Jury Duty and planned travel

[harvyk]

Hi All,

I received one of those lovely "you are required to attend jury duty" letters in the mail the other day. The problem is the service is over September / October. In October I have started making plans for two trips to LAX. (With one of them been in the pipeline for nearly a year and the other one been planned well before I got the letter).

I have not made any bookings as yet as I'm waiting for some sale fares to come along (which no doubt will happen, in fact one has started today). Has anyone else managed to postpone Jury Duty based on planned but not yet booked travel?

For the record, as much as I hate the idea of Jury Duty, I am happy enough to postpone it to April next year as that would suit me much better both personally and professionally.

 

[N860CR]

Which state are you in (I'm sure your profile says it, but I can't access on the iPhone for some reason).

Queensland is easy to get out of. NSW not so much but it's still doable.

Disregard... Just saw CBR so I'm not much help.

QLD will accept "work" as a valid excuse. When I was living there I literally couldn't be away from work so a letter from the MD did it fine.

NSW won't accept work as an excuse. I was in the same position as you (travel pending but not booked) so I just booked a fully refundable ticket and sent it to them. Worked fine.

 

[JohnM]

I have been excused once when I had confirmed travel.

Surely if you say you're merely asking for a postponement and not trying to dodge it, you would be favourably treated.

 

[harvyk]

Surely if you say you're merely asking for a postponement and not trying to dodge it, you would be favourably treated.

That's what I've now done, hopefully I'll hear back by early next week.

 

[QF029]

FWIW I got one in Vic 15 years ago and forgot to respond and never heard from them again.

 

[ts911993]

I got out of it in NSW in April as I had a booked work trip to Auckland.

I called up before hand and they said I needed to attend court and present my case there as the attendance notice date was a week before I had to travel. Went in, got selected to go on the short list, the judge said the case would last 9 days, when it was my turn I spoke to him and said I was flying to Auckland in 7 days time, he said "excused"

 

[LonePine]

In SA, they will give you a postponement easily enough.

There are a number of excluded occupations but generally trying to get out of it for work reasons, well it is too bad, so sad.

 

[JohnK]

NSW won't accept work as an excuse. I was in the same position as you (travel pending but not booked) so I just booked a fully refundable ticket and sent it to them. Worked fine.

Even when your place of employment is Queenland?

No way I am cancelling existing bookings and taking time off work just in a case I am required for jury duty.

But I am 49 and have never been called up for jury duty so they must have an idea I have already made my decision on the trial.

 

[BindiBratz]

I have been called up twice.

The first time I pleaded that my working position was one where I was "indispensable" (not as interesting as it may imply, but true), and I was excused.

The other was for a period when travel was already booked. Somehow my correspondence to them must have been mislaid, as sometime following my return to Oz, I received a "please explain" letter. I simply forwarded the details again, and I never heard anything further.

I would actually find it interesting to be involved in the process of jury allocation decisions, no matter how boring/exacting/tedious/etc etc I have heard it can be . . . but can't imagine the iron striking thrice.

 

[JohnM]

I have been called up twice.

The first time I pleaded that my working position was one where I was "indispensable" (not as interesting as it may imply, but true), and I was excused.

The other was for a period when travel was already booked. Somehow my correspondence to them must have been mislaid, as sometime following my return to Oz, I received a "please explain" letter. I simply forwarded the details again, and I never heard anything further.

I would actually find it interesting to be involved in the process of jury allocation decisions, no matter how boring/exacting/tedious/etc etc I have heard it can be . . . but can't imagine the iron striking thrice.

Don't count on it. I've been called about 6-7 times, sometimes fairly close together.

I was selected to the court for four, then selected onto two juries out of that. The first trial was aborted after one day when the accused persons changed their plea to guilty (it was pretty obviously so after about 30 minutes).

The other one ran a week and what an excruciatingly slow and tedious process it was - OMG, lawyers/the law is weird. So utterly and grossly inefficient. They take at least 10 times as long as what a scientist or engineer would take to get to the point. Forever waffling and rambling around the point; it's very hard as a juror not to want to jump up and shout: "Just get on with it!" No wonder it all costs so much. And let me say: there ain't too much science in the whole process .

It was an interesting experience that I don't particularly want to repeat. I have a very low boredom threshold; let me assure you, that is not a good attribute for being on a jury .

 

[will2rob]

Jury trials are getting longer and more people are trying to be excused from duty than ever before, which is why the courts (in NSW at least) are becoming tougher in recent years. In respect of the OP, if you have booked and paid for your tickets, You are nearly guaranteed of being excused. Take the tickets or itinerary with you to the court. Merely saying that you are hoping to get a couple of cheap fares won't fly (pardon the pun). I have sat through many juries being empanelled and courts tend to be sympathetic to people with genuine excuses such as pre booked travel. The jury act says that employers have to release you and can't sack you, so the courts tend to be less sympathetic to exemptions sought on the basis of work, unless you are a sole trader or similar where the business would suffer unacceptable hardship etc. If you have a relative who is a police officer, inmate, or you've been a victim of crime etc you could always ask to be excused on the basis of bias, that your relationship or previous experience means that you have a pre formed view. Even if you're unsuccessful in being excused, you'll be challenged by either the defence or prosecution if they think you might be prejudiced against their case.

 

[kpc]

Fortunately, my occupation allows me an exemption from jury duty in NSW

 

[erkpod]

Fortunately, my occupation allows me an exemption from jury duty in NSW

A former occupation of mine allows an exemption as well. Some of my current colleagues think I'm mad for wanting to be exempted. But if I'm exempt, I'm exempt for a good reason.

 

[OATEK]

Jury trials are getting longer and more people are trying to be excused from duty than ever before, which is why the courts (in NSW at least) are becoming tougher in recent years.

In NSW now they may excuse you for a current panel, but require you to nominate when you will be available. Or they may say excused this time, no excuse next time.

 

[Major]

Last time I was called I wrote back saying I was a business owner and there would be considerable additional costs involved for the business. That was about 6 or 7 years ago and I have not heard from them since

 

[will2rob]

Last time I was called I wrote back saying I was a business owner and there would be considerable additional costs involved for the business. That was about 6 or 7 years ago and I have not heard from them since

It's a bit of a lucky dip. I have friends who have never been called up and others who have had multiple call ups. I was exempt in my former occupation, and am unlikely to have to serve as a result, even if called up. I don't know whether being a silent elector helps as well, as they use the electoral rolls to draw Jurors from.

 

[Alanslegal]

My girlfiend was summoned for jury duty for this Wednesday for a possible 16-18 week criminal hearing.

We have holidays booked and paid for dep 22/8 ret 18/9 and the silly folks at the courts rejected that reasoning !

Now she has to turn up on Wednesday to explain that everything is booked etc etc and try to get out of it.

 

[JohnM]

My girlfiend was summoned for jury duty for this Wednesday for a possible 16-18 week criminal hearing.

We have holidays booked and paid for dep 22/8 ret 18/9 and the silly folks at the courts rejected that reasoning !

Now she has to turn up on Wednesday to explain that everything is booked etc etc and try to get out of it.

Unbelievable! One time when I was called and I had booked and paid travel, I wrote that on the 'request to be excused' part of the form and sent it back but deliberately omitted supporting documentation to see what would happen. The Sherriff's office responded by requesting a copy of my ticket which I provided. Next letter from them excused me. I never had to front up to personally explain anything.

 

[k_sheep]

I got called up 2 days after my 18th birthday, got out of it as I was a casual worker and couldn't afford the time off.

6 months later, called up again, said I could do it but never heard anything from them again. Weird!

 

[harvyk]

Just to follow up on this, I just spoke to the court house re:my postponement, and was advised I have been completely excused from service... So I can continue making arrangements as per normal...