• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

I just received a Grand Jury Summons - help.

Status
Not open for further replies.
WeAreStarStuff

WeAreStarStuff

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,223
Washington DC
My fiancée and I purchased a house in Baltimore back in March. Well as luck would have it I just received a Grand Jury Summons in the mail yesterday, and it is insane. It is for four months, Monday-Friday full time the entire duration. Oh, and the pay is $15 a day. I have a full time professional job, and am currently in graduate school. How the hell do they expect anyone to do this? How can I get out of this? It's insane.
 
BWoog

BWoog

Member
Oct 27, 2017
38,264
What if you get put on a Trump case though and can then write a book about your experience that nets you millions?
 
andymcc

andymcc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,272
Columbus, OH
I think if you're a college student, you can typically get out of it. I dunno if it's the same for grand jury, but I got summoned when I was in school and just had to take my schedule to the court house.
 

Deleted member 41520

Banned
Mar 29, 2018
7,078
Holy shit.

In the UK many of my friends get out of this very easily saying they're sick or they have other commitments. (Even work commitments I think.)

NO IDEA how it works in the US.

Best of luck!
 

QuigleyMcShine

Member
Jan 29, 2018
9,388
Doesn't your job have to guarantee your salary for some period of time? Probably not 4 months, but it's something. Not sure about school though.
 
KDR_11k

KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
Are you already included or does this just mean you have to show up for jury selection and most likely won't be chosen?
 

Deleted member 7051

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,254
$15 a day? You've got to be shitting me. Isn't that minimum wage for an hour? How can they expect you to pay your bills on $15 a day if they're taking up your time for four months?
 
kyle mechlachlan

kyle mechlachlan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,288
Are you sure it's 15 bucks a day? Some cursory googling shows it's actually 50 bucks a day, or up to 60. While not great it's still better than 15.
 

Deleted member 41520

Banned
Mar 29, 2018
7,078
Re the pay thing, they MUST match your salary for the period. The $15 must be additional or something?

In the UK they match your salary/earnings for the period, I believe.
 
Ultron

Ultron

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,765
Does it say every day? Googling says that you typically only have to sit one or two days a week for Grand Jury.
 
SpottieO

SpottieO

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,609
You should be able to get out of it because of school but I'm fairly certain your job is legally obligated to keep you employed and pay your salary for the duration of jury duty,
 
Netherscourge

Netherscourge

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,904
WeAreStarStuff said:
My fiancée and I purchased a house in Baltimore back in March. Well as luck would have it I just received a Grand Jury Summons in the mail yesterday, and it is insane. It is for four months, Monday-Friday full time the entire duration. Oh, and the pay is $15 a day. I have a full time professional job, and am currently in graduate school. How the hell do they expect anyone to do this? How can I get out of this? It's insane.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...



EDIT - nevermind. I didn't see the 4-months deal.

Can you file for temp unemployment benefits? 4 months is pretty long.
 
FreezePeach

FreezePeach

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
12,811
The 15$ a day is actually 15 a day. I guess depending on what state you live in there may be employer laws. The systems is fucked up. I had jury duty in FL and basically had to spend over a week without my proper work pay. Was only paid like 100$.

Grand jury i have no idea though. I thought they limited that to specific days. Not every day of the week.
 

Figgles

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
2,568
Have someone from HR write a letter saying you can't do it, because of financial hardship.
 
OP
OP
WeAreStarStuff

WeAreStarStuff

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,223
Washington DC
Torpedo Vegas said:
You sure you're reading that right? When I had to do it it was for four months, but my juror number was only called for a week out of that four month period and even then I only had to show up twice. I got dismissed after after about 45 minutes because I wasn't chosen
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yes I'm sure that I'm reading it correctly. My brother had to do Grand Jury duty in Atlanta, but they only met about once a week for four months. In my summons it specifically mentions that it is every day Monday-Friday for the full four months!


Fistfulofmetal said:
Are you sure it's 15 bucks a day? Some cursory googling shows it's actually 50 bucks a day, or up to 60. While not great it's still better than 15.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The summons says $15 a day.

I have until March 1st to respond..........I kind of just want to act like it was 'lost in the mail.' This is absurd.
 
Br3wnor

Br3wnor

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,982
Netherscourge said:
What does buying a house have to do with your jury summons?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I'd imagine he didn't live in Baltimore prior to buying the house and is now getting a summons as a result of his new domicile.

OP, don't ignore the request. Respond to it and get yourself disqualified. It's super easy to not get picked for any type of jury duty, let alone grand jury duty, and you don't have to be a crazy racist or put on some show, you'll figure it out.

If you pretend you never received it you'll continue to get notices and eventually will be liable to fines and shit. You'll probably have to go a few days but if they don't pick you then there's no jury duty.
 
Detective Loki

Detective Loki

Banned
Nov 30, 2018
2,078
Pull a Larry

"Uh... well, your honor, I believe it would be hard to remain impartial seeing as the defendant is a (insert race)"
 

Deleted member 8752

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
10,122
If you're a student, you should be able to delay service in most jurisdictions. Try seeing if there is a website you can check or number you can call.
 
kyle mechlachlan

kyle mechlachlan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,288
There must be some mistake because I'm literally reading this on their website:

https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/juror-pay

Federal jurors are paid $50 a day. Jurors can receive up to $60 a day after serving 45 days on a grand jury. (Employees of the federal government are paid their regular salary in lieu of this fee.) Jurors also are reimbursed for reasonable transportation expenses and parking fees. Jurors also receive a subsistence allowance covering their meals and lodging if they are required to stay overnight.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
Kewlmyc

Kewlmyc

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
26,687
Just go to the summons and make up a personal bias against the case. You come off as an ass, but it usually works.
 
Puggles

Puggles

Sometimes, it's not a fart
Member
Nov 3, 2017
2,856
It should be really easy to get out of especially if you are in school.
 
Torpedo Vegas

Torpedo Vegas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
22,598
Parts Unknown.
WeAreStarStuff said:
Yes I'm sure that I'm reading it correctly. My brother had to do Grand Jury duty in Atlanta, but they only met about once a week for four months. In my summons it specifically mentions that it is every day Monday-Friday for the full four months!



The summons says $15 a day.

I have until March 1st to respond..........I kind of just want to act like it was 'lost in the mail.' This is absurd.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
That's interesting. I had a number to call every night and it was a recording that said something like "Juror number 430-460 report for tomorrow." My number was in the 500s so i didn't have to go that day. Granted this was 10 or 12 years ago now.
 
Aureon

Aureon

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,819
Worst comes to worst, pull your best "It's not that i'm a racist, it's them that are n*" or something.
But i'm pretty sure it's not everyday, it's not for four months (Investigation\case may be that long, doesn't mean you get called every day) and your job probably pays you while it's being done.

Bring your schedule since you're in grad school, that's probably enough.
 
Sulik2

Sulik2

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,168
On the flip side you live in baltimore, you could be on the jury to help arrest Trump and the GOP leadership in a massive RICO case. But holy crap 4 months is insane.
 
Bear

Bear

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,864
Yikes, a colleague at my job was called to a Grand Jury and there's literally nothing you can do to get out of it. She's super well connected and they all said there's nothing you can do but go.
 
OP
OP
WeAreStarStuff

WeAreStarStuff

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,223
Washington DC
Fistfulofmetal said:
There must be some mistake because I'm literally reading this on their website:

https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/juror-pay
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The document says $15. I can look at it again when I get home; maybe it's not federal?

This website states:
https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/circuit/jury_duty_faq/service_faq.html
Jurors are paid $15 per day, plus validated parking for designated County garages. If you are impaneled on a petit jury for more than five days, starting on the sixth day, your juror payment will increase to $50 per day. Maryland law does not state that your employer has to pay you while you serve as a juror; however, the court will provide you with certification of attendance.

^So it looks like the $50 is for petit jury, not grand.
 
Cherubae

Cherubae

Member
Oct 31, 2017
195
Beaverton, Oregon, USA
WeAreStarStuff said:
I have until March 1st to respond..........I kind of just want to act like it was 'lost in the mail.' This is absurd.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Oh you probably don't want to do that.

Grand Jury typically isn't every day. The term here was only a month, and I would call in to see if I was needed at the courthouse the next day. On the days I was needed sometimes I would hear a single case and go home, and other days there would be three or four cases. All of it was more interesting than anything I'd see on a jury trial.

It's up to the judge to determine if your situation warrants removal from grand jury duty. There were people who were able to get out of it during the random selection by standing up and explaining why it would be a financial inconvenience.
 
TrailerParkRanger

TrailerParkRanger

Banned
Dec 24, 2017
2,399
The few times I've had to litigate in court and have been present at jury selection, we know, and especially the judge knows, who is trying to fuck around with jury duty. If you are honest about your issues with serving on a jury, just present them, like an adult when you are asked if there is anything that would prevent your service. Be honest. Also, unless you hang out at court a lot you may not know the personal disposition of your judge, some of them are severe individuals. I have seen more than one person get a contempt fine, and once 48 hours in jail for stupid reasons to get out of jury duty.
 
chuckddd

chuckddd

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,077
They'll usually let you delay serving if you're a full time student, but it doesn't sound like you are. Time to do your civic duty.
 
Komo

Komo

Info Analyst
Verified
Jan 3, 2019
7,110
Is this legal being paid less then livable wages as a Jurer?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.