DC Superior Court Courtroom

I got a jury duty summons right before Labor Day. Because I served exactly two years before the date I received it, I applied for dispensation and actually got it! We have lived in DC for twelve years and I have been called to jury duty at least five times - every two years without fail. I was thrilled to get out of it. Due to an interesting situation, we were invited to attend a civil lawsuit trial by a family member, who might be testifying. So for our morning walk we headed to the courthouse. I feel like I am on the jury again because we have been sitting here in the courtroom since 9 AM, and the jurors are now being selected. It’s a rare thing that I would get up at 7:30 AM for anything since I retired. It is freezing in here, and no one seems to think using a microphone is a good idea. I am hard pressed to hear most of what is being discussed. They will probably call for a lunch break next, and then perhaps the testimony may begin - or maybe not. It is all very interesting, but the show for us hasn’t even started yet. And the day is half over. 

DC Jury Duty AGAIN

We moved here twelve years ago from the Midwest. I think I was called to jury duty one time in the thirty years we lived there. Without a doubt, you can depend on having jury duty in DC at least every two years. The last time I was summoned was September 1, 2016. And guess what? I got a summons yesterday in the mail - September 1, 2018. Isn’t that just a coincidence? Of course, the date for this summons is for October - just a few days more than the two year opt out option. So I filled in all the required information on line, including the section for the date you last served. When I logged out, it said the court will review the dates of my last service and determine if I am eligible to get excused. I highly doubt it but it’s worth the try - especially since this is the FIFTH time I have to go. Being retired doesn’t make it any easier - in fact it’s more inconvenient because we were just planning some trip options but that’s now on hold. And if it’s anything like the last time, my husband got his summons about a week after I got mine. This is definitely another reason we wouldn’t mind living elsewhere. This is the kind of lottery I don’t like winning. 

A Most Ridiculous Way to be Paid for Jury Duty - All This for $4.00?!

Both my husband and I were called to jury duty within one week apart. This was the fourth time for both of us in ten years. I almost got stuck on a homicide trial while my husband was in and out of the courthouse in two hours! Regardless, both of us are due a $4.00 transportation reimbursement for our troubles. It used to be that a check was mailed to your address - case closed. NOW you get a Chase Visa Debit card that comes with enough documentation to make your head spin. So we waited until he was through with his service to cash them in. So we went to our Bank of America because it said you can go wherever there are Visa cards. Besides, do ATM's even cash out something as small as $4.00? At first they didn't want to have anything to do with it. Then we said we had an account there and made a case based on the information we received. In the end it took two tellers, a lot of verification, and more paperwork to make this ridiculous transaction. Of course in the end I couldn't get mine done because I did not have my ID on me - we were returning home after a walk this morning and stopped in on the fly. I don't carry all that junk on me when we are out for a walk. So we got half of what we are owed and I bet most people don't even bother - which is probably what the US government is counting on. I'm sure they thought long and hard about all of this before they made the change to these debit cards from checks. When we started with this transaction at the bank there was no line behind us, but by the end there were at least six people waiting for teller service. I can't begin to describe the inefficiencies of this entire process. But for whatever reason - including living in DC for ten years - I am not surprised. 

Jury Duty AGAIN!

I think I served on Jury duty one time in the thirty years we lived in Wisconsin. We have lived in DC for ten years, and I just received notice for jury duty for the FOURTH time. It is beyond annoying to have to do this duty so often. I'm not sure what that says about the affairs of this town. The only thing different about it this time is that I am retired and will be compensated "handsomely" for spending however many days doing this. If it isn't me, my husband gets called as many times. So essentially you could say that we are at the courthouse every year between the two of us. Now you can register on line before you go. Luckily we now have iPads and iPhones to keep us occupied. The last time I spent the entire time doing a cat custom digital portrait. But I actually didn't mind missing work and do that instead. But since I am retired that is the last place I  want to be - iPad or not. 

Jury Duty Moultrie Courthouse on Indiana Avenue

I got my summons about a month ago and was dreading going to serve on jury duty. It is an interruption no matter how you look at it. And it is the third time in less than eight years.  I arrived ahead of time, as usual. Since we live about a mile away it didn't take very long for my husband to drop me off. Some folks were having trouble figuring out how to get through the metal detector. I'm a pro now that I have to walk through one several times during the day where I work. So we waited and waited in the large lounge area... Then the orientation film was played. It was freezing cold in the place - my feet felt like ice cubes. Then the second batch of jurors started milling in around 1000... I'd like to know why I always get the 8 AM time period? The orientation film was played a second time. No calls were made for jurors until about 1100 AM. They let us out for lunch for an hour, and we returned at 2 PM. There would be no more calls for the day and we were free to leave at 2:45 PM. They told us then to expect to be back in two years. At least this time we learned we could print our proof of service letter from home rather than wait for the ATM. I did get to work on a couple cat portraits, so that was nice. And I got home earlier than expected, which was even better. I've never served on a jury, but certainly have been called to jury duty often enough since we moved here. We lived in Milwaukee for thirty years, and I was called one time. Maybe if I actually got an opportunity to be on the jury, I might even enjoy the experience.