Jury Duty is not family-friendly!

[Free4Life11]

I think they should have to at least pay the minimum wage! Sorry but $12 is practically slave labor.

And why no jeans? I'm sorry but why would you be expected to dress up for JURY DUTY? You are stuck there all day, why not dress for comfort.

 

[aprilgail2]

I think they should have to at least pay the minimum wage! Sorry but $12 is practically slave labor.

And why no jeans? I'm sorry but why would you be expected to dress up for JURY DUTY? You are stuck there all day, why not dress for comfort.

I wore jeans when I went, so did many other people. I worked nights then and I went straight from work to jury duty- of course I also kept falling ALSEEP there!!
The pay is 40.00 from the courts for doing jury duty but since my employer pays you in full for any time you miss--could be a day or a year you get full pay and you job is waiting for you when you get back....I still don't like to do it though! If they gave me the court closest to me it wouldn't be bad but they seem to like to send you an hour and a half away rather than 10 minutes away!

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

We actually have free courthouse childcare where I live....

And who would leave their children/baby with strangers?

 

[bicker]

Folks who don't have better options.

 

[MushyMushy]

And who would leave their children/baby with strangers?

People do it every day, 180 days a year. It's called school.

I'm sure if the courthouse has a childcare system in place, the workers all have their clearances and background checks.

That said, I'd love to be called for jury duty. My husband and I have never been chosen. I have no idea why -- we live in a small area, so you'd think it would come up at least once.

Did you all hear about the guy who was arrested for contempt of court when he shouted out that he couldn't miss work for jury duty? Judge threw him in jail!

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/09-18-juror-held-in-contempt

There it is. I was wrong about what he said, but still.

 

[bicker]

Jury Duty is, essentially, a tax, called-for and therefore justified by our Constitution. The integrity of the system requires that those considered must put their best efforts forward, and not seek to dodge the tax. Taxes sometimes do represent an onerous burden on folks. That's unfortunate, when that happens.

The alternatives really send us down a slippery slope. Allowing folks to excuse themselves for financial reasons introduces biases: Instead of juries of peers, you end up with juries made up of rich people, retirees and the unemployed. Any patterns of discrimination detected within the jury system itself are reasonable foundations for challenging jury decisions. And this isn't a matter of protected classes; any discrimination -- any variance from what can be defended as a "jury of peers" -- can be used as foundation for challenge.

Forcing employers to do what many employers do, pay their employees out on jury duty, becomes an unfair burden on some small companies. I don't see citizens rallying around a move to essentially impose such unfunded mandates on businesses, whether any of us believe that would be right or not. For that matter, I don't see citizens rallying around a move to raise taxes to pay jurors a living wage, again without regard to whether any of us believe that would be right or not.

So essentially the unfairness and burden that jury duty represents to some/many is a reflection of the overriding callousness of the citizenry-at-large.

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

People do it every day, 180 days a year. It's called school.

School aged children would be in school, therefore, I am not talking about that age group. I am talking about babies or younger children. Sorry. I don’t care what clearances a stranger working in a courthouse may have. It takes more than a piece of paper to prove to me that you are worthy of caring for my child. Many others feel the same.

Jury Duty is, essentially, a tax, called-for and therefore justified by our Constitution. The integrity of the system requires that those considered must put their best efforts forward, and not seek to dodge the tax. Taxes sometimes do represent an onerous burden on folks. That's unfortunate, when that happens.

The alternatives really send us down a slippery slope. Allowing folks to excuse themselves for financial reasons introduces biases: Instead of juries of peers, you end up with juries made up of rich people, retirees and the unemployed. Any patterns of discrimination detected within the jury system itself are reasonable foundations for challenging jury decisions. And this isn't a matter of protected classes; any discrimination -- any variance from what can be defended as a "jury of peers" -- can be used as foundation for challenge.

Forcing employers to do what many employers do, pay their employees out on jury duty, becomes an unfair burden on some small companies. I don't see citizens rallying around a move to essentially impose such unfunded mandates on businesses, whether any of us believe that would be right or not. For that matter, I don't see citizens rallying around a move to raise taxes to pay jurors a living wage, again without regard to whether any of us believe that would be right or not.

So essentially the unfairness and burden that jury duty represents to some/many is a reflection of the overriding callousness of the citizenry-at-large.

Bicker, you can use all of the big words that you want But the fact of the matter is you have never experienced the bond of a parent/ child relationship. Therefore, you have no idea what a parent would feel like placing their baby in the arms of a stranger.

 

[RadioNate]

And who would leave their children/baby with strangers?

I would. I wouldn't have a choice. I get that the expatiation is that you'd have a friend or relative do a favor but people like me don't have any. My closest relative is an aunt of my DH's who lives 2.5 hours away and is just as much a stranger to my DD as some no-name screened day care worker would be.

My whopping 2 friends here work. I do not know any other SAHM. I'd have to pay someone. Yes, I live a pretty sad, lonely life since we moved here. Believe me, it sucks. If there was an emergency, I think I could rely on one of those friends short term (provided it was at a time they weren't working) until DH's aunt or my dad could get here.

I don't care if it costs everyone. It shouldn't be this much of a struggle. It is bad when someone's best option is having to fly someone in to watch their child.

I still think we need a better system.

Things have changed in America. People are more mobile. Very few people I know live in the towns they grew up in. Most of my friends (not just the ones here) don't live near their parents/siblings anymore. I can think of very few people who wouldn't have to pay for child care or use a spouses vacation day when called to serve.

I've served a lot. I've been called in every state we lived in (6, I wasn't called in Iowa because I never got an Iowa DL) and several times in Illinois. Illinois lawyers won't allow me to sit on a jury (long story, witness to a federal crime in which Illinois law officials were defendants.) I was called this summer in FL and did get an exemption.

 

[mickeyboat]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people on the DIS do not have ANYONE they could leave their kids with in case they were called for jury duty - especially since you generally have quite a bit of advance notice to make arrangements.

Would it be perfect? No. Would it be convenient? No. But it can be done.

What would you do if there was an emergency?

 

[RadioNate]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people on the DIS do not have ANYONE they could leave their kids with in case they were called for jury duty - especially since you generally have quite a bit of advance notice to make arrangements.

Would it be perfect? No. Would it be convenient? No. But it can be done.

What would you do if there was an emergency?

I do have someone, it is called a baby sitter. Assuming she is available she charges $10 an hour. So for a 10 hour day (8am-6pm) which is what we'd have to be gone I'd spend $100. Jury duty pay is $15-$30 a day in the state of FL or $40 for a federal case. Believe me, there are a lot of people who'd have a hard time coming up with $70 extra dollars for 3-4 days.

For a 1 day thing...ok but 3-4, a week, 2 weeks, a month? How much is too much to ask?

I don't have anyone who would do a 10 hour favor.

In an emergency, I'd take my kids with me. If that was impossible, I think my neighbor (who works) would take them when she was available until my dad (3 hours away) or my DH's aunt (2.5 hours away and has cancer) could get there. If it was going to be more than a day long emergency my mom would have to fly to FL from Chicago.

It isn't my choice to live like this. Believe me, it sucks. But when my DH was laid off 2 years ago and needed a job we moved. We are desperately trying to find jobs back where we have family and friends but it isn't an easy process. Couple that with the fact that our house here has declined 38% in real money since we bought it, moving will wipe us out financially. However, we will take that loss if a job at 'home' comes up. That is how much it sucks to live this way.

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

I do have someone, it is called a baby sitter. Assuming she is available she charges $10 an hour. So for a 10 hour day (8am-6pm) which is what we'd have to be gone I'd spend $100. Jury duty pay is $15-$30 a day in the state of FL or $40 for a federal case. Believe me, there are a lot of people who'd have a hard time coming up with $70 extra dollars for 3-4 days.

For a 1 day thing...ok but 3-4, a week, 2 weeks, a month? How much is too much to ask?

I agree.

 

[DVCLiz]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people on the DIS do not have ANYONE they could leave their kids with in case they were called for jury duty - especially since you generally have quite a bit of advance notice to make arrangements.

Would it be perfect? No. Would it be convenient? No. But it can be done.

What would you do if there was an emergency?

Boy, that was a hot potato subject on the last jury duty thread I saw on the DIS. People literally didn't have any childcare arrangements at all - I assume they were willing to go 18 years without ever leaving their child with someone else.

Personally, I think that's bizarre, and I wonder how those children manage later in life without any sort of experience being in the care of anyone other than a parent.

 

[HelenePA]

Personally, I think that's bizarre, and I wonder how those children manage later in life without any sort of experience being in the care of anyone other than a parent.

Do teachers not count? I have NO long term childcare coverage.. My brother watches the older kids on the weekend for me if I need to get out but I dont have a ton of extra money to be paying babysitters 10+$ an hour to watch 4 kids its just not gonna happen! My family besides my brother is dead.. all dead. We haven't seen or talked to his family in 4 years so they are strangers to my kids and I'd rather be thrown in jail or live on the streets than have them watch them anyway that's a whole other subject

 

[mtemm]

Boy, that was a hot potato subject on the last jury duty thread I saw on the DIS. People literally didn't have any childcare arrangements at all - I assume they were willing to go 18 years without ever leaving their child with someone else.

Personally, I think that's bizarre, and I wonder how those children manage later in life without any sort of experience being in the care of anyone other than a parent.

those are two extremes. if I was picked to sit on a jury, it would be a huge deal right now because I don't have someone to watch my young kids during the day. I was able to have DH take a vacation day so I could serve my jury duty day last spring, but that wouldn't work if I had been seated on the jury I was almost picked for (judge let me off because I have no child care). in an emergency I'm sure I could get a friend or neighbor to take my kids for a day, but we would run into serious problems with transportation then (they need to pick up their kids, no room for all 3 of my kids plus their kids in their car when they need to get them all from school and such).

all that doesn't mean we don't go out ever. my MIL regularly babysits, a couple of times a month she'll come over for an evening. but she works a full time job, she can't come and stay with the kids during the week. if it was a true emergency, I'm sure she would try to scramble and use vacation or sick time, but that is asking a lot for jury duty.

I've also left my kids on occasion with teens in the area, but even setting aside the cost, they are in school for the day so wouldn't be able to do it.

once my kids are full time in school, I could probably figure something out, and I would definitely try so I could do my duty as an american citizen. but prior to that, I can't even imagine what I would do.

 

[MushyMushy]

School aged children would be in school, therefore, I am not talking about that age group. I am talking about babies or younger children. Sorry. I don’t care what clearances a stranger working in a courthouse may have. It takes more than a piece of paper to prove to me that you are worthy of caring for my child. Many others feel the same.

and many more mothers have to go to work and don't have the luxury of staying home or relying on family to watch their children. They have to use the daycare system or babysitters. I'd feel just as confident using a courthouse childcare system as I would the daycare system.

And how is a 5 year old going off to kindergarten any less precious than a 3 year old going to a daycare? All teachers have is a piece of paper proving their "worthiness" of being around dozens of snowflakes.

 

[justhat]

And who would leave their children/baby with strangers?

Like I said, in Washington, DC, we also have free childcare for jury duty. I would use it without hesitation. Same as I use the kids clubs on DCL (or any cruiseline), or those clubs in WDW or other resorts, or random classes my kids attend, etc. My daughter is going to a class at the zoo Saturday. I will drop her off with people I've never met and pick her up 2 hours later.

But like I said, the one time I received a summons for jury duty my daughter was a few months too young for their free daycare (you have to be 2yo) so I couldn't use it. Had she been eligible, however, she would have gone.

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

Some people aren't comfortable with leaving babies with strangers Once children get older and can communicate how a person treats them, then I see no problem leaving them with certified care takers.

Really, why say 18 years? Who said that they wouldn't leave an older child? We are talking about babies/toddlers here.

Personally, I think that's bizarre, and I wonder how those children manage later in life without any sort of experience being in the care of anyone other than a parent.

Again, I see no benefit in leaving a baby with a child care provider. Good for you if you had no trouble dropping your baby off with somebody who passed a few tests, but my baby meant quite a bit more to me And "later in life", I have no problem leaving children with teachers. Why are you saying that people that don’t leave their small babies with strangers are bizarre?

 

[mickeyboat]

We actually have only one family member in town, my FIL, but I wouldn't leave my kids overnight with him unless it was an extreme emergency.

My next closest relative is 3 hours away, after that 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours.

I do have friends, though. Many friends are parents of my daughters' friends. I have made a point of getting to know these people, and I know that in a pinch they would be there for me - just as I would be there for them. Heck I have 3 people within a block who would come to my house in the middle of the night if I needed them.

Don't say that I am lucky. I have worked hard to forge relationships with people.

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

Like I said, in Washington, DC, we also have free childcare for jury duty. I would use it without hesitation.

For a baby? What do you do with a baby?

Maybe I am just different? That is ok. Leaving an infant in the care of a stranger is waaaaaaay out of my comfort zone.

 

[mickeyboat]

Some people aren't comfortable with leaving babies with strangers Once children get older and can communicate how a person treats them, then I see no problem leaving them with certified care takers.

Really, why say 18 years? Who said that they wouldn't leave an older child? We are talking about babies/toddlers here.



Again, I see no benefit in leaving a baby with a child care provider. Good for you if you had no trouble dropping your baby off with somebody who passed a few tests, but my baby meant quite a bit more to me And "later in life", I have no problem leaving children with teachers. Why are you saying that people that don’t leave their small babies with strangers are bizarre?

Do you really want to go there?