Jury Duty? Is there some way to get out of it?

[Tess in the Burbs]

I received a Jury Duty Summons from the Sheriff for two months! Of course the only way to be excused is to show up the first day of the term at 2pm. Um, my youngest naps during that time!

 

Am I allowed to show up with my kids? Has anyone successfully gotten excused(long term) from jury duty? I filled out a postcard last year stating I was a caregiver but obviously they didn't care and put me on the list anyway.

 

I literally have no family nearby to watch my kids. We don't use babysitters. And dh can't take off for this. I wouldn't know until after 5pm the day before if I had to go in. I would expect 5-6 cases to sit in on last 1-2 days each.

 

Who can set up childcare the night before????

 

kinda panicky about this...help!

[Tammy]

Maybe yours does too? I think in Florida....if you have children under 5....you are excused....you just fill out the form and return it to them.

 

I wrote them a letter one time....and they mailed me something back stating I was excused!

 

Tammy

[Jennifer in MI]

Do you have any friend who could help out for even one day? A neighbor? A church friend? A local teen?

 

I was called a couple years ago. Dh could take time out, so I was lucky. But, when the judge called us forward, the first thing she asked was if there was anyone for whom serving would be a hardship. Three women stood up and all were stay at home moms whose dh's really couldn't take time off to help out while they served. The judge dismissed them right away.

 

I didn't serve on a jury that time because I had too many police officers in my family! LOL I don't think I can be called for another three years.

 

I hope you find a solution!

 

ETA: I read that if you take your kids, you can be arrested for contempt. I wouldn't risk it.

[BMW]

In my county you were not allowed to show up with children, then you wouldn't be checked in and were truant. Is there a phone contact that you can call to ask questions? Is there an address to write a letter (if you have mail time between now and then)?

 

Years ago I received a summons and called the office where it came from and explained that I had a huge health issue, had broken my legs recently and had a baby and toddler. The lady did NOT care and said I would most definately be at jury duty. There are steps to take, if I remember correctly, if you are not able to serve because of being the only one able to care for your small child. In my case, I had to have an attorney handle the people for me and I got excused for several years.

 

Sorry! Hope it gets handled well for you.

[Jumping In Puddles]

 

I didn't serve on a jury that time because I had too many police officers in my family! LOL I don't think I can be called for another three years.

 

 

 

NJ doesn't discriminate about police officers in a family anymore. As a matter of fact, my brother, who is a police officer was called to jury duty and was picked for the jury!

 

I was on a jury once, and dang, I tried to use the police officer thing (father, brother, uncle) and not only was I picked, but I was on the jury with the wife of a police officer (who's husband was currently running for Sherif!) :lol:

 

You should be able to be excused if you are the primary care giver. You can call, write or show up the first day and tell the judge why you wouldn't be able to serve: It would be a hardship on your family.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Do you have any friend who could help out for even one day? A neighbor? A church friend? A local teen?

.

 

 

well it's a two month term. so every night at 5pm I call for two months to see if I have to go the next day. I have no one, even friends, who could take on my kids on such short notice. add in driving them to their activities!

 

I have called all morning and so far haven't reached the lady to speak with. I will start writing a letter later today to mail in as well.

[Bev in B'ville]

in Georgia all you have to do is show them that you're a homeschooler (homeschooling declaration) and you are automatically excused. Virginia has wonderful laws for homeschooling so I'm willing to bet they have something similar. Check into it.

 

HTH.

[Hoggirl]

We have a judge here who is pretty anti-home schooling. He really doesn't like to hear that as an excuse. It is a delicate thing to handle as you want to get off, but they need people (other than retirees) to serve. It's that whole "cross-section of the community" thing. That comment about not being able to show up with your kids and if you do you are truant/tardy 'cause you have to take them back home is AMAZING to me! It seems like I have read that some states offer immunity to home schoolers??? Maybe Georgia???? Or maybe I am making this up/not remember it correctly. At any rate, it irks me that my state makes me sign a waiver saying I cannot hold the state responsible for the dc's education then the same state requires me to show up for jury duty!!! I have never been called, but it has always hung over my head because, like you, I have NO family nearby. It would still stink, but at least my child is getting close to being old enough to be left alone! But not all day! And who would teach him! I am really, really sorry for you. :(

[Aubrey]

My dad showed up in overalls w/ the biggest Bible he could find, excited to sit on a jury. He was dismissed quickly. :confused:

 

(In case my humor is too dry here, my dad did this on purpose in order to be released.)

[Stacey in MA]

I think that's what the reason was. There were a bunch of reasons listed on the initial form that came in the mail. You simply had to send it back in with your reason listed. I was NOT allowed to say "look, don't call on me in the next 10 years b/c I simply can't make it happen! I have little kids, big kids, nurselings, it just won't work at this stage of my life!" hee hee! But still I think it was 3 times I was called on, filled out the form each time with the reason for declining as "primary care giver and unable to find alternate accomodations", and was never questioned.

 

Since we've been in MA, I haven't been called on, so I don't know how it goes here.... I'm pretty sure it's different in each state and maybe even each county. All you can do is call, I guess.

 

GL! - Stacey in MA

[Jennifer in MI]

well it's a two month term. so every night at 5pm I call for two months to see if I have to go the next day. I have no one, even friends, who could take on my kids on such short notice. add in driving them to their activities!

 

I have called all morning and so far haven't reached the lady to speak with. I will start writing a letter later today to mail in as well.

 

Really??? Holy Cow! That would be different then. How do they do that with people who have jobs? How can someone go day to day for two months? That changes things.

 

Here, you go in for ONE day. I waited for my number to be called and then spoke with a judge for a particular jury. I was excused pretty fast and that was my duty!

 

Something needs to change in VA!!!

[Jennifer in MI]

NJ doesn't discriminate about police officers in a family anymore. As a matter of fact, my brother, who is a police officer was called to jury duty and was picked for the jury!

 

I was on a jury once, and dang, I tried to use the police officer thing (father, brother, uncle) and not only was I picked, but I was on the jury with the wife of a police officer (who's husband was currently running for Sherif!) :lol:

.

 

Really? Wow! It was just so funny to see their faces as I listed off the police officers in my family - grandfather (state police), uncle (state police), dad (he runs their VIP program in their community), 2 brothers, and my dh is a Detroit Police Chaplain. They immediatelly excused me. Maybe it was the case I was on - it was a breaking and entering case where it was the policeman's word against the kid. Um, yea. I'd believe the policeman, hands down! (Gee - maybe I shouldn't have been on the jury!)

 

Oh well. I kinda' wanted to serve on a jury!

[threetreasurs]

I wrote letters and got out of jury duty when my kids were younger. I just said that I was the primary caregiver. When they got older, I went. The last time, I made it all the way to the last cut! They thought I would be upset to be picked to leave right at the last step, but I was secretly relieved.

[Quiver0f10]

I am going through that right now except the term in AR in 4 months. Here it is near impossible to be excused from duty. The judge told us she doesn't care if you have a nursing baby, no child care, single mom etc. I have been on call since May 1st and have only been called once and then they called back a few hours later to say the case had been settled out of court so I never even had to go.

 

I got called once in NH and filled out a form saying I was the primary care giver of children under 5 and they excused me.

 

So every state is different.

[Mama Lynx]

Tess,

 

I did a quick Google, and found that you can be excused if you are solely in charge of a child under age 16. I found the handbook at this link: http://www.courts.state.va.us/faq/jury.html

[Tap]

I have been excused twice in Washington. The first time I put primary caregiver with young children, and still got called. I went the first day told the receptionist what my situation was, and she told me next time to call if I don't get excused from just the mail in.

 

I recently was called again, filled out the card...and I was excused again.

 

 

I would like to serve sometime, when I don't have littles in my house but until then, it just isn't realistic.

 

 

Good luck,

Tap

[tammi]

The first two times I was called, I was living in Alaska. The only way you could be excused was a medical note from the doctor. I was nursing both times and I lived 5 hours away, but that was no excuse.

 

The third time, I was living in Maine. This time I had a friend who could watch my kids. She homeschooled and took them in. (I did end up serving.)

[mommylawyer]

Call the judge's office - the judge whose court you are to appear in. Ask if you can speak to his secretary or the person who would handle jury summons excuses. If you can't speak to someone there, call the clerk of court of the court where you got the summons.

 

You may be able to be excused because you have a child of a certain age and you are the primary care provider for that child. You may also want to explain that you home school, but I think the first reason is better.

 

When you ask if you can be excused for this summons, find out if you can be removed from the jury pool until you are no longer the primary child care provider and/or you no longer home school.

 

By the way, even after you get oral approval for being excused, you also need to put it in writing and take that letter (and/or a copy) to both the clerk of court and the judge's office.

 

Good luck!