Poll of the Day > Imagine missing jury duty and getting fucking jailed over it

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/us/florida-man-jury-duty-jail.html

Come on, we all know the actual reason they jailed him and gave him a fucking year of probation along with that fine.

---

But on the morning of Aug. 21, when he was supposed to report for the opening of a trial in a negligence case involving an automobile accident, Mr. Somerville said: My first reaction when I woke up was, Oh shoot, I overslept. He said that he should have notified the court, but that he had been nervous about the repercussions.
That should have been the first thing I should have done, he said. I thought maybe the most I could get was a fine.

Not that I support the severity of his punishments, but he really should've notified the court immediately.

---

I mean, when you get the summons for jury duty, they tell you that failure to comply can result in fines and jail time...
---

10 days in jail seems pretty harsh for missing jury duty

Im not saying there shouldnt be a consequence but you can fine them or give them some community service. Throwing someone in jail for 10 days might make them lose their job and it costs the city money
---

"Imagine getting punished for breaking the law."

Modern outrage culture is ridiculous.
---

papercup posted...

I mean, when you get the summons for jury duty, they tell you that failure to comply can result in fines and jail time...

Minor details that people don't care about apparently.

Veedrock- posted...

"Imagine getting punished for breaking the law."

Modern outrage culture is ridiculous.

This whole belief of "I should be able to do what I want with no repercussions" is getting out of hand

CTLM posted...

papercup posted...

I mean, when you get the summons for jury duty, they tell you that failure to comply can result in fines and jail time...

Minor details that people don't care about apparently.

Veedrock- posted...

"Imagine getting punished for breaking the law."

Modern outrage culture is ridiculous.

This whole belief of "I should be able to do what I want with no repercussions" is getting out of hand

No it isn't, people are allowed to have opinions on the punishments for breaking the law. A fine and maybe a few days in jail is one thing. A year of probation for sleeping in and missing jury duty is absurd.
---

Not absurd. The laws are set, dont like them? Get in a position to change them. If you aren't going to try to change them, do complain about them.
---

Don't ever complain about laws and policies you disagree with unless you're in a position to change them... Yeah, okay, buddy.
---

~~jUsT cHaNgE tHe BaD lAwS tHaT dIsPrOpOrTiOnAlLy EfFeCt BlAcK pEoPlE~~

---

lmao he didn't call the court AND didn't answer their calls.

But he's black, so it's an injustice.
---

Jury duty is dumb anyway. I've ignored any and all summons for years now and have always been completely fine. Just throw your mail away...easy
---

Florida Man...

But he should've just contacted them...if anything that's laziness on his part. I've been summoned myself, but due a situation I was in at the time, as of now they stopped sending them to me.

The thing that always gets me is if you submit a request to be excused from jury duty they'll only inform you if your request was denied, if it was approved you don't hear back.

But what if your request gets lost in the mail? Or the denial letter is lost?
---

PK_Spam posted...

~~jUsT cHaNgE tHe BaD lAwS tHaT dIsPrOpOrTiOnAlLy EfFeCt BlAcK pEoPlE~~

This law doesnt target black people ffs

Contempt of court can be punished with up to a year in jail, but he only got 10 days. Talk about persecution.
---

DrYuya posted...

Jury duty is dumb anyway. I've ignored any and all summons for years now and have always been completely fine. Just throw your mail away...easy

I think he was chosen. Like, if you dont go when summoned, youll usually be fine. But if youre chosen, not so much...
---

hypnox posted...

Not absurd. The laws are set, dont like them? Get in a position to change them. If you aren't going to try to change them, do complain about them.

Lol are you for real? I guess every revolution in history was just a bunch of complainers that should have just shut up and accept it, right?
---

hypnox posted...

Not absurd. The laws are set, dont like them? Get in a position to change them. If you aren't going to try to change them, do complain about them.

Mmm gotta love that sweet delicious boot flavor
---

Fuck jury duty
---

PK_Spam posted...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/us/florida-man-jury-duty-jail.html

Come on, we all know the actual reason they jailed him and gave him a fucking year of probation along with that fine.

He got off easy.

Sarcasthma posted...

But on the morning of Aug. 21, when he was supposed to report for the opening of a trial in a negligence case involving an automobile accident, Mr. Somerville said: My first reaction when I woke up was, Oh shoot, I overslept. He said that he should have notified the court, but that he had been nervous about the repercussions.
That should have been the first thing I should have done, he said. I thought maybe the most I could get was a fine.

Not that I support the severity of his punishments, but he really should've notified the court immediately.

Which is stupid of him because they literally tell you what the punishments are if you don't show. And while the punishments are severe, keep in mind that no-showing holds up the entire process since there's a judge, 5-11 other jurors (depending on the kind of case), lawyers, etc.

papercup posted...

I mean, when you get the summons for jury duty, they tell you that failure to comply can result in fines and jail time...

I was literally told that if I was selected to serve on a jury and no-showed, they would send a marshal after me. They made it very clear that jail time was on the table. Failing to show up for jury selection, on the other hand, would have just been a slap on the wrist -- supposedly it's just a small fine

Veedrock- posted...

"Imagine getting punished for breaking the law."

Modern outrage culture is ridiculous.

Pretty much.

PK_Spam posted...

~~jUsT cHaNgE tHe BaD lAwS tHaT dIsPrOpOrTiOnAlLy EfFeCt BlAcK pEoPlE~~

lolwut? Because you somehow think black people are the only group that no-shows when they're on a jury? Keep in mind that there are complaints that black people aren't even being picked to serve on juries, which makes your complaint even more ludicrous.

https://eji.org/reports/illegal-racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/02/a-california-prosecutor-dismissed-every-black-person-from-a-jury-pool-appeals-court-says-that-was-legal/
---

Aaantlion posted...

Failing to show up for jury selection, on the other hand, would have just been a slap on the wrist -- supposedly it's just a small fine

Im not even sure they do that, anymore...
---

Glad I'm not eligible for jury duty. Victim of a violent crime over a decade ago. If I mention that, I'm supposedly instantly excused due to not being considered impartial. Plus soldiers typically don't get summons for some reason.
---

Deutschewolf posted...

Glad I'm not eligible for jury duty. Victim of a violent crime over a decade ago. If I mention that, I'm supposedly instantly excused due to not being considered impartial. Plus soldiers typically don't get summons for some reason.

I imagine you'd almost certainly still be eligible for civil matters, like employees suing employers >_>
---

Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? What's with all the people defending mandatory jury duty?

Aaantlion posted...

Deutschewolf posted...

Glad I'm not eligible for jury duty. Victim of a violent crime over a decade ago. If I mention that, I'm supposedly instantly excused due to not being considered impartial. Plus soldiers typically don't get summons for some reason.

I imagine you'd almost certainly still be eligible for civil matters, like employees suing employers >_>

Not likely, as certain government employees (military personnel) don't have the same rights as civilians.
---

Deutschewolf posted...

Plus soldiers typically don't get summons for some reason.

Its funny you mention this. When I was active duty, they never called me in for jury duty because some states exempt military members. Within the first month of me being out (which I was still in, but reserves), I received a summons. But, they sent it to my home of record (Maryland). So my mom sent it back saying I didnt live there. Then, like a week or two after that, they sent one to the house I currently live. But I was out of town during whenever the summons would have happened of whatever. Havent received one since...
---

CaptainStrong posted...

Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? What's with all the people defending mandatory jury duty?

The whole "civic duty" aspect. Plus people used to feel pride in serving play a role.

I got a summons for 2 Thursdays ago. On Wednesday night, they texted that I didn't have to go.
---

CTLM posted...

CaptainStrong posted...

Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? What's with all the people defending mandatory jury duty?

The whole "civic duty" aspect. Plus people used to feel pride in serving play a role.

Maybe if I had free time and extra money. But I wouldnt want to be forced to go. Especially since I need all the money I can get to keep living my life. Because Jury Duty might take a couple of days, and I dont want to (cant, really) miss too many days at work...
---

LinkPizza posted...

CTLM posted...

CaptainStrong posted...

Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? What's with all the people defending mandatory jury duty?

The whole "civic duty" aspect. Plus people used to feel pride in serving play a role.

Maybe if I had free time and extra money. But I wouldnt want to be forced to go. Especially since I need all the money I can get to keep living my life. Because Jury Duty might take a couple of days, and I dont want to (cant, really) miss too many days at work...

It depends on the case. I know of someone who was summoned and selected for a jury. He was lucky that, about four or five days, the case was settled out of court (which happens all the time) or he would've lost a bundle due to the fact that he couldn't go to work (even if that job was part-time). You never know what jury you're going to end up on or how long it will last; neither do the judges that are trying said cases.

GastroFan posted...

LinkPizza posted...

CTLM posted...

CaptainStrong posted...

Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? What's with all the people defending mandatory jury duty?

The whole "civic duty" aspect. Plus people used to feel pride in serving play a role.

Maybe if I had free time and extra money. But I wouldnt want to be forced to go. Especially since I need all the money I can get to keep living my life. Because Jury Duty might take a couple of days, and I dont want to (cant, really) miss too many days at work...

It depends on the case. I know of someone who was summoned and selected for a jury. He was lucky that, about four or five days, the case was settled out of court (which happens all the time) or he would've lost a bundle due to the fact that he couldn't go to work (even if that job was part-time). You never know what jury you're going to end up on or how long it will last; neither do the judges that are trying said cases.

Yeah. Especially if people are already living paycheck to paycheck. Or dont make much extra. Or whatever...

Mr Hangman posted...

Jury duty is messed up anyway. You might not want the court to decide your fate, but is a group of people forcibly compelled against their will to be there a good alternative?

Yeah. I dont think people would want people who are force to be there against their will choosing their fate...
---

CaptainStrong posted...

Am I in the Twilight Zone or something? What's with all the people defending mandatory jury duty?

Well, voluntary jury duty would possibly lead to a professional juror class which seems... idk. Otherwise, we fought for independence so we could have things like juries so the fact that something is trying to argue against it is Twilight Zone-y.

Deutschewolf posted...

Aaantlion posted...

Deutschewolf posted...

Glad I'm not eligible for jury duty. Victim of a violent crime over a decade ago. If I mention that, I'm supposedly instantly excused due to not being considered impartial. Plus soldiers typically don't get summons for some reason.

I imagine you'd almost certainly still be eligible for civil matters, like employees suing employers >_>

Not likely, as certain government employees (military personnel) don't have the same rights as civilians.

It's not really a "right" and I imagine military personnel would really only be exempted while stationed elsewhere. The only government employees who likely wouldn't serve at all would probably be judges and other people involved with the process itself, in addition to cops not being allowed to serve in criminal cases.

LinkPizza posted...

Maybe if I had free time and extra money. But I wouldnt want to be forced to go. Especially since I need all the money I can get to keep living my life. Because Jury Duty might take a couple of days, and I dont want to (cant, really) miss too many days at work...

I think the first five days are supposed to be compensated by your employer (for full-time/salary), but then you get a small sum thereafter. At least, that might be how it works in CT.

GastroFan posted...

It depends on the case. I know of someone who was summoned and selected for a jury. He was lucky that, about four or five days, the case was settled out of court (which happens all the time) or he would've lost a bundle due to the fact that he couldn't go to work (even if that job was part-time). You never know what jury you're going to end up on or how long it will last; neither do the judges that are trying said cases.

While most cases don't run all that long, there definitely are some horror stories about jurors going bankrupt because a trial lasted months.

Mr Hangman posted...

Jury duty is messed up anyway. You might not want the court to decide your fate, but is a group of people forcibly compelled against their will to be there a good alternative?

Again, it has to be mandatory for practicality reasons. If you were chosen and even wanted to go, your workplace could discourage you from going if it was wholly voluntary. If it was voluntary, you'd eventually just have a small group of jurors who preside over a lot of trials and they effectively become permanent judges.
---

Aaantlion posted...

It's not really a "right" and I imagine military personnel would really only be exempted while stationed elsewhere. The only government employees who likely wouldn't serve at all would probably be judges and other people involved with the process itself, in addition to cops not being allowed to serve in criminal cases.

I think it's a state thing. Depends on which state. Like I think I'm exempt from some stuff here. I never got one during my active duty career. And magically got one right after (sent to the wrong address), then another right after that (was out of town when it was suppose to take place).

Aaantlion posted...

I think the first five days are supposed to be compensated by your employer (for full-time/salary), but then you get a small sum thereafter. At least, that might be how it works in CT.

I don't think that's how it works in my state, though I could be wrong. Didn't really look up to much about it. That being said, that's great for the first week, but I heard some can go on for a while. And I can't afford to miss too much. I'm already usually pretty close to not having enough as it is. And that could put me in financial ruin...
---

LinkPizza posted...

I think it's a state thing. Depends on which state. Like I think I'm exempt from some stuff here. I never got one during my active duty career. And magically got one right after (sent to the wrong address), then another right after that (was out of town when it was suppose to take place).

The fact that you didn't receive it doesn't necessarily mean you were exempt. I know people who aged out of the process who never received a summons when they were still eligible.
---

PK_Spam posted...

Come on, we all know the actual reason they jailed him and gave him a fucking year of probation along with that fine.

Yeah. Your topic title told me.

papercup posted...

I mean, when you get the summons for jury duty, they tell you that failure to comply can result in fines and jail time...

Bingo!
---

Aaantlion posted...

LinkPizza posted...

I think it's a state thing. Depends on which state. Like I think I'm exempt from some stuff here. I never got one during my active duty career. And magically got one right after (sent to the wrong address), then another right after that (was out of town when it was suppose to take place).

The fact that you didn't receive it doesn't necessarily mean you were exempt. I know people who aged out of the process who never received a summons when they were still eligible.

I think I was in my state. I did however receive one a couple weeks after I left active duty. But back in my home of record. When my mom sent it back, they sent another one to my new house. I think I was exempt. Still didnt go. But I think they did explain in FTAC that we were exempt from jury duty when I first got here, which is why I believe I was exempt... Though, the sending me two notices in two different states doesnt help. And the fact that they seemed to be waiting for me to get out of the military. And used the address I was planning to go to when I got out instead of the current address I resided at...
---

Thank fucking god no jury would ever want me.

Getting out of jury duty is easy. Tell them you know about jury nullification. If that doesn't work, start saying the lyrics to "Fuck tha Police" by NWA.
---

if you don't show up for selection, odds are nothing will even happen to you.

but if you were selected, and you don't show?

jail time is guaranteed, in every state, no exceptions.

his skin color has literally nothing to do with his punishment, it's him breaking the laws that did. if anything he got off pretty easy, since they usually also fine you a few thousand dollars.
---

Whargarble posted...

Getting out of jury duty is easy. Tell them you know about jury nullification. If that doesn't work, start saying the lyrics to "Fuck tha Police" by NWA.

They can hold you on contempt.
---

Destiny posted...

if you don't show up for selection, odds are nothing will even happen to you.

This seems to be the case. And they usually wont do anything at all...
---

Destiny posted...

if you don't show up for selection, odds are nothing will even happen to you.

Totally depends on where you live

Some places will literally send a member of the sherrifs department to your home with a warrant for your arrest if you dont show up a couple times
---

Mead posted...

Destiny posted...

if you don't show up for selection, odds are nothing will even happen to you.

Totally depends on where you live

Some places will literally send a member of the sherrifs department to your home with a warrant for your arrest if you dont show up a couple times

for actual duty, yes.

selection, no
---