Today marked the third time in, oh, about five years I’ve been summoned for jury duty. The first time, I was actually selected. But. It was maybe a one-hour trial and both sides had already stipulated that the defendant was, in fact, crazy. (That’s what we were there to decide.) So it was a formality. Last time, I hung around for a few hours, and was done by lunch time. Today? Barely made it to 11 before I was cut loose.
I know I’ve probably jinxed myself here. Oh well. But in case I didn’t: if you see me in the central jury room and you don’t have a really low number (today, only Nos. 2-115 had to go upstairs), you are probably home free.
8 comments
You know, I’ve never been called for jury duty?
In college, I was called to jury duty in three counties at once — Dallas, where I used to live as a kid; Tarrant, where I went to high school; and Denton, location of my college. Then I was able to get out of all three thru the student exemption.
Here’s hoping you’re on the Governor’s Mansion fire case. Hang ‘em!
I’ve been called 4 times in the last 2 to 3 years and served twice. Total bull****.
Once, I was called for city, Dallas County, and federal duty all in the same one-week period.
Being the sucker for cool cases that I was, I used the federal duty to get out of the other two, and the case I got picked for turned out to be somebody v. City of Dallas for illegal demolition of a rental (crack) house.
Looking back, choosing the feds might not have been the best move. My wife was called to a big drug case (and thankfully was released before serving) that lasted six months.
Ick.
Dallas County jury duty is really not that bad. I was on a jury last summer, the jury deliberation room had a stocked refrigerator with drinks and snacks. Pretty nice.
The worst part of jury duty is that the county(commissioners court) will not give free parking to jurors or DART passes after the first day. Serve on a week long jury and you are dinged for parking. Slap in the face if you ask me. Our trial was a very difficult 1st degree sexual assault of a child case and after hearing draining testimony all day it really stunk to pay a parking attendant on the way out!
You bring up a good point, Bill. Why don’t they offer free parking?
Because then they would also have to offer Get out of Jail Free Cards! Monopoly BaZING!
The easiest way to get out of jury duty is to dress like an MIT Science Prof, or a Librarian.
No attorney wants a nerd on their jury.