Jury duty!

Normally, I don't actually mind getting called for jury duty. I sort of dread getting picked for a jury if it involves violence or crimes against children. I know in that case I could end up seeing or hearing things that will haunt me for a while. But I don't really dread the idea of going down to the court house and waiting to see what happens.

That said, I have been called for jury duty with frightening regularity. J, on the other hand, has not been called since 2000. Why is that? My current summons is from the US District Court.

Most recently I was called for the county's superior courts this past spring. All the cases for the day were dismissed by noon so we were allowed to leave mid-day after reporting in the morning.

When Z was in the NICU in 2006 I was called for our county courts. That service was postponed, but I had to show up when he was 6 months old. In his first few months home from the hospital I got called for the Federal courts. They were kind enough to excuse me.

I was called by both courts in 2004 and had one dismissed the night before service when I called the hotline for reporting instructions. The other I had to serve one day.

And in 2002 I was down to the final batch of jurors on an illegal firearms possession trial before I was dismissed.

All those days of showing up and I've never been picked for an actual jury trial. But the summons always seem to come at a terrible time. I've filled out my juror questionaire requesting that I have my service dismissed due to the bed rest. I even offered to get written notice from my doctor (you can't attach anything to the form so I can only write my request for now). But they won't mail me confirmation that it has been dismissed. I have to call the hotline the week before my scheduled service (first week in May). If I find out the week before that I haven't been excused or postponed, what on earth will I do then? As the paperwork so loudly proclaims:

Failure to report to court as instructed may result in contempt of court, and you may be fined $1000, imprisoned 3 days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof, for noncompliance.

I guess if Miss Thing is still hanging out in the uterus as of May 4th, and I'm not excused I'll take my chances in fines and jail time. Her health and life is worth quite a bit more to me. But hopefully the people with the juror power down at the courts will see reason and it won't come to that.