Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Yep, got some mail at the house from the County Clerk of Court today. While I'm used to getting subpoenas from the States Attorney or the Public Defender, I usually get those at work, so this one kinda surprised me. It was a summons for Jury Duty! HA!! And it comes with a questionnaire that I'm supposed to turn in when I check in. Question #2 on it is "Are you friends with or have a family member who is a law enforcement officer?"

So, I call the main number and ask to be exempted because I AM a law enforcement officer, and the lady tells me that is not an auto exemption! To be fair, she did say she would exempt me if I so wished, but I went ahead and said I'd show up that morning, although I'll be pretty tired 'cause I'll have just gotten off work. Figure I'll do my civic duty as best I can... Hopefully I'll get picked for one of the felony criminal trials they have that day!! HA!!

Wouldn't it be funny if I got picked for a case that I arrested the guy on!! (I know, wouldn't happen, just thinking about the extreme irony in the situation.)

Anyway, just thought I'd share with my RP family!

I haven't been called, but a number of guys I worked with were called from time to time. They were automatically excused from any criminal case, but they sat on civil suits. Being a cop there doesn't matter, I guess. Most said they enjoyed it.

show up in uniform....lol

A member of one of the forums I belong to (I think it was this one) had a story where he got called to Jury Duty for a case where he arrested the suspect in the case. Got excused right quick when they asked him if he had any prejudices about innocence or guilt, and his reply was that if he didn't think the guy was guilty, he wouldn't have arrested him.

Awesome!! In AZ, it's not automatic but every LEO can get excused if they request it.

If there isn't anything automatic that the judge would strike for, does the the defense have to use one of their unquestioned strikes to get you out? If I were a LEO, that would be the sole motivation for going. I think it's guaranteed that LEO's will never be on the jury but if the defense has to use up their challenges getting rid of them, that's a bonus.

I got called and couldn't get out of it. Said they would get me on a civil case but later found out that there is NO method of separating the criminal from the civil. I ended up in the courtroom for a criminal case when I saw the defendant come in wearing an orange jumpsuit !

They didn't pick me and I got sent back down to the jury pool with the other rejects. A couple of hours later , the lady in charge told me that all of the civil cases had been picked and that I could QUIETLY leave.

I probably resembled a person committing a retail theft as I got my coat ( it was December) and nonchalantly slipped out :)

show up in uniform....lol

I have actually considered this as I will be just getting off duty a couple hours before!! Pretty sure I'd be excused darn quick! :biggrin5:

I have actually considered this as I will be just getting off duty a couple hours before!! Pretty sure I'd be excused darn quick! :biggrin5:

From the way I've seen jurors dressed around here, there certainly isn't a dress code! I don't know what they could do about it as long as your agency doesn't care. Go for it.....

From the way I've seen jurors dressed around here, there certainly isn't a dress code! I don't know what they could do about it as long as your agency doesn't care. Go for it.....

I think I might just ask around and do some digging on what policy states about this issue!! Wonder if it's ever even been brought up before?

I got a summons when right after I graduated my first academy so I was young, buff and good looking. Got called out of the pool and into the box for questioning. The defendant was smoking hot....a 20 on a scale of 1 to ten. Most of the jurors were older (Florida). As soon as my number was called an in the box the defendant and her lawyer were looking and it was obvious I was going to be one of their picks and they thought maybe her looks were going to sway me at trial....on a prostitution charge.

They go through the box and I am finally questioned. She is smiling and leaning forward as they ask my age and occupation. When I said I was Trooper with the FHP her smile disappeared before I could finish. I was immediately dismissed by the defense.

They go through the box and I am finally questioned. She is smiling and leaning forward as they ask my age and occupation. When I said I was Trooper with the FHP her smile disappeared before I could finish. I was immediately dismissed by the defense.

Here, the very first thing they make you do is fill out a 40 question form with occupation being one of the first things. You would never make to the panel box on a criminal trial.

I was surprised when my oldest daughter was called for jury duty and she was asked if anyone in her family was in LE. She still was able to sit on an arson case.

I got a summons when right after I graduated my first academy so I was young, buff and good looking. Got called out of the pool and into the box for questioning. The defendant was smoking hot....a 20 on a scale of 1 to ten. Most of the jurors were older (Florida). As soon as my number was called an in the box the defendant and her lawyer were looking and it was obvious I was going to be one of their picks and they thought maybe her looks were going to sway me at trial....on a prostitution charge.

They go through the box and I am finally questioned. She is smiling and leaning forward as they ask my age and occupation. When I said I was Trooper with the FHP her smile disappeared before I could finish. I was immediately dismissed by the defense.
I call B.S. Young? probably. Buff? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But Sipowicz was never "good looking."

Don't they only get a certain number of peremptory strikes? I thought it was 6 each here. having the defense use their strikes on LEO's means they run out quicker. I didn't think being a LEO is a strike for cause as long as they say they can be impartial. It would be awesome if the defenses last peremptory strike came down to choosing between a military vet vs. current LEO. I bet he goes back and checks to make sure he got paid up front before that trial :).

I call B.S. Young? probably. Buff? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But Sipowicz was never "good looking."

LMAO! As my wife telss me "You know, back in your hot days when you had the six pack"...11 yeasr later on the, I figure each year has added 3 pounds and resulted in the major thining of my hair. Only six pack and "buff" you see me with is when I grab a six pack and pulg in the buffer to wash/was the cars.

QUOTE]]Don't they only get a certain number of peremptory strikes? I thought it was 6 each here. having the defense use their strikes on LEO's means they run out quicker. I didn't think being a LEO is a strike for cause as long as they say they can be impartial. It would be awesome if the defenses last peremptory strike came down to choosing between a military vet vs. current LEO. I bet he goes back and checks to make sure he got paid up front before that trial :).[/QUOTE]
In Florida (where this case was back in 98, the jury pool in this area are the older, snowbirds who have retried there. Meaning they come from other parts of America, and usualy bring their old fashioned values. While you don't want them on a prostitution case....you definately don't want a young cop on one where its the undercover officers vs. prostitues word. At least you can play to grandma and grandpa's heart strings if they have grandchildren. They had nothing to play on me. "Bros's before ho's" comes to mind!

As for prememptory challenges, I don't know Floridas rule as I have long left, but in NY it is:
20 if charged with a class A felony
15 if charged with a class B or C felony selected.
10 for all other crimes

I have been summoned twice since graduation, the first was a week after I got back. Have yet to actually make it to the building.

In AZ there is a box you can check if you are an officer for an AZ state agency or political subentity thereof. Guess I'll keep hoping for the $13 paycheck ...

Guess I'll keep hoping for the $13 paycheck ...

Oh sure, you guys get the big bucks. We only get $12 here. It's been the same for the past 40 years, at least.