Jury Duty
 

Ken had to report for jury duty this morning, but we really want him to be excused, because Target doesn't pay for it, and the financial impact of him not being paid would really suck.

So, he decided to show up wearing black pants, his button-down Azkaban shirt (complete with "inmate number" on the front), and a really large black pentacle pendant that I found last year in Tijuana. If it hadn't been 80 degrees outside, he also would have worn his black velvet longcoat, and did the whole "interview with a vampire" image. We're hoping it works. (Although, I just now realize I forgot to have him take a copy of the "Necronomicon" with him - that might have sealed the deal alone.)

What creative things have you done to get excused?

Actually, if Target doesn't compensate for Jury Duty, couldn't he have gotten a letter from his manager claiming financial hardship?

I'm a contractor and my company does not compensate for Jury Duty so my manager wrote a letter on company letterhead stating that my only source of income is my job and they don't compensate for Jury Duty and I'd have to take a loss in pay to serve on the Jury.

I submitted the letter with the questionairre thing they send and never heard back from them.

I understand that liberal use of the word "Redrum" on the jury questionnaire can get you out of jury duty.

Also a simple request to the judge requesting to be placed on a trial with a defendant that's black,hispanic,jewish, christian or <insert your choice of race or religion>, cuz everyone knows them type is always guilty should do the trick.

Best of luck to FP in avoiding his civic duty :p

aparrently, so can mentioning the NRA :blush:

go figure

So I'm guessing you are not in Virginia or Texas?

heh. uh...no.

hey, they asked!

According to Orange County, he'd have to present hardship directly to the judge who would make the final decision.

During my last round of jury duty, a woman in our group presented a letter, her paycheck, and her low-income monthly budget, and the judge still made her go through with it. :(

Most judges are pretty accommodating about financial hardship, particularly if a long trial is involved. On the other hand, judges can be a persnickety lot, so I wouldn't go too far in offending courtroom decorum or lying on the juror questionnaire. I'm sure the employer won't pay for a contempt citation either. I also don't think I'd wear anything that remotely looked like prison clothes in an environment crawling with law enforcement that's adjacent to a jail.

"Why would they have been arrested if they aren't guilty?"

I've never gone in for jury duty. The only time I've actually received anything beyond the questionaire was when L.A. county sent me a summons several years after I moved away and registered in O.C. (even though I had sent the questionaire back telling them I had moved).

I've been summoned twice, and the first time I got a waiver because Tori was sick. (Tha's when she lost her hearing). The next time was for Superior Court, and I had to keep my schedule clear for a month. The good thing was they had to give you ten days notice, the bad thing was I was given notice midway through the month. Luckily, the trial was cancelled one day before it was due to start. If I had served on a jury in SC, I would have been paid something like $45 a day, as opposed to the lesser court's cheap rate of $10. That's the sad thing about jury duty- I think most people would do it, but they can't afford the financial hit. The only ones in that courtroom losing money are the defendants and the jurors.:rolleyes: