I Knew The Court System Was Slow, But....

[Old Moparz]

Today I went home for lunch & see a piece of mail with a scary return address, "The United States District Court". Even scarier was the "Jury Questionaire Enclosed" written on the front above my name.    

So after opening it I see that they returned the questionnaire that I filled out, signed & returned, last July in 2010. 

The short note included stated that I didn't supply the jury certificate showing that I served jury duty in 2009. (If you served within the last 4 years you're exempt.) As instructed, I had filled out the remarks section of the questionnaire stating that I did not have the certificate, but they decided to tell me "I did not have the certificate" anyway. 

I know not having it may override the excuse of having served already, but I am shocked it took them almost a whole year to send it back. I'm also annoyed that they didn't bother to read anything where they provide an area on the questionnaire specifically for this reason. So now by the time I send this back to them & they read it & reply, the 4 years may be up & my exemption may expire. 

The worst part about this is that if I get picked for this, the US District Court in NY isn't anywhere near where I live, it's 60 miles away.   

[last426]

The worst part about this is that if I get picked for this, the US District Court in NY isn't anywhere near where I live, it's 60 miles away.

Oh yeah.  My first job after law school was a federal judicial law clerk for a Judge in the Central District of California.  All I did was smooze with other clerks and write an opinion or two.  About once a month they would summon jurors from all over the district -- some would have to drive more than a hundred miles only to be berated by one old obnoxious judge we had (not mine) or to be told they were not needed. Okay, a few became jurors but not most.  Talk about avoidable bad PR, but article 3 judges are on for life.  Kim