Desperate to get out of Jury Duty

Hey folks, well I really have a problem this time. I got called in for jury duty last January. I went in, sweating and stressed the whole time because of my fear of getting up in front of a courtroom of people and being center of attention while trying to answer questions. I also have huge issues with giving out private info (which is what you have to do) to a room full of strangers. Luckily, (or so I thought) I never got called up for potential service. That courtroom was only 20 miles away.

Flash forward to yesterday, when much to my horror I found another jury duty summons in my mailbox. This time it's in the nearest downtown over 70 miles away. I had asked the previous clerk if going in and not getting selected would exempt me from going in for 2 years, as they can't call you within 2 years of having served. She said yes, but apparently that was wrong. I called in and you have to actually have been selected, served, and rendered a verdict to get out of it.

This is very poor timing, as recently I've been having some major issues with my leg. I've had on and off back, leg and joint problems for many years, starting in my 30s but they usually go away over time. Last month I started having some major leg and knee problems that were so severe I had to buy a cane. I waited a whole month to call a doctor, hoping things would resolve on their own but they didn't. My previous trips to doctors over the years have been useless. I'm wondering if it's because of people trying to scam the doctors out of opioids, which I wouldn't even want to use. The first doctor many years ago accused me of trying to get out of work and prescribed massive doses of Tylenol. The second time, a PA ran blood tests for gout and rheumatoid arthritis, both negative. I don't think it's arthritis because it gets worse the more I use it and usually with arthritis it gets better when you use your legs. NOBODY has bothered to even examine my back or leg before providing this useless treatment. I know I need at least a proper exam and an X-Ray but I have to get a GP to refer me first to a specialist.

Has anybody been in this type of situation and had the doctor excuse you? I really don't know if I can even drive that far without a lot of pain. It's mostly in my left leg which would seem like I can drive but when the pain flares up really badly, it starts to affect my right leg. Since it started up I've only made short trips and there are days when I put off going anywhere because I can't walk even with a cane for too long without the pain getting much worse. I have to lean on a shopping cart in the store, but even that doesn't help 100%. Since I work out of my house I don't have to leave here everyday and commute.

I'm so desperate to get out of this I'm even thinking of going to a psychiatrist or psychologist for my AVPD and anxiety, hoping they might provide an excuse. I hate having that on my record, but considering I'm so close to retirement it doesn't really matter any more. I didn't do it for years because at my old job I had to disclose any mental health issues and I feared losing my job.

So bottom line, does anybody with experience in this, either as having gotten out of jury duty service before having to show up in the courtroom or maybe working in the system have good advice for me? What sort of condition would be sufficient for them to excuse me? I know that just blowing it off usually doesn't result in any consequences, but I don't want to do that as it just puts me in the pool again.

Yes. Just tell them you have no transportation. Thats what i do every time.

sabotage3 wrote:Yes. Just tell them you have no transportation. Thats what i do every time.

That's a good thought sabotage. The flyer says if you live within a mile of public transportation you have to go in even if you don't have transportation. Obviously for the distance we're talking about there is no public transportation.

Do you have a vehicle registered with the state? Cuz I do unfortunately. While it's unlikely, I could be in trouble for lying about this, same as being in trouble for not showing up.

Also, I'm in the USA so I don't know if this is different in other countries.

You could say it is broken. What are they going to do? Send a mechanic. Lol

(But if your against lying...i understand.)

Why not just suck it up and go? Do your civic duty. How bad can it be?



Don't you hate it when people say things like that?

I was called for jury duty many years ago. I wrote them a long, rambling note in tiny little shaky letters about how I had OCD and having to serve on a jury would completely upend my life, cause me a lot of anxiety and affect my ability to be impartial. It wasn't an excuse, it was the truth.

I was excused.

So tell them you have a mental illness. Are you seeing a therapist/doctor? Maybe they could write a note, assuming you're not past the point where you can communicate with the courts via mail. Or send them the link to your post

I don't see why this wouldn't work, other than it being the truth.

LOL about doing your civic duty. I've been called like 5 or 6 times in my life, only getting stuck throughout a whole trial once. So for anybody giving me that stuff, I have more than done my duty. And yes, it's incredibly annoying so when I complain about this I always let ppl know the history.

I am not seeing anybody like a psychiatrist, but that would be an excellent way to get out of it if I was. Since I have had that doctor's appt. for my leg since before the summons showed up, my first line of defense would be that the physical probs would keep me from driving that far. Fortunately (or unfortunately) it's my nondriving leg that is causing all the problems. But when things get really bad I start to get twinges in my other leg. I haven't had to drive that far since I started having these problems in July so I have no idea what kind of problems I might run into doing that, even with my good leg. I suspect the probs originate from my lower back.

After a little research, I found out that less than HALF the people ever show up at all! So if I can't get out of it any other way I just won't show up.

I hope you can get out of this. I was just going to suggest sending a spacey letter about how important it is that you stay at home and monitor the messages you are getting from aliens thought your TV. Not an original idea from me - I had a roomie in the psych hospital who claimed aliens were talking to him through his TV.

How do they get your name? I heard it was from voter registration lists. That's why I never registered to vote. I also heard that they get a list of people who hold driver's licenses, or a list of people receiving unemployment benefits. So they could have my name and I could get called.

The clerk told me it was voter registration but I doubt that. Since less than half the people ever show up I suspect they really keep a "sucker's list" of those stupid enough to have ever shown up.

I'm a bit reluctant to show how crazy I am, because I fear the unexpected possible consequences, like getting my driver's license taken away.

I have never registered in this state before but felt compelled to last time. Now I'm regretting it.

Can you wear an Al foil hat in a driver's license photo?



No jury duty for that guy.