Having a hard time coping with... *gasp* jury duty

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I habe been summoned for jury duty, and I'm having a problem coping with it for the following reason:

It's unpredictable. I don't know when and where I'll show up on a given day for the next week (not this monday, next monday), and it's causing me to get very nervous.

I don't know what sort of questions will be asked, if I'll even be put on a case, whether I will even need to be questioned, etc. etc.

I don't know how I'm "supposed" to answer those questions, nor if I can even bring my primary coping device, my iPod. It has a photo function, though as long as I don't take pictures... I'll be fine... I guess?

Anyone have any suggestions on how to cope with this for the next week?

Mutanatia

lol just dont think bout it. jury duty aint jack. why care enough to worry bout it. if you go you go if you dont you dont.

I've been summoned before; the notice told me exactly when and where to report. If yours doesn't, you can call the clerk of the court and ask. You can also ask about the IPOD. Where I live you are allowed to have those things in the waiting room. Obviously if you get on a jury you have to pay attention.

There unfortunately is no way to know all of the details. When I went there were two cases needing juries. The day before they said there were no cases. It depends on the way. Being a Monday you might have a higher case due to idiots over the weekend.

Questions will depend on the case. There is no "right" answer. The only thing you are expected to tell is the truth.

When I went I was assigned to a civil trial in which a mechanic was being sued by a customer.

First they asked if anyone knew either of the parties personally.

Then they asked if anyone in the room was a customer of the business.

Then they picked the jurors. Fortunately I had gotten some car work done at the shop so they didn't want me on the jury.

If it's a criminal case; it might be more questions about prejudices, or your feelings on certain issues.

Again; there are no right or wrong answers, or ways your supposed to answer. You just answer the question truthfully.

...skipping it is actually punishable by fines and/or jail time, so you kinda have to go, at least the first time ever >.>

jhighl; jury duty is one of the most basic defenses of our freedom we have. It goes back all the way to the magna carta when the English nobles won the right to be tried by their peers.

Did you know that even if a person is a guilty, a jury can return a non-guilty verdict if it doesn't agree with the law or the punishment? It's called jury nullification, and it's an essential freedom very few people know about.

Not to be a jerk or anything... coping mechanisms that I can use? Anybody? >.<

Call the clerk of the court tomorrow and ask

1.) Where and when should I report? What room in which building at what time?

2.) May I bring an IPOD that has a camera feature?

That should give you some certainty on two of your issues.

For the other one, like I said, there is no way your expected to answer questions other than truthfully, so if you get worried just remind yourself that you should tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Or, don't ask and just make a working assumption that the IPOD is okay which it should be. But be gracious and quit using it if they ask you to.

As a back-up, have a book you read some time ago and liked (this is a surer bet than a new book)

Well the answer to #1 I don't know, and I don't think they will either. You don't know until the Friday before your jury duty begins, which is this week's Friday. In short, I'm on what they call "call-in standby" >.<

EDIT: Also, how do you explain the fact that you can't sit still without stretching or something to them? I tend to move my feet around a lot, lean in different postures, etc. etc. It's nothing really distracting, but it could wind up looking like I was bored, to them, I imagine >.<

I ment it as if they dont want you it isnt a big deal. just go see how it goes. maybe they will have you do it if not it isnt to big of a deal. they cant kill you if it dont work out. If anything look at it as a new experience.

Hmm. I know in Maryland you call in the night before to confirm if your needed, but they still tell you where to go in the notice in the mail. I say call anyway.

Maybe discuss that with your doctor?

I've been told that if you don't fill out the questionnaires that they send you it makes it less likely that you'll get called and they can't prove that you got the questionnaires.

The idea of doing jury duty freaks me out. If I ever got called it would stress me out and upset me so much. I don't want to go and I don't want to do it. Just leaving the house every day for who knows long would be horrible and I don't know how long I could keep it up for.

I would have thought that being on the spectrum would be a good thing for being on a jury.

You are more likely to think for yourself, form your own opinions, speak the truth.
Some Neurotypicals come to conclusions in a jury scenario, like
- "I knew he was guilty as soon as he walked in the room, he had a beard an everything"
(that was someone else's words, not mine, by the way)

With AS, you think more about the facts and come to an informed and highly rational conclusion about the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Many NTs would not.

Just my ten cents.

For me, I've never done it myself, but I would think that doing Jury service would be a fascinating education on what really goes on in the court room.

Last edited by Chris71 on 04 Jun 2012, 8:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

My friend didn't go to jury duty; and a few months later when she got stopped for speeding she spent the night in jail on a warrant for skipping Jury Duty.

If you really think it's impossible for you; speak to your doctor and see if you can get a medical exception.

but Chris is right in that the logical thinking can be a huge asset in jury duty.

indeed, but on the other hand it makes me worry about what other idiots out there, who cannot think logically at all, do form part of a jury.

I don't know how the selection process works in the USA, but I would hope there is some screening for perceived intelligence of the individuals.
Otherwise you would have a case involving a really intelligent defendent with lots of University degrees, PHDs etc, who comes up with a cunning plan to save tax money from his very complex financial investments; and then who decides whether it's legitimate, or whether it's illegal tax evasion? It could be decided by "that idiot who works in McDonald's" [insert your own joke/layabout reference here]. That would be a scary legal system indeed.

I don't have a doctor to talk to. I'm poor and don't have insurance. I'm just lucky I never got a summons yet where it said I actually had to go in. My mother had to do it before.

I'd be unsuitable for it because the entire time I'd be anxious and stressed and wanting to go back home. It was horrible enough the time I had to go talk to the grand jury about my statement to the police and may make me think twice about reporting the next time I witness a crime. That was very upsetting getting a summons saying I had to go to court or possibly get arrested. I just want to stay home most of the time and be left alone.