Because I have no money except to go to work. I'm broke. I didn't get any holiday pay at all. I had to miss several hours of work for a job that won't pay me until Friday and the jury duty is on Thursday. The place is 7 miles away from me. There's no public transportation going from my town to the town I have to do jury duty at. The closest place to get the bus would be at Walmart and it's either a 5 mile walk(in freezing cold, which I can't do, I have a terrible persistent cough and I have had it for 3 weeks, I should go to the doctor.) Or I could take a cab and pay about 20 dollars. PlusI can't afford to miss any more work as my rent could increase. WHAT DO I DO? I don't want to be fined or arrested! I've called them several times. I simply cannot afford to go. Could I write them a letter or something?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
What happens when you call?
Aren't you allowed a certain number of waivers for jury duty?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I already postponed it two times. So when I call and explain that I do not have enough money to skin a flea they say, sorry, can't help you.
It's really hard to get to this town without a car. There's either- Taking a cab, which costs like 20-30 dollars Taking a cab to walmart and then taking the bus. 15-20 dollars, plus 1 dollar for the bus. Walking in the cold. Which will take 5 hours, and I will cough to death.
I don't want a criminal record Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
They don't have hardship waivers?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I don't know, but repeatedly I have called these folks to explain that, other than money to get to work and buy food I have no money. They said I can get a reimbursement, but when you do not have 20 dollars to spend on a cab (and the nice cab driver who would have let me paid when I have money has gone out of business) well... it will be kind of impossible.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
The one time I was given jury duty I got out of it because there was a family vacation to the beach planned for that week (already had the house rented and everything). All I had to do was write a letter to the court. I would actually be interested on serving in a jury, but I haven't gotten jury duty since then.
Posted by Raventhief (Member # 9002) on :
Can any friend give you a ride? Even one way will reduce your costs.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Can't you go once for an interview say your very excited and can't wait to hang someone and say you have a knack for telling if someone is guilty regardless of the evidence? Your gut tells you so?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
No, my neighbor downstairs helps me all the time. This is way too inconvenient for her and out of her way. And I do not have other friends who can drive me there...
Well, if I can get there I could do that or say, I am very educated and I am learning Japanese and they'll say, you're too smart, go away. Which would be cool.
Or I could pretend to be racist against everyone.
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
I think that to get out of it you have to go to at least the first day. When I had jury duty last year most of the waivers were given out at that time (if allowed) except for people accidentally called up who had already served in the past year. Even then, most waivers are only for your current term, you'll likely be recalled unless you have a health issue that prevents you from serving.
Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
Ironically, it seems easier to get out of jury duty if you actually have money.
The one time I was called to jury duty I got out of it because I was breastfeeding...probably wont' work for you.
I find that letters work better than phone calls. The first-level people on those phones are there to try to impede you. If you don't know the right buzz words to get through...have you actually used the words "hardship waiver?" Don't play around with details. Tell them you don't have $20 in your bank account to catch a cab so reimbursement won't help. And write it in a letter and send it off today.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Syn, you really need to read the jury duty info they send you way back when they notify you:
Bok, Does synesthesia live in MA? Every state has different procedures for jury duty.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
IIRC, Syn lives in Boston.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Yes, she lives in the Boston area. I've met her
-Bok
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
I am the primary care giver of a child under ten and so I just check that box off and send it back in. My husband had no excuse and he had to do it. The nice thing was that he got to sleep in an extra hour. He was hoping to be selected for the jury so he could enjoy that hour a few more days. Of course, he gets paid for jury duty.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R: IIRC, Syn lives in Boston.
Well, near Boston. It would actually be easier for me to go to Boston than several miles from my house. OK. I shall write them a letter today and mail it tomorrow and see what happens. I will tell them I CANNOT do jury duty due to brokeness and I have already postponed two times and I will ask them if I can do another date in the future so please do not arrest me.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Or ask if you could do your jury duty at a more easily reached courthouse.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
If I were you, and I was supposed to be there on Thursday, I'd also make sure I got someone on the phone who could make a record of why I was not going to be able to make it on Thursday.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I did Jury Duty in Arkansas one summer and was paid somewhere around 60 dollars a day, which was roughly what I was making at my regular job.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: Or ask if you could do your jury duty at a more easily reached courthouse.
Problem is all of the alternative places are even harder for me to get to.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia:
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: Or ask if you could do your jury duty at a more easily reached courthouse.
Problem is all of the alternative places are even harder for me to get to.
Really? What county are you in, Syn?
-Bok
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Plymouth.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
FTR, not having a car is a good excuse for not attending jury duty.
Brokeness is not.
I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be sitting in the courtroom during the selection process and watching people trying to get out of jury duty because they have to work. Um, the rest of us have jobs, too. And families to support. And bills to pay and food to buy, and the rest of us have to take a hit in our budgets and suffer in order to do our civic duty. If we didn't, juries would be dangerously homogeneous.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
But suppose a person needs money to actually get to the courthouse? Right now I have 25 dollars to get me through the week until Friday. At least 15-22 of that has to go towards getting to work, the rest towards food. I'd totally go to jury duty if I had the cab fare because as I said before, I can't walk 7 miles to the courthouse because I will cough very hard and stuff. I will try to do my civic duty when I have the cabfare to go... you really can't go if you have no cab fare or no ride ><
quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: FTR, not having a car is a good excuse for not attending jury duty.
Brokeness is not.
I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be sitting in the courtroom during the selection process and watching people trying to get out of jury duty because they have to work. Um, the rest of us have jobs, too. And families to support. And bills to pay and food to buy, and the rest of us have to take a hit in our budgets and suffer in order to do our civic duty. If we didn't, juries would be dangerously homogeneous.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Sometimes being broke is a good excuse, though. There's a big difference between a hit in the budget and *literally* scraping pennies together to buy food.
Posted by just_me (Member # 3302) on :
Do you have any friends around? Borrow 20 bucks off one and pay them back when you get reimbursed.
Frankly, not having money is a lame excuse for not doing jury duty - and if I was on the other side of the phone I wouldn't be very sympathetic either. It's also hard for people to believe - spending $20 you'll get back isn't too much to ask, really.
Have you tried going to www.MassJury.com and going through the system to apply for a hardship transfer? It may be too late, though...
Did you ask them how long reimbursement takes? Ask them if there is a way to get it same-day or something and explain why - you have no car and need to take a cab. Focus on the "have no car" part, though, not on the money part.
Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
quote:Originally posted by just_me: Do you have any friends around? Borrow 20 bucks off one and pay them back when you get reimbursed.
Frankly, not having money is a lame excuse for not doing jury duty - and if I was on the other side of the phone I wouldn't be very sympathetic either. It's also hard for people to believe - spending $20 you'll get back isn't too much to ask, really.
Are you kidding? You must not have read the part where Syn said he literally had $25 dollars for the rest of the week.
Syn, if you really do not have any other alternative, you can always just hope your number doesn't get called. I think you can look on the sheet they sent and see if you have a high or low number. My mom for some reason gets jury duty a lot but her number isn't called frequently.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I'd be happy to send you $20 for cab fare, actually. Do you have PayPal?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Well, I do, but I can't yoink up your money, dude...
Though that is so nice of you to offer....
[ December 07, 2009, 09:19 PM: Message edited by: Synesthesia ]
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Good luck. Here in California, they don't have much mercy.
I had to go to jury duty at the end of August, this year. When they asked if anyone had a hardship that they couldn't serve, I said...truthfully, I might add...that I am self-employed and that if I don't do the work, it doesn't get done, and if I don't get my work done (I have a daily deadline, as I write for some websites in the UK), I don't get paid.
The judge asked me if I would become homeless as an immediate result of losing that week's pay, and when I said no, then he said it didn't qualify as a hardship, and I ended up spending the whole week on the jury.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I had a warrant issued for my arrest for not showing up to jury duty.
I had a really good excuse - I never got the notices because I lived in a different state at the time - I had moved. The sheriff's deputy came to my parents door and told them they were there to serve a warrant for failure to appear for jury duty. When they explained I had moved and had not lived in the state for over six months - they gave them a number to call and all was well.
However, every time I've had to have a background check for a job I've worried that might still be out there somewhere. Luckily, it appears it was indeed removed from my record.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Hmmm... to my dismay I probably WOULD have a lot of trouble paying rent if I missed a week of work... Plus I got to also pay 100 dollars of back rent >< grah....
Next year I think I'll have more money by the end of the year. *Resolved*
I think my paypal is the same as my email address but I do not remember which one I use here.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I want to adopt in the future... I don't want to have a record, sine I don't have one...
Too bad there's not a court right in my town ><
This town needs public transportation badly.
quote:Originally posted by Belle: I had a warrant issued for my arrest for not showing up to jury duty.
I had a really good excuse - I never got the notices because I lived in a different state at the time - I had moved. The sheriff's deputy came to my parents door and told them they were there to serve a warrant for failure to appear for jury duty. When they explained I had moved and had not lived in the state for over six months - they gave them a number to call and all was well.
However, every time I've had to have a background check for a job I've worried that might still be out there somewhere. Luckily, it appears it was indeed removed from my record.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Because I have no money except to go to work. I'm broke. I didn't get any holiday pay at all. I had to miss several hours of work for a job that won't pay me until Friday and the jury duty is on Thursday. The place is 7 miles away from me. There's no public transportation going from my town to the town I have to do jury duty at. The closest place to get the bus would be at Walmart and it's either a 5 mile walk(in freezing cold, which I can't do, I have a terrible persistent cough and I have had it for 3 weeks, I should go to the doctor.) Or I could take a cab and pay about 20 dollars. PlusI can't afford to miss any more work as my rent could increase. WHAT DO I DO? I don't want to be fined or arrested! I've called them several times. I simply cannot afford to go. Could I write them a letter or something?
Get an emergency appointment with the doctor, hack and cough on her, and then call the court house to explain you're sick, and the next time you go, give them a doctor's note. If you're sick, you simply shouldn't be going- it's their business to prosecute you if you don't show up, which they won't do if you can defend yourself.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
hmmm I actually am rather sick with this cough. It's been a really hard sort of hacking cough that makes me choke and stuff... But I still go to work, I just don't cough on people or clothes and wash my hands and stuff afterwards. But, yes, this cough is BAD. I must get it checked by a doctor soon.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Hmmm... to my dismay I probably WOULD have a lot of trouble paying rent if I missed a week of work...
Well, the topping on the cake is that about two weeks after I finished jury duty, I got my billable work hours cut back by 40 percent, to the point where I'm having to suck down my savings account to pay the bills because what I get paid isn't that much anyway and I haven't been able to find supplemental work. Wonderful economy we've got, and it just rubs it in that I write finance news.
So, probably by about the end of February, if I don't find some other work, I'll be broke. My best friend said I could move in with her if worst comes to worst, but I don't want to do that because I know how much she loves living alone.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by littlemissattitude: Good luck. Here in California, they don't have much mercy.
Hmm, my one and only summons came the week before I moved out of the country. I had my parents send it in with something like "addressee no longer residing at this address." Never heard anything about it after that- hope there isn't a bench warrant out for my arrest in California...
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Yeah, I'd be a terrible person to live with. Even a husband would would to have his own house if he lived with me for 5 seconds. I hope you can find something and get a better job. After this job is over I will try my hand at temporary jobs again. On call jobs. Good luck! If all else fails, we could start a mafia...
quote:Originally posted by littlemissattitude:
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Hmmm... to my dismay I probably WOULD have a lot of trouble paying rent if I missed a week of work...
Well, the topping on the cake is that about two weeks after I finished jury duty, I got my billable work hours cut back by 40 percent, to the point where I'm having to suck down my savings account to pay the bills because what I get paid isn't that much anyway and I haven't been able to find supplemental work. Wonderful economy we've got, and it just rubs it in that I write finance news.
So, probably by about the end of February, if I don't find some other work, I'll be broke. My best friend said I could move in with her if worst comes to worst, but I don't want to do that because I know how much she loves living alone.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by littlemissattitude: The judge asked me if I would become homeless as an immediate result of losing that week's pay, and when I said no, then he said it didn't qualify as a hardship, and I ended up spending the whole week on the jury.
Yikes. I think that's an unusual attitude from the judge, even in California!
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Freakin' tinpot dictator. Sets my teeth on edge to hear of someone abusing their power over the effectively-helpless that way.
Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :
Did someone say they got $60 for a day of jury duty? I think I got $13, plus $5 travel reimbursement. Fortunately at the time I had a good job and could spare the day, but it really upset me to think about people who weren't so fortunate.
Posted by Shmuel (Member # 7586) on :
Massachusetts is pretty firmly committed to the principle that everybody gets jury duty, no matter who they are. Though the flipside is that unless you're assigned to a jury, you only have to be there one day. (The day I went, Senator Kerry was serving his second day on a jury.)
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
What's the procedure if a person is being financially ruined by jury service, for instance in the case of a long trial? I mean, imagine if you couldn't pay a mortgage or tuition for your kids or buy food? $13 doesn't buy food for a family, or much of anything.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
$50 bucks a day is the current rate for jurors, though for the first 3 days, your employer (whether you are full-time, part-time, or contract) is obligated by law to pay you your lost wages for those days.
-Bok
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
quote:Originally posted by Orincoro: What's the procedure if a person is being financially ruined by jury service, for instance in the case of a long trial? I mean, imagine if you couldn't pay a mortgage or tuition for your kids or buy food? $13 doesn't buy food for a family, or much of anything.
The last jury I served on was in Arizona and it was a week-long trial, and they asked us before we were selected if we could afford to be there a whole week. I do think there is a difference between serving on a short trial and serving on one that's going to take a huge chunk out of your budget.
quote: Originally posted by Synesthesia: But suppose a person needs money to actually get to the courthouse? Right now I have 25 dollars to get me through the week until Friday. At least 15-22 of that has to go towards getting to work, the rest towards food. I'd totally go to jury duty if I had the cab fare because as I said before, I can't walk 7 miles to the courthouse because I will cough very hard and stuff.
I did say that not having a car is a good excuse.
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bokonon: $50 bucks a day is the current rate for jurors, though for the first 3 days, your employer (whether you are full-time, part-time, or contract) is obligated by law to pay you your lost wages for those days.
-Bok
That must be where you live. Here in SC, there is no legal requirement for employers to pay you for jury duty and you get paid $5 per day. I also had to go every day not just the first day.
Syn, I know you're really hung up on the no money part, when I was broke I was too. But you need to make sure that you are focusing on the reason that will get you excused. If Massachusetts allows a hardship excuse if you have no car and no other means of transportation, that's what you need to focus on when explaining that you can't go. Lots of people can't afford to miss work for jury duty so they hear that all the time, and it's not considered an acceptable reason for not serving. Check your state or local government website to determine what you need to do regarding hardship excuses for jury duty. There is probably a form or other procedure to follow aside from just calling in.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fyfe: Did someone say they got $60 for a day of jury duty? I think I got $13, plus $5 travel reimbursement. Fortunately at the time I had a good job and could spare the day, but it really upset me to think about people who weren't so fortunate.
To be fair, I might be remembering it poorly. It might have been $60 for at least two days. It was a while ago.
Syn, could you try talking to your landlord to see if they can give you a bit of a break on rent, if you're going to be down from usual by doing Jury Duty? If not, ask them to put it in writing when you try for the hardship waiver.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I did mail a postcard today I found to the jury folks. Not sure what will happen. And thanks, scifibum!
Posted by just_me (Member # 3302) on :
quote:Originally posted by andi330: Check your state or local government website to determine what you need to do regarding hardship excuses for jury duty. There is probably a form or other procedure to follow aside from just calling in.
Mass lets you apply for a hardship excuse online: www.MassJury.com Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
That link isn't very specific....the link I posted goes right to the actual beginning of the forms you need to file.
Good luck...you will have to do this someday, Syn....it's part of being a citizen, and it's not the state's fault you have financial difficulties, or transportation issues.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
I meant to click on the stupidest website ever thread. I clicked on Kwea's link before reading the rest of the post and sat there going, how is this the stupidest website ever? Then I read the thread title and the rest of the post and it all made sense.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
*aware of this...*
I sure do hope I can do my civil duty and be financially stable.
That link isn't very specific....the link I posted goes right to the actual beginning of the forms you need to file.
Good luck...you will have to do this someday, Syn....it's part of being a citizen, and it's not the state's fault you have financial difficulties, or transportation issues.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fyfe: Did someone say they got $60 for a day of jury duty? I think I got $13, plus $5 travel reimbursement. Fortunately at the time I had a good job and could spare the day, but it really upset me to think about people who weren't so fortunate.
In my county in California, the pay is $15 per day after the first day (which I think might be $5 for that), plus mileage one-way and free parking. The hang-up on the parking is that the free lot is several blocks from the courthouses (yes, they've got one for criminal and one for civil), and you have to ride a trolley to and from the courthouses.
And Rivka...I doubt that the judge's position in my case is an uncommon attitude here in my county. This part of California is very conservative.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Yeah, I'd be a terrible person to live with. Even a husband would would to have his own house if he lived with me for 5 seconds. I hope you can find something and get a better job. After this job is over I will try my hand at temporary jobs again. On call jobs. Good luck! If all else fails, we could start a mafia...
Thanks for the thought. I really like my job, and I'm hoping that the cutback in hours is only temporary. Unfortunately, I'm not too hopeful about finding other work...it's still nasty around here in that way.
The semester is almost over, but I do tutoring, and I live right across the street from the local State University campus, so maybe I'll pick up some tutoring...if anyone can afford it after all the rate hikes.
See, that's the one thing I really hate about my job...I have to follow what the economy is doing and so I'm right up to date on how crappy it still is.
And, oops, this is probably a double post. Sorry.
Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
Any developments?
Posted by Dante (Member # 1106) on :
Being an anarchist has its down sides, but one advantage is that I never have to worry about jury duty. Once they hear, "I'm sorry, I don't recognize the right of this court to pass sentence on anyone," they let you go pretty quickly.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Well, I rescheduled it for next week. The big problem is my hours have been DRASTICALLY cut. So I need every bit of money I can get my hands on. I sent the note last week, but I haven't heard anything in response. I am not sure what to do. I also have to apply for food stamps as well as I only worked two days this week and they only gave me five hours for next week... So, yeah, that is quite bad... And there's the cough too...
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)