Random Jury Duty Question :S

[bytheblood]

have you ever put in a request to be excused from jury duty because you did not have child care and it was denied....so you took your child up there with you? If so, what happened when you showed up with your kid?

If you did this, please tell me what state & district this was in.

 

[mtemm]

no. However I had jury duty last spring, and my dh took a day off of work to stay home with the kids so I could go (thankfully MA has one day/one trial jury duty so it was just the day). when I was called as a possible jurist on a case I did tell the judge I was a sahm of young kids with no childcare. the trial was going to be approximately 2 weeks according to them and they asked people to state any reason that might hinder them serving each case. took 2 seconds for me to state my reason and the judge to dismiss me.

 

[legalsea]

have you ever put in a request to be excused from jury duty because you did not have child care and it was denied....so you took your child up there with you? If so, what happened when you showed up with your kid?

If you did this, please tell me what state & district this was in.

Are you doing research? Why would you want every state/district's rule?

Anyway, in Texas here is the exemption:

"you have legal custody of a child or children younger than 10 years of age and service on the jury would require leaving the child or children without adequate supervision"

Generally, here, you may call the court clerk and claim the exemption without having to drag the urchin down to court (or send back the jury summons and marking the exemption on the back).

 

[allison443]

have you ever put in a request to be excused from jury duty because you did not have child care and it was denied....so you took your child up there with you? If so, what happened when you showed up with your kid?

If you did this, please tell me what state & district this was in.

I have never done this, but I am answering anyway.
Years ago in NJ caring for your small children was considered an exemption from jury duty, along with various professions, jobs, etc. Currently nearly all these automatic exemptions have been eliminated. I have been to jury duty a few times and never saw anyone bring their child with them. However, I have heard people who were under consideration to be selected for a case tell the judge that child care was a problem, and they were released. I believe that is up to the judge's discretion.

Honestly, having worked in the court system and with judges for years, I think a judge would find it a little surprising/unreasonable for someone to bring their child. They tend to take jury duty seriously and after all, what did everyone else do that day that had to show up?

 

[cabanafrau]

Well, from working in the court system here, I can tell you that lack of childcare is not a given excuse. I have heard it given many, many times. I have heard judges explain that it would be next to impossible to seat juries if that automatically excused jurors.

I have NEVER seen someone pull a stunt like bringing their child when reporting for jury duty. In my experience, that's exactly how judges here would view someone doing so. You don't want to get on the wrong side of a judge who's in the mood to make a point. Even the balance of the day in lock-up is no place I'd ever care to be. Although if you had your child along, I'm sure the judge would be kind enough to let you report to lock-up the next day, sans child.

Judges take jury duty very seriously.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

But if you seriously had *NO* childcare, what would happen? I wonder that myself, if I ever got called. I'd be up a creek without a paddle.

If I went and brought my child, I'd get "locked up'. If I left my 2 year old at home unattended, I'd get 'locked up' for negligence. I'd be a criminal either way.

 

[bytheblood]

Well, from working in the court system here, I can tell you that lack of childcare is not a given excuse. I have heard it given many, many times. I have heard judges explain that it would be next to impossible to seat juries if that automatically excused jurors.

I have NEVER seen someone pull a stunt like bringing their child when reporting for jury duty. In my experience, that's exactly how judges here would view someone doing so. You don't want to get on the wrong side of a judge who's in the mood to make a point. Even the balance of the day in lock-up is no place I'd ever care to be. Although if you had your child along, I'm sure the judge would be kind enough to let you report to lock-up the next day, sans child.

Judges take jury duty very seriously.

I totally agree. I am not asking because I plan on doing so, it was more of a question prompted by something I read from somebody else.

 

[bytheblood]

Are you doing research? Why would you want every state/district's rule?

Anyway, in Texas here is the exemption:

"you have legal custody of a child or children younger than 10 years of age and service on the jury would require leaving the child or children without adequate supervision"

Generally, here, you may call the court clerk and claim the exemption without having to drag the urchin down to court (or send back the jury summons and marking the exemption on the back).

Responses like this make me glad there is an "ignore" option on the Dis.

 

[cabanafrau]

But if you seriously had *NO* childcare, what would happen? I wonder that myself, if I ever got called. I'd be up a creek without a paddle.

If I went and brought my child, I'd get "locked up'. If I left my 2 year old at home unattended, I'd get 'locked up' for negligence. I'd be a criminal either way.

If you receive a jury summons, complete & return it immediately. Simultaneously contact your court clerk in writing, explaining your particular circumstances, thoroughly and honestly. You may get lucky. If you then receive the second summons to report for a certain date and time, be prepared to have some childcare in place and report as court-ordered. If you reach the voir dire stage you can again explain your circumstances when questioned. It's likely the judge will intervene and question what you would do for an emergency situation, including an extended emergency situation.

Like I said, judges take this seriously. Empaneling juries is time-consuming, schedule-destroying and expensive. Expect to be grilled about exactly why your circumstances should excuse you from shouldering your portion of this duty.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

If you receive a jury summons, complete & return it immediately. Simultaneously contact your court clerk in writing, explaining your particular circumstances, thoroughly and honestly. You may get lucky. If you then receive the second summons to report for a certain date and time, be prepared to have some childcare in place and report as court-ordered. If you reach the voir dire stage you can again explain your circumstances when questioned. It's likely the judge will intervene and question what you would do for an emergency situation, including an extended emergency situation.

Like I said, judges take this seriously. Empaneling juries is time-consuming, schedule-destroying and expensive. Expect to be grilled about exactly why your circumstances should excuse you from shouldering your portion of this duty.

I totally understand that, and I don't take it lightly-- we're just up a creek when it comes to childcare sometimes. I wish we had a great family backup or friendly neighbors... we just don't.

 

[golfgal]

But if you seriously had *NO* childcare, what would happen? I wonder that myself, if I ever got called. I'd be up a creek without a paddle.

If I went and brought my child, I'd get "locked up'. If I left my 2 year old at home unattended, I'd get 'locked up' for negligence. I'd be a criminal either way.

I find it very difficult to believe that there is anyone with "NO" childcare. There are drop in day care centers, friends, neighbors, relatives that are all options for childcare. Sorry, I side with the judges as this isn't a valid excuse.

 

[allison443]

I find it very difficult to believe that there is anyone with "NO" childcare. There are drop in day care centers, friends, neighbors, relatives that are all options for childcare. Sorry, I side with the judges as this isn't a valid excuse.

I agree...there are options for people. I remember a thread on this whole jury duty/childcare thing a while ago...it got heated as I recall.

 

[ckay87]

Oh my gosh, do NOT, under any circumstances take your children along to jury duty!! If by some act of God you do not irritate the judge, you will most certainly irritate about 50 other people.

I am just off of jury duty (I was actually picked for the trial) and the first day was a LOT of sitting around in very, VERY quiet rooms. The first was just a waiting room situation. The second room was INSIDE the courtroom. A very very quiet courtroom facing the judge, attorneys and defendent. This was just for the questioning and selection process (not the trial). And while they were picking the jury, we just sat there in complete silence. This took about 40 minutes. Every single adult was getting rammy at that point. Throw a child or two in there and bad, bad things will happen.

After serving, I have much more respect for the process and for the necessity of the whole process.

 

[princessmom29]

Having lived somewhere where i had no family or close friends, I can totally see this as a major problem. I would not under any circumstances leave my child in one of those drop in centers or with a neighbor I do not know well. I am sorry, but I just refuse to leave my child with strangers I know nothing about. If i didn't have a sitter I could trust I would not have gone. It is easy to say "just find someone" when it is not your child, but how many of us would actually leave our child with a complete stranger or near stranger for jury duty?

 

[Tess]

I guess you don't mess with Michigan judges. To find out what happened to an MI Mom, read this!

 

[golfgal]

Having lived somewhere where i had no family or close friends, I can totally see this as a major problem. I would not under any circumstances leave my child in one of those drop in centers or with a neighbor I do not know well. I am sorry, but I just refuse to leave my child with strangers I know nothing about. If i didn't have a sitter I could trust I would not have gone. It is easy to say "just find someone" when it is not your child, but how many of us would actually leave our child with a complete stranger or near stranger for jury duty?

Well, we moved to an area where we knew NO ONE when our oldest was a year old. I made it a point to seek out people with children the same ages so he would have someone to play with and so we could swap babysitting. You choosing NOT to find someone to care for your child is not the same thing as not having any childcare available. As for the drop in day care settings, find one you can use so you are comfortable with that. That is part of being a parent. What if an emergency arose and you HAD to find someone to watch your child, what would you do then???

Go to the library, join a MOPS group, sign up for preschool, go to the park, make some friends so you have someone you can trust.

 

[bytheblood]

I agree...there are options for people. I remember a thread on this whole jury duty/childcare thing a while ago...it got heated as I recall.

Oops - well, I do NOT want a heated thread. I would rather the mods lock this one right now.

It was simply a questions out of curiosity, wondering if anybody had ever done that, not anymore than that.

 

[bytheblood]

I guess you don't mess with Michigan judges. To find out what happened to an MI Mom, read this!

 

[Mkrop]

Unless you are a single parent, how can you have no childcare for at least one day to report and explain The other parent would have to take the day off. Not ideal but it is what needs to be done.

I mean first I would fill out the form and try to get excused there but if not then I would have DH take the day off, if I could not find other help, and go and then say what a hardship it would be to sit on a jury bc of young children.

I have always been excused when I have filled out my form.

 

[allison443]

I guess you don't mess with Michigan judges. To find out what happened to an MI Mom, read this!

I guess the court expected that her husband should have taken off work, since the article says "her nanny wasn't available". She also probably shouldn't have waited till that morning to call the court.