Jury duty...

[TheBlackAdder]

56. To Reduce Animosity... The Courts Should Work With The Jurors

I have the following issues with the NJ Courts:


1) If a person doesn't want to serve, forcing them does not benefit the Defendant.

What defense attorney wants a hostile juror... unless the true goal is that the prosecution wants a conviction?
Would you want someone judging you if they are angry/worried about missing out on wages or spending on daycare?


2) The courts should be flexible with the jury body.

I was issued a summons to appear in court a month or so from now for petit jury duty. I am a single parent with three kids in local school and one in college. I work full-time and I am attending college for continuing education, taking two classes a semester. My jury date is days before two major college tests. I sent in a reply, politely asking for a deferment until May 15 or after. This way, the college term would have ended - since I'm only allowed to miss 2 days in a class per semester. Deferment Denied! I must attend just prior to my Mid-Terms. If it's a 2-4 day trial, I'll even miss both exam dates.


Granted, if you don't get a good cross-section of the population, you might face a bunch of Fox News-type seniors or those who thing the sun revolves around the earth, but the courts needs to be sensitive to juror issues.

If the courts worked with the jurors, they might actually reduce the amount of people who try to get out of the trials when they are screened, saving valuable court time and money.