there is a selection process that the lawyers on both sides go thru that they ask questions to eliminate people from going to trials....you just be honest about your medical situation they should disqualify you but you might have to sit thru that period if they even call you to sit thru that....sometimes they do not call everyone to sit in on a trial....they send some of them home....good luck...take a water bottle and meds and even a cell phone...it can be kept in purse....just silence it...if you need help with situation dial 911 and watch the court go crazy..>LOL 8-)

All you need to do is ask to be excused due to medical issues. They won't even question this and it does help to take you meds with you if needed. When I went only half of the potential jurors stayed after explanations that at times were interesting.......

IThanks so much for the advice. I am guessing that every courtroom is different b/c after speaking to someone who has served jury duty thrice AND read the courtroom handbook online, I'm really in trouble here.

So in our court, they PROHIBIT cell phones even in selection. You can NOT bring cell phones with camera or film capability into the courtroom. You cannot bring a bottle of water as no liquid is allowed in our hallowed court room. No food, no water, and despite the fact that Monday is just for being chosen, no cell phones with cameras (again, I ask, which phones do NOT have cameras these days?) No electronics (What harm could a Kindle do?) and after telling us all this, we are charged 50 cents per day for lockers to hold these items if we even attempt to bring them in.

There IS a notation about how we're not allowed to eat in the coffee shop but in the selection waiting room there is juice & coffee. It says if you're on a medical diet or need to eat or drink more often, there IS someone to tell. So that is 1st thing- I MUST have my meds. And I must eat something with them.

I'm praying like crazy that I either get a case that is settled our of court at last minute, or just a short 1-2 day case. My son is 4 & SO good, and can't wait for Christmas out of town at Grandma's with the cousins. But b/c Xmas is on a Wednesday, we're off the 24th and 25th but back the 26th! We'd have to race home after the party in Chicago (4 hour drive) and then I'd be stuck going to trial on the 26th. We have no family here and only work friends, so for my son's sake, if I must serve, may it please be a short trial?

The other odd thing is that normally, about half of the jurors called for Monday are dismissed before arriving. That's what the website is for. But for some reason, not ONE person got dismissed. Very odd. They say to prepare for 2 weeks for a normal trial. That WOULD get me off before Xmas so I HOPE that happens. But if I get one of those crazy ones, it could run for months.

The other weird rule is that any requests for "emergencies" must be given 2 weeks ahead of time. Umm, how do I KNOW if I'm going to have an emergency? And they say right on the website that MOST requests for medical excuses are turned down. My doc told me that they're just vicious when it comes to medical stuff. And if you do get excused one time, they try to get you back ASAP for your 2nd where no excuses are accepted. But since I missed that info I don't have 2 weeks to explain.

The other part that bugs me is that I've always wanted to do this! I turned 45 last month and have never been called. DH is going to be 49 in 11 days and has never been called. Our babysitter who is in her early 20's has served 3 times!

I'm going to be 100% honest as always, and tell each person who asks me questions that I don't think I could do the case justice at this time b/c of my medical worries, and my son who needs me home. I mean, 10/hour for babysitting? I can't afford that, especially at Christmas time. And there's a good chance that I would drop a kidney stone while there as my urologist says that even with the surgery I'm looking at years of passing all the stones.

I agree, Bill, that I should sit through the 1st day, see if I'm called, and if a stone moves, you're right- they're gonna see craziness. But the metal detectors keep the cell phones out, unless I had an old one w/o camera but I barely remember those.

Moon Dancin- I am going to take ALL my meds with me and let them SEE this isn't a joke. And I'll BET the explanations were interesting! I wish I could request to be excused but the way the Jury Handbook for our County reads, it had to be done 2 weeks ago. I DO recall writing on my questionnaire that I was concerned about being able to take my meds on time. And I guess I'll have to find a watch as my cell phone will be in a locker.

My babysitter told me all about her last experience there and how her phone was taken and she had to go through metal detectors like a criminal. You'd think the jury or potential jury would be treated better. I mean, can you tell me that the LAWYERS give up their cell phones and electronics? No way!

THIS is going to be an interesting experience. As long as it doesn't last more than this week I can handle it, but that also includes no stones passing and no RSD flares. A LOT of ifs.

Thanks for the advice guys- I'm really curious what people think and advise about this. But I HOPE that if I explain that when I filled out the questionnaire it was Summer, RSD wasn't so bad, and I've been in ER 3 times for 3 kidney stones just SINCE filling that out.

I certainly will be praying! :)

Geesh that's a heartless system. I've been summoned three or four times but my PM sends an official letter. Travelling an hour or sitting in hardback chairs for hours is just not something I can do. Wonder what would happen if you needed to go to the ER Sunday night or Monday am? How do they deal with that? I hope it goes well for you. One idea crossed my mind is maybe getting a disposable prepaid phone? I doubt those have cameras in them. And if you can get a letter from your doctor about hydration requirements and kidney stones, it might help to at least get them to let you follow dr orders! Btw the courts here (and federal) required my drs letter to have both my juror # and his DEA # to be considered valid. Good luck!

How come no drs letter considering all your medicall needs? If your dr isn't being coorperative on the issue-then let the jury forman know about your health needs and once they hear-they may be able to get you out of this jury.

I am 56 and have never served on jury duty, for the last 26 years I have been exempt. I am still wondering how you can foresee a emergency 2 weeks in advance? Even if your intuition was that good, there would be no proof... ;o)
I think that is a great idea to bring in all your meds, I have a huge bag, you could line them all up on the table and start methodically popping them, that should get a dismissal!
Good luck!

Jen, you can get out of being chosen for a trial by simply answering the attorneys' questions in a manner in which one or the other wants to exclude you from the jury. For instance, you could say "where there's smoke there's fire, so he (she) must be guilty. There has to be a reason he(she) was charged..."

Each attorney gets 5 challenges without cause, so if you appear to have made up your mind before the trial even starts, the defense will challenge you and you go back to the jury pool room. Simple as that.

I've served on 5 juries myself. But I welcomed the chance to be on a jury. The last time I got a juror summons, my doc gave me an excuse written on a prescription blank and signed it. He wrote "Please excuse her for medical reasons. If you need more information, please call my office." No sense being on a jury if all you can pay attention to is how badly you hurt.

Good luck dear.

Wow, that's short notice. The selection process for jury duty here is relatively long. I had ample time to submit a letter from my doctor which I did. I, too, would like to sit on a jury but unrealistic in my case. Good luck.

i hope you are able to get your meds on time and i hope you are able to make it thru this

Try to take a note from your Dr. with you explaining your issues and why you can't sit for a long trial and it should not be a problem.

When I worked as a Paralegal for Personal Injury Lawyer people got out of Jury's with the most stupid excuses.

Go with a real reason and some proof from your Dr. or even a print out list of meds from your pharmacist showing you have to take meds on a regular basis and you really should have no problem being dismissed.

Kat

the option is when they are seating a jury and need to know who to choose you just banter that person and tell them that you could never give a fair judgement because you know that type of person is guilty...LOL

I got out of the only jury I was seated thru the questions of lawyers because the guy was a child molester and I had a tie to the Missouri Miracle Shawn Hornbeck....the guy who held him over two years was someone I know from way back....they tossed me out of that jury pool so fast at the seating of the formal jurors I was just glad to go home...

Well, too late to get a note from the doc as I report at 8am Monday. But doctors' notes are usually not given much weight. As I have learned this weekend, they made an incontinent woman serve, they made several of my doctor's pain patients serve, and as it states on the juror page, MOST requests for dismissal are turned down.

That said, I'm going to be honest with them, and I PRAY they ask if there's any reason I couldn't serve as a juror. I also plan to tell the man in charge of jurors about my special diet for kidney stones, being hydrated at all times and ALL the meds I need to take. I mean, it's getting colder here by the day, so just walking from the parking lot in the cold could set off an RSD flare.

That said, I'm happy to serve a short trial IF it's not at Christmas time. We have the 24th and 25th off but there's no way I could get there the 26th unless we left our Christmas party early and drove the 4.5 hours home.

I'd rather get off the whole thing, but I would be called again. If I can get it done in 1-2 days this week, I MIGHT make it through. But that's a big IF. Still, I feel I should serve, and THAT is what got me into this. They sent the questionnaire when it was hot out! I don't think much about RSD flares until they happened. THEN the kidney stones came. Maybe I should bring all the bills we just got for all the tests and treatment. Even w/ insurance, the amount they charged shocked me!

Thank God we have insurance. And if I get a stone while on a jury, I will not be able to do a thing. I have so many conflicting emotions about this. A short trial might be doable, but I still resent paying a babysitter. Oh well, it's 27 hours away. I guess I should go buy myself a good book as my Kindle isn't even allowed. You know, people wouldn't mind it so much if they didn't make it so damned difficult to amuse yourself during the down time.

I'll let you know what happens Monday!

I hope it goes well for you Jen. If you do sit on a jury and have to leave, they have alternate jurors to take your place.

Let us know how you're doing.

When hubby was disabled, he was called to jury duty. We got a letter from his dr saying that he couldn't serve unless he could have frequent breaks for meds and because he couldn't be sitting for longer than a certain time frame and he couldn't stand for longer than a certain time frame. His dr also wrote his diagnosis, all of his meds and the fact that he needed help getting up, down, walking, standing, he was also in a wheelchair. They excused him without him even having to go to court the first time.

Well, I leave in a half hour. The snow won't make it any easier but I'm going as I have no choice. If asked I will certainly tell them about the RSD and kidney stones, especially as the surgery is already scheduled, but if not asked, I'm in trouble.

I WILL tell whomever is in charge of the potential jurors that I MUST take meds every 4 hours and every 6 hours with a snack and water, AND need water to stay hydrated. I packed up half the bottles of meds- the ones I'll need for RSD and the ones I'll need if I start a stone, so maybe that sight will make an impression. The lockers there are 50 cents so I'm all set to lock up my valuables.

I'm really hoping I can get through this, especially as I've caught my DH's cold/flu and feel crappy. But from what I hear, this court is TOUGH. And it isn't as if I mind serving a day or 2. I'd prefer not to at this point, but that wouldn't be SO bad. I just hate that someone has power over me w/o knowing me. I've always had that problem though.

Wish me luck! :)