US District Court jury duty? What can I expect?

[Catch22Dem]

What kinds of thing go before the district court and is jury duty there like jury duty in county court?

[Spinzonner]

1. When I got picked for that

They just had you call in the night before for a prescribed set of days during a two-month (I think) 'eligibility period' and only come in if you were scheduled. (It was an automated phone system)

I never had to actually go in during the time.

Don't know if that is a universal practice.

[Historic NY]

2. Better lunch..........n/t

[longship]

3. Could be anything; could be nothing.

There are both civil and criminal cases. The criminal cases tend to go faster than the civil ones, which can drag on for months.

I've been empaneled on a criminal case, but never a civil case. The criminal case for which I was on the jury was interesting. It took two days. We acquitted because of inconsistencies in the prosecution witnesses. Judge said we could also have convicted, but it was close.

Most called for jury duty do not have to serve. Here in San Bernardino County, CA, I've been subpeonaed twice. We call in to a number the evening before our date. Once I was called in and did not get on a panel. The second time, I did not have to even show up.

Hope this helps.

[MichiganVote]

4. Boredom, delays and adjournments

And that's just for the DUI's

[Catch22Dem]

5. DUI in US district court?

Surely that's a county matter.

[Sanity Claws]

9. If it happened on federal property or a national park,

I think it would be prosecuted in the US District Court. I don't know how frequently that happens.

[Catch22Dem]

11. that sucks

Hope it's not that bad

[Sanity Claws]

12. Dui's are boring but at least they're fast

They're usually done in a day.

[Historic NY]

13. Most times they settle before you get seated......

I had experience in being a witness in lots of them over 29yrs.

[napi21]

6. Take a very interesting book!

I was summoned to jury duty twice. I have never wasted so much time in my life! First you have to wait, and wait and wait to see if you are picked to actually sit on the jury. Then you go to another room and wait and wait and wait some more until they finally call the jury to the court room. If you're lucky, you'll get an intereting case. If not, you'll endure delay upon delay, and finally get dismissed because they settled out of court at the last minute.

GOOD LUCK!

[Jed Dilligan]

7. They don't let you read in court

Not even when you're waiting through a dozen DUIs en espanol to be arraigned--not in the courtrooms I've been in.

[napi21]

10. I didn't say "read in the sourt room".

I said the endless waiting in the selection room, and again in the jury room. I spent 2 1/2 days just sitting and waiting in the selection room, and another 3 days in the jury room, waiting to be CALLED into the court room.

Someone had the daily newspaper on the table. I doubt there has ever been a single paper read by so many...cover to cover!

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. It could be criminal, but will likely be civil

And will likely relate to a contract dispute of some kind. Don't worry: You'll get to see blown-up cardboard cut-outs of the contract language. It's all quite fascinating, to be sure.

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