BajaNomad

Jury Summons in Calfi.

ncampion - 12-23-2013 at 04:25 PM

I did a search on this subject but could not find anything, however I seem to recall a discussion about this in the past. I just got a Jury Summons in the mail at my Calif. home. I spend 9 - 10 months a year in Baja and don't want to come home just to spend a day sitting around in a cold room waiting for them to call my name (or not). I have served many times in the past, but this time it would be a real hardship. I don't see where any of the "excuses" really apply to me. Has anyong had any experience with the Calif. (Orange Country) jury system? Is living in Mexico a valid excuse? Any guidance would be appreciated.

woody with a view - 12-23-2013 at 04:30 PM

write and tell them you need an extension for 6 months. then do it again. it works....

oxxo - 12-23-2013 at 04:45 PM

This is what worked for me, can't say whether it will work for you. When notified, I asked for a 6 month extension via email (from Mexico). Said I was out of the country "on assignment." They said okay, one extension only. I went back to California at my convenience within that 6 months. As soon as I got back, I called them and said I wanted to serve. They said great! report to the courthouse next Monday at 9am. I waited in the jury room for about an hour and they told me, "you're excused, see you in three years (or whatever it was)" It was really quite easy.

Timo1 - 12-23-2013 at 04:50 PM

I was called for jury duty only once

They took one look at me and told me to go back to my dumpster

willardguy - 12-23-2013 at 05:01 PM

lived in the los angeles all my adult life, received many and simply threw them all away, never an issue. now if anyone wants to start the "but its your civic duty" argument, save it.

[Edited on 12-24-2013 by willardguy]

chuckie - 12-23-2013 at 05:05 PM

Its your civic duty.........

willardguy - 12-23-2013 at 05:07 PM

well that didnt take long!:lol:

weebray - 12-23-2013 at 05:10 PM

Good advise. Do exactly what any gov't agency does when you call them. Put them on ignore.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 12-23-2013 at 05:11 PM

I received summons TWICE over three years and my wife just called and said i was out of the country for nine months both times.

unfortunately, a third summons arrived while i was home and i called as instructed.

the system was for me to call each day BEFORE, and fortunately after two calls, i was dismissed.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

tjsue - 12-23-2013 at 05:33 PM

I got a notice the month before I moved, and I also didn't want to sit around in a jury room. So my excuse was that I was moving out of the country. Hopefully, another one won't show up for quite a while, since I have a US address.

vandenberg - 12-23-2013 at 06:22 PM

Got one 2 months ago.

Just ignore them.

Works, believe me.:biggrin::biggrin:

btw, since it doesn't come registered mail, how do they know you ever received it/

[Edited on 12-24-2013 by vandenberg]

mtgoat666 - 12-23-2013 at 06:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by willardguy
lived in the los angeles all my adult life, received many and simply threw them all away


Aren't you proud of yourself?

willardguy - 12-23-2013 at 06:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by willardguy
lived in the los angeles all my adult life, received many and simply threw them all away


Aren't you proud of yourself?
you betcha!;)

mcfez - 12-23-2013 at 08:03 PM

They do indeed send a threatening letter should you ignore the court to appear. Sacramento county at least...dont fool around with no shows.

ncampion - 12-23-2013 at 09:09 PM

Here's an update. I went to the on-line site they suggested to reply to the summons and I clicked on the "disqualify" button. I selected the "no longer a resident of Calif." button and when asked for my new address, I gave the address in Loreto. BINGO ! -- disqualified! I even got a follow up email confirming that I have been disqualified. To easy.

Nevada

bajaguy - 12-23-2013 at 09:10 PM

Received the pre screening letter, filled it out and where they asked if there was any reason I couldn't serve, I wrote in "living out of the country".........never heard back from them.

David K - 12-23-2013 at 11:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ncampion
Here's an update. I went to the on-line site they suggested to reply to the summons and I clicked on the "disqualify" button. I selected the "no longer a resident of Calif." button and when asked for my new address, I gave the address in Loreto. BINGO ! -- disqualified! I even got a follow up email confirming that I have been disqualified. To easy.


Good... I was going to say Nick, that if you don't live in California when they ask you to serve, they can hardly not excuse you... I mean you aren't there!

When I go, I have good Baja books to read while you wait...

bajajudy - 12-24-2013 at 08:01 AM

I told them that I lived in Mexico and have never heard from them again. This was San Francisco.

beachbum1A - 12-24-2013 at 09:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
I told them that I lived in Mexico and have never heard from them again. This was San Francisco.

I did the same thing and followed up with a copy of my MX visa and copy of my MX phone bill. Haven't heard another word from them...

wilderone - 12-24-2013 at 10:11 AM

There's a little box on the back under the Exempt portion that denotes whether you are a resident or not. Check the box, mail it back.

Martyman - 12-24-2013 at 10:30 AM

The one time I got picked to be on a jury , I really enjoyed it!

oxxo - 12-24-2013 at 12:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Martyman
The one time I got picked to be on a jury , I really enjoyed it!


Me too.

About 20 years ago, I had the privilege to serve on a Federal Grand Jury at the Federal Building in downtown L.A. We met every Wednesday for a year. We reviewed and indicted all kinds of interesting cases - Russian Americans being extorted by the Russian mafia in L.A. (their favorite weapon to intimidate people was a bicycle chain), a well known Hispanic actor being blackmailed by a Latino gang, money laundering by the owner of a major L.A. professional sports team, price fixing on the international sugar trade in L.A., a bank robbery by a student at a well known local university who was on a full ride athletic scholarship (she used her father's red convertible Corvette as the getaway car (like that is inconspicuous!) the local fire department was conducting a control burn in the vacant lot next to the bank during the robbery and took down the license number as she sped away! Hey, she was on an athletic scholarship not an academic scholarship - give her a break here. She wanted the money to go on vacation to New York with her boyfriend.

At the same time, the O.J.Simpson trial was going on across the street at the Courthouse. Our jury room was on the 12th floor and during our breaks we could watch the comings and goings across the street.

The problem with good people refusing to serve jury duty is that you will get the kind of justice by those who are willing to serve. Perhaps if more people had answered the summons to the O.J. trial, we would have had a different outcome.

The legal/justice system in the US is cumbersome, flawed, arbitrary, and frustrating. But it is the best justice system in the world. I consider it a privilege and price of freedom to serve on a jury. I know, I know you can say that I can serve in your place. That's fine, but you will get my definition of what justice is which may differ from yours.