Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Jury Duty?

Having to sit all day could be torture for me. Has anyone ever asked to be excused? Would your rheumy give you a note?

Thanks.

They talk to you before you are chosen to serve, so take a doc note and tell the judge about your AS.

Amy:)

I've always wondered about this. I have not been called to jury duty. I would be interested to know how it goes for you. Please keep us posted.

Debora

Yes, I was called for jury duty about 3 years ago, but I was anxious to sit on a case that I wouldn't have minded being in a wheelchair.

I went and sat for 3 days and my name was never called then we were all dismissed.

I do know if you have a legitimate excuse the judge will excuse you.

I would think with AS if your Dr. gives you a note there should be no problem.

Let us know,

Lisa

As others have stated, Doctors note should get you excused.

Tim

I was excused from Jury duty. I have Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). I don't always understand what others are saying. My GP gave me a note telling of my CAPD. I could have easily put a innocent person behind bars because of a misunderstanding of what was being said. I was excused, and have never been asked to participate in Jury duty again.

Gerri

I get called almost every year. I just stand in the hallways during the waiting period, and then when they finally seat us and start the voire dire process when they quizz the jurors about life experiences, I ALWAYS get tossed out very quickly. So it's a win-win situation, I went, I did my civic duty, I got rejected. Only had to hold still a few hours.

Oh, and for the curious, they will ask what your experiences with the legal system have been beforehand, and ask you to fill out a form. Since my experiences have not been positive, no prosecutor in his/her right mind wants me anywhere NEAR a jury, esp. if they read what I put down on the form as I don't hesitate to be opinionated. I also have an extremely high bullsh*t detector, all I have to do is raise one eyebrow the second they introduce the plaintiffs and give them the sceptical look and the prosecutor or defense attorney will release me in the first group. They are trained to study people. Then they probably look at my written form and go, oh my ***, OUT now.

I feel a little bit bad for the ones trying to get out by saying they are single person business owners and jury duty will cause a real financial hardship, this is where the judge will say too bad, blah blah you have to do this. Also there are unprepared people who say they can't do it medically but don't have their doctor's note ready. This is not the way to do this. You are supposed to be able to read the instructions. It's just like school...if you need a note from mommy for an excused absence, you'd better have it, none of this acting surprised.

Last year was pretty funny as they ditched me because my college degree was actually very relevant to being able to make informed opinions in the case, I had given the raised eyebrow to the plaintiff, who was already acting like a spoilt brat before the jury was seated, gotten tossed out again, and then I got grilled out in the parking lot by another rejected juror as to just what was going on and I was able to give her a mini lesson in what to look for in pre purchase house inspections, and SHE was really happy to talk to me because she was contemplating buying a house and didn't know about the potential for termite damage out here. But now she knows what to look for and how to do so and knows not to blindly trust a house inspector but make sure they are certified and that you have the proper insurance. So the entire experience was not wasted. I also told her why in my opinion the plaintiff was a ditz for not getting her purchase property inspected...anybody whose house cost that much to begin with should have been smart enough to protect their investment. Anybody who is making faces like she was at the defendant in court during voire dire...needs therapy.

You can see why I never make jury duty. I should get called back again in a few months. Every year....

Hi Jeanne, yes I have asked probably 6 or 7 times over the years to be excused from jury duty. I have never needed a doctor note. I explained the complications of my condition and was automatically excused. I'm sure if they asked for one, any of your docs would write it for you.I hope it's as easy for you. Good luck
Cindy

Good reply! I think it's interesting how some people rarely get called for jury duty, and other's get called every year. One of these times they'll surprise you and actually seat you on the jury.

Up here we have a lot of opinionated people and that doesn't unnecessarily keep them off of the jury. I've served a couple of times, and found it very interesting. Both were criminal trials, which I think would be more interesting than civil trials. I've always wanted to sit on a Grand Jury because then they let you ask questions. Now that I work for the state troopers, I'll probably never get seated on a criminal jury again.

A doctor's note should work in most juridictions. If not bring a comfortable cushion because few chairs on the planet are as uncomfortable as the seats designed for jurors in most venues.

During jury selection its always good to remind inquiring attorneys of your health issue and your desire to see insurance companies give away big money. It usually diqualifies you quickly. If we're talking about a criminal action just let folks know that your mindset is that you haven't done anything wrong and your AS makes you suffer every day so you'd love to give someone,,, anyone who's done wrong a healthy dose of pain.