STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Is there a number you can call?  It seems highly ridiculous to expect you to show up on two days notice - I mean, what if you were getting married on Saturday or something?  Or were out of town, like you said earlier?

I had a friend who got a notice when she was very, very pregnant to report the day after she was scheduled to be induced.  There's a 'breastfeeding mother' clause so she claimed that (since by then it'd be true!).  No dice.  She had to physically go there and talk to someone face to face to get it changed , which was obviously not what she needed to be worrying about right then!

My point with that is I think they deny most requests to reschedule - alot of people are just trying to get off the hook easy and will come in for duty if they're denied the first time.  If you have a legitimate conflict you have to go a step further, I guess.

Maybe try calling again and see if you get someone else?  And then asking to speak with a manager or supervisor if they don't fix it for you?

The point of it is, if they're going to have rules they make you follow, then they have to follow them too!  If they need a weeks notice, how they can give you less than that?

What happens if you don't show, by the way?  A fine?

This is terrible, but I skipped jury duty once in DC. Nothing ever happened. The notice got sent to my old address, and by the time it got forwarded to me, I was supposed to serve the next day. I couldn't go, so I just didn't.

I always wondered what would have happened if I got pulled over for speeding. When I moved and started a new job, they did a criminal background check - how embarrassing if "skipped jury duty" showed up!

I'm sorry this is happening - what a nightmare!!

Your post made me curious about my state's rules, so I looked them up.  In Oklahoma, the Courts must mail a summons to you no less than 10 days prior to your scheduled appearance.  Then, each juror gets one chance to postpone jury duty if needed...you have to reschedule within 6 months.

I tried to look up NY laws, here is what I found:

Uniform Rules for the Jury System §128.6 Summoning of Trial Jurors and Grand Jurors  (c) Whenever practicable, the summons shall be served by first class mail at least 14 days before the day the juror is required to appear,unless a shorter period is necessary to satisfy court requirements for sufficient jurors. The commissioner of jurors shall maintain for one year a record of the date and reason when the mailing of the summons occurred less than 14 days before the return date of the summons. If service by first class mail cannot be made or is impracticable, the summons may be served personally upon the juror by personal delivery to the juror, or to a person of suitable age and discretion at the juror's residence or place of business. 

Uniform Rules for the Jury System §128.6-a Postponement and Excusal From Jury Service (a) Postponement (1) A prospective juror who has received the initial jury summons is entitled, upon notifying the commissioner of jurors, to a postponement of jury service to a specific jury term date that is not more than six months after the date such service is to commence as set forth in the summons. The prospective juror may notify the commissioner by telephone that he or she is seeking such postponement and shall select an appropriate date to which service is to be postponed. A request for postponement shall be made at such time as the commissioner shall require. The commissioner, in his or her discretion, may grant a postponement of jury service for greater than six months, but only upon good cause shown.

Uniform Rules for the Jury System §128.12 Failure to Respond to Questionnaire or Summons; Procedure for Noncompliance (a) Inquiry. In exercising the powers set forth in section 502(d) of the Judiciary Law, the commissioner of jurors shall make inquiry of persons who do not respond to the juror qualification questionnaire or jury service summons to determine the reason for nonresponse and shall make reference to the power of a court to cite for contempt or the power of the commissioner of jurors to bring a proceeding for noncompliance, pursuant to section 527 of the Judiciary Law. (b) Commencement of Noncompliance Proceeding. The commissioner of jurors may bring a noncompliance proceeding against a person who fails to respond to the juror qualification questionnaire or summons to appear for jury service by serving upon such person, either personally or by first-class mail, a notice of noncompliance in a form prescribed by the Chief Administrator of the Courts. The form shall be made within 20 days after the date of service of the notice of noncompliance and that the respondent must either admit noncompliance or request a hearing. After 20 days have elapsed from the date of service, the commissioner of jurors shall file with the Supreme Court a copy of notice of noncompliance with proof of service and any response thereto. The court, or a judicial hearing officer designated pursuant to Part 122, shall review the material submitted and, where the person has failed to respond, or has admitted noncompliance, or has been found not in compliance after a hearing held pursuant to this section, may impose a penalty in accordance with section 527 of the Judiciary Law and shall issue an order fixing a date certain for jury service.

I also found this website and information:http://www.nyjuror.gov/general-information/questions-and-answers.php

5.Can jurors postpone jury service for a later date? You may apply -usually by mail or phone- to your local Commissioner of Jurors. Your first request for a postponement will be granted automatically. Subsequent requests for postponement will be considered individually by the Commissioner of Jurors Office.

13. What happens if I ignore a jury notice?A person who ignores a jury notice is subject to civil and criminal penalties. If a court judgment is made, it may affect an application for credit or car insurance

-- Edited by Kari at 20:34, 2008-03-27

I know a couple of people who just ignore them, and karmic fire does not rain down upon them that I know of.

But NCshopper has an excellent point about a possible scam.

On the plus side, usually when you show up and express a sob story or other reasonable argument, you get out in a few hours and they never seem to call you again.