Jury duty

[Tim_T]

My wife got the summons today for jury duty next month. Neither of us has ever been called before so we don't know a lot about it. Here is my question, her job is very important (RN at a childrens hopsital) and we really depend on her income. If she has to miss much work, we will be hurting financially. Will she be able to get excused from jury duty because of this? Not really trying to skirt a civic duty, if they called me it would be better because we wouldn't miss my meager income lol! Anyone got any thoughts or experience with this.

[Grumpy]

Tim, I have had Jury duty before and, at least in my County, the summons has a paper that has to be filled out and returned to the Court. It has a place that you (she) can request to be excused because of hardship. You (she) must attached a letter explaining the hardship and the appointing official will either excuse her or say she has to appear. I would include a short budget explaining income and expenses and show that the $7.50 a day won't makie up for the lost pay. Also, she should check with her employer and see if they will make up the difference for her to serve. And get it in writing to attach with the summons. Where I worked, I got full pay just like vacation pay and didn't loose any money.

If that doesn't work, when I (we) did report for Duty, we still had another chance to tell the Judge why we didn't think we could serve. From what I saw, they are not hard hearted but you really have to have an extreme hardship to get out of it and be able to prove it otherwise everyone would say it was a hardship and they would n't have any Jurors.

Hope this helps,

Grumpy

[know1]

I've had jury duty 3 times in the past 5 years (in 2 different counties).

My experience has been that it will likely not cause a big impact in her work.

My average for each of those times was to show up 3 or 4 times in a 3 month period and get called to serve on an actual jury once. The jury trials I was on lasted on average 2 hours.

My experience has been that it's pretty tough to convince the judges that you can't serve.

[Tim_T]

Tim, I have had Jury duty before and, at least in my County, the summons has a paper that has to be filled out and returned to the Court. It has a place that you (she) can request to be excused because of hardship. You (she) must attached a letter explaining the hardship and the appointing official will either excuse her or say she has to appear. I would include a short budget explaining income and expenses and show that the $7.50 a day won't makie up for the lost pay. Also, she should check with her employer and see if they will make up the difference for her to serve. And get it in writing to attach with the summons. Where I worked, I got full pay just like vacation pay and didn't loose any money.

If that doesn't work, when I (we) did report for Duty, we still had another chance to tell the Judge why we didn't think we could serve. From what I saw, they are not hard hearted but you really have to have an extreme hardship to get out of it and be able to prove it otherwise everyone would say it was a hardship and they would n't have any Jurors.

Hope this helps,

Grumpy

Thanks Grumpy, the $7.50 does not come close the the $20 plus an hour she makes. We did get the paper with it. She is not opposed to going, we just really need to find out if her employer will cover it or what. If she has to go, she has to and we will have to figure out a way to make it. It just really would hurt us immensely financially.

[Trophyhunter8]

I just got off of grand jury. I am a RN also. I work nights and one time I had jury duty and I was supposed to work the night before and the night of. I got paid for both nights. I think it's a state law your work has to pay you normally, they may want the big $7.50 a day you make during jury duty

[Mean Morone]

I had to go a few years ago. I am self employed so I was out of luck. I was called several times but had to go just once. Sat there for several hours and had to sit through the actual seating of the jury. I was an alternate but had to sit there just as if I was on the jury. The trial started at which point the judge asked where the defendant was. The lawyer stood up and said she had no idea where he was. The judge issued a warrant then looked at all us jurors and said sorry for wasting your time you are dismissed. I still missed a full day of work. THe odds of getting of for financial reasons are slim I think. You can always give it a shot.

[BASSKING]

My wife got the summons today for jury duty next month. Neither of us has ever been called before so we don't know a lot about it. Here is my question, her job is very important (RN at a childrens hopsital) and we really depend on her income. If she has to miss much work, we will be hurting financially. Will she be able to get excused from jury duty because of this? Not really trying to skirt a civic duty, if they called me it would be better because we wouldn't miss my meager income lol! Anyone got any thoughts or experience with this.

this is strange Tim, we also live in shepherdsville and my wife got her letter today. some time in march is when she has to go. the employer she works for is shut down the week of her jury duty so i guess shes not fighting it. maybe ill get some fishing done that week!! LOL

[RoadToad]

I just got off of grand jury. I am a RN also. I work nights and one time I had jury duty and I was supposed to work the night before and the night of. I got paid for both nights. I think it's a state law your work has to pay you normally, they may want the big $7.50 a day you make during jury duty

I don't think it's a state law, but a lot of employers do it.

[MsgMills]

My F-I-L had jury duty late last year and after all was said and done. He got a check from the State for 87.00. He had expenses of $ 42.00 in parking fee's...Out of Pocket, loss of work and fuel expense of driving to and from the Court each day....Wound up in the hole for the entire process..

Me, I have never been called, notified or summoned the 1st time in my life...Would actually like to participate at least once during my lifetime....


But remember this....The words Lawyer's hate the most...An eye for and Eye the way the bible states it.....That should do the trick.......

[Chubminnow]

In my one and only time doing jury duty I was excused the first time....I was going through a divorce and I simply wrote them a letter stating that I didn't feel I coudl judge others with a biased opinion, lol....it worked, it got me off...at least until the following year when I got called up again. I went ahead and did it teh second time around...kind of an enlightening experience...almost got to sit in on a murder trial. Mainly it was just boring though.

[Tim_T]

this is strange Tim, we also live in shepherdsville and my wife got her letter today. some time in march is when she has to go. the employer she works for is shut down the week of her jury duty so i guess shes not fighting it. maybe ill get some fishing done that week!! LOL

Hey BASSKING, they will probably being doing this together, so I guess you and I should go fishing together while they are on the jury! LOL

[BASSKING]

Hey BASSKING, they will probably being doing this together, so I guess you and I should go fishing together while they are on the jury! LOL

thats a very good idea!! LOL