Los Angeles County Superior Court no longer accept full-time care for minor children as an excuse from jury duty.
Now they tell me I can ask for postponement if the assigned date is not convenient. When does a full-time mom have a week when they do not have to take care of her children? If I did, I wouldn’t spend it doing jury duty. I have to pick up my children from school mid-afternoon, so they suggest I can do it when they are not in school, like summer. Where do they think I would find babysitting for $15 a day? (maybe India)
The juror services lady on the phone gave me a hint I will pass on to you. Choose the week of Christmas or Thanksgiving. The judges and lawyers don’t want to work anyway – I said that, she didn’t.
So I “served” my week this week. It’s only a 3-day week before Thanksgiving. I called each evening and my group number didn’t have to report any of the 3 days.
I served last year the week of Christmas with the same scenerio.
It’s not that I don’t want to serve jury duty. I do think it is a citizen’s responsibility. Sure, I could’ve asked friends to help pick up my children from school and watch them for me. But what if I get picked to be on a case, I cannot be out an extended period of time. If I am going to purposely give bad answers in order not get onto a case, then why go at all on pretense? When Amy is in college, I will answer the summons without postponement.
BTW, you can only postpone up to 90 days of your assigned date. If they assign me a week in January, I don’t know what I would do!
November 20th, 2012 at 9:47 am
Wish this was still the case! I always thought same but am currently sitting in jury waiting room, on Tuesday of T’giving week. Oh well!