What is a petit juror?

[Debi]

Call me ignorant, but I received a jury summons today (ugh!) to serve as a petit juror for the week of 5/12. From what I'm reading, it sounds like I'm an alternate? Is that right?

 

[Kermit]

When I got a letter saying I was a petit juror, I was in a pool of 150 people to see who they were going to seat for a death penalty murder case. The lawyers excused me because I had morning sickness. I think that it just means you're a potential juror. (Of course, I'm 5'2", so maybe they know. )

 

[WillyJ]

I'd never heard that term before either Debbie. . but I looked around and found this:

Jury: a group of citizens chosen to hear a case and render a verdict based on the facts presented to them. Sometimes referred to as a "petit jury."



So I guess it's just the same as a regular juror. . .

 

[Debi]

Thanks, Willy and Kermit. Looks like I might be serving jury duty in May. I'm headed to WDW on 5/23, so hopefully the trial will be over by then! Is WDW a legitimate excuse to get out of jury duty?

 

[WillyJ]

You're more then welcome Debbie!!


Let's see. . that's two billable hours for the search so you owe me $240. . .






Good luck with the jury duty!! Not sure about the "WDW" excuse but you can try!! LOL!!

 

[shoes99]

I just got served with a petit jury summons yesterday. It says you are to serve one day or one trial. This is in Middlesex County New Jersey.

 

[jipsy]

Oh sorry that's a petit four.

 

[Debi]

Too funny, jipsy! I'd rather that than a petit juror summons.

 

[tstobb]

Originally posted by Debi
I'm headed to WDW on 5/23, so hopefully the trial will be over by then! Is WDW a legitimate excuse to get out of jury duty?

YES it is!
If you already have your plane tickets and you do have to go in, bring the tickets with you, along with some proof of when they were purchased. If they were purchased before the summons was issued, you will likely be excused. They may have a way for you to request an excusal beforehand (Florida does) so you may not even have to go in at all.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

a grand jury investigates crimes and issues indictments, a petit jury renders a verdict at trial.

 

[Debi]

tstobb, I bought e-tickets, so I only have an e-mail for confirmation. Can I bring the e-mail as proof, in case the trial does go longer than expected?

Briar Rose, does this mean that a petit jury trial only lasts 1-2 days?

 

[BethR]

Debi,

OJ had a jury at his criminal trial - and that lasted for months.

Just because you are summoned Debi, does not mean that you will be seated for a jury. As a matter of fact, from everyone that I have spoken to, most people who are summoned are excused for one reason or another.

I was summoned in August. At the end of the day I was never called - and I was excused. I "served" my one day.

Chances are that it will be the same for you.

And I am sure that if you write your jury commisioner and tell them of your vacation plans and send them a copy of your e-mail that your summons will be postponed.

Good Luck!

 

[Kermit]

If you live in an area where you can get excused ahead of time for vacation plans, you should do it. When I was summoned for the trial I mentioned earlier, there were a few people who said they had vacation plans. The judge asked them why they didn't notify the court earlier, and when they couldn't come up with a good answer, he didn't excuse them. One of the women even had non-refundable tickets to her 20-year high school reunion.

 

[tstobb]

The e-mail should be fine but, like Kermit said, if there is a way to request the excusal beforehand, you're better off going that route.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by tstobb
They may have a way for you to request an excusal beforehand (Florida does) so you may not even have to go in at all.

I'm in FL and a coworker did this! She asked to be excused because she had a business trip scheduled. They let her postpone it about 2 months and gave her a number like 51 so she HAD to go! She recommended not doing this!

 

[Debi]

So, what's the best thing to do in this situation? Send them a copy of my electronic plane tickets (my e-mail) now, or wait until my first day in court?

 

[tstobb]

I would send it now - I don't remember NJ's process but in FL, they want the request for excusal as soon as possible. In 7 years living here, I've been summoned 5 times and had to go only once (every other time I've had the excuse of being the care provider for a child under 6) and that time, I sat there for 2 hours before the brought us in, sat us down & told us that the case had been settled but the judge just wanted us to see how the process would have gone (and they wonder why the courts are so backed up)!
If you choose to wait, if nothing else, you will have to waste a morning going down to the courthouse, sitting thru the "It's a privledge to sit on a jury" movie that NJ has, and then being allowed to ask for an excusal.

 

[Debi]

Thanks, tstobb! I'll mail a copy of my vacation notice tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be excused!

 

[mum4jenn]

If your jury duty is week of May 12th and your Disney Vacation is May 23rd why is there a problem?? All the times I have been on Jury duty the most I would be on it was one week and that was usually one or two cases per day. Sometimes a case will last two days but those are usually rare. If they are choosing for a case that would last longer than that they would let you know before hand and your summons would have stated more than one week. Like in the case of OJ everyone knew that it would be a long trial and they informed the public way ahead of time. You are stressing over a non issue!!!

 

[Debi]

mum4jenn: You're right, to a large extent, I am stressing over a non-issue. My biggest fear is that the trial will go longer than the stated one-week period, and overlap with my trip. I don't know that trials can go longer than stated on the jury summons (in this case, one week); that's why I'm so stresed. Can it go longer than stated?