Jury duty

[Duer 157099]

Last edited Sun Feb 26, 2012, 06:09 PM - Edit history (1)

I know that you have to phone in the day before to see if they need you, but if they don't need you, are you still supposed to go to work as usual? What about the workplace, do they just have to wait-n-see if you can show up? What about planning for coverage? How is this supposed to work? I can't both plan to be there and not be there, and yet it seems that is what being asked.

If you call in and they say you aren't needed for the day, are you still officially "on jury duty" for the purposes of your workplace?

Edit: Crap! I just called in and I have to show up tomorrow. I guess I was hoping otherwise.

[Lochloosa]

1. That question has so many varibles....

I guess it depends on your workplace.

my instinct would be to ask my boss how to handle it.

[Nikia]

2. When I got my letter for jury duty

I told my supervisor when I was scheduled to appear. I can't remember if I told them right away, but I know that I did at least a couple days ahead of time. It turned out that I was called the afternoon before I was supposed to appear and told that I was not needed.
My advice would be tell your work that you are scheduled to appear. You could remind them that there is a possibility that you might not be needed.
I am not sure when you will actually know if you are needed. You probably should let your workplace know ASAP either way.
I am not sure how things are at your workplace as far as scheduling people and it being necessary that they know ahead of time if you will be at work. You might want to ask them about it. I am sure that someone has been chosen to appear for jury selection in the past.
At my most recent workplace, you were required to show up at work if selection was cancelled or if you were released after only being there for less than half the day.

[Duer 157099]

6. My boss knows

The problem is the kind of work I do (research). I cannot plan to set up experiments without knowing for a certainty that I will be able to follow them through. So I have no experiments set up for next week, which means there is practically no reason for me to even show up. I can do data management from home, which is probably what I'll end up doing, I just wonder how other places deal with this, it doesn't seem right to keep someone in suspense until 5pm the day before and then say they don't need you so you need to go to work.

[Major Nikon]

3. The irony of our judicial system is...

When you go into court, you are putting your fate into the hands of people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.
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Yes, it's a joke.

[Duer 157099]

4. It's funny because it's true

I actually don't mind jury duty, I've served on a jury and enjoyed the experience. But in general, I don't think I would want anyone serving on a jury that really didn't want to be there or was angry about being there. Hard to tell who they'd take it out on.

[Major Nikon]

5. 20 years ago I spent a week at the courthouse on jury duty and never got seated on a jury

I would have loved to stay at home and wait there.

[RebelOne]

8. Me too.

I had to report for jury duty and sit and wait in the jury pool all day. If I wasn't called that day, I had to report back the next day. That was in Miami, Florida, so I don't know what the rules are in other states now.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

7. You are over thinking

take a Valium

[Indiana]

9. 50/50

I think people should be able to opt out when absolutely necessary. OTOH though, jury duty is a good chance to have a say in matters. I remember seeing an article about jury nullification and how that was a much more common practice decades ago. Sometimes it was actually encouraged to vote your conscience. If someone thought a law was wrong then they had an obligation to say so. IMO, judges have wrapped juries far too tight.