Has anyone ever heard of getting out of jury duty because of their pets? My 78 y/o MIL is VERY attached to her dog, and has gotten a note from her vet stating that MIL has a very close relationship with the her dog, which needs to get its medications twice a day, and asking to be excused from jury duty. Personally, I couldn’t imagine that she would be excused, but maybe it happens?
I’ve never heard of that. Perhaps needing an emotional support animal would get her out, but she’d need a doctor’s - not a vet’s - note.
I don’t think anyone should ask for relief from jury duty because an animal will be unhappy. It ain’t right to rank the fate of someone else on trial below that. JMO.
Oh, and we all benefit from being tried by a “jury of our peers.” So maybe there is an animal lover on trial who needs MIL’s sensibility and experience? Maybe she can think of it that way. I do. While I’m a freak, maybe I’m the one person who is a peer of the freak on trial or the freak of a defendant, you know?
I think I would ask a doc (MD) for a note, as if she is likely to have panic attacks and so forth, she wouldn’t be a suitable juror anyway. I bet her doc will help her. Someone seriously distracted by worry to that point will hardly be able to focus adequately on the trial.
Its a lovely thought, a jury of one’s peers, but very few people, particularly of color, actually get it!
I’ll mention to DH that maybe a Dr note would be a better choice than one from the vet. She really is fanatical about this dog. He recently had a small benign growth removed from his flank which required a couple of stitches. Rather than having him wear the “cone of shame”, she stayed awake for three days with him to make sure he didn’t bite at his stitches. During a recent thunderstorm, she slept on the floor with him because he was upset. Don’t know why she didn’t have him sleep in the bed with her!
NTL, maybe you or your husband could go with her, to verify that in fact, she is really really anxious. I’d probably emphasize more her worry/panic/likelihood of meltdown/reliance on the dog for comfort (again, this is NOT likely to render an engaged, attentivie juror!), which it sounds like is true (not like anyone is lying!), as opposed to her being very concerned about the dog. With her family there to back it up, her doc, Iwould hope, would be helpful.
She’s 78??
She’s already out if she wants to be. You don’t have to serve if you’re over 70 almost anywhere, and over 65 in a lot of places.
Although you’re usually welcome to serve if you want to.
@mvp, how do you know this lady hasn’t sat on many a jury in the past decades? Give her a break.
Excusing a juror really depends on the judge and his or her personal biases to so some extent. If being a nursing mother is important to a judge then that judge is more likely to excuse them from jury duty. Likewise if the judge has and older parent or a pet, they may be more sympathetic with this situation.
As a judge it drives me crazy that so many people do everything they can to shirk their duty as citizens but the flip side of that is I don’t want someone on a jury who is not going to give 100% to getting a it right. I would suggest that one of yall go with her so the judge understands that it is a genuine issue which may keep her from focusing. We are usually much more lenient with elderly folks.
I would think that her age would have already eliminated her, but I suppose different courts, different rules…? Maybe start there…she might already have a reason not to report.
Personally, I do not think you should assist try to get her excused by her dr. or her vet because she’s anxious about her dogs. She can report and if selected, will have to answer questions about her readiness and willingness to be a juror. The only times I’ve been called, they were very quick to eliminate people who seemed to be hesitant to be chosen.
I homeschool my kids and still had to report. When I was initially summoned, I called the court office and explained my situation and they very happily rescheduled me for a summer month when I could arrange care for my kids. And they told me exactly which week it would be, so I had 4 months to prepare. If she must still report at her age, I would try to reschedule for a time when others can help her with the dogs.
Aside from the fact that I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have to serve at her age…
…she really cannot report for the like, two hours? I am now going in for my THIRD summons next week. (That is 3 times in the four years I’ve been eligible!) I was out of the courthouse by lunch every single time. Surely the dog can be alone for a few HOURS?
[QUOTE=Emryss;6371430]
I’ve never heard of that. Perhaps needing an emotional support animal would get her out, but she’d need a doctor’s - not a vet’s - note.[/QUOTE]
Then she can bring the emotional support animal with her to jury duty. Emotional support animal means the animal gets to come along where it otherwise would not be allowed, in order to support its owner. Not that the owner gets to stay home and emotionally support her pet.
An ESA does not have public access rights. Only a service animal does. An ESA is granted privileges when flying or when seeking housing, but does NOT have the same rights as a service animal. Also be aware that misrepresenting an animal as a service dog is usually a felony AND can result in fines and/or loss of social security benefits.
If she is such an emotional wreck about leaving her dog, I doubt they’d pick her anyway. How does she even function to go to the store or out for the day if she can’t be away from the dog?
Anyone anywhere in the U.S. who is 70 years or older are automatically NOT OBLIGATED to participate in jury duty. They can if they want to, but they’re NOT OBLIGATED. Simply contact the court & inform them of your mother-in-law’s age. You do need to provide proof of age.
[QUOTE=MelantheLLC;6371738]
She’s 78??
She’s already out if she wants to be. You don’t have to serve if you’re over 70 almost anywhere, and over 65 in a lot of places.
Although you’re usually welcome to serve if you want to.
@mvp, how do you know this lady hasn’t sat on many a jury in the past decades? Give her a break.[/QUOTE]
You have a very official-looking answer below. She’s off the hook.
I don’t know if she has served zero or multiple times. But I don’t care. Or is there a limit on how many juries one can serve on? I think many trial lawyers want Litigations Virgins. Perhaps we should not recycle people?
In any case, I’m just bitter and jealous because I never get called for jury duty. Not that I’d pass voir dire. I’m a blond female PhD with a potty mouth, a deep love for Karl Marx and 1,000# furred types. I’m the peer of, like, 4 people.
In NC the triggering age is 72 not 70 and you are still required to jump through certain hoops to get the exemption. Call your local Clerk of Court and they will gladly walk you through how to get her exempted. The bottom line is judges and attorneys do not want someone’s life or rights in the hands of a juror who is unable to focus on the case at hand regardless of their age.
When we send out a summons for jury duty there is a date and time given for a potential juror to come and speak with the judge about being relieved from jury duty. With the summons there is also a form that you can send in requesting to be excused for various reasons, one of them being age. I will frequently get responses like: “age 78, cannot hear well and need to move frequently,” “age 72 with limited vision and frequent urination;” “age 75 and caring for husband with cancer” … you get the idea.
I will add that often our best jurors are those over the age of 65 or 70 as they are happy to be out in the public and take their responsibilities very seriously. They do not have the same distractions as those of us with small children, work obligations, etc.
As “frequent urination”, “poor vision”, “mobility impaired” all sound like issues that would preclude suitable participation on a jury, there are several mental health issues that would as well, but, sadly, even in 2012, such issues still get treated with a great deal of distain (“can’t they just get over it?”). It is hoped that even court personnel are becoming more educated about these issues.
At 78 she’s probably not required. Just go ahead and request she be excused.
Thanks for all the responses. Quarterhorse4me, she is in NC, what other types of hoops will she have to jump through?
Oh, please. Excusing the juror because of her age and infirmities, yes.
Excusing the juror because it might upset the dog? B.S.
