Getting out of jury duty...

[weddell]

State laws vary, that's why so many people have different experiences. I got called in PA and served (before kids). I got called when DS was a couple months old and in IL, where I live now, breastfeeding an infant under 1 and primary caregiver of kids are both valid excuses. I think the La Leche League website has the breastfeeding jury laws by state and maybe the childcare ones.

[5knights3maidens]

I wrote a letter explaining that I homeschooled and also had a daughter with XXX issues and I included her dr's. name, address, and phone #. I also wrote that I was the main caretaker (dh is at work all day).

:)

[Lady Lorna]

I have been excused twice in the state of Connecticut after writing a letter explaining that I homeschool and that my daughter would not be "in school" or supervised were I to serve. My daughter was under the age of 16 both times. I was recently called again and was happy to serve as my daughter is older now. Turned out they didn't need me!

[fairfarmhand]

YES! I just called down there, told them that I had 3 or 4 kids some in diapers and noone to care for them. They said ok. Thanks for calling, and marked me off the list.

[ahousefullofjs]

I've been excused twice because I indicate on the form that I take care of young children. I'm sorry, I can't remember the exact wording but there was a place to check that option. I never put that I homeschool.

:iagree:Yep, same here. For some reason I seem to get one every 1-2 years and I check that option. Something along the lines of 'I take care of very small children and do not have another caretaker.'

FWIW, DH also is called often, about every 2 years and he absolutely loves it.

[Chrystal]

I was excused because we homeschooled and I was the primary caregiver of a child too young to stay alone. I just called and they sent me a form to fill out and that was the end of it.

[Daisy]

We can delay up to six months, so I usually delay it until the summer months when my husband has off of work.

 

Otherwise, I basically put down the following...

 

I am the primary caregiver for two children. We do not have any family in this state who can watch our children, and hiring a sitter would cause a financial hardship.

 

I love jury duty though. I'm always fascinated by it.

[smrtmama]

Has anyone successfully been excused from Jury Duty b/c of being a homeschooling mother or stay-at-home-Mom? Just got called for JD in July and I do NOT want to go. Plus, we will be schooling year round and I do NOT have a reliable daycare provider. I'm going to write a letter asking for an excusal but wanted to know in advance how successful that might be. Thanks.

 

 

I've been excused for a combination of being a SAHM and advanced pregnancy. Sadly, as much as I'd like to seat a jury, I'll probably never get to, as my husband is a police officer. :glare:

[Forget-Me-Not]

I had to go a few years ago and got as far as the jury box. I explained to the judge that I had small children at home and that I am a SAHM. I was told that was NOT a reason to get excused from jury duty. However, the cardiologist sitting next to me was excused because she had patients and an out-of-town conference scheduled :mad: Guess being a cardiologist is more important than being a mommy in this county.

 

In any case, I got off because I have too many law-enforcement officers in my extended family :D

[Sue G in PA]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to ask for excusal b/c I am the sole child care provider for 7 children under 13. Not to mention we don't have the finances to hire someone. Hope it works. Say a prayer for me. :)

[LuvToRead]

I was once excused because I had small children at home. I think it's one of the situations that the court waits and sees how many people need to be excused. If they have enough for a jury pool, then they would excuse a SAHM. Likewise, if they were more pressing matters (according to the court, that is), then it may be harder to get an excuse for being a SAHM.

[MissKNG]

Has anyone successfully been excused from Jury Duty b/c of being a homeschooling mother or stay-at-home-Mom? Just got called for JD in July and I do NOT want to go. Plus, we will be schooling year round and I do NOT have a reliable daycare provider. I'm going to write a letter asking for an excusal but wanted to know in advance how successful that might be. Thanks.

 

Where I live home schooling isn't on the list of excuses to be relieved of jury duty. I did get out twice though...first time because I was 8 months pregnant and could not sit through a trial (like peeing). The second time I was soley nursing my small girl and she would not take the bottle and since her health was at risk with my being away, I was excused.

[linders]

HS, young kids, none of it is a valid excuse except for under-one-year nursing infant. They expect your DH to take off work or for you to find daycare. They will reschedule to accommodate you.

[Guest]

I had to go a few years ago and got as far as the jury box. I explained to the judge that I had small children at home and that I am a SAHM. I was told that was NOT a reason to get excused from jury duty. However, the cardiologist sitting next to me was excused because she had patients and an out-of-town conference scheduled :mad: Guess being a cardiologist is more important than being a mommy in this county.

 

In any case, I got off because I have too many law-enforcement officers in my extended family :D

 

What state are you in?! They don't seem to be very accomodating there! I am interested to see which states excuse and which don't. We're in TX and they will excuse you if you have small children and no one to watch them.

 

Also, I didn't know you can't serve jury duty if you have law enforcement in your extended family! I am interested in being a juror (when my kids are older) but it sounds like they won't let me under those conditions (my father is a Superior Court judge). I wonder if that is a rule in all states, or varies like the excuses.

[Prairie~Phlox]

Dh & I both got papers to fill out this year. We both put that it would be a financial hardship because he is the sole provider and we would not have childcare. It didn't matter. I got summoned in May, I was also schedule to work the only week of four weeks that I work during the year. I called and got it postponed and will get summoned again in June. You can give them all the excuses you want in the world, it doesn't mean that they'll let you off. The time before, we were to move in a week to another county, I got called up and had to show up with all three kids as I did not have appropriate care and they were a lot younger. I got excused that day. But it also costs us $70 in a new tire, I hit something metal that was laying on the road and after I got done at the courthouse had a flat tire. That was not a fun day.

 

I will gladly serve no that my kids are a little older, it's just the whole working thing for a week was not going to work into my schedule. (I work at the college bookstore for graduation and book selling)

[dsmith]

I was excused in Morris County, NJ. I told them I homeschool and am the primary caretaker of my autistic son. I don't know if it was the autism or the homeschooling that got me off. I had to write the reason for not going on the form they sent me and mail it in, no documentation needed. They were very nice about it on the phone. I'm in a different county now, so I don't know if it will work here. Guess I will find out eventually...

[stripe]

Also, I didn't know you can't serve jury duty if you have law enforcement in your extended family!

I think this could be a reason a lawyer would request you to be excused, not that you would be ineligible. Like having been in a car accident (or having family who had been) -- you're seen as biased. Might be the same if you have a relative in prison, too.

[FaithManor]

The last time I was called to jury duty, I wrote a letter explaining that I homeschooled my children and as such, could not have an extended period of leaving them in day-care or with relatives during the school year. (Not really necessarily accurate but most court clerks don't have a clue about homeschooling and would assume that area homeschoolers follow a typical public school schedule.) I was excused.

 

The time before that I was called up for a two week session of family court that coincided with my due date for child number four. I wrote a letter stating that I could serve but wondered what the protocol was for a juror going into labor during the case. I received an "excused" letter with a huge smiley face on it.

 

Faith

[elise1mds]

I've never been called *knock wood* but DH has been, twice. The second time, he did serve, but the first time he got a summons, he had to call and explain to the folks at the courthouse that he legally could NOT serve as he wasn't a citizen of the United States at the time. The woman on the other end of the line wouldn't believe him till he faxed over a copy of his green card. Then they let him off. :D

[Susan in KY]

I have to say - once I got there and got it out of the way - I halfway enjoyed the process. :)

 

 

:iagree: I sat for a grand jury in my county, and I enjoyed it. It was only 2 half-days per month for 4 months, and it was easy to schedule around work and whatnot. The legal process is very interesting, especially if you are just observing and not involved personally.

[stripe]

I think it would be fun to serve if one has the time. Unfortunately I was never picked back when I was single. ;) My mom had great fun serving a few years ago. It was quite a memorable case!

[Guest]

I think this could be a reason a lawyer would request you to be excused, not that you would be ineligible. Like having been in a car accident (or having family who had been) -- you're seen as biased. Might be the same if you have a relative in prison, too.

 

That's sounds more like it... it didn't make sense to me that you couldn't serve for a reason like that. So many people have law enforcement, etc., in their extended family... that would exclude so many people.

[akmommy]

I sat for a grand jury in my county, and I enjoyed it

 

I did this a few years ago. Here it is one day a week for 3 months. It worked out because Dh had Fridays off where he worked at that time and he was able to keep the kids while I served. It was really fascinating and I learned a lot.

Last summer I was called for petit jury. I was only called in twice, but was not selected either time.

[KidsHappen]

Perhaps if I were refusing to take my prescribed medications, and were not rational. I'm in Texas, and never would invoke such an exemption, even though I have mental health conditions. Bi-polar under management would not prevent the person from serving on a jury. If I were bi-polar, I definitely would not want to "feed the troll" of public ignorance regarding mental illness. The battle against prejudice is bad enough already!

 

I have a totally different take on this. As a bi-polar person, I would not want a bi-polar person on my jury. I am well medicated and monitored and I still have break through episodes of both mania and depression. They come on without warning and can be very hard to get under control. It sometimes takes me longer to become aware of the situation that my family. So I may think I am fine when in fact I am not. Bi-polar people can also have both delusion and hallucinations. There are some other mental illnesses that are just as bad. Speaking from personal experience, I would say that this would be a legitimate exemption from jury duty that would be agreed to buy both sides.

[Reesegirl]

I have been called up twice for jury duty. Once when my dds were little, 2nd grade, a Kindergartener and a 1 year old, I had to get a sitter. They wouldn't excuse me due to homeschooling even though I told them on the phone that I couldn't call in a sub like the public school teachers. I wasn't picked on that jury and when home early. But several years later I was called up for the county, had to drive 60 miles and sit on a jury for the day. My dd was old enough to be left home by herself.

[Excelsior! Academy]

I haven't read the other responses. I hs my 4 kiddos AND I am raising my sister's 4 dc because she and her boyfriend went to jail. They wouldn't let me out. All of the children were under 1 to 12 at the time. When I showed up at the courthouse to try to get out, on a day set aside just for that reason, the judge asked me what I planned to do with my 4 and wondered why I couldn't just get childcare for all 8. :001_huh: The only people who got out were really really pregnant and the ones that were, um, a leetle bit crazy, kwim? I did get it postponed for a month to get childcare. :glare:

Edited May 29, 2010 by Excelsior! Academy