Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Jury Duty

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » Jury Duty (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Author

Topic: Jury Duty

Richard Hamilton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1341
From: Evansville, Indiana
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02-09-2012 10:09 AM

Recently got a form mailed to to fill out and return. Says I could be called in the next two months. I'm not sure how I feel about this. My Dad is a judge and I know most of the judges and lawyers, (I take my dad to work every morning and see them in Chambers and the courtroom). Last time I was in a jury was about 35 years ago, my dad was in law school and had a mock trial, they were picking jurors and I ran up and volunteered.

I also watch too many crime/drama shows these days so I don't know how I would react.

guilty,
Rick

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-09-2012 10:49 AM

Don't sweat it. I've been on the jury pool here several times over the past decades and I've only had to serve in a trial one time. The other times, either the trial was cancelled before it happened due to any number of reasons -- or if it went on I didn't get selected.

If you do have to serve, depending on what kind of trial it is, it can be boring at times but the way the whole process works is very interesting.

| IP: Logged

Jonathan Althaus
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: Bedford, TX
Registered: Dec 2008

posted 02-09-2012 11:07 AM

Just remember, opinionated people are less likely to be picked

| IP: Logged

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-09-2012 11:16 AM

Go ahead and go on jury duty.

In many states, there is a "One Day or One Trial" system.
You go and sit in the jury pool for one day. If you are selected for a trial, you continue on that case until it is complete. Otherwise you go home at the end of the first day.

Sometimes you are on jury duty for a set period of time.
You might go and interview to be on the jury panel and, if selected, you can be called to a trial at any time during that period. If there are no trials during your tenure, you don't do anything. At the end of your jury period, usually a week or a month, you are off the hook.

In Pennsylvania, regular trials are "One day or One Trial" for regular cases and a one month panel for grand juries.

My wife was on the grand jury last summer and she never even got called once.

Since your father is a judge and you know most of the lawyers and staff at the courthouse, you'll probably be ripe for exclusion from a lot of cases.

When juries are selected, lawyers can challenge any juror.
They have a set number of "peremptory" challenges where they don't have to give a reason for excluding a person. If they just don't like the color of your shirt, they just exclude you. They are usually only given two or three peremptory challenges.
There is also "challenge for cause" where the lawyer selecting jurors has to provide a tangible reason. Common challenges for cause are because the potential juror knows somebody associated with the case or because they might have a bias against the defendant.

Go ahead and report as planned. In your case, I beg you'll be excluded because you know so many people. If so, you will have done your civic duty and you'll be off the hook.

If you get selected, let's hope it's for a multiple murder case. [Wink]

| IP: Logged

Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 02-09-2012 11:20 AM

Oops, posted simultaneously with Randy. What he said. More than likely Richard you won't have to actually serve at all, since you have a close relative who happens to be a judge. During jury selection, attorneys for both sides get to dismiss a certain number of jury candidates. Candidates with any kind of law enforcement or legal profession backgrounds (even casual ones) usually get dismissed - supposedly such candidates are seen as less than the ideal theoretical "jury of your peers."

The one time I appeared for jury duty (in Santa Monica, CA), I wore a suit. And apparently a "he looks guilty" look on my face. The defense counsel dismissed me. I remember the amusing look of surprise the prosecutor gave at that point - I think he was counting on having me aboard for that trial. Anyway, I never had to appear in-person again. I just called in every day until my two weeks of eligibility ran out.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 02-09-2012 04:43 PM

I wonder if any CEOs or movie directors had to postpone important meetings or shooting a big scene because they happened to get called in for jury duty. I'm not so sure our citizens are capable of being impartial and looking only at the facts. There's some people who honestly believe that a woman can't get pregnant when "truly raped" because their body goes into shock and won't "drop an egg" and nothing you can tell or show them will change their minds. This is also why some people should not be allowed to vote.

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 02-09-2012 04:59 PM

quote: Joe Redifer
I wonder if any CEOs or movie directors had to postpone important meetings or shooting a big scene because they happened to get called in for jury duty.

Unlikely since you can ask to be excused from a jury and give reasons. One commonly used reason (that's often denied) is that you putting you on the jury would put you under extreme hardship or that doing so would cause that for your company (since you are such an important person in your company). And likely, a CEO or movie director would fall under the "super important person" for the job.

| IP: Logged

Don Furr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 509
From: Sun City, Ca USA
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 02-09-2012 08:57 PM

I've been called once in Atlanta...Fulton County and as soon as the defense attorney discovered that I was a former police officer he bounced my ass right out....lol

| IP: Logged

Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 02-09-2012 11:12 PM

quote: Chris Slycord
putting you on the jury would put you under extreme hardship or that doing so would cause that for your company

I'm not sure about the "company hardship" part-
Rules might vary by state. I was last called for J-Duty
two weeks ago, and one of the factors I mentioned in my
'hardship' application was that I worked for a small organization,
my boss was out of town, and that we also had one person who
was out recovering from surgery. I tried to explain
that my absense would be difficult for the company.

The judge, when reviewing my paper explained to me that
according to the rules of the court (at least here in CA)
he could only consider what effect being out of work would
have on ME, and that any negative effects on my employer or
anyone else were of no concern to the court.

(The only exception would be if I were the 'primary care'
provider to an infant, sick, elderly or disabled person-
then the court could consider the effect of my absense
on another person.)

| IP: Logged

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 02-09-2012 11:48 PM

I served twice - learned quite a bit from both services.

Pay kinda tanked though..

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 02-10-2012 01:36 AM

quote:
The judge, when reviewing my paper explained to me that
according to the rules of the court (at least here in CA)
he could only consider what effect being out of work would
have on ME, and that any negative effects on my employer or
anyone else were of no concern to the court.

Well, if that judge literally said that then you should know that he's flat out wrong.

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=two&linkid=rule2_1008

quote:
(4)The prospective juror will bear an undue risk of material injury to or destruction of the prospective juror's property or property entrusted to the prospective juror, and it is not feasible to make alternative arrangements to alleviate the risk. In determining whether to excuse the prospective juror for this reason, consideration must be given to:

(A)The nature of the property;

(B)The source and duration of the risk;

(C)The probability that the risk will be realized;

(D)The reason alternative arrangements to protect the property cannot be made; and

(E)Whether material injury to or destruction of the property will so disrupt the economic stability of any individual as to be against the interests of justice.

You can be dismissed based on how being on the jury will affect you... and any property that you are in charge of (assuming you can argue that the effect to it cannot be mitigated with you spending time on a jury). And in this case, the property is the business itself.

| IP: Logged

Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 02-10-2012 08:08 AM

NJ is the "one day and out" system. You sit in a big room watching a tiny tv on a dreadful station, and if you're not empaneled by the end of the day that's it for 5-7 years. On the other hand, if you ask for a deferral, you'll hear from them within 6 months and it starts all over. I was only empaneled once, and it was a lawsuit by a homeowner against a contractor for a faulty furnace. During voire dire they asked us all our business. I said I was a contractor (actually true although not my primary business) and I was out the door in 5 minutes. It's no sweat.

| IP: Logged

Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-10-2012 08:32 AM

Bring something to read, most of your time is spent waiting to be picked.

Lawyers, cops, prison guards, spokesmen for the ACLU are almost always struck first. It doesn't mean you get to go home right away, but they may quit calling you back for the rest of the week.

| IP: Logged

Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 02-22-2012 10:28 AM

I still remember how hard those stinking wooden chairs are! Of course now I have a tablet with 30-odd movies on it, so I guess that would help.

| IP: Logged

Wayne Keyser
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Arlington, Virginia, USA
Registered: May 2004

posted 02-22-2012 10:20 PM

Put down that your dad is a judge, and cite his name - no court clerk in his right mind would leave you in the jury pool.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.