Updated: I have jury duty Monday and

[babylonsister]

Last edited Thu Jan 6, 2022, 09:55 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm getting freaked out due to the uptick in covid cases in Florida. I just checked the website and there are no cancellation notices.

I rarely go out as it is because it's too peopley, yet now I have to subject myself to all those people and germs?

Am I overreacting?

EDIT: I just called and rescheduled; no plans to cancel hearings as of now but the lady I spoke to understood my angst (she didn't sound as if she wanted to be there either). So April it is now. And that's a load off.

Thanks for all your input!

[empedocles]

1. Jury rooms that I have seen have been spacious

[ProfessorGAC]

33. Not The One I Was In!

I was on a felony jury in March 2020. Just before things got locked down over COVID. (Actually 2 days before the schools closed.)
12 of us plus 2 alternates. The room was under 10 feet wide and a bit over 20 feet long. So, maybe 14 square feet per person!
Since then though, the county opened a new, much bigger courthouse, so those jury rooms might be more spacious.
But, I sure wouldn't want to be in that room we were in over these past 21 months!
I think we got lucky that COVID didn't hit our county for a couple weeks after that. Whew!

[Farmer-Rick]

2. Some places have on line court

To reduce exposure to COVID.

But you live in the land of the crazies. I'm sure DeSatan discourages such common sense precautions.

I served jurry duty pre COVID and we did spend some time in the smallest rooms. But perhaps they have taken precautions.

[dweller]

3. No

Do you have any health issues that might get you a pass ?
You don’t to report them here, just consider if

✌🏻

[bamagal62]

4. An N95 is your friend.

Or, wear full PPE! In Florida it might get you excused from duty!

[blm]

5. Yikes. If you aren't comfortable with their protocols

then you should tell them straight out. Florida is scary right now.

[MuseRider]

6. Surely you could opt out

due to Covid?

I am pretty sure you could here. I have always found them pretty easy to work with here. I know all states are different but I cannot imagine they would make you under these circumstances. Try it and see. If nothing else tell them you have an illness that would make this really difficult. You don't have to tell them that illness is a wish to live.

[elleng]

7. Funny Pooh I Like To Stay in Bed It s Too Peopley Outside!

Dunno, considering you're in FloridUH! Sorry!

Wear MaskS!

[SheltieLover]

8. Personally, I wouldn't go with such high covid #s.

After all, it's not your fault FL govt. Is in denial.

Stay safe! 😷

[Tomconroy]

11. I agree. Call and say you aren't going because it isn't safe.

[SheltieLover]

15. Or tellalittle white lie & say you might have been exposed

[musette_sf]

9. i don't think you are overreacting. You are in Florida.

I don't know Florida jury service law, but do you initially have to show up in person on the date, or do you get to call in and find out if your group is either called in or dismissed?

I had jury service scheduled in November of 2020, and I was about to order a disposable hazmat suit from Costco to go with my nitrile gloves, N95, and face shield, if they really made me show up. Jury trials had been halted in San Mateo County for some time due to the pandemic, but they had started up again in Q4 2020. Except they were no longer at the courthouse - they were moved to the county convention center (presumably where more social distancing could be applied), where you had to wait in the parking lot outside the facility until getting called in. I'm like, you want me to stand outdoors, to wait who knows how long, with a bunch of randos?

Personally, if I were in Florida right now facing jury duty, there is no penalty that would get me to show up. I'm sure they're as crazy as Texas, when back in the day that I lived there, I found that long after I had submitted documentation that I was no longer a resident of Fort Bend County, a warrant for my arrest was in force from the county for not showing up for jury duty. Nevertheless, at this time I would not show up for jury duty, were I in Texas or Florida. I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

[SheltieLover]

16. +1,000!

[LeftInTX]

20. Surprisingly, we're still doing many trials in Texas via Zoom

We were going back and then delta set it back, then they were starting back up, but omicron hit.
But I think the county gets to make the decision, not Abbott...or something like that
Courts are not at the mercy of Abbott...thank god!

[Liberal In Texas]

21. I do freelance support work for depositions, I haven't worked since covid started.

There seemed to be a small start to in-person depos again; I was contacted a few times but turned them down. Zoom depos have been the big thing and I really don't want to retrain myself and go through the hoo haw and headache that they are.

To the OP: In Texas we can get a one-time excuse to postpone jury duty if we have other plans or something. Of course, it's one-time, the next time you get called you pretty much have to go. You should check and see if Florida has something like this. It at least kicks the can down the road a few months.

[IbogaProject]

10. Hmm

Best move would be to report fever and cough, runny nose sore throat. Very dangerous time but you are obligated to serve, unless possibly sick.

[hamsterjill]

12. I know people in Texas who throw the summons away.

I’ve never known of anyone to be fined either. And jury summons get lost in the mail all the time!

[moonscape]

14. This. A neighbor always tossed hers (we're in CA) and

nothing ever happened. Plus no, mail is chronically lost and they can ‘t prove you got it unless it was registered and you signed.

Scary as it seems on its face, I’d ignore. And I never blow off things but this I would.

[Tetrachloride]

13. get an apartment in another county tomorrow

[USALiberal]

26. ????? Parody?

[mopinko]

17. well, i dont know how it works where you are

but here if you get a summons and you dont go, they issue another. it's not like they come and arrest you for blowing off jury duty. just sayin.

[TomSlick]

18. As a practicing lawyer, I encourage you to not avoid jury duty.

Last edited Thu Jan 6, 2022, 02:35 PM - Edit history (1)

If people who understand the Covid threat avoid jury duty, only the numb-skulls will be on juries.

Wear an N95 or KN95 mask. (Have an extra - or two - in your pocket just in case.) Distance as best you can.

For what it's worth, guys like me are standing before the jury box arguing for a client. You can identity us by a good quality N95 or KN95 mask and an attempt to stand further from the jury box than in the past.

Jury duty is a cost of citizenship and essential to democracy. Gather your courage, protect yourself as best you can, and do your duty.

[Liberal In Texas]

22. Objection. Council is calling the masks M95s. They're N95s or KN95s.

Thank you, your honor.

[TomSlick]

27. Your objection is well taken.

I will revise my post.

[babylonsister]

24. Normally I don't shirk my duty

and recognize it's a cost of citizenship. BUT...is the potential to get deathly ill also my duty? I have been doing whatever is asked of me to not get this virus yet now it's no big deal (in Florida)?
I suppose I'm irked that my welfare doesn't enter into this equation.

[TomSlick]

28. I appreciate the concern.

I am also irked that judges require that I appear in court. My choice is to do my duty and mitigate the risks as best I can.

[babylonsister]

30. You picked your occupation. I

am just trying to avoid being labeled 'patient' or 'deceased'.

[TomSlick]

32. So did doctors, nurses, EMTs, etc.

We must all do our duty despite the danger.

[ecstatic]

19. n95, purell, and coffee.

The country needs your voice in that jury!

[Emile]

23. You are not overreacting! Is there anyway to get out of it?

[bedazzled]

25. When you go in, tell them you have a cough at the desk

I was sick and coughing last year and they let me go. What good is a juror with coughing fits?

Florida sucks right now. Little white lies are okay

[suegeo]

29. I reported to jury duty in Sept 2021

Just as the fall wave was starting to build in Minnesota.

I had previously postponed from like 7 months earlier, again, because COVID.

I HATED every minute of it. Everyone was suppose to wear a mask. Not everyone did and there was no enforcement. My doc said to be socially distant, but that was impossible. We were jowl to jowl in a packed elevator down to the court room

I wore an N95 mask with plastic face shield.

During jury selection, I got "unpicked". Thankfully.

I definitely did NOT want to be seated on the jury. It's easy enough to be disqualified, all I had to do was show that I could not be fair and un-biased.

Before appearing for duty, I completed an online survey, and I said "I hate cops" It's a true statement, I assume all cops have an anti-social personality disorder, and I cannot trust a sociopath.

That made me too biased, they assigned me my juror #13 (lucky me, they seemed to have a sense of humor. )

During voir dire the judge tried to re-habilitate me, but it didn't work. My honest bias made me un-fit.

My bias got in the way of the defendant's (6th amendment?) right to a fair trial of impartial peers.

As old as I am, YES I HAVE SOME BIASES.

All one needs to do to avoid hearing opening arguments is to honestly answer questions about being biased. I suggest to anyone to never lie in court, but to be honest about being too biased to be fair. And don't let the judge try to rehabilitate you when she questions you.

Don't feel bad about having a bias. It's human nature to hate an accused wife beater if your daughter had an abusive boyfriend. And the case before you is a domestic violence case. You god damn right I hate women beaters. etc.

[Torchlight]

31. I was called for the first time in 20 years last month

but received an email and text the night before that my service was fulfilled and was no longer required. There was a LOT of direction though in the original mail and online registration about masking, Covid precautions, etc. that I never gave safety a second thought, as it seemed they had distancing and masking under control and taking precautions. (this is in TX for frame of context)