How many times have you been selected for jury duty?

**RedHedd** · 06-10-2008, 04:52 PM

Well I've been called for this week and each day it's check the website only to be told to check again the enxt day. This Friday is my niece's high school graduation which I do NOT WANT to miss! I will be so

if they make me show up on Friday.

**Taz_Zoee** · 06-10-2008, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Twisterdog

I have NEVER been selected.

I am almost forty years old, have been a registered voter since I was eighteen, have owned a home since I was twenty-four ... I don't know exactly how they pick people, but it seems like I'd fall into the category somewhere.

I have never been registered to vote, have never owned a house (wow, I sound like a loser, LOL, kidding) and was called twice before I turned 30 years old.

I've heard they pick by driver license, but I don't know if that's true.

**neko1** · 06-11-2008, 05:26 AM

Just picked up my mail and I've been summoned for next month. Too bad they couldn't get my name right!! They used my old married name which hasn't been my name for over 2 years!

**smokey the elder** · 06-11-2008, 02:02 PM

I had jury duty a few times. Once in 1992, then got called for a trial in 1996 (I think) but when I reported they said they'd picked a jury. I lived in Westchester for 9 years before I got called in 2005. In the White Plains Federal jury pool you are on call for one month, and you call each Monday AM for instructions. I went in on a Tuesday (I think) and sat around all day in a large room which was overcrowded. It thinned out; I never got even as far as the voie dire (sp?) where they interview a propsective juror.

I am excused until April 2009, but they keep sending me summonses, to which I reply with a copy of my "go away, I did my civic duty" letter they give you when you're done.

(I don't mind jury duty; but if I don't have to do it for 4 years, by your own rules, than lemme be!

)

**Randi** · 06-11-2008, 03:44 PM

I've never been on jury duty, but over here, you have to be a member of a political party to be selected, and I'm not. You also have to have a clean record - which I have.

**lizbud** · 06-11-2008, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Randi

I've never been on jury duty, but over here, you have to be a member of a political party to be selected, and I'm not. You also have to have a clean record - which I have.

I believe it's by voter registration here too. You have to be registered
to vote to be called.

**Catlady711** · 06-11-2008, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by lizbud

I believe it's by voter registration here too. You have to be registered
to vote to be called.

Nope not by voter registration, they call based on drivers license.

I've never been registered to vote ever but got a letter about 10 years ago. I couldn't go at the time and got a letter from the judge for excusal.

My mom has never been registered to vote ever and she's gotten about 5 letters and served once.

**lizbud** · 06-11-2008, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by Catlady711

Nope not by voter registration, they call based on drivers license.

I've never been registered to vote ever but got a letter about 10 years ago. I couldn't go at the time and got a letter from the judge for excusal.

My mom has never been registered to vote ever and she's gotten about 5 letters and served once.

Do you live in Indianapolis,Indiana ?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...rssnyt&emc=rss

**Catlady711** · 06-11-2008, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by lizbud

Do you live in Indianapolis,Indiana ?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...rssnyt&emc=rss

Nope but not all that far away. I do have lots of relatives in Indiana though. A couple of who have been called for jury duty and not been registered voters either, at least not that they remember. The only constant has been all of us have had drivers licenses. I don't know anyone who's been called for jury duty (voter or not) that didn't have a drivers license. If they pick by other means then I've not encountered one before, but I suppose that doesn't mean they don't have other means of selecting potential jurors.

**carole** · 06-11-2008, 07:04 PM

I have been called up many times, but because of family committments and health issues have been exempt, i would actually love to serve if i could, would find it very interesting, my son has done jury service on a rape case, he found it quite an experience.

**Catlady711** · 06-11-2008, 07:10 PM

Found this concerning Lake County in Indiana on Jury Duty. Don't know if it applies across the board in IN or anywhere else in the US, but sounds like they pick by a combo of drivers license, and tax returns.

http://www.lakejuryduty.org/faq.htm#3

3. How are people chosen to be called for jury service? Top

Prior to 2006, the Lake County jury system obtained the names of Lake County residents who are included on the list of registered voters and the lists maintained by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Now, jurors are randomly selected from a combined list including Department of Revenue and Bureau of Motor Vehicles information.

A random selection of 100,000 names is made at the beginning of each year. Throughout the year, prospective jurors are selected randomly from the 100,000 initial jurors and are sent a juror qualification questionnaire/summons. This questionnaire must be completed by the prospective juror and returned to the Office of the Court Administrator. Those individuals who "qualify" for service-a US citizen and county resident; at least 18 years of age; who are able to understand and communicate in English; are not suffering from a physical or mental disability or under a guardianship because of mental incapacity; have not had their rights revoked due a felony conviction and are not a law enforcement officer (criminal trials only) must report for service as indicated on the summons.

On July 1, 2006, juror exemptions have eliminated statewide. This means that no automatic exemptions are available by statute. All jurors must respond to the court as to why they cannot serve and the determination as to defer a juror's service now fails completely on the Court

**Randi** · 06-12-2008, 05:04 AM

I 1915, women got the right to vote in Denmark, and you had to be 25 years old. Since then, the age for voting has gone down. In 1953, you had to be 23 years old, in 1961 21 years and in 1970 20 years. Since 1978 the voting age has been 18 years old.

Everyone can vote, as long as you’re a Danish citizen. About a month before an election, the authoraties send us all a voting card, which we bring along to the nearest school where we exchange it for the voting slip.

Concerning voting in USA... does that mean if you don’t have a drivers licence you can’t vote?

Not everyone over 18 has one.

Liz, to get elected for jury duty, you actually have to be a MEMBER of a political party! Any party.

**Pembroke_Corgi** · 06-12-2008, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Randi

Concerning voting in USA... does that mean if you don’t have a drivers licence you can’t vote?

Not everyone over 18 has one.

No, you can still vote if you don't have a driver's license. You just need to register to vote first. The voting age is also 18 here. There are simply more people who are licensed to drive than there are registered to vote.

I've also read that sometimes they populate the jury duty list with names from the driver's license AND voter registration, which can lead to some people being on the list twice. Maybe this is why some people get called more than others?

**smokey the elder** · 06-12-2008, 09:37 AM

I think so. In New York they use voter registration; DMV, and maybe taxpayer rolls as well; up to 3 different data bases, so if they don't talk to each other, you could get pooled from different ones. That's what I think happened with me.