Search results for

#JuryDuty

#1 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/03/2006

I got a letter in the mail from the federal government that has me a bit bummed out. I have been selected to do jury duty in federal court.

I have been nailed for #JuryDuty at least a half dozen times in the past 20 years and I know a lot of people who have never been stuck with it once. The first couple times weren’t so bad until I realized our legal system is such a total sham.

By the time the judge decides what is and isn’t ‘admissible’ he or she has pretty well decided the case for you —— which I think is the idea from the beginning.

MjL

#2 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/30/2006

Jury Duty


#JuryDuty

/curmudgeon/200611301.php

#3 Click this link to see Curmudgeon page --> 11/30/2006

You’ve probably already read my rant about #JuryDuty. At least the Federal Court has a web site and an 800 phone line to call to see if there are any trials scheduled.

Always before I have had to spend a morning at the courthouse in Pekin waiting to see if they needed anybody. I’ve only been on one trial in court, but I have been through the selection process many times.

I pretty much know how to glare at the judge and lawyers so they won’t pick me. You have to be careful though because the judge can throw you in the can if you glare at him/her too much.

MjL

#4 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/07/2006

I was lucky this week —— I didn’t have to do #JuryDuty. I checked again yesterday as I am supposed to do every Wednesday and they tell me there is a jury trial scheduled for next Monday and I am supposed to check in again Friday to see if they need me.

I hope they settle it out of court. I don’t want to drive to Peoria and listen to a bunch of lawyers. I really hope they shut down early for Christmas and I get a short month of this.

MjL

#5 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/09/2006

It would appear some of my luck ran out on the #JuryDuty. My number came up and I am supposed to be at the Peoria Federal Court on Monday morning or be prepared to go to jail. I guess now I will just have to hope they think I am too grouchy be a juror.

MjL

#6 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/09/2006

Hi Tammy —— the last comment I show from you was on December first about all the snow and I posted it.

I am working on some changes for the New Year and one of those is how I do the pictures. It was too haphazard and I was choosing pictures that had been posted before and had to redo it, etc.

I am hoping to post the pictures less often than every day —— but I hope to put a whole bunch up at a time. I just have to figure out how I want to do it! Be patient and I will get them started. Snow shoveling and now this #JuryDuty thing are cutting into my precious Blog time!

MjL

#7 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/10/2006

I slept in this morning so it’s a late start on the Blog. Since I will be off to #JuryDuty tomorrow I don’t know how much Blogging I will get done tomorrow either.

MjL

#8 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/11/2006

I know today’s entries will be shorter than usual because I have that STUPID #JuryDuty thing and I’m already running behind.

Hopefully (he says with fingers crossed) the case will be settled out of court or I won’t get picked. You know I will complain later about whatever happens.

MjL

#9 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/11/2006

#Memories #JuryDuty
The judge excused me from jury duty. I had written on my jury information sheet that I had been arrested for Criminal Trespass. He and the lawyers called me up to a private “side bar” and asked me questions about this.

This also led to me describing how I had gotten fired for union activities as well as the federal ULP charges, etc.

They wanted to know if that would influence my ability to participate in a trial and I told them I didn’t have much faith in the federal government or lawyers after the way I had been treated.

I guess they decided they didn’t want me after that and I was excused. I have to say it did NOT hurt my feelings.

MjL

#10 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/13/2006

Here is an example of the lunacy that “zero tolerance” perpetuates upon our society when a photograph of a weapon is treated with the same severity as a real weapon.

It also highlights that “zero tolerance” only applies to certain people. I was reminded of this during the break at my recent #JuryDuty experience. The jurors were told time and again that we absolutely could not have any PDA devices or cell telephones.

During the break —— the attorneys and court employees all pulled out their PDAs and cell phones.

I guess those darn jurors can’t be trusted with anything except deciding whether or not to send somebody to jail?

The student in this article will be eligible to go die in Iraq soon after he graduates —— and will presumably be holding a weapon if he does so. So it is OK to send young people to die in Iraq but not acceptable to have a picture of a sword in their yearbook?

MjL

#11 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/15/2006

That sigh of relief you just heard was me! I just checked the federal court web site and there are no jury trials for next week and I am off the hook for another week.

When I checked last Wednesday it said there were two trials and to check back today. They were evidently settled out of court.

I don’t think I would have as much trouble with #JuryDuty if jurors were allowed to make decisions based solely on their interpretation of the law and their own conscience. What makes it really hard is the judge inevitably determines what is admissible and how it is to be interpreted to the point of almost making the verdict for you.

And then there are those several jurors who will always believe the defendant wouldn’t have been arrested or indicted if he/she wasn’t guilty of something. All in all I would just rather avoid the entire charade.

MjL

#12 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/08/2009

Jury Duty —— Again?


#JuryDuty

/curmudgeon/200906081.php

#13 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/20/2009

Poor Ben —— we had to make an appointment to see about getting his wisdom teeth pulled this summer. The two earliest appointments available are his birthday and during the week I have to do #JuryDuty.

So Ben is going to the oral surgeon’s office on his birthday. Bummer!

They won’t be doing anything nasty to him (yet) —— just a “consultation” so they can charge more money for looking in his mouth and doing nothing. But you have to pay that fee to the Dental Mafia before they will actually do the work.

Aaron’s were pulled two years ago and it cost us about $1,200 (after insurance) so Ben’s will be at least that or more. What a racket? $2,500 for 20 minutes work?

MjL

#14 Click this link to see Curmudgeon page --> 06/20/2009

Curmudgeon

Dental Mafia

Poor Ben —— we had to make an appointment to see about getting his wisdom teeth pulled this summer. The two earliest appointments available are his birthday and during the week I have to do #JuryDuty. So Ben is going to the oral surgeon’s office on his birthday. Bummer! They won’t be doing anything nasty to him (yet) —— just a “consultation” so they can charge more money for looking in his mouth and doing nothing. But you have to pay that fee to the Dental Mafia before they will actually do the work. Aaron’s were pulled two years ago and it cost us about $1,200 (after insurance) so Ben’s will be at least that or more. What a racket? $2,500 for 20 minutes work?

MjL

#15 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/23/2009

In a couple weeks I will be on #JuryDuty and the closer I get to this unsavory event the more inclined I am to rant about it. I resist because even the faintest chance that I should have a judge read my thoughts is not worth a “contempt of court” charge. I have often considered “getting sick” to avoid the whole farce but I guess that’s not right either. Yes I am conflicted.

MjL

#16 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/30/2009

How To NOT Get Picked For Jury Duty


#JuryDuty

/curmudgeon/200906301.php

#17 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/04/2009

I have good news! At least for me it is. I don’t have #JuryDuty next week! They have a phone number to call for jury instructions and the recorded lady voice says they don’t need us for the week of July 6th.

So I (probably) don’t have to worry about Contempt of Court charges as a possible outcome next week. I even called again this morning just to smile when I heard the lady say it again.

MjL

#18 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/06/2009

I thought this was appropriate for my first day of #JuryDuty —— fortunately that got cancelled! But the sentiment remains ——

MjL

#19 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/06/2010

Tracey was not happy to find out she has received a summons for #JuryDuty. She has to fill out all the forms and mail them back in. She is supposed to start July 6th, a month from today, so that’s when you want to go to court if you want her on your jury!

MjL

#20 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/06/2010

I was doing the “This Day in History” when I looked back to June 8th of last year I had received a summons for #JuryDuty to serve the first week of July, 2009. Evidently our family is responsible to serve the duty every year on that week? Mine got canceled last year so lets hope Tracey’s will get canceled this year!

MjL

#21 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/01/2010

I was up briefly at four o’clock this morning to see Tracey off to work. Her schedule is brutal now that she is back from vacation. That and having to trade time to look after me.

She got home about 9:30 last night and back at again early this morning. She works a double again tomorrow. It will be even worse if she has to do #JuryDuty next week. When it rains it pours!

MjL

#22 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/04/2010

Tracey has been worrying about having #JuryDuty for the past month or so. She called the phone number yesterday to find out if she has to report Tuesday as summoned and found out There Is NO Jury Duty next week! She was very happy to hear that! She was going to have to end up doing jury all day then working at the clinic all evening; now she only has to work twelve hours a day at the clinic.

MjL

#23 Click this link to see Blog page --> 01/27/2011

Ben received a summons in the mail for #JuryDuty a few days ago. He filled out all the blanks on the form and requested he be excused because he didn’t want to miss any classes at ICC. He got his reply in the mail yesterday. He is excused from jury duty. Ben is pretty happy about that. I don’t think he was very interested in the process at all. He said, “I don’t think I owe them any civic duty anyway.” I tend to agree with him.

MjL

#24 Click this link to see Blog page --> 09/15/2011

Aaron & Noah got summoned for #JuryDuty. Aaron filled his out requesting he be excused. I called the court clerk and was told to return Noah’s unopened summons. Will do. Unless you want to move back to Illinois real quick Noah?

MjL

#25 Click this link to see Blog page --> 05/18/2021

Tracey had #JuryDuty yesterday so she spent today catching up on all the work she missed. She will get $10 from the county but will otherwise lose a day’s pay so the police state could coerce her services.

There were three court cases —— one got continued and two settled out of court. She was dismissed from further “duty” and loss of pay.

The wheels of injustice grind slowly.

MjL

#26 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/12/2021

Tracey got a check from Tazewell County in payment for her #JuryDuty. I tried to deposit it with the phone app but the check size is so large the camera won’t focus properly and the app won’t accept it. Modern technology foiled by bigger is better mentality.

MjL

#27 Click this link to see Cartoons page --> 05/09/2022 #36

Yes. #JuryDuty sucks.
Embarrassing awakening to what really goes on in a courtroom.

MjL

#28 Click this link to see Twitter Roundup page --> 12/28/2023 #10

I refused to ever give a reason except for bereavement or #JuryDuty because it was in the contract to get paid for it. #NOYFB

MjL