I, Juror

[Great Cartoonist]

Holy crud, I just got a letter today saying that I've been picked (at random) as an eligible potential juror. All I have to do is fill out a questionnaire.
(Now, I'm not a guaranteed juror YET, just a possible candidate to serve on jury duty.)

This is really surprising, seeing as that
1) I'm still a high school student,
2) I haven't taken law, and
3) I have ADD.

What should I do?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Say that your religion prohibits you from passing judgement on your fellow man. I think that qualifies as a viable excuse. Honestly.

[ZERO.]

Run away, run far, far away.

[Skyshot]

Say that your religion prohibits you from passing judgement on your fellow man.

You could also tell them you just had a baby and claim maternity leave. My mother used me to get out of jury duty that way.

Anyways, given your little list there, it's probably a safe bet the prosecution or defense dismiss you from the jury. In any case, you have more than a fifty percent chance of it. Even before that, you have to answer a bunch of questions to ensure you'd be a competent juror, so it's a safe bet they won't want you there.

To answer your actual question, just go. If you have a job, they're obligated to pay you for time lost anyways (or so I hear). You may want to take a cell phone or a good book or something like that with you when you do, though. Suffice it to say that jury examination period isn't going to get started real quick.

[Meister]

Interesting to note he hasn't explicitly said he wants to skip on it.

Just fill in the questionnaire and read any enclosed letters. If they don't cover your worries, be sure to mention them. That's probably a big 'if'; after all, they didn't start putting people on jury duty yesterday, so chances are they do cover at least two of your worries. Then again, you never know with officials...

[Great Cartoonist]

Thanks, guys, for all your suggestions.

I'll just fill in the questionnaire honestly as best as I can, as any false information could lead to me getting a hefty fine or going to jail.

On the plus side, though, if I do go to jury duty for more than 10 days, I get paid a fee of $40 a day. If I serve for more than 50 days, the fee goes up to $100. Probable job in the future, I suppose?

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

I was called in for Jury Duty a couple of times. I never had to do anyhting cuz they sent me home. My work saved me.

[ApathyMan]

Being called for jury duty is both selected by lot and it's mandatory to go through the motions (provided you display you cannot), so just do what the damned paper tells you to do.

As far as your state and your particular situation. Some states are lenient for students and won't make you be on a jury: others are more strict. Knowledge of the law is irrelevant to being on jury duty... in fact, you probably have a better chance of getting on a jury panel the less you know depending on how the vois dire session goes (vois dire is a type of questioning about a range of topics to determine neutrality, expertese, and so on). Being on ADD... I doubt that would get you off alone, but it'll all depend on the motions.

Usually, jury duty goes through a process of registration, various contacts through the phone, and soforth, until, someday, you are told that you must go to the courthouse. After that you'd probably sit in a hallway or waiting area for a few hours while you get interviewed. Here you're either dismissed or go through a more formal vois dire with maybe forty people. This brings the selection down to a small number of people to cover the amount of jurors and alternates, which may be followed by another questioning until the jury is fully selected. Some procedures will vary slightly from state to state, but this is usually close to how it goes. The point is that you have a very low chance of actually being on the jury.

But you must go through all the motions until you're dismissed or sent home!

Frankly, I look forward to my first time on a jury since I am going into law. Might as well see what it's like.

Tips on getting out of duty? Try throwing a shoe at the prosecutor.

As far as compensation, it varies from state to state. Massachusetts makes your employer pay for lost time. I believe California pays fifty dollars compensation each day or something... so you might want to look that up.

[Fifthfiend]

Honestly I don't see why jury duty is something people find so reflexively awful. It can't be too much worse than anybody's shitty job, right? I mean and dang, for a guy in high school? I can't imagine how awful jury duty would have to be, that I wouldn't take the excuse to get out of a week of high school.

Worst come to worst you have to sit there for a couple days, listen to some people's complaints or whatever, and vote. It can't be that bad.

Hey maybe you'll get real lucky and it's like some mob boss' trial or something. I always wanted to be a juror for a mob trial, just cause I would totally be the juror who sells out to the mob. Seriously I'd just up and be like hey so are you guys looking to buy off a juror? Cause if you are I am totally for sale, guys.

[DarkLadyNyara]

1) I'm still a high school student,
If you're above 18, they don't care.

2) I haven't taken law, and
Taking law will actually make you less likely to wind up on a jury, ironically enough.

3) I have ADD.
That might get you excused, I'm not sure.

I've been called for Jury duty, but I didn't actually serve. They had enough that day. I'd like to be on a jury, though. If you don't want to serve, tell them you are a full time student, and they might excuse you.