Jury Duty Exemption for SAHM?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-07-2004
Jury Duty Exemption for SAHM?
11
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 3:59pm
Lucky me, I received that jury duty qualification questionnaire while on vacation last month. The one they send prior to calling you in for actual duty. Yep, second time in two years or so. I have no objections to serving ... but I'm wondering if I qualify for that "extreme inconvenience" exemption that they mention on the back of the form ... and if so, how do I go about asking for one? The only exemptions noted on the actual qualifying form itself were for persons 1) Over 70 2) Who had previously served on a grand or petit jury within in the last two years or 3) Civil servants in the volunteer fire department, firemen, policemen ...

The first time I was called, I was within two weeks of my due date with #2 and I was staying at home with my daughter ... we are out-of-state from family and friends and other support and don't have good babysitter connections, let alone for during business/school hours! We called someone ... some number on the form and they excused me. But it was pretty touch and go until we reached the right person. Not like anyone would have put a 38 wk pregnant woman on a jury anyway (at least I don't think they would!! LOL) I don't remember how we pulled it off now!! This new form says something about not being able to call for an excuse ... what?!

This time, I'm not pregnant ... but I am my children's (4.5 yrs & 2 yrs) sole caregiver during working hours, not to mention dd's transport to preschool. My DH works in an extremely demanding and stressful job ... he MIGHT be able to work from home, but it would REALLY be a stretch. I have a neighbor-mom that is very cool ... but she homeschools and I just can't imagine asking her to watch my two in addition to her own three while she is trying to teach them. My 2 yr old is great, but he's a handful. It's the kind of imposition that I'd only consider in an emergency. As a last resort, my parents MIGHT be able to drop everything and drive seven hours and stay (indefinitely if I get picked?) until I am done ....

And even if I *could* locate the perfect, available daytime sitter ... at seven or eight bucks an hour ... that seems like an unfair imposition on the houshold budget. Can't they call someone else until the kids get a little older or my circumstances change? LOL!

Am I being a silly cow for thinking I should be exempt? I know jury duty is inconvenient for *everyone* ...

Help! Anyone have an experience with this issue? Any tips? Ideas?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-1998
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 4:57pm
You may be able to get a deferral depending on your state.

here is a link from a county in my state

http://www.libertyco.com/jury_service_information.htm#Deferrals%20and%20Excusals

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Avatar for sherrieann
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 6:12pm
I'm in Texas and they have an option on the back of the form for you to check that exempts you from even showing up for the cattle call. It's the exemption of being the sole caregiver for children under the age of 10.

This is probably what you are talking about.

Sherrie =}

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 2:18am

I got called for jury duty when dd was only a few months old. I had to write a letter and send it in to them as to why I could not do it. So maybe you could just do this, and explain to them the way you did to us.


BTW I got out of it.


Sarah and Maggie

Sarah

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2000
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 7:14am
I have a friend SAHM with 3 young children. She has requested, and received, deferrals three times (in VA). She told me that she will be required to serve the next time she is called, but is hoping that her kids will all be older by then and in school.

Hope it works out for you - Suzanne

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2004
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 12:43pm
Have you tried calling and asking if you could be excused due to this? If not, demand they let you bring your kids or pay for someone to stay home and watch them for you!
Good luck.


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Avatar for jennyberm
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 6:15pm
I was called for jury duty for what turned out to be my dd's birth day. I had my ob write a medical excuse (I almost wanted to go into labor in the jury box, lol!) and a month or two later, someone from the county called me and said that there is a SAHM exemption as long as I have kids under 5 at home. :) Works for me! She said she'd call me back in 5 years to see if I was still exempt.

I think I saw on my mom's most recent form that breastfeeding is also a valid medical type excuse, if that applies. Good luck!

Jenny

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Cassia (7/15/03)





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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2004
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 8:22pm
It's so funny that someone posted this. I just got called for Jury Duty last week. I sent back the questionnaire and said that I was a SAHM with a 5 month old. And a few days later I got a post card saying that I was excused. By the way I live in New Jersey.

Jen

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-07-2004
Fri, 09-10-2004 - 11:05am
Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks for all of the responses. You guys are great.

At least I know now that such an exemption is not ususual and I don't feel crazy for thinking there ought to be one. Unfortunately, it's not looking good for such an exemption in my area. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I checked the web for juror information (after I saw lama 26's link -- thanks, don't know why I didn't think of that immediately). Check the rhetoric posted there:

"Yes, jury service can be a sacrifice. Jurors who are employed sometimes lose their regular pay and juror pay is very little. Just about everyone who serves is inconvenienced, at least a little. But the importance of service and giving time to the community in this manner cannot be overstated."

"Responsibilities of a juror:

-Bring your summons with you

-Be on time

-Dress appropriately

-Know your mileage from your residence to the court

*******Arrange for your own child care during your jury term*******

-Arrange for your transportation to and from jury duty"

Oh, sure like I could just go stand at the curb and stick my thumb up and Mary Poppins will be along any minute.

Someone mentioned breastfeeding as an exemption (From the Frequently Asked Questions section):

"I am a nursing mother do you have facilities for me?

For your nursing needs we have a rest room right across the hall from the jury room. However, we are not able to provide childcare."

OH SURE. If you get put on a trial, the whole thing is going to break around your pumping schedule. "We will recess for 20 minutes while juror 10 adjorns to the pumping room to relieve her engorgement." While sitting on a toilet inside a public bathroom stall. Please.

I think Lama 26's website gave exemptions for students. Not here:

"I am a student and unable to serve during my school term what can I do?

Because you are a student you are not exempt from serving jury duty. However, the court is willing to work around your school schedule as much as possible."

And the most damning of all (The last sentence in parentheses in particular):

"What if I cannot appear for the Jury Selection Date?

You must have permission from the Court to be excused. Due to the importance of the judicial process and the need for available jurors, very few jurors are excused from service. If you have an extraordinary circumstance that requires you to be excused, you must submit a detailed request in writing within 2 weeks of receiving your summons. You will receive an answer from the Court shortly thereafter. (Although the Court sympathizes with work and childcare concerns, we are unable to excuse jurors for these reasons since they are shared by the majority of prospective jurors.)"

Yikes. Of course I will call as some suggested and I will write a letter, however futile, on the back of the qualification form. The only hopeful blurbs that I found were:

"Jurors may be allowed a postponement of their jury service for good cause. To request a postponement, contact the Jury Clerk immediately at XXX-XXX-XXXX. You may also submit a written request stating the specific reasons for your request. You will be contacted as soon as a decision is made."

And:

The back of Qualification Form says, "...Other persons may only be excused by showing jury service would cause them undue hardship or extreme inconvenience." I know what I consider "extreme inconvenience," but will they agree?

I may have to wait to be actually summoned to fight this battle. If my husband is out of town for work (as he often is), what can they expect me to do? Drop the kids off at social services so I can report? The "Although the Court sympathizes with work and childcare concerns, we are unable to excuse jurors for these reasons since they are shared by the majority of prospective jurors." really pisses me off. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE who would be mighty inconvenienced by jury duty, by I DON'T believe that sole caregiver conerns are shared by a majority. Aren't SAHM's supposed to be in the minority now?

Mel, my dad said the same thing you did (although he also lectured me about my civic duty) ... that I should take 2 yr old DS with me ... he is a divine handful ... lol! just picturing it. But with my luck they'd slap me with a fine or worse (a time out?) for being naughty.

I almost think ... that if it comes down to it, I *should* just get my parents to come (from 7 hours away!) so I can get this over with. But then again, unless I serve, I can just be called again!!

From a slightly different angle, do most of you have good back up, besides your parnter? If you've had to relocate a lot, how do you deal with this issue? How do you come up with backup in unusual circumstances?

Have a good weekend and thank you again!

D.







Edited 9/10/2004 11:10 am ET ET by donachiara

Edited 9/10/2004 11:11 am ET ET by donachiara


Edited 9/10/2004 6:49 pm ET ET by donachiara

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Avatar for jennyberm
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-10-2004 - 11:54am
That is WEAK!! Lame, lame lame! I bet they are just trying to scare you so that you won't apply for the exemption. If worse comes to worst, you could skip pumping/nursing right before jury selection so that you're a grouchy leaky mess. No one would pick you then!

Good luck. That just sucks.

Jenny

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Cassia (7/15/03)





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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-07-2004
Fri, 09-10-2004 - 6:58pm
I think you are right. I think it's meant to discourage you from trying to get an exemption in the first place. If they advertised that SAHM's were off the hook, then even the ones with viable options would opt out. I'll let you know what happens. Wish me luck.

(Maybe I'll post on one of the local boards and see if anyone from my area has a clue ... although traffic on that board is very slow. If I can't get an exemption, I'll start an email campaign for SAHMs in my county and make sure they all know which county clerk NOT to vote for next time!)

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