Why is Jury duty such a chore?

Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 10:58 am

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Last week I went to jury duty. I know I can hear your collective sighs now. I don’t know why it’s such a chore but it is.

I will admit it’s a good time to people watch because it’s a way to beat boredom.

No one likes going

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who actually enjoys going to jury duty. On that note, they should allow people to volunteer to go.

I think we all grumble when we see the jury summons in the mail. I know I do.

It’s an interesting mix of people

I will say this much jury duty can be enjoyable (I use that term loosely.) if you find someone to chat with. I’ve met some very interesting people over the years.

I wasn’t as lucky recently though. few people I sat near felt like chatting for more than a few minutes at a time.

During past jury duty sessions. I’ve met people who worked in social media marketing, teachers, and a few other neat jobs.

it’s clear no one can follow directions

At times it seems like no one listens to the courthouse staff. For instance, they had to hand out a questionnaire to a select group of people. The jury moderator explained that they should make sure they filled everything out before returning it.

Well, you guessed it they had to call people back up to sign the questionnaire or for other reasons. The moderator explained this 4 times. So it’s safe to say no one listens or follows directions.

waiting is the hardest part

There were a few hundred people at the last jury service. So after they called the larger group (nearly 200 people) for the one jury the rest of us had to wait it out.

This is what kills me. I didn’t have many chats or a book so it was boring. Yes, I had my phone but I didn’t want to be glued to it for the how many hours I was going to be there. I did use it but in short intervals.

I felt like Beetlejuice when he was in the waiting room.

via GIPHY

There should be Jury duty etiquette

I’m always amazed at people’s lack of manners.

I understand that people need to take phone calls and the like but at least try to do it discreetly or step outside.

There was a woman who of course had to use speakerphone to deal with her phone or internet service provider. There’s nothing like hearing Thank you for calling AT&T a representative will be with you shortly interrupting a quiet room.

I also understand that people need to figure out their work schedules if they are picked for a jury but again don’t pace around the room may not help the rest of us.

why is jury duty paid so little?

I’m sorry but in CA you are only paid if you are selected to serve on a jury. There are exceptions if you work for a city, county, or USPS you are only paid for mileage.

The rest of the folks who serve are paid around $15 USD a day for the trial.

So basically you lose a day or days of work and earn $15.

I don’t know many jobs that will reimburse you or allow you to serve on jury duty for a set period of time. But I’d rather go to a job and get paid than have to sit in a courtroom.

even if it’s a chore we still have to go

I don’t know many people who are able to avoid jury duty. With the exception of those who have medical issues or maybe if you are a parent or caregiver.

I guess even if it is a chore you have to go unless you have an excuse. I’m just glad I only had to suffer through one day of waiting and not dealing with being selected for a jury. That wasn’t fun either.

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