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Home > Seriously? I Mean, Come On

Seriously? I Mean, Come On

March 5th, 2012 at 10:24 pm

So DH just got called for jury duty for April 2nd. And I have to report for it on April 30th, after deferring it 3 times due to injury, surgery, and physical therapy. I mean, do they seriously think that calling two people from one family in one month would not seriously devastate the finances of said family? For DH to go that two weeks without pay would take us until December to recover from. It would wipe out our small emergency fund, make us unable to pay Mom for a couple months, and put us behind on our debt repayment (not with the credit card payment, just our schedule for getting out of debt). Plus we would have to make a minimum payment, instead of the planned one.

He can probably get out of it being as he works in Alaska, has no paid time off, no vacation time, no sick leave, and is the sole support of the family. He is not even in this state long enough at any one time to serve a full two week term.

I don't think I am going to attempt to get out of it, even though I know it will cause me pain to go, simply because then they can't call me again for 3 years. I have been summoned at least 16 times since I turned 18, so I know they won't just stop if I get excused. They'll just wait six months and try again. I still can't sit up for more than two hours without major muscle spasms and cramping starting in my back, hip, and thigh. Sometimes they are so painful I gasp out loud which would be lovely to do during the middle of a trial.

I am working on strengthening my core and legs, but it will probably be another six months before I am able to do as much sitting as jury duty will call for. I won't be able to get up and stretch or walk around as needed. But I won't be able to take pain killer or muscle relaxant either because they addle my head and you need to be clear-minded to serve.

And heaven help me if I have to sit next to a smoker, cat owner, or a perfume addict. I'll sneeze and cough the entire time because cat hair and those scents just cling and I am violently allergic.

If they could put me in a plastic bubble with a recliner and the ability to move as needed, I'd do just fine. I hate these limitations. I really think it could be interesting to serve, but I don't want to be set back physically. I have worked so hard to get to this level of mobility and I don't want to lose it.

Posted in When Life Happens | 5 Comments »

5 Responses to “Seriously? I Mean, Come On”

  1. Nika Says:
    March 5th, 2012 at 11:01 pm 1330988499
    1330988499

    If all else fails, say with a serious face that you can always tell if a person is guilty by just looking at him because you are very preceptive... and you can see his aura. Smile Maybe bring a thermos with something smelly and offer a lawyer to clense his "chi". Would that put you on some kind of "do not summon" list? Smile))

  2. frugalgirl Says:
    March 5th, 2012 at 11:50 pm 1330991456
    1330991456

    My husband and I were both called within two months of each other. It is done randomly in the state where we live. In the 17 years I've lived here, I've only been called once but my husband has been called 5 times. I told them that I thought that everyone had biases and that I would try to be as fair as I could and not let my natural bias affect me. I didn't get picked. There were a handful of people that came and said that they would be unable to serve so they put them at the tail end of the group. The attorneys interviewed people untilt they felt they had enough to seat a jury and those people were let go and didn't even get interviewed.

  3. rob62521 Says:
    March 6th, 2012 at 01:26 am 1330997170
    1330997170

    Perhaps you could get a doctor's note and turn that in. My dad was excused due to his health.

  4. frugaltexan75 Says:
    March 6th, 2012 at 02:55 am 1331002536
    1331002536

    I'm with Rob - I can't imagine that your doctor(s) wouldn't be willing to write you a note saying that you are physically unable to sit on a jury. It isn't as though you are trying to get out of a civil duty just because you don't want to do it - you truly *shouldn't* do it due to your health!

  5. baselle Says:
    March 6th, 2012 at 05:15 am 1331010924
    1331010924

    You can always say something unappealing as you are interviewed so you won't get picked.

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