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You know what I always wonder? How many people are actually arrested or fined for skipping jury duty. I am just curious. I don't mean people who have already been selected for a jury, I mean just not showing up for the summons. There are occasional stories about the sheriff's deputy showing up at the person's front door, but I suspect those are urban myths to scare people to comply. And if it really does happen, it is probably small and rural towns, not in large urban areas like Essex and Hudson and Bergen and Passaic and Union County. Let's say out of a pool of 1000 summoned jurors, 10% do not show up on a given day. That is 100. In reality it is probably a lot more than 10%. And suppose the judges get pissed and actually issue warrants for those 100 people. The sheriff's department does not have the time or manpower to pursue all those people every week, at least not actively. And even if they issue bench warrants, do they actually issue hundreds of warrants a week? That would be hours of doing nothing but putting out warrants in the sheriff's departments.
The stats are never published about how many people actually are penalized for skipping jury duty, and maybe I am cynical, but I suspect that is because so few people actually are penalized and the judges and jury management don't want that secret getting out because if it did, the number of people who don't show up would skyrocket when they realized more than likely nothing would happen to them and there is strength in numbers.
Last edited by MJoseph42286; 05-08-2024 at 12:27 PM..
I honestly have never heard of anyone getting in trouble. I do not think that the courts have the resources to actually enforce their threats. jury duty is the worst in New Jersey. I am so glad I live in a normal state now.
I honestly have never heard of anyone getting in trouble. I do not think that the courts have the resources to actually enforce their threats. jury duty is the worst in New Jersey. I am so glad I live in a normal state now.
Probably right. Maybe once in a while they will selectively enforce (Go after a few people who REPEATEDLY skip jury duty) to make an example of them in the hope it scares more people into complying, but I don't think the counties and police departments have the time and manpower to go after everyone who skips. I would say for probably 90% of people who skip, nothing happens. And in the end, the result would likely be a fine. I really don't think a judge wants someone who has proven themselves to be irresponsible and uncooperative and doesn't care to actually sit on a jury.
Probably right. Maybe once in a while they will selectively enforce (Go after a few people who REPEATEDLY skip jury duty) to make an example of them in the hope it scares more people into complying, but I don't think the counties and police departments have the time and manpower to go after everyone who skips. I would say for probably 90% of people who skip, nothing happens. And in the end, the result would likely be a fine. I really don't think a judge wants someone who has proven themselves to be irresponsible and uncooperative and doesn't care to actually sit on a jury.
I know someone who, over 20 years, has tossed his jury duty notice in the trash at least 7 times. So repeatedly? Naah.
I actually just asked my neighbor. She is a retired court clerk in Union County. She said basically the same thing I said. In reality, they assume a certain percent of summoned jurors will not show up. Cost of doing business. And the Sheriff's Departments do not have the manpower to go after jurors who don't show. They barely have the manpower to go after real criminals who do not show up for court.
The stories of judges flipping out and putting out bench warrants typically only happen when not enough jurors show up for voir dire, which can delay trials. That could happen in the redneck counties like Sussex or Warren or Hunterdon, where the jury pools are smaller and if not enough people show it can cause problems and delay things. That's when judges get pissed. In the big counties like Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Union, even with no shows, more than enough people show up and most aren't picked in the end anyway. As long as enough jurors show up for voir dire, and juries are picked, and trials happen, they really don't care. All the judges care about is that the wheels keep turning. As long as they are, they aren't going to waste time and resources going after summoned jurors who don't show up. That would be counterproductive. For one thing, the courts are extremely backlogged. The last thing the judges want to do is create more work for themselves. Most likely, they will just summon you next time your name comes up. That said, if you are picked for a jury and don't show up, that is very serious. They will come and get you for that
I received a summons years ago for jury duty in federal court- for that they have you kind of "on call" for two weeks, and you call the number on your summons every night to see if they list your jury duty number to come in the next day. Well, my number was pretty low so I figured I would have to show some time during those two weeks, and sure enough, I had to report on the first Monday of the two weeks.
Apparently they had called in 100 people, and only 50 of us showed up. One of the ladies I spoke to said her friends/ neighbors had encouraged her to ignore her summons and not show up, saying that this is what everyone does and there are no consequences for doing so. She came anyway.
All 50 of us were repeatedly called up to the judge's bench ( this was in the jury room, not the court room, but the judge came into the room any number of times, I'm not sure what the process was) and instructed to line up. A few minutes later we'd be told to sit down again. At one point the judge commented on the number of "no shows", and said that each of those no shows might be summoned to appear before a judge and explain their absence. Unless they had a valid documented excuse they could be fined. For us, we continued to be instructed to line up at the judge's desk at intervals till 4PM, at which point we were dismissed. We didn't have to go back-they moved on to higher numbers over the next two weeks. What a waste.....
I know I wasn't the only person there who was skeptical about the judge's claim about holding the no shows responsible for ignoring their jury summons, doesn't seem to me they were organized enough to even get out of their own way, let alone take on a task like this, especially for what looked like diminishing returns. I'm in agreement with the others here who say there is little to no chance a person who ignores a jury summons will have to face consequences for doing so.
This was a federal court in Miami, FL. But I'd bet the same thing happens in federal courts everywhere.
This was a federal court in Miami, FL. But I'd bet the same thing happens in federal courts everywhere.
The US District Court in Trenton seems to be very efficient. When I filled-out the questionnaire regarding current or past employment, I reported--honestly--that I used to write the Court Complaints for two NJ Deputy Attorneys General. Because no defense attorney wants someone from the law enforcement community to serve on a jury, I was rapidly notified that my services were not needed.
I received a summons years ago for jury duty in federal court- for that they have you kind of "on call" for two weeks, and you call the number on your summons every night to see if they list your jury duty number to come in the next day. Well, my number was pretty low so I figured I would have to show some time during those two weeks, and sure enough, I had to report on the first Monday of the two weeks.
Apparently they had called in 100 people, and only 50 of us showed up. One of the ladies I spoke to said her friends/ neighbors had encouraged her to ignore her summons and not show up, saying that this is what everyone does and there are no consequences for doing so. She came anyway.
All 50 of us were repeatedly called up to the judge's bench ( this was in the jury room, not the court room, but the judge came into the room any number of times, I'm not sure what the process was) and instructed to line up. A few minutes later we'd be told to sit down again. At one point the judge commented on the number of "no shows", and said that each of those no shows might be summoned to appear before a judge and explain their absence. Unless they had a valid documented excuse they could be fined. For us, we continued to be instructed to line up at the judge's desk at intervals till 4PM, at which point we were dismissed. We didn't have to go back-they moved on to higher numbers over the next two weeks. What a waste.....
I know I wasn't the only person there who was skeptical about the judge's claim about holding the no shows responsible for ignoring their jury summons, doesn't seem to me they were organized enough to even get out of their own way, let alone take on a task like this, especially for what looked like diminishing returns. I'm in agreement with the others here who say there is little to no chance a person who ignores a jury summons will have to face consequences for doing so.
This was a federal court in Miami, FL. But I'd bet the same thing happens in federal courts everywhere.
I mean in NJ. But I think you are right. I live in Essex County. In a high crime county, I think going after people who are guilty of being poor citizens but otherwise follow the law is a very low priority for the sheriff's department. I think that what my friend said is true. As long as enough people show for voir dire and juries get picked and the wheels keep turning, that is all the judges really care about. They aren't going to waste court resources to go after those who no showed. The last thing they want to do is create more work for themselves, given how backed up the courts are. Even entering bench warrants is an administrative headache. Most likely they let it go and summon those people next time their names come up. When the judges really get pissed is when not enough show for voir dire and it delays trials. That's when the hammer can come down.
Last edited by MJoseph42286; 05-09-2024 at 10:55 AM..
Most Courthouses were built on a bluff and run on one ever since. They'll do nothing if you don't respond.
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