Well, I finally got a jury duty questionnaire in the mail.

[Axelrods_Typewriter]

I've never served jury duty before. I'm not sure if I should be stressed or excited. Either way, I'm stressed out over it. Not even an official summons yet, obviously no guarantee I'll get one, and yet I'm stressed about this! Even though I know that if I get one, this will most likely be just 6-8 hours of my life and then I won't have to do it again for a long time.

Anyhoo, any tips or pointers from anybody who has served jury duty before?

[True Dough]

1. Try to avoid

having a torrid affair with the accused. That's always a good rule of thumb, IMO.



Best of luck to you! I'm sure it will go fine, just listen carefully to the instructions provided in court.

[LuckyCharms]

10. "Try to avoid having a torrid affair with the accused".

NOW you tell me!

[True Dough]

12. All I can say, Lucky, is that

you should have known better!

[Emile]

2. I have been on two jury trials. Matter of fact, I been selected again and I can

be called in for jury duty anytime during this year. Don't sweat it, like voting it's our patriotic duty and can be very interesting.

[Glorfindel]

3. It's no fun, trust me. I got my first jury summons at age 18, before I had even voted.

I have served on grand juries, criminal juries, civil juries, and even on a coroner's jury. Be prepared for hours and hours of boredom. However, it is one's civic duty, so thank you for being prepared to see the ordeal through.

[LuckyCharms]

4. I've served on two juries:

One Grand Jury and one trial jury.

They're really no big deal...kind of fun actually.

I'd gladly do it again, but I have not been called for jury duty in a long time.

It's a good experience.

[RockRaven]

5. Bring something to read. You will likely be sitting and waiting a lot before you find out whether

or not you have to serve. And most likely you won't be selected in the end.

Don't stress about it. Even if you do get selected, it probably won't be a long trial.

[LakeArenal]

6. I have had jury duty. Three days.

I found it interesting maybe a little boring.

I didn’t mind. Everyone should do it.
It’s not like being drafted into war or anything like that.

Not everyone called winds up on duty any way.

[MontanaMama]

7. Be excited to serve!

I’ve been called several times but only chosen for the jury once. In fact I knew two other people called on that particular day…one of them was a co-worker. After the initial round of questions by the attorneys, my co-worker was excused and he looked at me and said “you’ll be on this jury, take that to the bank.” Indeed he was correct. The trial was for an alleged assault on a police officer. It took one day and the jury unanimously acquitted the defendant much to the dismay of the plaintiff, an police officer who needed anger management help in our opinion.

My takeaway was that I was impressed how seriously my fellow jurors took the charges and the process. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

[elleng]

8. Federal jury I served on one of the best/most interesting experiences of my life.

[Tetrachloride]

9. Don't be nervous. The first time, I was wound up

and probably answered a question incorrectly.

One time, I stuck around for opening statements. That
was
an eye opener.

[MiniMe]

11. I got to the point where they were interviewing jurors

The DA and the defense attorney each have so many strikes. The defense attorney used one of his on me. I was actually glad he did. It was a childhood molestation case, some of what they were asking us was "can you believe a small child about these kind of things? I could absolutely believe a small child because what experience would they have to make something up about that.

[wnylib]

13. I was summoned once for jury duty.

Sat in a large room with about 50 other people who had been summoned. We received questionnaires to fill out. By the time I completed mine, we were informed that the defendant had settled the case (plea deal) and we wouldn't be needed. We'd only been there about an hour.

Got paid $40 for the day. Since I'm retired, there was no loss of work. So I got some pocket money out of it.

[Siwsan]

14. I've served on 3 juries for murder cases. It was quite the experience.

Since then I've had 2 more 'summons' (I think that's what they are called) but when I'd check the web site to see if my group was called for the next day, it never was.

[Easterncedar]

15. Called twice, served once

Didn’t like the responsibility, really, but am glad the foreman and I took it seriously. We got a repeat drunk driver off the roads for a bit, anyway. The other jurors didn’t want to see the pattern. It was in the news later, what the defendant and her lawyer were lying about or at least trying to hide.

[Xavier Breath]

16. I've probably received a half-dozen JD notices in my time

and five of the six times I didn't even have to go in, I just called the number and they told me I wasn't needed.

The last time was for a grand jury summons, and they wanted long-term commitments from participants. The judge said that if we could not commit due to our jobs, there'd be no hard feelings. He then asked who could do four months, and no hands went up. None went up for three months either. One hand finally went up for two months. Then he started asking for three and two week commitments, and enough people had volunteered by then that rest of us were not needed. We were dismissed and lined up at machines that spit out a crisp $10 bill to each of us for our trouble. An interesting experience, to be sure.

.

[Rebl2]

17. I think

the first jury summons I ever got was for a grand jury-I was in my thirties. I have rheumatoid arthritis and could barely get around. I also had/have severe headaches and my rheumatologist back then wrote a letter and told them I would definitely not be a good candidate for grand jury.
The next time I received one it was a regular jury. I went and the trial involved a bank robbery. My mother was a bank manager, and I spoke up up and told them my mother had experienced three bank robberies when she was a manager and said I could not be neutral on someone charged with robbery of a bank. They dismissed me immediately.

[cloudbase]

18. I've been called many times, and selected once.

In that instance, the parties settled the case prior to the trial beginning.
The whole experience is lots of sitting around waiting. Definitely bring a book to read or crosswords, or whatever.
Thanks for doing your civic duty. Don't spend your "pay" all in one place.

[LakeArenal]

20. Haha. My "pay" didn't even fill my tank.

Free lunch too!!!!

[Model35mech]

19. I served twice before earning my advanced degrees... for 32 years, crickets

It seems that the attorneys want people trained to question arguments/presentations.

So if you don't want to serve just pause overly long before you answer their questions.

[yonder]

21. I got called a few times and sat once.

The testimony and deliberations weren't that fun - it's serious work, but it was a very rewarding experience overall. I got to see up close how some things work - especially interesting were the steps the system took to keep the jury uncontaminated. Then, after our decision, the judge took an hour or so to answer any and all questions we had about the process.

I'd say embrace it. It is our duty after all.

[dembotoz]

22. interesting

jury of my peers? frankly i had hoped for better.
dress comfortably. You sit a lot. bring a book
the job is important.

I learned a lot...served twice, both minor infractions, both short trials....