jury duty

[gatherer47]

I became a Florida resident in 2012.Just got a questionaire in mail for federal district court in Ocala.Has anyone else here been through this process? Does this mean I'm likely to be called?How often are they in session? I've served on local juries back in Pa but never a federal jury.Just wondering how the whole system works.

[Taltarzac725]

I became a Florida resident in 2012.Just got a questionaire in mail for federal district court in Ocala.Has anyone else here been through this process? Does this mean I'm likely to be called?How often are they in session? I've served on local juries back in Pa but never a federal jury.Just wondering how the whole system works.

I did it a few years ago. I believe that I filled in the questionnaire around 2006 and did not get called until Avatar was playing in the theaters in January 2010. They pull people from various counties --Lake, Sumter, and Marion-- for jury pools for this Federal jurisdiction for the Ocala Federal court. I got the Jury Summons around December of 2009.

The case was one that ran a few days and involved a police department in Clermont and an employee that felt he was discriminated against because he insisted on filling out some police reports in Spanish. He also claimed other police department officers teased him.

Some of the jury pool were dismissed because they had some connection to this police department, knew the lawyers, or some other such connection to the case.

Others were allowed to excuse themselves for whatever reasons the judge allowed. These were submitted in private via notes to the judge so I have no idea what they said. http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/JuryService/JurorQualificaitons.aspx

I believe if you over 70 you can be excused for jury service.

I was pulled from the jury pool and put on the panel for voir dire but the Judge must have had some problem with my answers to his questions so he dismissed a few of us before the lawyers had an opportunity to question us.

The judge does outline the case a little bit to the jury pool to discover any biases we might have had.

It sounded like it was a fairly busy docket but they schedule so that they can get a lot of prospective jurors for a string of cases that would come up.

Since I was up in Ocala, I went and saw Avatar in 3D at the Regal Hollywood 16 after getting some lunch at the Paddock Mall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)

The jury sided with the Police Department against the Hispanic police officer who wanted to write some of his reports in Spanish.

[gatherer47]

Thanks for the detailed response Taltarzac725.

[Tom Hannon]

I have never been called for jury duty in my life. Because my business needed me to be there for variuos reason I was always excused. Now that I'm retired, I wouldn't mind being on a jury of a big case. Being a mystery and crime writer, it would be nice to be in a court room and see the procedure and goings on in person. They say a writer should write what they know.

[Taltarzac725]

Thanks for the detailed response Taltarzac725.

You are welcome. I could have really kicked a hornet's nest with answers to the judge's questions but decided the wisest policy was only to say what I could prove later on to the Judge. So, he probably realized I was hiding something and excused me.

During the Judge's voir dire he seemed to want very short answers to his questions and not the hours of responses I would have needed to fully explain my experiences with legal education and the access to practical materials for survivors/victims of crimes. I would also have needed all my supporting documentation too. I tried to do as much as I could in writing since January of 1991.

When you are Summoned for Jury Service you have no idea what kind of case-- Civil or Criminal-- or what will be the subject matter-- Employment Discrimination, Patent Infringement, Copyright, Diversity, etc. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/subject-matter-jurisdiction-state-federal-29884.html

I recall that among the jury panel I was in were a retired CIA manager, a dog groomer, a fellow Villager, among others.

[EdV]

The last time I was in the jury selection process, the court officer gave this instruction. “If any of you are holding a note from your employer stating that you are so valuable to the company that they cannot afford to be without you for even a single day, be advised that it will not be of any use to you here. However don’t discard that note and instead be sure to present it to your boss prior to your next annual review.”

[babbs455]

I just got one of the questionares this past saturday in the mail

[Taltarzac725]

I have never been called for jury duty in my life. Because my business needed me to be there for variuos reason I was always excused. Now that I'm retired, I wouldn't mind being on a jury of a big case. Being a mystery and crime writer, it would be nice to be in a court room and see the procedure and goings on in person. They say a writer should write what they know.

I have received Jury Summons from all the Counties I have lived in over the past 22 years or so--Sumter and Pinellas in Florida as well as Sonoma in California. And also the Federal one. 4 times over the past 22 years!

Never got on a Jury though. I mentioned that I have a Law Degree from the University of Minnesota and right after that the Judge or one of the lawyers challenged me and home I went.

The Federal Jury pool questionnaire I filled out around 2006 came from the Tampa Bay area and was mailed to me in the Villages. Not forwarded as I had moved from there in 2005. I am glad I only had to travel to Ocala for the Jury Panel. They do give you a small amount of money to re-imburse you for your gas as well as a daily amount for your time.

[EdV]

I used a different approach. I wore a black pinstriped suit, white shirt, dark blue tie, black wing tipped shoes, black leather briefcase and a Republican tie pin. The moment I stood up, I was immediately challenged by the defense counsel.

[BarryRX]

I have never been called for jury duty in my life. Because my business needed me to be there for variuos reason I was always excused. Now that I'm retired, I wouldn't mind being on a jury of a big case. Being a mystery and crime writer, it would be nice to be in a court room and see the procedure and goings on in person. They say a writer should write what they know.
I agree Tom. When I was younger I was called a few times, but was always excused because I was a pharmacist. Now that I am retired I would love to serve on a jury, even though I have heard from others that it can be quite boring and tedious. I think it would be interesting, as well as fulfilling a "duty".

[Madelaine Amee]

My husband was called for Jury Duty in our home State, dressed in his business clothes, and got excused - they thought he was an attorney!

I, on the other hand, had to sit through a pedophile trial on the jury, and the perpetrator was a policeman who dealt with junior boys who got into trouble! Sickening, disgusting and I still hate to think about it.

[Taltarzac725]

I used a different approach. I wore a black pinstriped suit, white shirt, dark blue tie, black wing tipped shoes, black leather briefcase and a Republican tie pin. The moment I stood up, I was immediately challenged by the defense counsel.

Funny. I remember in the Sonoma County, CA trial of a drug dealer I got bumped by one of the attorneys--believe it was the prosecutor-- when I mentioned that I had been advocating for better resources for survivors/victims of crimes accessible through libraries. They had a law library in the building and the Judge mentioned that he had seen me around there.

I used to visit a lot of law libraries and other types of libraries to see what they had available for survivors/victims of crimes.

Ironically, there was a lawyer also in the jury pool. She lived in near Marin County's border with Sonoma County but worked in San Francisco. She was still in the jury pool when I got challenged and then left.

[Heartnsoul]

I became a Florida resident in 2012.Just got a questionaire in mail for federal district court in Ocala.Has anyone else here been through this process? Does this mean I'm likely to be called?How often are they in session? I've served on local juries back in Pa but never a federal jury.Just wondering how the whole system works.

my husband just received one too. Dont stress too much. Jury duty is easy to get off if you don't want to do it.

[kittygilchrist]

Served twice as chairperson on regular criminal cases. Neither would've been convicted without me. long stories...the fascinating thing is that jurors need only a driver's license to decide someone's fate. The courtroom is very dull compared to conversations among jurors. In my experience, the first jury of 6 didn't know what constitutes evidence and the second was biased by the gender of the alleged perpetrator. Please do jury duty when called and answer questions objectively and honestly. I was asked once if I thought the testimony of a law enforcement officer was equal to that of the defendant, and with the JUDGE stating that they were equal by law, I differed and said I would tend to believe the LEO.

[Ohiogirl]

I got the same notice yesterday - federal court in Ocala questionnaire. I am a seasonal resident, and plan to put that info in the remarks section with the normal dates I am out of the state. Had no idea it could be 2 or 3 years before I might be called.

Only 2 other times have I received a jury summons - both times for Harris County, Tx (Houston) and both times just after I had moved out of Texas. Never received a jury summons anywhere else I have lived.

[rubicon]

If you have ever sat and witnessed juries being selected you will come to understand that quality candidates is not a priority...think Casey Anthony. The judcial system needs to re-think their selection process because they have gotten very sloppy with the rules.

[Taltarzac725]

If you have ever sat and witnessed juries being selected you will come to understand that quality candidates is not a priority...think Casey Anthony. The judcial system needs to re-think their selection process because they have gotten very sloppy with the rules.

The lawyers in each side seem to want the jurors who would most easily buy whatever product they are selling at that time. Can understand why they bump people with law degrees often when they get called for jury selection.

[Schaumburger]

The last time I was in the jury selection process, the court officer gave this instruction. “If any of you are holding a note from your employer stating that you are so valuable to the company that they cannot afford to be without you for even a single day, be advised that it will not be of any use to you here. However don’t discard that note and instead be sure to present it to your boss prior to your next annual review.”

I have had to write several of those notes for employees in my office here in Illinois. I guess the notes worked as no one has been on jury duty in my office for more than 1 or 2 days in the past few years. And as of 3 years ago, my employer will only pay employees for five days of jury duty per calendar year. If you are on jury duty that lasts longer than 5 days, guess what -- you get to take those days unpaid, or you can use vacation time. :(

[Taltarzac725]

I have had to write several of those notes for employees in my office here in Illinois. I guess the notes worked as no one has been on jury duty in my office for more than 1 or 2 days in the past few years. And as of 3 years ago, my employer will only pay employees for five days of jury duty per calendar year. If you are on jury duty that lasts longer than 5 days, guess what -- you get to take those days unpaid, or you can use vacation time. :(

From the look of who was excused from jury service, that would probably work in the Federal court in Ocala too. There were a number of people who submitted written excuses from the jury pool and were let go. Maybe about a third of the people there left because of excuses they made. My guess is that these were hardship requests-- that serving on the jury would take them away from their jobs for too long.