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Post by donna on Aug 1, 2014 22:34:26 GMT
It was really close though. They sat 3 juries today. I was still there for the seating for the 3rd trial which would start on August 18 and last for 2 weeks. This would be the first 2 weeks of school. The judge was not excusing teachers because "that is what subs are for." One of the teachers did get picked for this trial and she teaches Kindergarten. Imagine your 5 year old beginning their school career with a sub because of jury duty.
The judge excused one lady because she was single and would have to pay to kennel her 2 dogs for the 2 weeks. Apparently, pets are more important than kids.
I am so thankful not to miss the start of school with my kids. This would have been a horrible way to start a school year.
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linda~lou
Pearl Clutcher
Keep calm and eat crumpets
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Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Aug 1, 2014 22:35:23 GMT
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Oct 7, 2024 18:18:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 22:39:52 GMT
I'm glad but I have to say that it is our civic duty. Teacher or not. It is an inconvenience to almost everyone. Imagine if you were on trial and they couldn't find a jury of your peers.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Aug 1, 2014 22:48:43 GMT
The judge excused one lady because she was single and would have to pay to kennel her 2 dogs for the 2 weeks. Apparently, pets are more important than kids. I can assure you that she was not excused because "pets are more important than kids." |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 23:01:37 GMT
My goodness... sounds like the judge's priorities are off!
I've been called 4 times...
1st time, I was still teaching and pregnant with DS 1. I was sick 24/7 with horrible morning sickness. My ob sent a letter stating that I couldn't serve as I was so sick. They were very snotty... how come you are teaching if you're so sick. Umm... because I work in an open bldg. and if I need to leave the room the teacher next door can stand btwn our classrooms. They wanted me to get the dr. to give me meds. so I wouldn't be sick. He refused and they finally relented.
2nd time, I was called to serve downtown. I was nervous about this as I would have had to be there at 7 am, ride the train at 5:30 am... not sure what I'd encounter. But, I was able to get out of serving because I was no longer working and had no one to watch ds and we couldn't afford day care.j
3rd time, I was supposed to serve the week DS started school. We have a tradition where we go out and do something special the day before school starts, just him and I and I wrote them a letter telling them that I would be happy to serve, about our tradition and how important it was to him and that I'd be willing to serve any time after school started. I was dismissed.
4th time, I was finally able to do it and it was a good experience! Only 1 day and DH stayed home and watched the kids.
Glad you don't have to start the school year out with a sub!
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Post by donna on Aug 1, 2014 23:42:11 GMT
scrappower, I know it is my civic duty. I would have been glad to serve the shorter trials, but missing the first 2 weeks of school would be a horrible way to start the year for the kids. If you start out wrong it is so hard to get back on track.
You also have to realize that I put off surgery to correct a painful condition for 6 months because I could not miss weeks of working with my kids.
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Post by rumplesnat on Aug 2, 2014 0:05:12 GMT
While I understand it's our civic duty, it's also a major financial hardship for many. My previous employer did not pay employees while on jury duty. In our state, we get paid from the court $9 a day for the first 3 days, $25 a day thereafter. If you drive, the discounted parking ramp fee is $6 daily, so you're earning $3 the first day and $19 thereafter after you pay for parking. I think that this is a commonly overlooked issue when it comes to serving on a jury.
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Deleted
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Oct 7, 2024 18:18:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 0:55:25 GMT
While I understand it's our civic duty, it's also a major financial hardship for many. My previous employer did not pay employees while on jury duty. In our state, we get paid from the court $9 a day for the first 3 days, $25 a day thereafter. If you drive, the discounted parking ramp fee is $6 daily, so you're earning $3 the first day and $19 thereafter after you pay for parking. I think that this is a commonly overlooked issue when it comes to serving on a jury. I agree that many are not paid, my dh isn't by his job. Mine does pay. Luckily they give them free parking for jurors. But it still is something that we all have to do. It is part of what makes this country great. |
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Post by christine58 on Aug 2, 2014 1:00:24 GMT
I sat on Grand Jury during testing time....had no choice but it was one day a week and sometimes we didn't even convene. It was nice to see today though that someone we indicted was convicted of many many counts of sexual abuse of minors. It was interesting and at times hard to listen to. As a teacher, I still get paid...
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AmeliaBloomer
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Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Aug 2, 2014 2:22:10 GMT
I'm a teacher. I've been called nine times, and have gone without complaint. However, I WOULD ask not to be seated in this case. I would think an accountant would make the same legitimate request during the first two weeks of April. Unless the jury pool is chock full of teachers, I don't think this request would slow down the justice system. If necessary, the teachers can be recalled...erm...re-called. "That's what subs are for." No, actually that's NOT what subs are for. Substitute teachers (who often change by the day) simply follow plans left by the teacher during instructional hours - at the least, plans that are based on knowledge of your students' needs. Additionally, starting a school year involves significant preparation outside of the classroom while simultaneously planning with/communicating with/responding to administrators, colleagues, parents, and students. It's a soul-sucking two weeks. If you miss it, it could take many weeks to recover. (Whew, I'm all twitchy now just thinking about it.  ) |
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Post by wandawoman on Aug 2, 2014 2:49:44 GMT
After I retired, I once had to get a sub while I was subbing because of jury duty.
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Post by donna on Aug 2, 2014 2:56:08 GMT
AmeliaBloomer, thank you so much for "getting it". I would have served with no objections during the last 6 weeks while I was on summer break.
Well, at least I don't have to worry about it again for a bit.
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Grom Pea
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by Grom Pea on Aug 2, 2014 3:53:37 GMT
AmeliaBloomer, thank you so much for "getting it". I would have served with no objections during the last 6 weeks while I was on summer break. Well, at least I don't have to worry about it again for a bit. Why didn't you just request to postpone until next summer? I've been able to request that as a student, so I imagine that would be a valid request as a teacher. |
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samantha25
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Post by samantha25 on Aug 2, 2014 4:09:33 GMT
I don't think it was "prayers" that got you off jury duty. There are more important things to pray about. Getting picked as a juror is a privilege, in my mind. Your obligation as a citizen of the United States. And yes, I have served on a terrible child abuse case and I would do it again.
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Post by donna on Aug 2, 2014 19:23:17 GMT
Grom Pea, this judge was not allowing that. He finally let two college students go when it came to this long trial because they would have failed due to absences. If that had been an option I would have asked for next June or July. I really do want to eventually serve as a juror because it is an important obligation. I just also have a huge obligation to 100 or so students every day.
samantha25, scripture is pretty plain that there is nothing too small to pray about.
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Post by Sassy Sabrina SWZ on Aug 2, 2014 20:27:12 GMT
I had jury duty yesterday, too, and I spent the day in a courtroom where a jury for a murder trial was being selected. It was expected to last 5 days and involved narcotics and firearms. I was on tenterhooks all day because I had a very low number and would definitely have been seated, except that the defense didn't like my profile (age? race? education? former occupation? whatever!) and excused me at the last minute.
I consider jury duty a privilege and an obligation and was willing to serve on the jury. Now that I'm retired, it's generally more convenient for me than for a young mother or working mom. However, this time, I would have been inconvenienced because I had already paid in advance for a bus trip to NYC next Wednesday, during the same time period as the trial. I did some soul-searching and decided that that was not a compelling reason to request being excused (not sure the judge would have excused me anyway). I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to put one criminal away ... IF the evidence had shown he was guilty.
When my children were babies, I requested to be excused because I was nursing. However, I've reported for jury duty many times since then (here, although selection is supposedly random, I've been called every 1 to 2 years). I've sat in many courtrooms but have never been placed on a jury. I'll be turning 70 in a few months, so I guess my days of jury service are coming to an end.
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Post by anniefb on Aug 2, 2014 20:30:31 GMT
I'm a lawyer so am ineligible for jury duty. I don't know how it's done in the US, but here in New Zealand they pick people 'randomly' from the electoral roll. My Dad must have got called up a dozen times, my Mum never had to go.
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 2, 2014 20:54:04 GMT
I don't think it was "prayers" that got you off jury duty. There are more important things to pray about. Getting picked as a juror is a privilege, in my mind. Your obligation as a citizen of the United States. And yes, I have served on a terrible child abuse case and I would do it again. The OP is a teacher. Yes, she gets paid, but she's also performing a public service--educating our kids. Both the OP and the kids deserve to start the school year off on track. I know it varies from state to state, but wouldn't it be nice if we could volunteer for jury duty when it works into our schedule? Teachers could take the summer, moms could take when the kiddos are back in school, etc. Others who don't volunteer could still be randomly called, but for many there is a specific time of year that is better for putting out lives on hold. I would love to sit on a jury, but never have. The one time I was called, I was nursing an infant. I offered to pump, but they had me defer. I was chosen a few months later, but put into a pool of "maybe" because I had such young kids and never was called. I would have been fine for a day or two, but several weeks would have been a real hardship for our family. As a SAHM, it wasn't in our budget to put the kids in full time day care. And DS is active duty Air Force. He was a professor at the AF Academy, plus the admin. It would have been tough for him to miss several weeks with the munchkins hanging off of him. But it would have been interesting to watch him juggle the kids and work...  |
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katybee
Drama Llama
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Post by katybee on Aug 5, 2014 3:08:44 GMT
The first few weeks of school for ANY grade are critical for setting up expectations/routines and building relationships. I cannot imagine missing them. It would throw off my whole year--- no exaggeration. A sub cannot do it.
Anyone who's being all self-righteous about doing your civic duty should come spend ONE DAY in my classroom the first week of school. It's not like the OP was hoping to get out of jury duty to go on a cruise (which WOULD be allowed here in TX).
So y'all just need to quit with the judgmental bullshit.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2014 3:18:01 GMT
Having a sub at the beginning of they year would be awful. Planning for one day can take two hours. I think when you teach, you totally understand where the OP is coming from. My mom was big on prayers for anything, so I get that too. I have only been called for jury duty once and had to postpone it since we would be out of the county. I got called again six weeks later and was in the 18 that 13 were picked from. I was dismissed first because the lawyer's first question to me was, "Do you think a woman can be raped by someone she knows?" Yes, I had a parent get raped by her ex husband and kidnapped and she was on Oprah talking about it. Bam. I was excused.
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Post by Zee on Aug 5, 2014 3:23:43 GMT
Prayers for missing jury duty sound, at best, misguided, considering the state of the rest of the world. I'll say no more.
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Post by Skypea on Aug 5, 2014 17:42:26 GMT
I don't think it was "prayers" that got you off jury duty. There are more important things to pray about. Getting picked as a juror is a privilege, in my mind. Your obligation as a citizen of the United States. And yes, I have served on a terrible child abuse case and I would do it again. nothing is too small or unimportant to pray about.
I've worked for 2 courts. serving is something we all should do - if we can. I was once called and had to get a note from the doc because of my back. While it would have caused me extreme pain to sit for a long period of time, working for the court gave it a whole other view. That of DISTRACTING the judge, the witnesses, the other jurors etc. I can NOT sit still for any length of time. I have to constantly change positions, or move my legs, shift my body. Do you think that a judge will allow a juror to stand up and move around? pace a bit? Do you think anyone would notice? lose their train of thought?
They certainly do NOT need a juror who would be a distraction. There are many reasons not to serve that you might not normally think about.
As for a teacher and the first wks of class? that is important to more than the teacher! It'll set the tone for all of those kids! And THEY are more important.
I can tell you that the courts know this will happen, they plan for it, they have many reserves to cover it.
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Post by wholarmor on Aug 5, 2014 18:20:40 GMT
I don't think it was "prayers" that got you off jury duty. There are more important things to pray about. Getting picked as a juror is a privilege, in my mind. Your obligation as a citizen of the United States. And yes, I have served on a terrible child abuse case and I would do it again. nothing is too small or unimportant to pray about.
I've worked for 2 courts. serving is something we all should do - if we can. I was once called and had to get a note from the doc because of my back. While it would have caused me extreme pain to sit for a long period of time, working for the court gave it a whole other view. That of DISTRACTING the judge, the witnesses, the other jurors etc. I can NOT sit still for any length of time. I have to constantly change positions, or move my legs, shift my body. Do you think that a judge will allow a juror to stand up and move around? pace a bit? Do you think anyone would notice? lose their train of thought?
They certainly do NOT need a juror who would be a distraction. There are many reasons not to serve that you might not normally think about.
As for a teacher and the first wks of class? that is important to more than the teacher! It'll set the tone for all of those kids! And THEY are more important.
I can tell you that the courts know this will happen, they plan for it, they have many reserves to cover it.
I think there are situations that people pray for that God doesn't care about- such as praying for your team to win, or praying to get out of jury duty. There are probably many other people praying to get out of jury duty for whatever reasons(many of which are noble reasons), but some aren't able to get out of it. Does that mean that God cared more to intervene for the teacher with a classroom of students over some other equally important issue? I don't think so. And I am a believer in prayer, but I don't think that this was necessarily a divine intervention from God. |
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Post by disneypal on Aug 5, 2014 18:42:31 GMT
nothing is too small or unimportant to pray about. I agree. God cares about EVERYTHING in our lives. Are there more important issues in the world than rather or not you get on jury duty? Sure there are, and I am sure donna would agree, but that doesn't mean that God still doesn't care about our prayers, no matter how small they may be.[/p]
The Bible says:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7
If you are not a praying person or if you think something isn't "worthy" of prayer, that is perfectly okay, you don't have to pray, but please accept that it is okay for others to pray or ask for prayers for such things they feel is a need in their life.
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kelkel
Junior Member
Posts: 77
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Post by kelkel on Aug 5, 2014 18:54:33 GMT
I'm a lawyer so am ineligible for jury duty. I don't know how it's done in the US, but here in New Zealand they pick people 'randomly' from the electoral roll. My Dad must have got called up a dozen times, my Mum never had to go. That's interesting! Here in the States, we are not ineligible...in fact, many of my colleagues have been called and sat for jury duty. I've been called a few times but they seated the jury before they got to my name on the list. (sorry for the interruption to the thread!) |
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Post by anniefb on Aug 5, 2014 19:00:02 GMT
I'm a lawyer so am ineligible for jury duty. I don't know how it's done in the US, but here in New Zealand they pick people 'randomly' from the electoral roll. My Dad must have got called up a dozen times, my Mum never had to go. That's interesting! Here in the States, we are not ineligible...in fact, many of my colleagues have been called and sat for jury duty. I've been called a few times but they seated the jury before they got to my name on the list. (sorry for the interruption to the thread!) Sorry for another hijack! Interesting to hear the difference in the US. Here they don't want lawyers (and others involved in the justice system like police, probation officers etc) sitting on juries because of the concern that either that might give grounds for challenging a trial on the basis of bias etc or that lawyers will take control of the process  |
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kelkel
Junior Member
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Post by kelkel on Aug 5, 2014 19:08:01 GMT
Sorry for another hijack! Interesting to hear the difference in the US. Here they don't want lawyers (and others involved in the justice system like police, probation officers etc) sitting on juries because of the concern that either that might give grounds for challenging a trial on the basis of bias etc or that lawyers will take control of the process Lawyers take control??? No way!!!  I think it can be viewed as the other way around too...they want a lawyer to reign in the rest of them. IDK...it's weird to me but it happens quite often. |
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Post by irisheyes on Aug 5, 2014 22:06:54 GMT
I'm glad you didn't have to serve at this time. As a teacher, I get it. The first two weeks of school are crucial. I also believe that God cares about all our prayers - he tells us to pray about all things - even getting excused from jury duty during the first two weeks of school. Perhaps there were parents praying their child would have a good start to their new year - I know I've been praying that for my child who had a bad year last year.
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Grom Pea
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by Grom Pea on Aug 5, 2014 23:09:10 GMT
Grom Pea, this judge was not allowing that. He finally let two college students go when it came to this long trial because they would have failed due to absences. If that had been an option I would have asked for next June or July. I really do want to eventually serve as a juror because it is an important obligation. I just also have a huge obligation to 100 or so students every day. samantha25, scripture is pretty plain that there is nothing too small to pray about. Ah I guess its different in the two states I've lived in, but you request the extension in writing before you report and its generally granted. I'm always stunned when people show up and are asking for an extension that day, because it says on the paperwork how to do it. But then again based on how people are dressed they didn't read the part where they were asked to dress appropriately either... |
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refupea #245
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