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

by jam 25 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  jam

  For over 12 years I have been summons for jury service.

  Each year I receive a summons and each year my physician

  send in my medical excuse. Don,t get me wrong, I would love

  to serve on jury duty, but because of my medical condition not

  possibly. I was never summons as a JW, why. Was it because I

  didn,t vote?

  My doctor inform them on my excuse , my condition is permanent

  for the last 12 years we have sent this in. WTH, I have known

  people that have never been summons by the courts. I do agree,

  it,s our responsibility to serve but curious how do they determine

  who serve and who doesn,t. And how many JW,s you have known served

  on jury duty?
• 

  Chaserious

  Different states have different ways of determining who gets summoned. Voting records used to be more common, but recently many states have been pulling in data from drivers licenses and other government databases to determine who goes in the jury pool. I got called once when I was a JW, even though not registered to vote at the time. I was going to serve if they picked me. I didn't give a crap if it was discouraged. But I didn't get picked - they asked me some questions and I was eventually dismissed.
• 

  jam

  Chaserious: So it was discouraged, how is one supposedly to

  get out of Jury duty?

  Here in California that can be guite difficult. The only way to

  get out of jury duty, deceased or permanenty moved. To get

  medical excuses, must be from your physician and it,s only

  good for one year. At age 70, you don,t need a release from

  your physician.

  I wonder for those JW,s that served on jury duty, with JW

  education, wouldn,t there be a problem on some cases.

  What if you were a juror that involved an allege child molestation.
• 

  jgnat

  Here in Canada they will use any public list, like driver's license registers. They've also opened booths in the malls and snagged people as they come in.

  Hubby was called to Jury duty and he was even selected but then he had a fit of conscience and asked to be removed because of his religion. The Judge readily let him off. The eders were no help. They said it was a "conscience matter", which hubby and I did not know was code for "don't".
• 

  jam

  So in other words if you are called and you tell them, because

  of religious reasons you can not serve, they will dismiss you?

  The fiined may be up to $1500.00 if you fail to respond.
• 

  GromitSK

  I know a JW who has become a magistrate in the UK. This requires an oath of allegiance to the crown.
• 

  Gypsy Sam

  Yes, twice. Once we were dismissed. The second time, I was in the courtroom, still an active JW, and a long questionnaire was given to us. The case ironically hit way too close to home and I asked to speak to the judge. The case involved domestic violence, including battery while pregnant. I gave him a very brief synopsis of my story and I was released. Of course, at the time, I thought it was an answered prayer
• 

  jam

  "Magistrate in the UK". That,s a bit much for a conscience matter

  don,t you think. LOL
• 

  Chaserious

  Jam: Yes, I think most JWs that wanted to get out of jury duty said they had a personal religious objection. The medical reasons and old age that you mentioned are probably the only things that will excuse a person from showing up entirely, but that doesn't mean that people can't be excused for some other reason once they show up. I suspect that most judges would let you be excused if there is a religious objection. They might question some prospective jurors a bit further if they aren't convinced that it's sincere.

  I believe there was an article in one of the publications about 10 years ago that basically said it's a conscience matter, but not to tell the judge that JWs are not allowed to serve on juries, since it's a personal decision.

  As to education, there is no educational requirement to be on a jury in the U.S. Complex cases are often decided by jurors with a limited education. Just the way our system is.
• 

  dazed but not confused

  Here in Colorado I have been summonsed twice. The first time was when I was a JW. I was picked to serve and was happy to have the experience. It was a drunk driving case. No one in the hall gave me a hard time for not getting out of it.

  The second time I was called to jury duty, I called the night before to see if my number was called. They send out so many summonses then the day before your supposed to be there they give out the Juror numbers that must show up. If your number is not called, you don’t have to go. My number was missed by 3 or 4. I wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime. I was not registered to vote the first time I was called to serve.