Jury Duty? Yea Right!

[Michelle]

I was called to jury duty about 5 years ago. I was pregnant at the time and my car had just stopped working. The grocery and Wal-Mart were within walking distance so it wasn't a big deal for us not to get the car fixed right away. My hubby needed his car for work. There were so many reasons I couldn't do jury duty. I was having a difficult pregnancy, had no transportation, had 2 children in my daycare that were in protective care (they needed to come to my house every day so I could report on how the parents were taking care of them and they couldn't just go to anyone) and of course I couldn't afford it nor did I have anyone that could watch my own children.
I filled out the forms, sent in the bus schedule showing there was no way it would work for the times I had to be there (we don't have much of a public transit system), sent in paperwork showing I did protective care and I sent a list of providers I had called asking if they could take temporarily take my children (I don't think I found one that said they would) and what it would cost me missing work and paying for childcare. None of it mattered, they didn't dismiss me. I called and told them if there was some way I could make it to the first day and be dismissed I would have to bring my children and was told it wasn't allowed so I just didn't show up. A few months later an officer showed up at my door with a warrant. It was scary but I went to what's called "pour hour" (you don't have to wait for a court date, you just go in on specified days and quickly argue your case) and pleaded to the judge. Everything was dropped but I had to pay the cost of serving the warrant. I wanted to scream, "If you had listened to me in the first place you wouldn't of had to serve it!"
I would like to serve some day but in this line of work it would be hard. Even though now one of my children is older so they could watch their younger siblings, I have a nice vehicle and parents that can and will find back up care if needed it would still be difficult being that we depend on my income.

Oh my gosh!!!
I can not believe that happened to you!
I heard on the news this lady brought her own little babies to jury duty and they put her in jail!
They just can't make people do this!
I have a 9 year old that has to be picked up by ME I don't trust or want anyone else to pick her up and I have 6 kids under the age of 3 that are very high needs children and ... not to sound conceded but there are not very many people that can manage them without them biting each other or having someone get seriously hurt.
I can not afford to hire an assistant or be able to train one that can handle these kids.
There are people that are bored, lonely, don't have jobs, etc. that actually WANT to serve jury duty... why won't they leave us alone?
The mere fact that it took me all day long to even read these wonderful responses on a thread that I started is proof that these kids need my constant care! I seriously have to put 2 kids in pnp, one in a high chair and one gated in the playroom just to go to the bathrrom!
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yea, it's really that bad!

[Michelle]

Genius happyface

I will try anything!!!!!

[sharlan]

I always wrote on the card that I was sole provider to #X kids who had no other childcare options. I listed their first names and ages, never had to serve.

I did serve years ago, as an alternate. The lady walked through airport security with a loaded handgun. She had been target practicing the day before and "FORGOT" it was in her purse. She had 3 kids under the age of 5. I didn't get to vote, but would have voted guilty.

[tenderhearts]

When I was selected for jury duty, I explained that it would be a hardship for my family since I was the sole provider and it would be a hardship for my daycare families. I was excused...

[Solandia]

Depending on the county. Ours is really, really strict...no exemption granted prior to service date. We can postpone, once, and then must serve.

So at the very least, I had to show up the first day. Still didn't get excused. Second day. Didn't get excused. Didn't get put on a jury, either. But waited around all day. Financial hardship isn't an excuse. Losing about $600 that week wasnt good enough, didn't matter that I was pg or had a 3mo foster baby, or not having a car wasn't good enough.

Here they do bench warrants if you don't show, or if you bring your kids with you as a "protest". I didn't want a warrant so I called off daycare for the week, since I got called in for 2 days (but you don't know until the night before, and my families need more notice than the night before to arrange backup). I had to have a daycare mom watch my kids, and she had to drop me off & pick me up at the courthouse b/c I didn't have a car.

[Michelle]

I seriously don't know why they want people to serve when they really can't for fear of losing their kids or daycare families,safety of their own children.. etc.

I have a friend that was forced to go for fear of jail and they were in the jury selection part and while lawyers were asking questions....she sat on the stand and shrugged, said "I am not sure", "I don't know" and literally "I don''t care because all I can think about right now is my child and if she is safe, that's why I am a stay at home mom!"

I am not sure if I would do that because I think it is contempt of court or something, but I can definitely relate.

My mom had a psychiatrist friend that was being asked questions from a defense lawyer and he just kept saying.." Oh well you see in my profession I can tell when someone is guilty just by the way they look and act"
He was dismissed that day! ::::::

[Unregistered]

That was all you got out of it?

Sorry but there's so much misinformation there. but I agree the system does need to be updated

Jury of your peers does not mean they have to be your age group. In fact they want a varied age group to provide the most fair and well rounded results. Not values based solely on fads of one generation.

I wasn't litterally saying it had to do with age I was just saying that their is a big gap in there and there are lots of diffent predjudices/baggage in that gap that even time cannot change that aren't just based on being racist or sexist or based on orentation. It can be because the defend it is a single parent or a different religion or the type of crime the defendent commited and one of the people could have had that crime commited against that person (like a robbery or abuse) and the person's personal baggage could effect the out come of their vote. And I know that you can be called if you have a drivers liscense too, but I had friends who didn't know that and got called and they didn't register to vote because thought that if they didn't vote that they wouldn't get called.

[Twinvillageiowa]

I had to go to jury duty this year. I was the first one excused due to the nature of the crime and a crime committed against me previously. It didn't matter that I had to pick my kids up from school or that I was supposed to be nannying. They needed people for the jury. Think about how many people actually want to do jury duty vs. how many people are needed for jury duty. Most of the other people there also are missing work, have no desire to be there and are also frustrated. It does stink to have to take time off, but it is what it is. Please do not try to skirt your responsibility as a citizen. If the time is inconvenient, you can usually get it postponed for a few months.

[WoodOx]

I have been excused a couple of times. they catagorize it under financial hardship. I always write them telling them that I can not serve bc i run a daycare and i dont get paid for when i close and the families need me to provide my services to them and on top of that I am a single parent. The state doesn't even pay you for closing and going to jury duty. I think Licensed Provider should be exempt from jury duty, we do alot for our community as it is.:

[Unregistered]

Once upon a time, I owned and operated a jail commissary. The people on trial either had been or would have been my customers if they were in jail. Technically, I could have benefited financially by sending them to jail. I wouldn't have based a decision on that, because I'm not that kind of person, but they didn't know that. Plus, some of these guys were either repeat customers or had been in jail waiting trial for a long time, so we were on a first name basis. ;-)

I got called for jury duty once and called the judge about being released. I told him what I did, how I probably knew the defendant, and I explained that my contract required me to be there on certain days, and I mentioned how commissary was used a a disciplinary measure and was valuable to the operation of the jail.

He said that meant nothing-even jailers had to do jury duty. I wanted to ask if jailers made money off the inmates every week, but I didn't. ;-)

In the end, the jail worked with me to reschedule commissary (which cost me a huge amount of money) and I made plans to go in. At 6:30 that morning, the radio said that jurors for such and such a court were dismissed and shouldn't show up. So, I lost several hundred dollars for nothing.

[momofboys]

I had to go to jury duty this year. I was the first one excused due to the nature of the crime and a crime committed against me previously. It didn't matter that I had to pick my kids up from school or that I was supposed to be nannying. They needed people for the jury. Think about how many people actually want to do jury duty vs. how many people are needed for jury duty. Most of the other people there also are missing work, have no desire to be there and are also frustrated. It does stink to have to take time off, but it is what it is. Please do not try to skirt your responsibility as a citizen. If the time is inconvenient, you can usually get it postponed for a few months.

My issue would be with it causing an extreme financial hardship. I would love to serve at some point but no income coming in would mean bills not getting paid.

[MyAngels]

The courthouse where I am at in CA also offers onsite Childcare for jurors should parents need it.

Now that is a genius idea. I can see it now - me traipsing in there with my 7 dcks in tow ::.

Sorry no advice for the OP - I've never been called for jury duty since I started my daycare 20 years ago.

[nanglgrl]

I had to go to jury duty this year. I was the first one excused due to the nature of the crime and a crime committed against me previously. It didn't matter that I had to pick my kids up from school or that I was supposed to be nannying. They needed people for the jury. Think about how many people actually want to do jury duty vs. how many people are needed for jury duty. Most of the other people there also are missing work, have no desire to be there and are also frustrated. It does stink to have to take time off, but it is what it is. Please do not try to skirt your responsibility as a citizen. If the time is inconvenient, you can usually get it postponed for a few months.

Most people who work regular jobs get paid while on jury duty. Most of us don't. For one day of jury duty I would loose over $200.00. If it were to continue past the first day I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage. If it were to continue for more than a week there is a real possibility I would loose families and be behind on bills for quite some time. Running a home daycare is very different from being a nanny. No one should have to serve jury duty if it's a real hardship to them and especially if it's not just going to be a hardship for them but for all of the families that depend on their services. Our system needs to be fixed, I would hate to stand trial for something and have most of my jury not want to be there. At least some of the jurors are likely on some level to blame the person on trial for their hardship which would effect the outcome.

[Michelle]

Now that is a genius idea. I can see it now - me traipsing in there with my 7 dcks in tow ::.

Sorry no advice for the OP - I've never been called for jury duty since I started my daycare 20 years ago.

... my dck's would get kicked out with in 20 minutes!
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[Michelle]

Most people who work regular jobs get paid while on jury duty. Most of us don't. For one day of jury duty I would loose over $200.00. If it were to continue past the first day I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage. If it were to continue for more than a week there is a real possibility I would loose families and be behind on bills for quite some time. Running a home daycare is very different from being a nanny. No one should have to serve jury duty if it's a real hardship to them and especially if it's not just going to be a hardship for them but for all of the families that depend on their services. Our system needs to be fixed, I would hate to stand trial for something and have most of my jury not want to be there. At least some of the jurors are likely on some level to blame the person on trial for their hardship which would effect the outcome.

I seriously have thought of that too..You don not want a jury ticked off and worrying about money, their kids, their job. I would stand up and say "yep he did it, can we got home now?
If I were retired, didn't have a job like I do, I would LOVE to serve jury duty! I would be very good too! When I was a teenager we used to go to the courts and sit in on some cases because I thought it was very interesting, but right now, if I did it, I would definitely be in extreme financial hardship!