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WTF Jury Duty — Brooklynian

WTF Jury Duty

eggcream
eggcream
edited November -1 in Park Slope
I got notice to serve in f*cking Central Islip! Are they kidding me. Is this something new? The sheet they enclosed with a map and directions states this could take me over 75 minutes to get there by train then I have to catch the 9am bus to get to the courthouse which is another 5 min. providing I don't miss the bus. Then I would have to get a cab. Then turn around and do the same thing to get home. Why the hell do they do this? I'm writing in for a postponement. What a waste of time.

Comments

  • underhill_mt
    underhill_mt
    Huh? They know where you live... right? That's so bizarre. I hope you don't have to do that. What a crap sandwich.
  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior
    thats weird, you should call them to let them know you live in brooklyn, you normally service the area you live.
  • jocelyn
    jocelyn
    I got this notice before too. It is because it is Federal Court, you're still part of the potential jury pool to go over there. It is somewhat explained it in the paperwork you got, I think.

    What I did was applied for an excuse on the basis of "travel hardship". It discusses that in the paperwork. I wrote a letter detailing how many miles it was to get there, and how long it would take me on the LIRR + local bus. In the paperwork I think it says you get excused if your travel time exceeds 90 minutes. I sent the letter by Fedex to make sure they got it. I got a letter back the following week saying I was excused.
  • em26
    em26
    Yup yup. I just did jury duty on May 8th. They tell you if you don't live in Kings County than you can't serve. So all the people who were there that didn't live in Brooklyn had to get up and go to an office in the back to show proof of what county they live in to get dismissed.

    If you used to live in Islip maybe they still have it on record that you still do.Just give them a call and they will probably tell you to fax a copy of your license to show proof of residency in Brooklyn.

    Good luck.
  • raw
    raw
    I hate jury duty. Every time I go, I sit and wait all day and never even make it to the questioning part. Last time, I waited all day, from 9am until 6pm. Going to the DMV is more fun.
  • shishkab
    shishkab
    yep, it's what jocelyn said. it's not regular jury duty; it's federal jury duty. file for travel hardship just like she instructed. i did as well with the same results.
  • mookie wilson
    mookie wilson
    correct. new york city straddles two "districts" for federal court (and federal jury duty) purposes:

    the united states district court for the southern district of new york (SDNY) covers manhattan and the bronx (as well as westchester, orange, and rockland counties). there are two SDNY courthouses -- one on pearl st. in lower manhattan and one in white plains.

    the united states district court for the eastern district of new york (EDNY) covers brooklyn, queens, and staten island (as well as nassau and suffolk counties). there are two EDNY courthouses -- one in downtown brooklyn and one in central islip.

    getting jury duty in central islip is obviously a pain, but on the bright side, the courthouse was designed by frank gehry.
  • nykittyny
    nykittyny
    Same exact thing happened to me a couple months back.

    I wrote them a letter of "travel hardship", complaining how long it would take me, and I printed out the Hop Stop directions, showing the trip could actually take up to FOUR hours due to train schedules. They wrote back and said I was excused, and would be asked to serve on a later date in Brooklyn.
  • raw
    raw
    NYkittyNY wrote: Same exact thing happened to me a couple months back.

    I wrote them a letter of "travel hardship", complaining how long it would take me, and I printed out the Hop Stop directions, showing the trip could actually take up to FOUR hours due to train schedules. They wrote back and said I was excused, and would be asked to serve on a later date in Brooklyn.
    Hop Stop is great. Thanks for the good tip!
  • eggcream
    eggcream
    Thanks for the tips everyone! Yes, it's Federal and states the court's jurisdiction includes Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau and Suffolk. I've never lived in Islip or LI.

    Federal Jury Duty is two week telephone standby.
  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior
    fed jury duty sucks balls, if you had to travel.
  • nuclear redaction
    nuclear redaction
    My co-worker got called for federal jury duty up in White Plains. She got seated on a grand jury and had to go in two days a week for about two months. Ugh.
  • em26
    em26
    raw wrote: I hate jury duty. Every time I go, I sit and wait all day and never even make it to the questioning part. Last time, I waited all day, from 9am until 6pm. Going to the DMV is more fun.

    I didn't get picked when I went. I got there at 9am but it didn't matter cuz they didn't turn on the lights and start talking to us until 10am.They let us out at 12:30pm for a lunch break and told us to be back by 2pm. Then we were told that we could leave bcuz most people accepted plea bargains. We were sent home at 3pm! I was happy cuz I thought that we would have to be there till 5 or 6pm.

    They have a computer room and a room where you could go talk on your cellphones. The vending machines had a nice selection of candy and chips. The coffee /cappuccino /hot chocolate machine would have been good but they don't put enough sugar in the coffee.
  • katbka
    katbka
    By the way, if you serve civil Jury Duty in Brooklyn, you get excused for 8 years!!! Even if they don't pick you! :P :P :P
  • daver
    daver
    Em26 wrote: They have a computer room and a room where you could go talk on your cellphones.
    I thought I remembered someone saying you weren't allowed to bring your cellphone ... ?
  • bergenites
    bergenites
    katbka - the same goes for Criminal. I served 2 days (didn't get put on a jury but was voir dire'd) and I'm now excused for 8 years... as long as I don't move out of Kings County!
  • theoryofpractice
    theoryofpractice
    Mookie Wilson wrote: getting jury duty in central islip is obviously a pain, but on the bright side, the courthouse was designed by frank gehry.
    Nope; Richard Meier's office. Nice building though; better than his usual stuff to my mind.
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Yawn. As it so happens, I have jury duty today in downtown Brooklyn. At least they put wifi in here.
  • daver
    daver
    caaahyoko wrote: Yawn. As it so happens, I have jury duty today in downtown Brooklyn. At least they put wifi in here.
    I was supposed to have it there last week, but I postponed it to, uh, some _other_ time...
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Yeah, I had already used up my one postponement. At least there isn't much going on since its a holiday weekend coming up. They've only called two groups of people so far.
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Yes! I was dismissed at 2:35pm! Shortest. jury. service. ever.

    There was only one or two cases em-paneling jurors, so they let the majority of use go, not to return for 8 years. Serve just before or after major holidays everyone!
  • em26
    em26
    daver wrote: [quote=Em26]They have a computer room and a room where you could go talk on your cellphones.
    I thought I remembered someone saying you weren't allowed to bring your cellphone ... ?

    Yes you could. I told you , dude , a freakin' whole room just for people who want to talk on their cells. A ROOM! Next to the computer room , in front of the vending machines and around the corner from the rest rooms.
    katbka wrote: By the way, if you serve civil Jury Duty in Brooklyn, you get excused for 8 years!!! Even if they don't pick you! :P :P :P
    Yup!! 8 years!! "C'mon just get it over with , then they won't bother you for 8 years!!!!8 8 8 8 8 8 8!!". That's what I kept telling myself the whole way there.My husband served last year and they sent him another invitation last month. He was all like " Hey , where's my paper my paper!!". I was able to remember where I put it.I think we should go stash them in a bank box just in case....keep those things on lock.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    caaahyoko wrote: Yes! I was dismissed at 2:35pm! Shortest. jury. service. ever.

    There was only one or two cases em-paneling jurors, so they let the majority of use go, not to return for 8 years. Serve just before or after major holidays everyone!
    That always happens when you get jury duty right before a holiday. They don't schedule any cases. That's why I always reschedule my jury duty using my one postponement to a day right before a holiday. I get dismissed in less than a day every time. I've never even made it to voire dire once.
  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior
    wow caaahyoko you are lucky.
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