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Tens of thousands in South Florida skip out on jury duty
South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | April 16, 2011 | Georgia East

Posted on 04/17/2011 8:20:33 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement

About two out of three people summoned for jury duty each year in South Florida don't show up. Although some are exempt, tens of thousands simply brush it off.

And while skipping jury duty is against the law, few are punished because court staffers say the process would be too costly and time consuming.

The spike in no-shows follows a change in who is being summoned. Jurors used to be chosen from voter registration databases, but the state in 1998 switched to driver's license rolls as a way to widen the pool.

(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: jurors; juryduty
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To: Palladin
Three states I never want to live in:

Florida

New Jersey

California

Good, we don't want you anyways.

21 posted on 04/17/2011 9:52:39 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them)
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To: Huntress

Ibid. - I would love to serve. Never have gotten past the questionaire - “Occupation: Scientist”

Somehow, they don’t wan’t me.


22 posted on 04/17/2011 10:00:15 PM PDT by patton (I am sure that I have done dumber thigns in my life, but at the moment, I am unable to recall them.)
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To: Huntress

I receive jury summons all the time and have served on many juries. A relative was chief investigator for the DA’s office and I worked at the most prestigious country club in town so I knew all the judges and attorneys. If I ever got called for the interview they would keep me every time. It is not fun.
There were plenty of idiots on the jury every time I have been on one. I was on an attempted murder case and noticed one of the gals sleeping. When we went to the jury room and was discussing the case she didn’t remember part of the trial and wanted to have the clerk called and part of the testimony reread. I out and out told everyone no, that she should have stayed awake and she would have know what was what.
Every trial I have been on has had some idiot like her or a big butted liberal teacher who can’t think rationally.
Be thankful they excuse you. Lol


23 posted on 04/17/2011 10:01:21 PM PDT by sheana
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To: ConservativeStatement

Ay carumba and oy ve!


24 posted on 04/17/2011 10:07:29 PM PDT by DocH (Official Right-Wing Extremist Veteran Seal Of Approval)
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To: ConservativeStatement

Citizen rebellion against the corrupt Trial Lawyer Industry.


25 posted on 04/17/2011 10:11:05 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: ConservativeStatement

I always found showing up wearing a confederate flag tie and saying I would never convict somebody facing the death penalty or drug charges would get me a walk every time.


26 posted on 04/17/2011 10:13:39 PM PDT by WalterSobchak2012
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To: ConservativeStatement

Who in hell can afford to go to jury duty? With gas at 4 bucks a gallon, lost jobs, wages cut, hours cut... Most struggling just to pay their mortgages, if they still have homes etc..

Jury duty is punitive and unaffordable in today meat grinding economy.


27 posted on 04/17/2011 10:36:49 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: org.whodat
Why is Joe citizen forced to obey the law when illegals are exempt from all laws.

We're not only expected to obey, but we're forced to *pay* for the illegals that totally ignore the laws.

Who they kidding?

28 posted on 04/17/2011 10:47:27 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Graybeard58
I, for one, have grown tired of watching liberals excuse the heinous acts of criminal offenders for reasons ranging from a 'he had a bad childhood' to 'he didn't mean to do it'. I gladly respond every time I am called and have more than once been the sole voice of sanity on the panel.

Tired of seeing criminals turned loose for a variety of liberal excuses? Serve on a jury.

29 posted on 04/18/2011 1:17:41 AM PDT by South40 (Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: Huntress

To me, serving is a privilege. I’ve been on three, including a DUI case just last October, and each and every time I served I was glad to do it. Call me a patriot, call me civic minded, heck, call me nuts; I just think we all owe it to society to do our share to carry the load.


30 posted on 04/18/2011 1:23:54 AM PDT by South40 (Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: FormerACLUmember
Citizen rebellion against the corrupt Trial Lawyer Industry.

Exactly!

Well put, my FRiend.

31 posted on 04/18/2011 1:25:17 AM PDT by South40 (Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: South40
Tired of seeing criminals turned loose for a variety of liberal excuses? Serve on a jury.

I'd like to Serve on a jury. I've been called four times and answered the call three of them, the fourth, I genuinely forgot about it.

Six days of my life sitting in a small room waiting to be questioned for a trial.......and nothing. They call way too many people, around here anyway.

32 posted on 04/18/2011 4:46:52 AM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Baynative

I was on a month-long case in CA. One of the most horrible experiences I’ve had. There was more discussion in the Jury room about one of the attornies’ outfits and high heels, and the geekiness of the other attorney, than the facts of the case. The attornies’ attractiveness, or lack thereof, actually had a huge influence in the jury’s decision. Of course, half of the jurors were 12-year-old bank VPs. OK... maybe they were 22. Young, shallow Californians. (Is that an oxymoron?)

Since then, I’ve had no confidence in our system of justice.


33 posted on 04/18/2011 5:13:10 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Greysard
One problem with such volunteer jurors is that they are not what the judge and the lawyers want to see in the box. These people are probably retired, well off, competent, and are ready and able to be jurors ... that's exactly opposite to what the professionals in the courtroom want.

It would depend on the venue in question. My experience with volunteer jurors is that they are often neither retired nor well-off, but rather tend to be homeless panhandlers who supplement their daily "will work for food" activities with the occasional meal provided by the court. I suspect that is true in most urban areas.

34 posted on 04/18/2011 5:18:39 AM PDT by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: ConservativeStatement

Professional Juries.

Make them up of the racial, age and gender makeup of the US so no arguments of not being judged by a panel of my peers. Voir dires would become almost non-existent and trials could start earlier. Volunteers could be used as alternates.

Also do away with the unanimous jury decision. It lends itself to jury nullification by those seeking social justice through the jury box.


35 posted on 04/18/2011 6:04:50 AM PDT by Molon Labbie
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To: Nevada Outback
Jury duty is the civic responsibility of every legally qualified adult citizen. In my opinion,if you fail to show for more than one jury summons, then you forfeit voting privilege for say—five years.

I like that idea. 

36 posted on 04/18/2011 7:04:50 AM PDT by zeugma (The only thing in the social security trust fund is your children and grandchildren's sweat.)
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To: Inyo-Mono
ALEXANDER HAMILTON (1804): Jurors should acquit even against the judge's instruction...."if exercising their judgment with discretion and honesty they have a clear conviction that the charge of the court is wrong."

Excellent. For some reason, I never get called.

37 posted on 04/18/2011 7:06:34 AM PDT by zeugma (The only thing in the social security trust fund is your children and grandchildren's sweat.)
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To: Molon Labbie
Also do away with the unanimous jury decision. It lends itself to jury nullification by those seeking social justice through the jury box.

Yes, because lord knows we shouldn't expect anything resembling justice from a jury box.

38 posted on 04/18/2011 7:13:16 AM PDT by zeugma (The only thing in the social security trust fund is your children and grandchildren's sweat.)
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To: ChildOfThe60s
I have heard somewhat similar stories. I also recall reading about a cat receiving jury duty. So many jokes about that possibility.
39 posted on 04/18/2011 7:32:11 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement (Obama "acted stupidly.")
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To: Palladin
The county where I live in California has the best system for jury duty system of any I know of. The last two times I have been called I was not required to show up at the courthouse. We are asked to call or go to an internet site to check to see if are group has been called. This information is avialible the day before around 5pm. If your group is called in you are there only one day unless you get called to a courtrroom. One day or one trail when your called in.
40 posted on 04/18/2011 2:38:02 PM PDT by ThomasThomas (I am still looking for that box I am supposed to think out of.)
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