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3rd Trimester
KelsoXOXO
member
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
DF called for jury duty- freaking out- LONG
KelsoXOXO
member
Yesterday when I got our mail I saw a letter from the courthouse saying my DF is called for jury duty and when I showed him we kind of laughed and joked about it. But he talked to his mom this morning and I just got off the phone with him. She told him what to expect with it because I didn't really know how jury duty works so he asked her. I thought it was a couple days long and he could come home every night... uh no I was apparently very wrong. She said usually when you're called you stay in a hotel and the trial isn't over for 2 to 3 WEEKS! I don't even know if I could visit him, but my DF said he heard if he's in a murder trial they're not allowed to have any contact with people the entire time and their phones are taken away.
He's scheduled for May 3rd so if he's stuck for 2 to 3 weeks we're screwed. He can't work and they only pay him $20 a day for jury duty. We're scheduled to move into our new apartment May 14th AND pay our last month's rent at our current place. But the thing I'm terrified most of all is I've been high risk since 25 weeks for PTL and I'm on Procardia to stop contractions- what if I go into labor and they can't stop it and I have her while he's stuck there?!
His mom said we should try to get a note from my dr saying how I'm high risk and see if they'll excuse him. I'm totally stressing out and we really need T&P for favor that they'll excuse him..
Are we right about everything with jury duty and how it works? Does anyone know more about it? TIA
He's scheduled for May 3rd so if he's stuck for 2 to 3 weeks we're screwed. He can't work and they only pay him $20 a day for jury duty. We're scheduled to move into our new apartment May 14th AND pay our last month's rent at our current place. But the thing I'm terrified most of all is I've been high risk since 25 weeks for PTL and I'm on Procardia to stop contractions- what if I go into labor and they can't stop it and I have her while he's stuck there?!
His mom said we should try to get a note from my dr saying how I'm high risk and see if they'll excuse him. I'm totally stressing out and we really need T&P for favor that they'll excuse him..
Are we right about everything with jury duty and how it works? Does anyone know more about it? TIA
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: DF called for jury duty- freaking out- LONG
I am sure you could get a note from your doctor and he could get released. You do not want him worrying about a murder trail when he shoudl be caring for you. I would talk to your doctor. I am sure they have had situations like this before.
Good luck.
I have been called in for jury duty 3 times (in 2 years!) and I have never even made it to the courthouse. Majority of the time you are able to call ahead the night before and see if you are needed or not. Also, they go through about 100 people for screening purposes - just because he received a letter doesn't mean he will be on the jury.
I'm not sure if he was summoned for a federal court or what, but most local city cases don't last weeks at a time. I have only known one person who actually made it to the jury box and it was for a 1-day drunk driving case.
Most of the time, people who are called for jury duty report to the court house each day while the court chooses the jurors. They go home at night. The jurors won't stay at a hotel unless they are chosen for the jury and they have to be sequestered (sp?).
Have DF bring a note stating that you are high risk and what your EDD is. That might be enough to get him out of jury duty. Just because he is called to report doesn't mean he will get chosen.
The one time I got called, I sent in the paperwork. You must show up when they tell you to. They had us sit in the courtroom, they called like ten of the fifteen jury people (not me) to the front and asked them questions. The defendent was in the military, so they asked if you know someone in the military and somehow asked if that would sway them. Then they picked their jurors and the rest of us left. This was for a traffic accident - an old lady had a messed up shoulder from the accident and was suing a guy. Probably lasted all of one day of arguments and deliberation I would imagine. For things like that, they let you out to go home and stuff. I think the high profile murders and things that are in the newspapers would be the only time you'll be in isolation w/o a phone.
There is a place on paperwork in my county to put any hardships about committing to jury duty. I was beginning student teaching, so I put that on there. I think that's why I didn't get picked for questioning.
I have been called for Jury Duty a few times in the county of Palm Beach, Florida.
I actually was on a case back in 2004. It lasted about 2 weeks. We were not sent to a hotel. We were allowed to come home.
When we were selected to be on the jury the judge actually took us one by one asking if there was a good valid reason why we could not be on the jury. Of course in your DF case he would tell him and I am sure that would be a valid reason.
Of course its likely that he could be called just for the day and not be picked and then he is off the hook for a year.....
There have been plenty of times when I went and been questioned and never been picked.... I was even questioned for the William sisters lawsuit against their dad (the tennis stars - that would have lasted for months the lawyers said)
I can only speak from my experience, which wasn't in your state.
Just because you get the note in the mail to go, it doesn't mean that you'll get picked to serve on the jury. A whole bunch of people show up for an afternoon (your employer must let you go), you sit in the courtroom while the lawyers ask you some questions, and then they decide who they'd like to serve on the jury.
I sat on a six person jury for a DUI case. It lasted one day. I could go home. Before they chose the jurors, the question was asked if anyone had a problem with the case itself (you had been hit by a drunk driver, for example) & you were excused.
My good friend sat on a jury for an attempted murder case. That one lasted 2 days & again, she could go home.
Your MIL sounds a bit alarmist. It's not that big a deal. Just because he got the summons doesn't mean he'll have to serve.
Calm down. It will be ok. I have gotten out of jury duty countless times
It's pretty easy. You just need to have a legitimate reason. I have been called right after my dad passed away and told them I had already missed too much work and couldn't take any more time off. I got called when I was on maternity leave with DS and got out of it that time. I even got out of it when I was called at quarter end and explained that I am swamped at quarter end at work and could not miss any time.
Just relax and don't freak. Plus, most jury pools do go home every night and most people that have been selected have only missed 2-3 days of work.
I agree. He may not even have to go. I called the number on the letter I was sent, and never even had to go in. Also, the whole pregnant wife thing should do the trick.
I've been called for jury duty three times. The first two times I called every night and they would tell me to call back the next night. Then by the third day it said "Thanks for your service". I never had to actually go in. The third time I went in, they called me for a jury pool and by the time I got in the room the parties had settled out of court. I was done.
My mom was on a murder trial once and went home everynight. If he gets called for a big case, they will ask him questions about himself and one of the things he needs to let them know is that his wife is due in the next few weeks. They'll probably not keep him.
Also, he can call and have his date changed for when he has to report.
So wait, he got the letter to come in for Jury Duty (prescreen) or he has already been selected for a murder case? I don't think you will have anything to worry about. I have been called several times for Jury Duty and only been selected once and the trial only lasted 5 hours.
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
Like the others said, the odds of actually being picked for a jury are low. The odds of being picked for a sequestered jury are *really* low.
In many states/counties (I've moved around a lot), it's very, very easy to get a deferment. This means you aren't trying to get out of it, you're just agreeing to do so at a later date. It's much harder to get out of it totally (there's a limited set of reasons), but I'd look at the letter/call to find out as far as the proper procedure for deferral, it sounds like that's all you'd need, anyway.
And I understand. I just get frustrated occassionally with ALL the posts on here griping about jury duty--the fact is that you enjoy living in a democracy, and that comes with responsibilities as a citizen. There are VERY few obligations that come with citizenship, and jury duty is a very minor one in comparison to all the things you get to enjoy as a citizen of this country. So if he does get selected, try to stay positive.
My mom has been a court reporter for 30 years.
First, they will probably excuse him if it's longer than a day anyway.
Second, it most likely won't be a murder trial and will take half a day or less, even if he is seated (just because he's called doesn't mean he'll even get to or pass the questioning phase).
Third, if it is a murder trial and he is seated, he most likely won't have to stay overnight. Most murder trials are done within a week anyway. The long ones where the jury is sequestered for the entire trial are only the super serious highly publicized ones like the OJ trial or a huge organized crime trial in NYC or something. If that were the case, you'd have heard about the trial coming up in your newspaper.
I wouldn't worry too much. Most likely they won't even seat him.
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
I can't imagine why he wouldn't be able to be there for your labor, honestly. Our jurors get to have their cell phones during all of their breaks. Is that the concern--that he wouldn't know if you go into labor? If it makes you feel any better, I sit in a courtroom all day, and will all the way to the end.
haha, yes! Relax, it doesn't actually work like that in the real world. Murders are far and few between as well as any trial for that matter. He will more then likely sit there all day and leave. If he is actually selected it will most likely be for a very unexciting low grade misdemeanor so relax, tell MIL to turn off the TV and let him complete his civil duty properly.
i got summoned while pregnant with my first and was happy about this (i think it would be a lot harder once you have babies!)....
however the night before when i went to check for my case they told me (and about 700 other jurors that we werent needed)...
apparently it happens a lot.
I was on jury duty on a murder trial for over a month, and I went home every single night.
...and there is a very good chance he won't even get picked. Only about 5% of the people they call end up on juries.
Your MIL needs to not be a drama queen.
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
Mikaela is going to have a little brother!
The only way he won't be able to come home each night is if the jury is sequestered, this doesn't happen very often, only in very high profile cases where they don't want the jury influence by outside sources (media etc...).
Also, just because he's been called doesn't mean he will be chosen and as long as he can prove that he can't afford to miss the work (ie - his wife is on maternity leave & he is the sole provider) or even just the doctors note saying when you're due he probably won't even be chosen. GL!