Penalty For Missing Jury Duty

I know if I were on trial I would want the option of a jury.

The system may not be perfect but as they saying goes it is the best one mankind has come up with so far.

 

I think there are ways of allowing a jury system through voluntary or incentivised means, instead of through fear of punishment. If such a system existed without punishment, I would be happy to serve.

 

Do this. The last time I was at jury duty more then half of the people got excemption. It was a high profile murder case in Australia but within a week it got thrown out of court lol.

 

I haven't ever neglected jury duty, in the first place or in the second place.

If I lived in the time of our founding fathers, they would REFUSE to allow me to do jury duty - they wouldn't let me vote either. Women didn't get to vote until the early 20's or so. With jury duty, it came a little later...

"THE CELEBRATION following the 1920 ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was short-lived. Although the suffrage movement had included jury service among the rights it sought for women, as late as 1943 only twelve states permitted women to serve on juries on the same basis as men. Fifteen other states allowed women to volunteer for jury service, but less than 1 percent of eligible women signed up. As 1920 came to a close, Chief Justice Arthur P. Rugg of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) interpreted the word "person" in the state's traditional jury statute to exclude women; the caveat enabled the legislature to block, for three decades, any attempt to undermine woman's restricted place at the center of home and family life. After more than a score of skirmishes in the legislature and a handful of court battles, including a major hearing before the SJC in 1931, Massachusetts women finally became eligible for jury service in 1950. But because the jury selection law offered women easy exemptions and the court permitted discriminatory practices, it was not until a groundbreaking 1979 decision by the SJC that women jurors achieved equality." source

I'm going to serve in jury duty, I was simply questioning the punishment of fines, imprisonment, and community service for those that refuse.

At least we can agree on this. For kicks, here are a few cases of those that refused...

Texas man jailed 83 days for skipping jury duty - MSNBC

Plea to miss jury duty lands worker in jail - StarTribune

This one was kind of crazy, this man send a rude notarized affidavit refusing jury duty. The judge was threatening to jail him, but he showed up for court and apologized. Look at the photo of the letter he sent - TheSmokingGun

This has been an interesting thread, I've really enjoyed reading the different viewpoints.

Thanks Nate.

I think threatening fines, jail, community service for jury duty non-compliance seems a bit over the top as well.

 

Dysturbed I must say you gave me a good run for my money, even though it seemed to based off of a communication error. I could just as easily point out the ethical violations of taxation, or the flaws of the social contract theory, but that would obviously not get me far in here. The reason for defending my position in this thread is mainly because of the idea that the jury system prevents tyranny (which it probably does, although like I said, it creates its own in the process), and due to the fact that we were just discussing it at the dinner table the other day.

I'll pick my battles better next time .

 

BY Disturbed:

Sure, you want me to find an opinion that is wrong. How about people who think that its fun and innocent to rape small children. It that example good enough that concludes that opinions can be wrong?

So before you were saying that any opinion no matter what topic can never be wrong or right, but now you have modified it so that it has to follow the rules:
A) Be of Scientific value
B) must be opinionated (meaning that people often argue about it)
C) must not be able to be proven or disproved.

Gotcha.

 

Hear, hear!!

Except I would use the word "duty", not the softer "responsibility".

I have been called for jury duty several times over the years. I have actually sat on a jury only twice.

My advice - take a book and consider a seat cushion as well. There is a lot of sitting around waiting as they form the jury pool, select the actual jurors and alternates, etc.

Serving on a jury is really quite interesting, and carries a whole lot of responsibility.

 

From my most recent jury summons, "I will bear an EXTREME FINANCIAL BURDEN if required to serve. (Self-employment or if employer does not pay for jury duty is not an automatic excuse). However, if you still feel that you would suffer an extreme financial hardship, please provide the following information in writing to assist us in evaluating your request to be excused: number of dependents _______; estimated monthly household net income $______; estimated monthly expenses $_______; an explanation of your employers jury duty policy and any other pertinent information."

So I sent them my a complete monthly income and expense statement from my accountant. In the category of other pertinent information, I sent them the size of my penis with an attached picture, as well as a step by step guide with instructions on how to get my wife off. I hope I didn't leave out any information they might need or like to have.

 

I don't want to worry you, but look what I found!

 

Now THAT is funny funny stuff. I'm going to have to track down the site where I can get my own "Gospel" put to print in the newspaper.

 

I made your newspaper clipping on Fodey, you can put your gospel there.

 

New law allows higher fine for skipping jury duty however I think this is one of those laws which is not very much enforced.