Help! Assigned jury duty during the burn!

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:27 am

A good friend and long time burner I know has been assigned jury duty during the burn. Needless to say, it's upsetting. He is happy to fulfill his civic duty at a later date, but they are making him jump through hoops and show receipts, itinerary and telling him the judge may or may not approve of the postponement.

If you can offer him some advice here, I'll make sure he reads up on your tips and tricks for working with a county court system.

Thanks!

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:53 am

Tell him to jump through the hoops...

Head down to the jury room and show him everything.. Shit happens all the time and he's going to come out just fine....

Here in Central California we just have to check the box on the summons for a 1 time postponement , per summons....

He'll be fine... He'll be dusty just like the rest of us...

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:09 am

Agreed. I assume he has tickets at this point?

Two words: Financial hardship.

Thats alot of money to have set aside for tickets, vacation time taken from work, etc.

Badger

phil · Post by **phil** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:20 am

It's happened before. Just show the tickets.

If he's in California, he gets to check that box for a free delay.

misfit · Post by **misfit** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:03 pm

if he's a convicted felon, he has no rights and therefore is unable to serve on a jury. just a thought.....

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:10 pm

misfit wrote:if he's a convicted felon, he has no rights and therefore is unable to serve on a jury. just a thought.....

Quick! Go commit a crime!

...Wait...

Badger

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:12 pm

Apparently in my city if he didn't miss his last appointment, he can just skip it. When I was away at college and my mail went to my parents, I missed one and was worried. I called and asked and I was told that they don't care if you don't show up to one, but the next one they send they will be unlikely to give you an extension for any reason (which still worried me as a full time student). It was the secretary, clerk or whoever that I talked to, but it was official enough for me. They don't send those things certified mail either, so if someone "doesn't receive the notice", there is no evidence either way.

Obviously he should jump through the hoops, so that it's easy for him to get another extension if something else happens and there is no chance for any repercussions, but if they don't give it, I'd just skip out. I've known people to just throw them out and never known anyone who had problems with it.

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:35 pm

tell them he'd make the perfect juror because the voices in his head have never been wrong?

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:46 pm

Apparently in my city if he didn't miss his last appointment, he can just skip it.

Sort of like it is here in San Francisco. Not that I'd do it but I believe your friend might be able to skip his appearance and when he returns contact the summons office and (inert big fib/lie) tell them that he's requesting to be re-summoned.

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:54 pm

duh:

"I was on an extended vacation.....

from reality....."

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:07 pm

Write them through the brc post office.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:29 pm

Every jurisdiction has different rules about jury duty. Not everyone offers a skip for financial hardship, non-medical or non-emergency stuff. Since he already started a process with the clerk he can't use the "I didn't get the mail" excuse. A heartfelt letter to someone futher up from the clerks office might get ya some special treatment. Every locality has a pecking order and someone further up whose ass ya can kiss. If I knew the locality I could try looking up and seeing if they have an automatic out like some places have.

MrMullen · Post by **MrMullen** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:48 pm

Just have your friend tell them that he is fulfilling his civil duty by fighting crime in the metropolis of Black Rock City.

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:12 pm

Wow. Thanks, All. I just think all of you putting some positive brain power to it did the trick! This just in from my friend:

>>The documentation worked!!!!!

The judge called-- said it made it very clear that to serve on jury duty during that time would be an unreasonable hardship.

I'm off the hook!!!

Thanks for the quick action!!!!!!

Woo hoo!

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:48 pm

misfit wrote:if he's a convicted felon, he has no rights and therefore is unable to serve on a jury. just a thought.....

Not entirely true... Varies from state to state. In Oregon you retain your rights, but you can't vote while in jail.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:04 pm

Since he already started a process with the clerk he can't use the "I didn't get the mail" excuse.

No, but he could still "forget", or get "really ill" that day. Happens all the time. Anyway, I'm glad to hear everything worked out the easy correct way.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:13 pm

I won a hearing recently with the dmv over the notice issue.
And if you think it's easy fighting with them.....

They now have to use mail with return notice.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:35 pm

I actually had my registration notice from the DMV sent out to me after it was due. Since I don't keep close track of when those things are due, it was obviously "late". I was surprised that they actually did not ever ask for any late fees.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:12 pm

That's state dmv, by the way.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:17 pm

Mine was too. I assumed as much.

stormfeather · Post by **stormfeather** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:09 pm

Here in Oregon, I got out of jury duty once since I was breast feeding and couldn't be away from the babe for more than 4 hours....

but maybe it's too late to try that one, plus if your friend is a he....

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:27 pm

Then there's the Sarah Silverman approach to jury selection.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:31 pm

stormfeather wrote:Here in Oregon, I got out of jury duty once since I was breast feeding and couldn't be away from the babe for more than 4 hours....

but maybe it's too late to try that one, plus if your friend is a he....

I think if a male used that excuse, it might be even more effective.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:59 am

Mister Jellyfish Mister wrote:Wow. Thanks, All. I just think all of you putting some positive brain power to it did the trick! This just in from my friend:

>>The documentation worked!!!!!

The judge called-- said it made it very clear that to serve on jury duty during that time would be an unreasonable hardship.

I'm off the hook!!!

Thanks for the quick action!!!!!!

Woo hoo!

HUZZAH!!! It certainly wouldn't be the same without "Our Friend" attending. Great News Indeed!

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:37 am

Then there's the Sarah Silverman approach to jury selection.

Which is?

I know she's someone famous that I'm "supposed" to know, but hey, does she know me?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:44 pm

She even has her own show now.

She had to go to jury duty and wanted to get out of it, so a friend told her to say something really racist and they wouldn't take her.
While she's waiting, she is planning to say something like "I hate chinks", but she starts feeling bad about it, because it's rude and she doesn't hate anyone.
So she gets a bright idea and when they call on her, she pipes up, all perky-
"I love chinks!"

It's better when she does it, of course.
She told this joke for years in LA and San Francisco and never had a complaint and had told it on tv a number of times.
Then she was on Leno or something and one guy pitched a fit and claimed to represent the asian community.
His organization turned out to consist of himself, and she had lots of support, but the network censored her.
A big object lesson about pressure groups and censorship.

I recommend the film- This Film is Not Yet Rated
Hysterical too.
And disturbing.
They out the censorship boards of the MPAA.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:46 pm

MikeVDS wrote:
Then there's the Sarah Silverman approach to jury selection.
Which is?

I know she's someone famous that I'm "supposed" to know, but hey, does she know me?

You just might, from the playa.

stormfeather · Post by **stormfeather** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:27 pm

My dad got out of jury duty (Fed murder case in SF) by saying he believed in the death penalty (he did though).

He also used the racist ploy a time or two... " women drivers are bad", "I don't like ____ kind of people"... (he mostly lied).

He was very clever, but they kept calling him!

Killbuck · Post by **Killbuck** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:02 pm

All has been resolved.

I offered to invade the small country of his ancestors and he let me off

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:56 pm

I'm pretty good at acting wierd during voir dure. I'd do the time if it was criminal. On t he other hand, recent experiences have gven me an appreciation of the importance of torts.