OT - Being called for Jury Duty!

[Scratch42]

Get home tonight and find in my mailbox a letter from the Attoney Generals Office that I have been selected as a possible candidate for Jury Duty! :furious:

Don't these people know that I'm too busy going to WDW!

Do you think if I state that I have A Disney Afflication I can get out of it!?! :rolleyes1

j

[madonna31]

For some reason, I thought that if you bring 'proof' that you have a vacation planned and paid for during the time of the trial, you will be free to go.

For your sake, I hope that's true! :wizard:

If not; tell 'em that the Hospital for Sick Kids need more Disney soaps and shampoos...I can't imagine them saying 'no' to that. :goodvibes

[tink&cinderella]

That's too funny - DH got one today too

He got the kind where you have to fill in the form and then they will see if you qualify.

DH has scanned the form and has informed me he doesn't think there will be any questions that he will answer for which he will be disqualified.

As long as jury duty is not in December - we're OK with it. Could be kind of interesting.

Denise

[Little Miss Liberty]

I just got one last week. I had to actually attend a Jury selection for a week in 2002. It was so boring.But I can't afford to loose time off work this time. (I had benefits that paid for it the last time) Who's going to pay for my Disney trip?

[runner26.2]

you could always wear a lime green mickey chip to court that day. with any luck one of the lawyers or the Judge will be a fellow dis'er and exclude you from jury duty :rotfl2:

[tnt39kids]

Wow,they must be mailing lots of these out, I got one in the mail about 2 weeks ago. I filled it out right away but its been in my purse ever since. Guess I should actually drop it in the mail one of these days on my way past the post office, although if I don't mail it I can't be called... ;) ....LOL

[Scratch42]

Yep, filled in the questionairre and will drop it in the mail box!

Madge - I hope that is true about proof of vacation! Another week and a half, and I'll be collecting more Mickey Stuff! :thumbsup2

This should prove interesting! NOT!

My work won't cover me for the time off! Heck, If I'm gonna take time off work, it's gonna be for a Disney Vacation! :lmao: :lmao:

j

[pxlbarrel]

Yep, filled in the questionairre and will drop it in the mail box!

Madge - I hope that is true about proof of vacation! Another week and a half, and I'll be collecting more Mickey Stuff! :thumbsup2

This should prove interesting! NOT!

My work won't cover me for the time off! Heck, If I'm gonna take time off work, it's gonna be for a Disney Vacation! :lmao: :lmao:

j

I thought they HAD to give you the time off to do jury duty and they were obligated to pay you. If this isn't the case, perhaps that's reason enough to have yourself disqualified from jury duty. :confused3

[cdnmickeylover]

This is funny because my DS who just moved got a questionnaire as well. He's not disqualified though so I told him to send it in. I was called a long while ago and wanted to serve on a jury but wasn't picked. Now I don't qualify.

Fiona

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

how is it that you don't qualify? what qualifications do they ask for? (curiosity!) thanks. /:O)

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I had a conflict with one of our WDW trips a few years ago. I wasn't excused from service, but they did defer my service to the following month.

I've been called for both federal and district court in the past two years. Hopefully my name won't come up again for a long time.

Qualification questions include things like "Do you know the defendent or any of the lawyers?" "Have you had any personal experience with this type of crime that would prevent you from being unbiased?" "Are you a law enforcement officer or related to one." Types of questions to determine if you can form an unbiased opinion based only on the facts presented.

[NikP]

I had a conflict with one of our WDW trips a few years ago. I wasn't excused from service, but they did defer my service to the following month.


Did this happen in Canada or the US. I don't know if Canada has the same laws regarding this. My husband was called for jury duty when our second son was to be born. We knew what the date was because I was going to be induced. He couldn't seem to get out of it, until they actually cancelled the trial. This is one of my biggest fears regarding our up in coming trip. I hope someone would understand. I know trip cancellation insurance usually covers for jury duty, but I wouldn't want to disappoint my whole family.

[jeffd101]

My DW also was called for duty at the same time as our first trip. She sent them in details showing that we had everything previously arranged and they deferred her jury duty until the next session. She still has never been called back.

This was for provincial court at the time - not sure if the rules are any different for federal.

[bbangel]

Someone in our office was just selected for jury duty. She said that people were being deferred if they could prove they had a conflict for the proposed dates of the trial. A man was excused because of his wife's delivery date, a women was excused because of a scheduled surgery and a couple of people were excused because of planned vacations. They then had to come back for selection of other trials that would be in conflict with those times. Bring all the official paperwork you can with you and be willing to stand at another time and you should be fine.

[drag n' fly]

I remember 20 years ago when I was called I was still in college. I told them I couldn't attend because I was in the middle of final exams and would be going off to University in Victoria and I never heard from them again. Obviously things have changed in 20 years and you actually have to prove you cannot attend but if a holiday is booked...I am assuming you or your travel agent just needs to show proof!

[cdnmickeylover]

As someone already posted there are certain jobs/professions or marriage to someone in those professions which disqualify you from ever serving on a jury. For that reason I'm disqualified.

Along with police officers this includes judges, lawyers, justices of the peace and those on active service with the military.

Fiona

[maryliz]

how is it that you don't qualify? what qualifications do they ask for? (curiosity!) thanks. /:O)

I think she showed up wearing Mickey Mouse Ears, singing IASW all the way down the hall. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

;) That's what I'D do ! ;)



MaryLiz

[mejaie]

Just end every answer with "I hope you have a Magical Day"

[carrie s]

You can get out of it if you have a really good reason.My mom was called for jury duty a couple of years ago. There were relitives coming to visit from England at that time so she was able to get out of it.I think she wrote them a letter,she didnt need any proof.

[tink&cinderella]

Wow,they must be mailing lots of these out, I got one in the mail about 2 weeks ago. I filled it out right away but its been in my purse ever since. Guess I should actually drop it in the mail one of these days on my way past the post office, although if I don't mail it I can't be called... ;) ....LOL

Hope you don't get into trouble - ours said it must be filled out and returned within 5 days :guilty:

tink&cinderella

[Debbie]

Hope you don't get into trouble - ours said it must be filled out and returned within 5 days

Oops!!! DS got his a few weeks ago. He finally picked it up (he doesn't live at home) this past weekend. AND knowing him slightly well.....he probably hasn't sent it in yet. :rolleyes1

[ferris198]

My DH was picked a few years ago to do jury duty, and at the time it was a really busy time at work, so he had to bring in a letter from a manager and then had to defer his time to another time which was granted.
When you go down there you may not actually be selected for jury duty you are just put into what they call a pool of prospective jurors. It doesn't mean you will get selected. You have to go through a process in which they may may not call you. Also too I believe in Ontario that employers are regulated to pay you if you are involved in a long trial.
In my husbands case jury selection was 2 weeks, and he wasn't called to be a juror but you have to sit there for the process.

[cabmom]

I was called last year at the end of my pregnancy. I did not have to go! :thumbsup2

Marilynn

[disyady]

I got my form to fill out in Oct 05, then I got the summons in Sept to report on Tues Oct 10. I had to be at the Brampton courthouse at 1 pm and by 2 pm they told us we could leave, but that we are "on call" until today (Thurs). If I don't get a call today, then I am dismissed. Needless to say I'm not too eager to answer the phone until tomorrow! Apparently they have so many trials going on right now that they just didn't have any place to put us and their backlog is the reason that it isn't as easy to be excused any more. You can get deferred, but not excused as easily. We are nervous now that my husband will get called because legally your company only has to hold your job for you and his company (which shall remain nameless) does not pay him for jury duty. We were even worried about me serving for too long because he only gets 10 vacation and 7 sick days paid per year, after that he doesn't get paid if he takes time off. If your company pays you for jury duty, it is part of your benefit plan and you should be very grateful! Keep your fingers crossed for me that I don't get that call today!!!

[seashoreCM]

Don]t police officers, judges, justices of the peace, etc. have to spend a lot of time in court in other roles besides as jurors?

[tnt39kids]

Hope you don't get into trouble - ours said it must be filled out and returned within 5 days :guilty:

tink&cinderella

oooh, I guess I'd better stop by the post office today then. I wouldn't wanna get into trouble and miss my trip to WDW

[disneyvacationmom]

I know it says that the forms must be returned with a certain amount of time but actually, since the forms are sent by regular mail, there is no proof that you ever received them in the first place. That being said, I filled mine out like a good girl and ended up being on a jury in June. I quickly found out that an employer does not have to pay you and the courts only start paying paying you after 10 days(hence a lot of trials last 9 days). After 40 days, the pay from the courts goes up. I also learned that if you are called that you should take a lunch since I had to report by 10 am was chosen by 11am and the trial started immediately(we were given time to call our bosses and families to let them know that we would be busy for the next while) and then went to court. They were very good to us--usually muffins or donuts in the mornings and always a fridge of cold drinks. Also tea, coffee or hot chocolate. We had a lunch break every day and we could leave to buy lunch except for the day we were sequestored--they provided us with lunch that day and took us out for dinner. That day, we were watched like hawks--even at the restaurant, if we went to the washroom a court officer went with us. I actually loved the experience, it was a civil trial so only 6 jurors--we all got along well and I found the proceedings very interesting. Very fun actually

[LisaNJ25]

I think she showed up wearing Mickey Mouse Ears, singing IASW all the way down the hall. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

;) That's what I'D do ! ;)



MaryLiz

Hmm I may have to try that :lmao: I just got my first summons last week.. I so do not want to go. Plus I dont have anyne to watch my 1 and 2 yo unless hubby takes the day off.

I am going to mail it back today and put than I am home with my kids.

I was also annoyed to see they pull people from the DMV list.. hmm so those who dont drive should never be picked?