<p>I got called during December exam week a couple of years ago. My dad called and got it deferred for me for 6 months…I got promptly called again in June.</p>
<p>In NH, there’s a deferral if you have to take care of your kids - a coworker used that to get out of jury duty. I drive our daughter to her classes out-of-state during the school year and sometimes during the summer. I guess they could defer me to the summer if I got called. If I couldn’t get a deferment, then I’d just move out of the state.</p>
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<p>My daughter is a legal resident of Montgomery County, so I guess she will just have to use the deferment policy if she gets called for jury duty. Fortunately, she has a local internship for the summer and will probably be home for both Winter Break and Spring Break next year, so she has good alternate dates she could suggest instead of a date during a college term.</p>
<p>But then again, she may not be called. Filling out the jury questionnaire just puts you into the computer system. I’m in the system, too. My exemption due to previous jury service ran out six years ago, and I haven’t heard a peep from them in all that time. I would actually like to be called because I wouldn’t mind serving now – my family responsibilities are minimal, and my employer is cooperative about this sort of thing – so this probably means that my name will never come up again. ;)</p>
<p>When my kids were little, we lived in New Jersey. At that time, there was an automatic childcare exemption in that state (something Maryland doesn’t have). I got called for jury duty at least once a year for ten years and used the childcare exemption to get out of it every time.</p>
<p>My D has been called twice. Once while an undergrad (out of state). She was deferred.</p>
<p>Then just recently, she got called again. She’s now a grad student (out of state). She was deferred again, or at least we think so. </p>
<p>I’m not sure there’s any good reason for her to continue remaining a “resident” of our home state. She’s in a private college so OOS tuition doesn’t apply. I’m guessing she’ll keep getting called until she actually shows up for a trial.</p>
<p>Our daughter, also a Maryland resident, got called last year. She filled out the form, explaining she lived away at college and would only be available for 2 weeks (and gave them the dates) in the summer due to summer classes. She got called for one of those weeks. She called in every night but never had to report and she cannot be called again for 3 years.</p>
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<p>I was nursing D2, as a toddler, when I was summoned, so I didn’t expect much leniency. However, I was not needed after the second day. It’s been almost twenty years now, and they’ve never called me back. H has never been called, nor has D2, but she is now registered in another state (although her driver’s license is still IL).</p>
<p>D1 was called during spring of her senior year, and she was over 700 miles from home. She deferred, and was recalled within a month of coming home after graduation, so she was able to serve. She moved out to Boston last fall, and although she doesn’t have a car, she said she was going to get a MA license because so many establishments won’t take out-of-state driver’s licenses for IDs to buy liquor with. Since she was called less than a year ago, I don’t think it’ll be a problem for a while.</p>
<p>Just curious… has anyone here ever served on a grand jury?</p>
<p>My brother volunteered to do so several years ago, because he was looking to learn about forensic accounting. He just called them up and volunteered. I think it would be incredibly interesting.</p>
<p>The scary thing about a grand jury is that you have the incredible power to totally screwup another person’s life based on the information that’s provided to you. If an unscrupulous police officer or prosecutor wanted to railroad someone for an upcoming election, you’d be a contributing factor.</p>
<p>My husband served on a grand jury years ago. It was for six months, a local county, not state or federal thankfully. They met either every other Thursday or twice a month. He did find it interesting but surprised at some of the cases presented. Evidently the states attorney asked for indictments with what seemed like little evidence in many cases.</p>
<p>A grand jury can be used by the prosecution to circumvent constitutional protections. Everything is sealed and the jurists can’t discuss the case outside. I strongly recommend Until Proven Innocent if you want to see the damage that the Grand Jury system can inflict on the innocent.</p>
<p>D2 goes to school in our home state of NY, about 4 hours from home. She received a summons for jury duty in our home county smack in the middle of the semester. Luckily there were instructions for “full-time” college students… just complete the form and enclose an official copy of your current college schedule if you are unable to serve. Case closed… we haven’t heard a thing since she sent the necessary papers to the Commissioner of Jurors.</p>
<p>Sounds like the Legislature in NY got it right.</p>
<p>From the superior court in San Diego county which is where most of the summons comes from - </p>
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<p>I’d prefer something in the law that exempted jury duty during classes instead of leaving it up to the discretion of a clerk.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention that both times my D was called for jury duty, she had to obtain a letter from her institution confirming she was indeed a full time student out-of-state.</p>
<p>This had to be faxed/sent along with information completed on a form they sent her.</p>