Failure to appear for Jury duty- HELP!!!

taiidanx

taiidanx

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So here I am visiting home after a grueling quarter at school when I receive summons to appear in court for failing to appear for jury duty. Now I go to school in Yolo county in CA, I attend UC Davis (and have since the begining of the 03-04 school year second year currently). I live in Davis (aparments, etc), go to school, and am registered to vote in yolo county. I only come back to sonoma county (Rohnert Park to be exact) to visit/work in the summer. I was sent a jury summons to appear for duty on feb.22 2005. I did not recieve this notice, only after a couple days it arrived did my parents let me know. I took down the relevant info so I could postpone (I go to school and workl full time and I need to focus). However my second quarted at UCD was extremely hectic, and with all the stress I simply forgot. Now, I know it is assuredly my fault for not taking care of it right away, no question there.My concern is what are my chances of being fined in contempt of court? Im just a poor college student that works a minimum wage job and gets average grades in school. I can't afford a huge fine, much less jail time. So basicalley I've $$$$ed myslef... or maybe overreacting...
Anybody out there have your input?
 
Well, for one, as a student, arn't you exempt from jury duty? Or is that a Texas thing? I mean, you still would have had to fill everything out claiming exemption, but maybe you can just let them know that.
 
No experience in this specific kind of case, but my suggestion is to just be completely honest. Admit it's your fault, don't make excuses, and be polite. You won't get any time, but you will almost definitely get a fine. However they should let you work out a payment plan, like 25 bucks a month or something.
 
I doubt very much you'll see any jail time at all and if there is a fine it would probably be in the $100 range. I'm thinking that if you explain the situation, the state's attorney will just dismiss it. If you're the type of person to lie, just say that you didn't know anything about it until you got the summons to appear in court and THEN your parents told you about it. Either way, good luck.
 
Like others said, just be honest and tell them what happened. But definitely get in touch with the courts right away. You most likely won't get out of a fine, but at least you won't risk anything worse happening.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']I'm amazed they are doing a court summons for this type of thing, I thought lots of people skipped out on jury dudy.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps that's WHY they're doing this type of thing.
 
[quote name='WhipSmartBanky']Perhaps that's WHY they're doing this type of thing.[/QUOTE]

Yes but it would be expensive wouldn't it? You'd think they would simply send a warning letter first.
 
I one time forgot jury duty also. I called the court the next day after my summons and the lady on the phone was pretty cool and she rescheduled me. There was no big drama. People make mistakes.
 
Thanks for the advice, I suppose I overreacted a bit (Im sortof a timid guy, never been pulled over/broken the law) and so this sorta scared me a bit. It didnt help that the cop who brought it was in plain clothes, huge, and didnt pull out his badge until I asked him twice who he was and what he needed me for ($$$$ steping outside, some huge strange man comes demanding me to step outside with no credentials at the outset? I'll stay on my side of the door with my german shepards thank you). So yeah I was kinda intimidated....
and yeah I never received a warning.... strange....
 
It's strange the cop did not produce credentials up front. That''s really messed up. I bet, at most, you'll receive a fine and/or a stern warning.
 
I got a jury duty notice not too long ago. I asked for an exemption because I also go to college. They sent me a thing back and said I'm not execused, and I have to call the and tell them a date I'm available. Thats retarded. Why don't they take unemployed people and make them do jury duty? But no, they take people that have jobs and school and other responsibilities to say the guy is guilty that broke the old ladie's window.
 
[quote name='tcrash247']I got a jury duty notice not too long ago. I asked for an exemption because I also go to college. They sent me a thing back and said I'm not execused, and I have to call the and tell them a date I'm available. Thats retarded. Why don't they take unemployed people and make them do jury duty? But no, they take people that have jobs and school and other responsibilities to say the guy is guilty that broke the old ladie's window.[/QUOTE]

In New York, you can cancel for whatever reason... but, you have to go reschedule in the next 6 months.

And I completely agree with you. Ask all unemployed and city/county workers (who still get their wages).
 
Yeah, that's who you want on a jury--someone who can't keep a job or is too lazy to get one. Jury duty is a small price to pay considering how much the state provides for you. I've had jury duty twice and it's not a big deal. In Georgia, if you're not selected for a jury you go home for the day, usually around 11a or 12p. You still have to show up for the rest of the week but if you're not selected by Wednesday they usually give you the rest of the week off (at least in my county). I was selected for a jury once and we ended up convicting a drunk driver. We found out afterwards that he was a repeat offender. It was a good feeling knowing I helped send a drunk driver to jail. Plus, my job paid me for jury duty on top of the jury pay (BIG $$$).
 
You are gonna spend about 2-3 years in a federal pound me in the ass prison. Students are exempt AFAIK, but you have to tell them that before your jury duty date. I would write them a letter and tell them what you posted here. If you dont hear back from them by your court date, you better show up.
 
I'll be sure to get in contact with the appropriate people as soon as I can (got the summons at around 7pm so everyone at the court house had already gone home. I'll be sure to call tomorrow again and explain the situation. At worst I figure I'll have to show up for the court date and pay a (hopefully not too large) fine.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']I'm amazed they are doing a court summons for this type of thing, I thought lots of people skipped out on jury dudy.[/QUOTE]

*peter griffin laugh* you said dudy
 
i was called up for jury duty (NYC) about a little over a year and a half ago. from what i observed, those who were currently enrolled in school at the time needed to provide proof (bursar's reciept with schedule on it should suffice) in order to be let off. but i think you're only exempt until the semester is over, in which case they'll reschedule you all over again.

can't say it was any fun because it was boring as $$$$. the first day they (mercifully) only gave us a half day (8am-12pm). then for the next "x amount" days you sit your ass down in the juror waiting room and listen for your name to be called. if it's not, then you keep waiting. if it is, then you line up with other people, and are then led to the actual court building where you're then made to wait even more to have your name called as a potential juror. then at 5pm, you're let off to go home only to wash, rinse, repeat. it's a long ass process that ends when they tell you that you don't need to show up for another 4 years. if you go, i advise you bring a book, or something to keep you company. it's very important that you do because it's the only thing that'll save your sanity.

but at least you get paid for each day that you're there.
 
[quote name='neocisco']In Georgia, if you're not selected for a jury you go home for the day, usually around 11a or 12p. You still have to show up for the rest of the week but if you're not selected by Wednesday they usually give you the rest of the week off (at least in my county).[/QUOTE]

Interesting... In AZ, you go in for one day. If you're not selected for a jury, you're done until they put your name back in the pool and it comes up again, months down the line. It's kind of interesting though that you can be summoned to one of several different city courts... My family lives in Scottsdale, but we've gotten summons for Tempe, Mesa, and Phoenix... Surprisingly, I've gotten two jury summons in my lifetime, and both times, my group was excused the night before, so I never even had to go. (Good thing, too. The first time, I forgot about it until about 11am the morning of the summons date.) My boss had to go in a few months ago. He said they showed them movies in the waiting room all day. Guess it's not a bad deal...
 
[quote name='Jobbercho']They don't take the unemployed people because MOST (not all) are deadbeats who wouldn't uphold the law anyways. I got a jury duty notice about a year ago and was supposed to call the night before so I did and they said they didn't need me, but that I was scheduled about 2 weeks later. I called the night before then as well and it said that I wasn't needed and wouldn't be rescheduled. It pissed me off because I took a day off work for both times.[/QUOTE]


Hmm, I believe the pool of people selected for jury duty are those that are registered to vote, not based on their employment status. In addition to that you can only waive jury duty 3 times, unless it's due to extenuating circumstances. So choose carefully which ones you pass on.
But like eveyone else is saying, be honest and forth coming and they'll let you off. On the other hand, if you do ever get selected / called for jury duty, the chances of being picked to be on the actual jury are minimal to say the least. Just because you're name comes up in a lottery doesn't mean you're the ideal candiate for the defense....Just my two cents on the matter.
 
[quote name='Jobbercho']They don't take the unemployed people because MOST (not all) are deadbeats who wouldn't uphold the law anyways.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that had to be the stupidest idea I'd heard in a while. That's exactly what I want to see if I was just robbed by a crazy bum - 12 dirty alcoholics in the jury booth.
 
[quote name='Jobbercho']I If you're the type of person to lie, just say that you didn't know anything about it until you got the summons to appear in court and THEN your parents told you about it.[/QUOTE]

DO NOT LIE TO THE COURT. Bad idea under any circumstances.

FYI IANAL (but I do watch Law & Order ;) )
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Yes but it would be expensive wouldn't it? You'd think they would simply send a warning letter first.[/QUOTE]

I forgot to send in my jury card one year and all they did was send me a card saying I missed Jury Duty and they would be rescheduling me between so and so date and to expect to receive a new jury card. Crazy that they would send a deputy with a summons for missing Jury Duty.

I get picked for Juty Duty practically every 13 months. I just go in their with my Headphones some books and magazines and kick back all day, usually take a 2 hour lunch and go home around 4:00. Except last i year got picked in the jury pool and actually got on the jury but was kicked out by the defense on the day before the trail started. 2 days wasted but they did kick me out on the 3rd day 1st thing in the morning so I got to take the rest of the day off.
 
[quote name='joshingit']Hmm, I believe the pool of people selected for jury duty are those that are registered to vote, not based on their employment status.[/QUOTE]
neither my dad, nor my older sister are registered to vote but they were both called up. i think it has everything to do with owning a state ID card (think; driver's license/permit) because before i got my permit i had never been called up, but yet friends/family my age, who did have state ID, got notices.
 
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