Jury duty as a JW, were you summons for Jury service.

by jam 25 Replies latest jw experiences

  • jam
    jam

    Gypsy: Don,t understand. You ask to be dismissed because you

    were experiencing violence at home or it was your JW conscience?

  • jam
    jam

    This is the point I am making, most people are summoned

    maybe once or twice. I receive a summons every two years, WTH.

    There are 3-10 million people here in S. Calif.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    jam, you must be on a handy list.

    My poor dad (not a JW) is on some master list for surveyors.

  • RubaDub
    RubaDub

    Yes, 4 times over the past 15 years.

    Jury duty is not a big issue here in Florida, at least in the congregations I have been in. Unofficially, at least from what I have heard for elders, is that it is fine as long as the death penalty is not involved or some issue that would affect your conscience. If so, just ask to be reassigned to another case.

    Let's see, I have been on: 1) Armed robbery 2) Fraud 3) Product liability (guy lost 2 fingers with a defective drill) 4) Unsafe workplace (Temporary worker, an outside contractor, got severely burned on one arm).

    On three of the four, we just sat in a room for a day or two and the cases were settled by the attorneys. In the product liability case, we listened to testimony for two days. On the third day, the judge called us in first thing in the morning and told us it was settled and the case is over.

    That's it for me.

    Rub a Dub

  • ShirleyW
    ShirleyW

    I know for a fact that they use other record besides voter registration because I've never voted and I've been called a couple of times.

    I know someone whose JW mom got called when her two younger siblings were kids and she said her mom was able to postpone all those years because she had school age children, never heard of that one before, but her mom has served since they've grown up. Matter of fact her mom got called for Federal Court, where you must serve, it's not like when they send you the letter with a number and say call in every evening, with Federal Court the letter says basically report to such and such court and you're in.

  • Gypsy Sam
    Gypsy Sam

    Was a victim prior to jury duty. Survivor and happily divorced by the time jury duty came up for me. Still knew the charges brought up were too close to my former marriage and i couldnt be objective. Someone I work with is always questioning why, in Florida, with the amount of retirees and unemployed people we have, why they can't just call on them. Those of us in finance really don't like missing work.

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    In the U K anybody on the Electoral Register is eligible for Jury Service...I guess there are some exceptions, but that is the principle. It is a legal requirement to be on the Electoral Register and so J W's register, just do not vote on Polling Day.

    It is a "conscience matter" whether they serve on juries or not. I know one sister (elder's wife) who did....another one who declined and found an excuse. In reality it was her belief that she should not do so.

    They never called me. As a dub, I would have gone and now obviously I would go. In reality relatively few people that I have known, whether at work or in the cong. have been called

  • Yan Bibiyan
    Yan Bibiyan

    Been called twice, never selected.

    I have a Trump card, if need be. My father was a police office for over 30 years. All a defense attorney needs to hear to send you packing because of possible partiality.

  • St George of England
    St George of England

    I was called twice in the 1970's and in each case I wrote and asked to be excused due to being a JW. In each case this was allowed.

    I felt very guilty about this as the WTS reason for refusing jury service is a really lame excuse.

    Too old now I guess.

    George

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    I got called a few times--once while an active witless. That time, I dogged it (I sat on the chair for maybe 15 seconds and confessed that I would not be able to give a fair trial as I lived in a bad area and might be biased. The second time, I was still technically active but not giving a fxxx what the stand was--that time, I never even got picked. The first was assault, the second a lawsuit about someone falling off a roof while working for the water company.

    And most recently, I got off because I confessed that I might not be fair and impartial. That lasted maybe 15 seconds--and I wasn't even a believing or active witless at that time. That was a situation where the person was accused of setting a house fire knowing someone was inside. For those who do not wish to be bothered with a case, "I might not be able to give a fair trial" usually works.

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