That's Life 1-9-09
Issue of Jan. 9, 2009 / 13 Teves 5769
Dear That’s Life,
People generally have the same reaction to receiving a notice for jury duty. That reaction does not tend to include pride in being able to serve one’s country or a sense of honor at being part of the judicial system. Instead, like a feeling of impending doom, second only to emergency root canal, jury duty is met with frustration, annoyance, anger and some kind of pain.
And just like life’s other inevitabilities, when it’s your time, it’s your time.
You might postpone service as a juror and reporting to the court –– that works once or maybe even twice. You send in your request for a postponement and the court decides whether or not it’s valid. But the government is pretty persistent and in this case, really reliable. One way or another, they’re gonna find you...there gonna get ya, get ya, get ya...
After finding out that I had to report to the federal courthouse in Central Islip this week, I had let a number of people know that I had received a jury summons.
The following is a list of some of the suggestions I was offered to get myself disqualified from the jury panel — some are funny or somewhat creative — and some of the general comments I heard along the way:
- Just tell them you’re an anti-Semite
- Make sure they know your husband is a lawyer — they hate lawyers
- Pretend like you know one of the attorneys on the case — I’m sure they’re Jewish
- Pretend like you know one of the parties being named in the case — I’m sure they’re Jewish
- Tell them you have vacation plans — then quickly go buy tickets during your lunch break
- Show them a picture of your kids
- This is exactly why I won’t register to vote — now they can’t find me
- Oh! I feel so bad for you
- Tell them you’re a Communist
- Better you than me (Note: I also heard this one a lot after people found out I had given birth to twins)
C’est la vie. Just call me Juror #6.
MLW
