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Tom Francis - SWSports

On Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:29:26 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:01:43 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Sat, 6 Dec 2008 23:51:20 -0400, "Don White"
wrote:

For the 2nd time in a couple of years, I received a notice to report for
jury selection.
In my entire working life, I didn't hear a peep from them...and now that my
time is my own...twice.

That's the way it's done down here too - they pick retired types
because it doesn't cost them any money.

A nice warm spot to spend the winter, meeting new friends while being wined,
dined & paid also intrigued me.

You get paid for jury duty?

Kewl.

Maybe they'll come calling again in a couple of years.

Every time I'm called, I show up, tell them I'm disqualified because I
have a son who is in law enforcement and I drive back home.

You would think they would keep track of that wouldn't you?

It's a PIA.

They pay us a few bucks a day here too.

In CT, the employer is bound to pay for the selection process -
meaning that if you are there for a week, you get paid by your
employer. More than that, it's a sliding scale, the State pays a
certain percentage and the employer pays a certain percentage up to
two weeks at which point the State takes over. If you are selected
for a trial, it's a little different - I'm not sure exactly.

So it's in the State's interest to obtain retired citizens as they
don't cost the state that much. Also, there is a large percentage of
unemployed in jury pools or self-employed - costs them less money.

The hitch is this - if you are retired, the State only pays a flat fee
per diem. Get this - it's $$20. And you have to file for it. And,
this is even funnier, secure parking (which is required for our local
Superior Court) costs $12 and it's not a "you are on a jury and exempt
from parking fee" thing - you have to pay the $12. So your net for
the day spent sitting on your tush waiting to be called is $8.

I also heard just recently from one of my friends who was called up
that the State is reluctant to even let go of the $20. She said that
the administrative court told the jury pool that unless you were
totally on Social Security (no other income pension or otherwise),
don't even bother applying.

I was black listed for a while, I think because during selection in a
case of lawyer v. doctor I told them "I think doctors, lawyers and
insurance companies are a financial perpetual motion money machine
that raises the cost of everything we do".
The other jurors were nodding their heads, all the lawyers were
scribbling on their legal pads and I was out of there in time to still
get a sausage McMuffin. They haven't called me since.

Our local Superior Court only handles criminal cases and the very rare
civil case transferred from another court. The chances of me getting
on a criminal jury is exactly zero. While I know I can be fair,
impartial and evaluate only the evidence presented, I have a kid who
is in law enforcement and that automatically disqualifies me in the
eyes of the attorneys.

Also, I used to volunteer as a 911 dispatcher, active FD/EMS
volunteer, worked with the SP dog team occasionally, worked with the
SP dive team, know half the local troopers personally including the CO
and First Sergeant who are neighbors, etc. Two of the troopers are
high school class mates of my son and three of the local cops plus two
additional troopers were elementary school classmates who I coached in
youth baseball and basketball and baseball in high scool.

There is no way in hell I'd ever get on a criminal jury. :)

--

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that
a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes
that it will also make better soup."

H.L. Mencken