Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

more than 160 people don't show for jury duty, people on the street summoned for jury duty

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread		 This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010) Donate to DU
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:29 AM
Original message
more than 160 people don't show for jury duty, people on the street summoned for jury duty
Edited on Thu Jan-17-08 12:33 AM by kagehime
GREELEY – They roamed the streets of Greeley Wednesday morning with stacks of paper and an eye out for people they could summon to emergency jury duty.

Weld County and District Court staff handed subpoenas to more than 50 unsuspecting people, telling them they had to report for jury duty Wednesday morning because many of those summoned by mail did not show.

Some of the people were just walking around town. Rosalee Rice was at the Post Office.

"It's been one heck of a morning," says Rice, who had to call her boss at Colorado Pain and Rehabilitation with the news.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=84623

i know a lot of people moan about jury duty, but i see it as our duty to serve. i also thing it could be really interesting to serve on a jury.

but considering the town, i'm not too surprised that this happened
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:32 AM
Response to Original message
1. i would rather avoid it if possible...
it's a hassle to miss work, especially in my line of work, but i'll do it if i have to.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:35 AM
Response to Reply #1
7. i think a lot of people feel that way
but it's one of the few things i would say we have a 'duty' to do
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:56 AM
Response to Reply #7
28. yeah, someone's gotta do it
=P
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Kutjara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:32 AM
Response to Original message
2. Don't subpoenas have to contain the name of the person summoned?
Surely, court staff can't just hand them out like candy to random people?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:33 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. Yep.
Edited on Thu Jan-17-08 12:36 AM by Lex
You're right. Maybe they were writing the names on the summons after they asked them for their names? PWNED




Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Kutjara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:42 AM
Response to Reply #5
13. More fool they for giving their names to total strangers.
I don't know of any law that requires you to identify yourself in the absence of suspicion you've committed a crime.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:45 AM
Response to Reply #13
16. no, but most people do
and most people want to be helpful if they can offer help
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Kutjara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:49 AM
Response to Reply #16
20. Then they should be overjoyed at being shanghaied into jury duty.
Thank God for helpful people. It saves the rest of us a lot of aggravation. :)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:39 AM
Response to Reply #2
11. i'm trying to find something on that
but teh googles aren't helping much
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:32 AM
Response to Original message
3. a local judge puts out warrants for the arrest of people who don't show
Edited on Thu Jan-17-08 12:39 AM by Lex
for jury duty in our county. He send the deputies out to their homes and offices to arrest them and put them in jail until they are brought before the judge for ignoring the summons for jury duty.

Once that made the local newspapers our no-shows for jury duty dropped immensely.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Contrary1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:38 AM
Response to Reply #3
9. Same thing happened in Indianapolis last week. n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:48 AM
Response to Reply #3
19. as far as i can tell, you can get cited for contempt in colorado
i don't know about a warrant being issued
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AX10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:33 AM
Response to Original message
4. What if have a Doctor's appointment or are going...
Edited on Thu Jan-17-08 12:35 AM by AX10
somewhere IMPORTANT.

:wtf: is this shit?

What if they give you a summons and you are not a resident of the jurisdiction (you are there on business vacation, etc...)?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:34 AM
Response to Reply #4
6. it's a summons
you can be arrested for not showing up (or at least in my county you can be)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AX10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:35 AM
Response to Reply #6
8. And if you not a resident?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:38 AM
Response to Reply #8
10. If you aren't at that local address it'd be hard for the deputy
to arrest you there I guess.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AX10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:40 AM
Response to Reply #10
12. If I have my license that proves that I am not a
resident, they can't legally force me to court.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:44 AM
Response to Reply #12
14. the jury summons list is generated from local tax rolls and the like
stuff showing you and the local addresses

if you've moved out of the area, you could just call and tell them that and there wouldn't be a problem
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AX10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:46 AM
Response to Reply #14
17. If they stopped me on the street and gave me a summons...
and I showed them my license which shows I am not a resident of the jurisdiction, then how can they summon me?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:49 AM
Response to Reply #17
21. did they try to summon people who didn't live in that jursidiction?
maybe I missed that part of the story


Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AX10 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:50 AM
Response to Reply #21
22. They stopped the first person they saw on the street.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:52 AM
Response to Reply #22
25. and?
did that person live out of the jurisdiction?

did that person get a summons if so?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:51 AM
Response to Reply #4
23. you can't serve if you're not a resident of the jurisdiction
easy enough
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Robbien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:44 AM
Response to Original message
15. Most are cases where people are suing other people
I hate giving up my time and having to do double duty at work to make up for missed time, just to sit in a court listening to he said/she said testimony on who should pay whom.

Civic duty, phfft.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:48 AM
Response to Reply #15
18. Last time I was called, we sat around for a few hours, everyone looked longingly
at my coffee and breakfast sandwich (I came prepared), I read a book, and then the judge came in and said "Go home, they've SETTLED!!! Thank you and good bye!"
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Lex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:51 AM
Response to Reply #18
24. That's happened to me twice. But I don't mind going
because if I were the plaintiff or defendant I'd want people to do the same for me and not begrudge me.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:53 AM
Response to Reply #18
26. i've only received a summons once
i got called for voir dire, but they sent me home

it's very rare that cases go to trial, so the chance of actually getting seated on the jury is pretty slim
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 11:21 AM
Response to Reply #26
35. I used to be able to get out of it, quite legally, too,
as a consequence of government service (they'd send the summons to my home, and it would be forwarded to me whereever I happened to be, which was often far, far, away), but I've done it twice--once before I got in, and once since I got out.


It's no picnic, but in my limited experience it has been fairly quick and dirty. I dunno if I'd ever get selected--I've served on a number of courts-martials and I think a defendant might be inclined to axe me...if they got into that stuff during voir dire.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Robbien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:53 AM
Response to Reply #18
27. yuk. What's up with that
and they wonder why people dislike jury duty so much.

And if you do get picked, after sitting for hours in the waiting room you have to sit for hours and hours in the court room listening to the lawyers ask the same questions over and over to each juror during jury selection.

The whole process is a total and complete mess.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 12:56 AM
Response to Reply #27
29. They really should offer COMFORTABLE waiting rooms
Maybe coffee and tea, even if they had vending machines...a lot of places don't have any amenities and the benches are hard.

A half dozen couches and armchairs, and a tv or two in opposite corners of the room wouldn't hurt, either...
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 01:02 AM
Response to Reply #27
30. do you have any suggestions for making the system better?
this isn't snark. i'd really like to hear any suggestions you have
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Robbien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 01:27 AM
Response to Reply #30
31. Well, off the top of my head
For one, not make it mandatory. Most of the people in the waiting room are grumbling and complaining which of course makes the whole room irritated.

Then waiting for hours and hours before even going to the jury selection process is a painful waste of time. This process should be streamlined.

And make the compensation worthwhile, or at least increase it to more than the couple of bucks they throw at you. Many people in the room are in jobs which do not compensate for days off for jury duty. In expensive cities such as Chicago, it costs twice as much just to spend a day downtown than what they pay you.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 01:32 AM
Response to Reply #31
32. some good suggestions
but how would you streamline the jury selection process?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Robbien Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 01:44 AM
Response to Reply #32
33. I am not part of the court system but it seems reasonable
That when they ask you to show up at 9am, they should start the selection process soon after. Send the groups of potential jurors in to the courts scheduled for trial that morning. They have a court docket of scheduled cases. Why are jurors sitting around in the waiting room on hard chairs with nothing to do for two or three hours waiting to go into a court room to begin the selection?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
fizzgig Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 02:01 AM
Response to Reply #33
34. i didn't know that was a problem in some places
in my experience, the jury selection has always started after you watch the video, no real waiting around
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
marions ghost Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-17-08 11:49 AM
Response to Original message
36. For lesser cases
jury duty is an anachronism that isn't working anymore. It's a waste of time and taxpayer's money. The people selected are usually either unhappy to be there or unqualified to make any rational decision. Dragging people off the street is what it's come to--ridiculous.

Let's think outside of the box about this. Juries are useful in criminal cases. For all the rest of it, let Judge Judy decide.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Fri May 03rd 2024, 03:42 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC