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Date: | Thu, 23 May 1996 14:50:26 -0400 |
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It has been my experience that the judges make the final decision about who
is excused from jury duty. Here in California any person who has sole
caretaking responsibilities for a preschool age child or a needy adult can be
excused by mail. I put off jury duty for the past ten years using this
"excuse".
I just went through the jury duty process. They were selecting juries for
many different cases including the Richard Allen Davis/Polly Klaas trial. I
was concerned how to get out of my civic duty, especially if it meant a
sequestered jury! Alas, I waited all day to be interviewed in a alleged
prostitution case involving police entrapment and five lap dancers from the
Kit Kat Klub. The questions posed to the prospective jurors were awful: how
do you feel about legalized prostitution? have you ever engaged in
prostitution? do you know anyone who has? do you watch x-rated movies? do
you own any x-rated movies? do you read any x-rated material?.... People
were excused for a variety of reasons. A woman had a mother with cancer who
might take a turn for the worse and need her at any minute. A
commission-only car salesman didn't want to miss the annual Blowout
SuperSALE. A woman's five year old was having a Barney Birthday Party and
the invitations were already sent out. A man scheduled a vacation for the
next week and wanted to repaint his house, not sit on a jury. A pregnant
woman worried about her swollen ankles and if she could elevate them during
the trial. All those people were excused with a thank you and were told they
had fulfilled their responsibility for the next three years.
I don't think a mother caring for a toddler, nursing or not, would be asked
to serve.
Elizabeth
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