day one. Still not too bad, considering the one immediately following ours had budgeted time for six months!