Summoned for U.S. District Court Jury Duty - What should I do?

I have been summoned for jury duty with the Federal Court for the Northern District of Georgia. I am a stay-at-home mom of a 5 year old preschooler and also have an 8 year old in 2nd grade. The information sheet states that you can request to be excused from jury duty if you have full-time care of children under 10 years of age. I would really have to do some work, but could possibly arrange for child care.

I served on a jury about 10 years ago in Gwinnett County (burbs of Atlanta). The defendant was accused of selling $10 worth of crack to an undercover officer. We found him guilty, and due to mandatory minimums, he got some ridiculous sentence. The judge told us after the trial that the punishment did not fit the crime. It was very depressing.

Do any courts (federal, state, or county) offer childcare to jurors? How can you have a jury of your peers if a lot of women with small children cannot participate? If I were on trial, I would want them on my jury.

If you want to get out of jury duty, tell the judge you think you would be a great juror because you can spot guilty people just like that.

Or you could ask if the accused voted for Bush or Kerry, that would do it too!

inane question, and I said "I can tell that scumbag is guilty just by looking at him!"

Home in 15 minutes.
(please nobody flame for this...I have no interest in participating in the current system of INjustice)

I'll remember it next time. About 15 years ago, I served on a jury for a trial involving child neglect. The father/ex-husband was not paying child support. The mother had already exhausted every possibility in civil court, so her attorney decided to get the malefactor into criminal court. We heard the evidence for most of the morning and early afternoon.

When we broke for deliberations, the compelling factor, believe it or not, was to get done and render a verdict before rush hour began. Some of the jurors didn't want to get caught in traffic!

There was one fellow though who didn't really want to go over the evidence as he already knew the defendant was guilty because, as he put it, "I know his type!"

I thought "NEVER do I want to be tried by a jury 'of my peers.'"

'Cause if you don't...you have your "out" with the care of your 5-year-old. If you do want to serve...I haven't heard of any courts providing child care...I think you'll be on your own for that.

kind of cases are generally brought before this court?

was when the John Mitchell trial in the Watergate era was beginning. I got as far as a panel called up to wait in the hall. :::sigh::: I So Wanted to Get on that jury! :evilgrin:

Which is, of course, why I didn't.

wouldn't that be sweet?

aside), voting and jury service are their main opportunities to serve as citizen participants in our Democracy. Looks like they've undermined our ability to vote effectively so please don't pass up the opportunity to serve on a jury. Will you get child care? Unfortunately not. If you are a Democrat from Georgia, our jury system is the best chance you have to have your values considered by our government. If not for juries, almost all of our drugs, poluting industries, and consumer products would be much more dangerous than they are today.

Czolgosz:
It takes a lot of men to make a gun,
Hundreds,
Many men to make a gun:

Men in the mines
To dig the iron,
Men in the mills
To forge the steel,
Men at machines
To turn the barrel,
Mold the trigger,
Shape the wheel--
It takes a lot of men to make a gun....
One gun...

Booth:
And all you have to do
Is move your little finger
Move your little finger and--
You can change the world.
Why should you be blue
When you've your little finger?
Prove how just one little finger
Can change the world.

Czolgosz:
I hate this gun....

Guiteau:
What a wonder is a gun!
What a versatile invention!
First of all, when you've a gun--
Everybody pays attention.
When you think what must be done,
Think of all that it can do:
Remove a scoundrel,
Unite a party,
Preserve the Union,
Promote the sales of my book,
Insure my future,
My niche in history,
And then the world will see
That I am not a man to overlook!
Ha-Ha!

Guiteau, Czolgosz, Booth:
And all you have to do
Is squeeze your little finger.
Ease your little finger back--
You can change the world.
Whatever else is true,
You trust your little finger.
Just a single little finger
Can change the world.

Moore:
I got this really great gun--
Shit, where is it?
No, it's really great--
Wait--
Shit, where is it?
Anyway--
It's just a .38--
But--
It's a gun.
You can make a statement--
Wrong--
With a gun--
Even if you fail.
It tells 'em who you are,
Where you stand.
This one was on sale.
It--no, not the shoe--
Well, actually the shoe was, too.
No, that's not it--
Shit, I had it here--
Got it!
Yeah! There it is! And--

All:
All you have to do
Is crook your little finger,
Hook your little finger 'round--

Moore:
Shit, I shot it...

Others:
You can change the world.

All:
Simply follow through,
And look, your little finger
Can
Slow them done
To a crawl,
Show them all,
Big and small,
It took a little finger
No time
To change the world

Czolgosz:
A gun kills many men before it's done,
Hundreds,
Long before you shoot the gun:

Men in the mines
And in the steel mills,
Men at machines,
Who died for what?

Something to buy--
A watch, a shoe, a gun,
A thing to make the bosses richer,
But
A gun claims many men before it's done....
Just
One
More...

A couple of years ago for federal jury duty. On one question, "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?", I wrote "too many to list in this small space.

Never heard from them again.

most people who serve have no idea about progressive values. It might be nice to have someone interested in justice and not just punishment or revenge serving in our justice system.

shop. Wink at the judge, the prosecutor and the defense.. take a book to read. Make sure it is BIG and you can see the title.. Make sure it is VERY VERY" LEFT or RIGHT WING..giggle a LOT if they ask you any question at all.. get real real nervous and giggle, stumble and fumble.

They will let you go........

First, show up or you'll get a visit from the fed'l marshall.

Second, the fact you are here generally means you care something about your country. This is one way to make our society better, either by convicting the guilty or freeing the innocent.