Emergency jury duty leaves people stunned, calling their bosses

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

Emergency jury duty leaves people stunned, calling their bosses

written by: Adam Chodak , 9NEWS Northern Reporter
posted by: Sara Gandy , Web Producer created: 1/16/2008 2:14:12 PM
Last updated: 1/16/2008 5:51:11 PM


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.

Her initial ire rose when she found out the on-the-spot court order was needed because less than 40 of the 200 people summoned to court by mail turned out.

"As a resident, if you are summoned to go, you should go because it really interrupts everyone else's lives," she said.

How come they get off?

at Indio, California (Riverside County), They had a situation where they had to have a trial start that day because the right to a speedy trial came into play.

It was on Halloween day, and they went around the court complex handing out jury summons to anyone who was walking around. Since many were in Halloween costumes, it made up the most ridiculous jury that you have ever seen. Sure wish I had my camera with my that day!

He worked in a hardware store across from the courthouse, and whenever they were short on jurors (usually coroner's juries) he would take part. Seems a lot of folks are squeamish about having to look at a dead body, and they always had trouble getting that particular jury filled.

Really nice of him to do that. Jury duty is and important obligation. Those you would want to serve on your jury if you needed them are probably those most likely to try to dodge it.