Jury duty questions.

[strutandrut]

Yesterday, I got a Juror Qualification Questionnaire. It says I have 10 days to return it. I've never served on a jury before and don't want to now. Here's my dilemma.

I know my employer has to pay the difference from the jury pay BUT... I am a commission only employee. I only get paid on what I sell, no more. If I am on vacation, I get paid a weighted weekly average over the last 52 weeks for the time I'm gone. I make nothing on jobs sold by my boss (who fills in on vacation).

It's a fair system for vacation because I choose when to take my vacations. I take them during hunting season when business is a little slower. If I'm called in for jury duty, I could feasibly loose $3-7k over the course of a couple weeks depending on the time of year it is.

Advice?

 

[TennesseeRains]

Well, I take it you got the questionairre via the U.S. Postal Service....I've found that the USPS is terribly inefficient and mail sometimes never makes it to my mailbox or my possession.

Of course, anything you receive via Certified Mail - is NEVER good news...so don't sign for it. :grin:

Oh heck strut...don't worry about it - once you answer a couple of questions they'll cull you pretty quick.

 

[strutandrut]

If that's the case, then I can definitely get out of it due to it creating a financial hardship. I wouldn't mind doing it actually. I'm sure it would be a cool experience. But, a cool experience doesn't pay the mortgage and EPB bill.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Try to get kicked off Jury Duty. Tell them you think a person must be guilty or they wouldn't be on trial in the 1st place.

 

[TennesseeRains]

I had to write letters to the Judge of the court I got called to and he excused me. There should be instructions on the papers you received.

 

[Kirk]

Were you served the paper or was it mailed? The US mail is considered unreliable for the delivery of court summons and court related papers. If you didn't have to sign for it they can not prove you even got it.

 

[CBU93]

If that's the case, then I can definitely get out of it due to it creating a financial hardship. I wouldn't mind doing it actually. I'm sure it would be a cool experience. But, a cool experience doesn't pay the mortgage and EPB bill.

Not necessarily...

Is this Federal, state or county??? Each county is different...in Shelby County you can only get out of jury duty for the following reasons:
underage and accidentally summoned
active military, as in you have to go away from Shelby County to serve
Convicted felon summoned inappropriately
Habitual drunkard or drug addict (you must present evidence of your habit at the initial summons...meaning you must show a bottle or illegal substance to the jury commissioner right then...keep in mind, you will be arrested and charged with DUI or possession when you do so...you are not allowed to go to the car to get it to show them either)

• null
  
  That is the only ways you can avoid jury duty in Shelby County...each county is different though. If you have something such as illness or death in the family interfere with your time to serve jury duty, you can only reschedule your civic duty, not evade it.

 

[jb3]

You should be able to get out of it because of financial hardship. I work for a small company and because of the number of the small number of employees, i've gotten out of it in the past.

 

[89cherokeelimited]

When they asked me to do jury duty they asked us questions about what would we rule in certain trials. I answered death penalty in all of them... they said my services were not needed. 7 years later they still have not asked me to do jury duty again.
As in so and so had a verbal dispute that led to a physical altercation. What should the suspects be convicted of... My answer death penalty.
ONLY do this if you do not want to do jury duty again.
I did this because TN your employer doesn't have to compensate your time at jury duty. I believe they said they pay $10/day and like $.35 cents a mile we drove to the court room.
Something stupid like that. I never want to do jury duty myself.

My wife did it a few months back and my father in law. None of us ever had to do it.
I'm telling you it works and you won't have to worry about them asking you to participate.

 

[jameseboy]

Between my wife and I we have been called half a dozen times...we have never sat on a jury. One time the only question she answered was do you go to church regularly. Yes meant immediate dismissal.

The problem is while you don't sit on a jury you sit in the jury pool and still lose the time from work. It varies county to county so you need to check locally and see what can be done.

 

[TAFKAP]

Yesterday, I got a Juror Qualification Questionnaire. It says I have 10 days to return it. I've never served on a jury before and don't want to now. Here's my dilemma.

I know my employer has to pay the difference from the jury pay BUT... I am a commission only employee. I only get paid on what I sell, no more. If I am on vacation, I get paid a weighted weekly average over the last 52 weeks for the time I'm gone. I make nothing on jobs sold by my boss (who fills in on vacation).

It's a fair system for vacation because I choose when to take my vacations. I take them during hunting season when business is a little slower. If I'm called in for jury duty, I could feasibly loose $3-7k over the course of a couple weeks depending on the time of year it is.

Advice?

I think qualifications are set by the locale that actually runs them. In Shelby County, you can be absolved from jury duty by appealing to the director. Extenuating circumstances taken into account are as follows:

1) Self-run business that cannot function without your presence
2) Family circumstances that would place a tremendous burden by your participation in jury duty

Other than that, it's very difficult to get out of around here. The guy likes to say, "I've been doing this for 20 years. You are not creative....whatever excuse you have, I've heard it 100 times already."

You should file a letter with the jury commissioner explaining your circumstances. But don't hold your breath.

 

[89cherokeelimited]

Yesterday, I got a Juror Qualification Questionnaire. It says I have 10 days to return it. I've never served on a jury before and don't want to now. Here's my dilemma.

I know my employer has to pay the difference from the jury pay BUT... I am a commission only employee. I only get paid on what I sell, no more. If I am on vacation, I get paid a weighted weekly average over the last 52 weeks for the time I'm gone. I make nothing on jobs sold by my boss (who fills in on vacation).

It's a fair system for vacation because I choose when to take my vacations. I take them during hunting season when business is a little slower. If I'm called in for jury duty, I could feasibly loose $3-7k over the course of a couple weeks depending on the time of year it is.

Advice?

I think qualifications are set by the locale that actually runs them. In Shelby County, you can be absolved from jury duty by appealing to the director. Extenuating circumstances taken into account are as follows:

1) Self-run business that cannot function without your presence
2) Family circumstances that would place a tremendous burden by your participation in jury duty

Other than that, it's very difficult to get out of around here. The guy likes to say, "I've been doing this for 20 years. You are not creative....whatever excuse you have, I've heard it 100 times already."

You should file a letter with the jury commissioner explaining your circumstances. But don't hold your breath.

I asked the courts back when they asked me to do jury duty, what if my mom was in the hospital (she was at the time) they said if she is on the EDGE of dying and I can provide a letter from the doctor saying she is dying they would dismiss me of jury duty. If she passed away and her funeral was the same time as jury duty they would suggest requesting moving the funeral. She was just in for a check up but they didn't know that.

it's easy to get out of though.
On the pre-questions answer death penalty.
They did give me a weird look when I kept answering death penalty.

 

[JeepKuntry]

CBU, if you work for a small company, 5 or less employees you can get out of jury duty. Used it twice for my line of work!

 

[Redwing]

Where I work, they pay me my full wage, but I have to sign over any $$ the Courts give me to them. That seems the best way to me.

 

[BlountArrow]

I asked the courts back when they asked me to do jury duty, what if my mom was in the hospital (she was at the time) they said if she is on the EDGE of dying and I can provide a letter from the doctor saying she is dying they would dismiss me of jury duty. If she passed away and her funeral was the same time as jury duty they would suggest requesting moving the funeral. She was just in for a check up but they didn't know that.

it's easy to get out of though.
On the pre-questions answer death penalty.
They did give me a weird look when I kept answering death penalty.

They must have really wanted you on that jury. I guess every county or state is different though. Was it a case involving a pit bull ?

 

[spoon]

Tell them you believe in public hanging even for tresspassing...that should get you off

 

[BlackBelt]

In Shelby county its almost impossible to get out of jury duty. I dreaded it before, but really enjoyed it once I did it.
In Shelby County being a commission only employee will not get you out of jury duty, nor will any of the other excuses that you may have heard. What will get you out of it is knowing someone involved in a case on which you are on the jury.
The guy in charge of jury duty here gets a laugh when he comes out and the 1st thing he says is, "If you people would just realize how many days you've spent trying to think of how to get out of doing jury duty, and then realize that 90% of you will be out of here in 2 days, you'd realize its easier to just come in and do your time and not worry about it."
He is right. 90% of the jury pool was gone in 2-3 days.
Just go and do your civic duty. Its not hard and you will feel good about doing it when its over.

 

[KPH]

I would think it would be a honor and duty to be on a jury. If everybody tried and got off of them we would be in a heck of a mess. I have been on them befor and thought it was my duty.

 

[Mr.Bro]

I would think it would be a honor and duty to be on a jury. If everybody tried and got off of them we would be in a heck of a mess. I have been on them befor and thought it was my duty.

Amen brother!

 

[strutandrut]

I would think it would be a honor and duty to be on a jury. If everybody tried and got off of them we would be in a heck of a mess. I have been on them befor and thought it was my duty.

Yeah but I don't think the "honor" should cost me a few thousand dollars.