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And with that, John Edwards was out of the race for President. - Page 2

post #51 of 61
6/6/07 at 8:30am
Hey, this thread reminded me of a question I keep forgetting to ask people: Why is jury duty mandatory?
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post #52 of 61
6/6/07 at 12:42pm
I don't think anyone would show up if it was optional.
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post #53 of 61
6/6/07 at 1:56pm
Ok, so why is that a problem?
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post #54 of 61
6/6/07 at 1:58pm
Didn't say it was a problem for us. Might be a problem for people attempting to convene a jury for a trial, though.
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post #55 of 61
6/6/07 at 2:02pm
Bah, I dunno.

I've been acquainted with a few people that actually complain about never getting a summons.

Hell, I work with one right now.
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post #56 of 61
6/6/07 at 2:28pm
I'm just spitballing, but here are my thoughts on why we have compulsory jury duty. Criminal defendants have a constitutional right to a trial by a jury of their peers. The only way to ensure that enough impartial jurors are available to fill out the necessary spots on the jury is to compel people to serve. If we just opened it up to volunteers, I imagine that only friends or relatives of the alleged victim and the defendant would care enough to volunteer for that particular case. Hardly the impartial people needed to maintain the integrity of the jury system. Those who are impartial about a particular case are probably the least likely to volunteer to take a couple of days out of their busy lives to listen to boring testimony and render a decision that will significantly alter the lives of the strangers involved.
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post #57 of 61
6/6/07 at 2:41pm
I can't find the law that requires you to serve as a member of a jury if summoned on wikipedia. All it says is that it is "in principle, compulsory..." so...and it says a lot about common law. Is it just a standing tradition from the UK or is there a federal law codified somewhere that somebody has NEVER tried to knock down by citing one the Bill of Rights.
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post #58 of 61
6/6/07 at 2:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jared Melton
I can't find the law that requires you to serve as a member of a jury if summoned on wikipedia. All it says is that it is "in principle, compulsory..." so...and it says a lot about common law. Is it just a standing tradition from the UK or is there a federal law codified somewhere that somebody has NEVER tried to knock down by citing one the Bill of Rights.
There are both state and federal laws mandating a person's appearance when summoned for jury duty and authorizing courts to issue those summons. The summons is a court order that, if violated, could result in fines or even imprisonment for a few days.

For the federal requirement, see 28 USC Section 1866(g):

Quote:
Any person summoned for jury service who fails to appear as directed shall be ordered by the district court to appear forthwith and show cause for his failure to comply with the summons. Any person who fails to show good cause for noncompliance with a summons may be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than three days, or both.
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post #59 of 61
6/6/07 at 3:00pm
What if I show up for a jury summons wearing one of those Doomsday signs?

How quickly do you think they'll tell me to go home?
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post #60 of 61
6/6/07 at 3:07pm
Maybe they'll think you're Rorshach and applaud your sense of right and wrong. No grey area, see.
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post #61 of 61
6/6/07 at 3:11pm
"Was me that turned him in. Of course he's guilty. Need stricter penalties. Hanging's making a comeback. You'll see."
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