Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Got Summoned for FEDERAL COURT jury duty. Anyone here done this?

I don't even know anyone who has ever been down this road. I have showed up for local Jury duty a time or two, but in each case the Prosecutor and bad guy struck a deal the very morning of the trial's beginning.

I am guessing that for a federal matter the chances of an immediate pre trial deal are less, but I don't know.

I am actually looking forward to serving, if the case goes on to trial. Been wanting to do my civic duty in this regard for a long time.

BTDT.

Long trial, not fun. Good lawyers, great Judge. Was proud to be part of the jury. bunch of serious folks, who didn't try to get out of serving, though clearly, none of them wanted to be there. Hate to say it, but the trial fell right in between deer and elk season, in Arizona, and that was a relief to a few of us.

I think we did the right thing. took parts of 3 consecutive weeks, to seat the jury, hear the case, and bring back a verdict.

Sycamore

Our retired orchard manager's wife was called to a state case in Sacramento. Wasn't allowed to come home for the two and a half weeks that the trial ran.

It paid more than the pittance that you receive for county trials but you are sequestered from loved ones till the end of it.

I was summoned for grand jury duty twice. Once for a fed case and never had to report. Someone I know did report for that case and it lasted about 3 weeks.

The other was for a state investigative grand jury. It was an interesting deal, but was an 18 month commitment. I got excused from that one for a work reason.

Anyone know what the daily stipend is for the Fed courts? If they pay for my mileage (about 200 miles one way) and hotel, meals etc?

Might be quite the drag, but if it was ME with my life or livlihood and citizens rights on the line, I would want persons like me to step up and serve, so I will if called to.

Thanks for the stories and reports so far.

Pay is $40.00 per day + reasonable travel expenses. I'm not sure how they define reasonable travel expenses.

Well, that would be $200/week I am not getting right now. Added to my modest retirement, that is a helpful amount these days. So long as the court hearing times do not overlap deer season in mid October, I am down with it. If I get the IRS stanndard .52 per mile, I will ride my Harley up and be game, even more.

Here's a little more info from the Denver Federal Court:

http://www.cod.uscourts.gov/JurorInformation/JuryFAQs.aspx#22

How much will I be paid for jury service?
You will be paid an attendance fee of $40.00 per day, plus transportation expenses of $0.56 per mile from your home to the court house. We do not offer bus passes, but the $0.56 per mile from your home to the courthouse usually covers the amount required for bus fare. In addition, we also reimburse for parking, up to $8.00 per day.

If I live far from the courthouse, can I stay overnight before I have to report and how much do you reimburse for overnight accommodations?

If you live 70 driving miles or more (one-way) from the courthouse you can travel to Denver the day before you serve. You will be paid the $40.00 attendance fee for that day and an additional $215.00 (per day) for lodging and food expenses if you stay overnight in Denver. You will be paid an additional $66.00 for the day you travel home. The overnight and last day of travel reimbursement amounts may vary for other jury divisions.
You are responsible for making your own reservations for lodging. There are several downtown hotels convenient to the courthouse.

SWEET! Pretty good news there for me if I get called in. Lots of hotels in Spokane for about $60/night and to help my rotten kidneys I only eat one protien or meat meal a day. I just snack on high fiber foods the rest of the time. This might mean a short fender/fat rear tire kit for my hot Rod Harley Sportster if the trial or whatever lasts a week or more

My wife served on a high profile federal jury case in Erie, PA a couple of years ago. It was a good experience and she made important contributions to the deliberations. I'm amazed at all the people who want to avoid jury duty. We need good people like my wife (and some here at 24cf) to willingly serve.

They convicted the perp.

Steve.

I wouldnt mind serving, would actually enjoy seeing the process. I just simply couldnt afford it with a wife in college and a school aged boy at home.

Agreed 1000%

As I stated before, if it was my freedoms or yours at risk, even a lifetime's worth of work and wealth, maybe from a runaway Gov't agency or overzealous federal cop, would you not want 12 good people like yourself who could think logically to be on the jury?

You swear to God all the time that your dying on your feet, and you barely have two nickles to rub together, you sell stuff to others under the pretense that you need the money to survive, and the first damn thing you want to do with a little extra cash is buy "a short fender/fat rear tire kit for my hot Rod Harley Sportster" ?

You are amazing, and not in a good way.

I seriously am going to pray for your Wife, because she needs to see the light.

The times of shortage were two years ago. Much has changed in that time. And while essentially dying on my feet, I am trying to live as much as I can on the days that I feel up to it.

Also, perhaps you did not notice the smiley face at the end of my sentence. That means the whole sentence is a joke. I have already decided against that modification for the most part.

The main point of this thread is, 1) what to expect 2) We should all try to be a part of the American process when called upon to do so if it is at all possible to be and 3) would my expenses be covered sufficiently.

The having money left over part is just a fun side note. I have no earthly idea what we might need or use the money for IF I even get called and seated etc!

I sold a nice 22 rifle night before last, and handed the cash to Sherri to be used by her for some clothes that she wants, and new bedding. That our personal spending and budgeting details are being called into question or even being opened up for discusssion here is sad and inappropriate. Even in my toughest times, I was selling toys to make ends meet. I never asked for any handouts. That a couple of kind hearted people stepped up with some not requested help in a dark time is not the topic here.

First you answer a PERSONAL MESSAGE that I sent you in open forum, and now this.....

You are amazing, and not in a good way.

Write it off as an extended vacation...

Phil

Kinda works for me that way as I have a bunch of family near there.

Watch out for SanSucky! He hates your kind!



Travis

Federal court cases can run the gamut from serious criminal to trivial contract disputes.

I was the jury foreman on a week and a half court case over a contract dispute between two companies in different states. Was very interesting, actually, though a bit dry here and there. Had one lady that was coming from about 80 miles away, I think by the 4th day she gave up and got a local hotel room.