Bragging about your crime is never a good idea. And yet, it just doesn't seem to ever stop people....

Bosses do it because it makes them feel important. Their ego's won't let them admit that most workplaces would function just fine if not better without them.

Brooke, I agree. Besides, most of the time you are provided with a telephone number or website to visit a day or two ahead of time to see if you are still required. Many times I've found I didn't need to attend after all.

hahaha..yapping away woman, now she has to pay.

"KUSA legal analyst Scott Robinson said Cole's on-air confession will make defending her a challenge."

Now there's an understatement.

Maybe if more us just did it more of the right people would be locked up. Whats the big deal about it. Are people afraid they get locked in to a big case and stuff?

some of us cannot afford to take weeks off work for jury duty, and that $10 a day stipend sure wont pay the rent, buy grocieries, pay the electric etc. many do not get paid time off and to avoid jail,jury duty or going homeless do not vote

And we wonder why America is screwed up.

I wonder "what else" she has lied about.....maybe falsifying documents to obtain Obama Bucks, misinformation on her IRS tax statements, or....or....or.

"Bragging about getting out of jury duty is a little bit like being proud of not voting or cheating on your taxes."

Last time I checked, you can't go to jail for not voting.

Rick, I think he was referring more to a "patriotic duty" than a legal obligation. But I really don't understand people who don't vote.

no one wants to sit in a room and never get called as i have done many times,the answer to this problem is to hire professional juries ,pay a salary,stimulate the economy

They should AT LEAST pay minimum wage for jury duty (time spent at the courthouse). What they currently give is a slap in the face, it barely covers the cost of getting to the courthouse.

As far as "getting out of it" goes, anyone who is an independent thinker and is honest about it doesn't have to ever worry about getting stuck on to a trial. An independent thinker is likely to hang a jury.

And this lady, her own dumb fault. You just plain don't go around bragging about breaking the law, especially on the radio.

Jurors names are selected at random by a computer from a list of registered voters provided by the board of elections... that's why some people don't register to vote, for fear they will be pulled for jury duty.... saaad. Jury service is the fulfillment of civil & moral obligation.

I so agree with you. I've been called at least a dozen times, had to take off work, pay to park downtown, go thru the red tape of sitting and waiting, then be called into the courtroom and never once get called to be a juror. The prosecutor always wants me; defense never! A huge waste of time and I see why people try to get out, not like this nut did but I've had friends who've made stuff up to get out of it.

If she would have just kept her pie hole shut.

What a stupid broad!

@jb2222 But what happens when the crime bubble bursts?

They won't take me. I am an attorney, and would serve, but because I am an attorney, the prosecutor strikes me during selection.

Jb222--Now that's the best idea yet.

If you don't vote or do your jury duty you get the government and court system you asked for. If you don't get paid for jury duty they let you out. If you have a legitimate reason they let you out. Very few juries get sequestered. As far as voting you have all GD day. The polls are open 6AM to 6 PM in my state and you can get a absentee ballot if you can't make that. We have a advanced citizenship here in America it requires you to participate as in "We the People". If you don't want to participate there are plenty of places where your participation is not needed or wanted like North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, etc etc. The bad guys count on your apathy, your selfishness, and you being uneducated on the issues. Not often in life are you asked YOUR opinion. The polling place is one place you are asked.

UDunnoBro

Besides, most of the time you are provided with a telephone number or website to visit a day or two ahead of time to see if you are still required.

That information is correct in some locales, but not all. I had that option one place that I lived, but in my current city (Houston/Harris County) you MUST show up.

aggrevatedofficeworker

many do not get paid time off and to avoid jail,jury duty or going homeless do not vote

Again, that may be the case where you live that registering to vote puts you on the jury duty rolls. Here it only takes having a Texas driver's license.

aggrevatedofficeworker...actually, you are incorrect. I work in Human Reosurces, and this comes up all the time. Most companies who hire FULL TIME employees actually do pay. Most are actually required to pay, as most of those employes are "EXEMPT". Companies are not, however, required to pay for NON-EXEMPT employees, but the national average is that they will.

So the REAL answer about why people do this is not USUALLY about the money. It is the lack of willingness to participate in a fundamental part of our society. As yoru name implies, you are not a happy worker, but you can't blame EVERYTHINg on employers.

aggrevatedofficeworker, You're absolutely right. Most of us try to deny being sick because we can't afford losing a day's pay. I have sought temporary jobs during vacation when the boss couldn't afford to allow me to work through my vacation.

This $10.00 a day allowance is almost an insult. In most cases, it doesn't cover the cost of gasoline and parking. The jury summons clearly states that financial distress is not allowable to be excused from jury duty. Receiving that summons seems like a sentence to the prospective juror instead of the accused in many instances.

There has to be a better way. $100.00 a day might cover many households temporarily. If the juror can't be excused because of financial distress, how can the State be excused from providing reasonable, minimum compensation by pleading financial distress?

A jury summons is often the first experience by many citizens inside the justice system. That's a heck of an introduction. You can't use financial difficulties to be excused from jury duty. Yet, the State can use that very same excuse by paying a token pittance for your time away from work. You call that justice?

People say that our justice system is messed up yet they wont be part of fixing it. I wish I could sit on a jury. Every time I tell them I work in the security profession they let me go. My friend got selected for the grand jury and had to call every Wednesday to see if they were going to meet that night for a whole year.

Not registering to vote is not a guarantee either. My wife got a letter in the mail, with her info, saying she was required to register to selective jury service. Got on the stat's website and registered. 2 weeks later, she is checking in to see if she's going to get called up. She has never even registered to vote before.

eric60watts, I'm betting that you work in government related business or corporations that work for government related business. Most of us work for private businesses. There is no law that requires pay for jury duty by our employer. Such a law would be unjust in itself.

I'll admit that I hate being selected for jury duty. But, at the same time, I like being able to vote. Small price to pay in the end.

I hope all the people who skip jury duty get robbed of everything they own and when it comes time to try the guy who robbed them, all the jurors skip duty.

Performing jury duty is part of the equation; if you expect law enforcement to work for you, you need to be there for others too.

Why vote when your inevitable choices are between a douche and a turd? And how is it this woman's fault that lawyers are prejudiced against people with a disheveled appearance?

I would LOVE jury duty, as long as my work was understanding.

Some states no longer use voter registration to call you to jury duty. Some use DMV records. I was called a few years back. One of the women called at the time was an immigrant who was not yet a citizen, but had a driver's license. She got off. As for getting off because you are a boss or an attorney, some states no longer allow that as excuses for exemption. You might be able to get a delay in having to serve, but no exemption.

This woman will probably get an attorney who will claim that she really does have a mental disability because no sane person would brag about the scam they pulled to get out of jury duty.

Commonsense..actually, a) I do not work in government or a government realted industry, I work for an engineering firm (feel free not to assume) b) most states DO have laws that state full time works must be paid for the first 5 days of service on a jury and c) how EXACTLY is it "unjust"? Employers are required to give employees time off for voting (if they can prove it is impossible for them to vote during off-business hours). How is it "unjust" to NOT have an employee financially hurt for performing a required task?

I'd only do jury duty if there was money in it for me....$10 a day and missing work is not worth it. I'm single own a house by myself, pay all the bills by myself and would hate to be stuck in a jury for any length of time due to these reasons. If the phone company, cable company, gas company, mortgage company etc etc would place all my bills on hold then maybe I would do it. But seeing as how I live in the real world, and none of these companies are goping to do that for me then I'd avoid at all costs. It's purely financial for me....if they want to pay $100/day then I would do it, other than that I'm not receiving late notices, additional expense, late fees and the like not to mention paying out of my savings for all these things since during this time I have no means of income. Other than that I'll do anything to get out of it.

Seems to me that if she really wanted to get out of it was not lie but just to simply have an honest opinion that would honestly exclude her.

Well, if she gets a felony conviction out of this, she won't have to worry about jury-duty anymore at least...

I get summoned almost exactly every ten years. Coincidence? Who knows!

I've only had to actually report once, wasn't called, but I enjoyed watching the selection process and got to visit with some people I hadn't seen in years who had also been on the same panel as I was.

The state paid me $30 plus mileage to visit with old acquaintances and observe the attorneys choose the jurors for a civil suit for a negligent homicide I had read about in the newspaper the previous year. They also paid mileage to drive to and from the courthouse.

I wouldn't mind being called up a bit more often, really.

Repeal the victimless crime laws and we would not need so many juries in the first place. The problem here is we have far too many laws.

Vote LIBERTARIAN!

If I don't work, I don't get paid, and $10 a day is not worth it. I don't get an exception for jury duty; I would have to use up my vacation time if I was ever chosen. So I try to avoid jury duty like the plague. And not being a registered voter won't get you out of it. They now use DMV records. Even if you just have a state ID and not an actual license, you can be chosen for jury duty.

@Count Iblis

Why vote when your inevitable choices are between a douche and a turd?

Because I like to have a say about what goes on in my town, county and state. Maybe if you bothered to do it yourself you'd realize it's about more than just picking a President.

There are so many LEGITIMATE reasons for being excused from jury duty, why did she feel the need to dress up like a homeless person and lie about PTSD?

Sounds like maybe her feigned mental illness might not be so imaginary after all...

If we all didn't part take in Jury Duty, How would the Guilty get their fair Trial. You maybe the one to need a future jury, Think about it!!! Without Jury Duty we would not have a Justice system, even how bad at times it is. Its everyone duty to serve on a jury, I serve once myself. Jury Duty will open your eyes to the outside world around you. There are people who don't care about you, except they want your stuff, and will do anything to get it, that includes killing you. Please do your civic duty and serve next time you are called. Maybe once in five years is average? There is a difference in Federal, State and Local City Court duty. Trust me, the Judge has heared every excuse there is to get out of jury duty, Beware!!!

The pros here for her have job, and the cons (patriots) here have no jobs-- go and check it if you can!

@ltrout

And not being a registered voter won't get you out of it.

Yes but if you want to vote you have to register to do so and if you do you will be put in the jurry pool.

Where to start with the misinformation some people are posting here?!?! First off on the comments about voting, most states require that an employer must give an employee time off to vote if that person can not reasonably vote outside of working hours and many even require that it be with pay. The laws usually provide for two and sometimes three hours of time off. While some states do not have these laws and do not provide that the employer needs to pay you during the time, due to federal regulations, any employer in any state that refuses a reasonable request for time off to go vote will likely face federal charges.

As for jury duty, not all states go by voter registration roles. Many states, in fact, use their drivers license database for selecting people for jury duty. The complaints about the stipend not covering the cost to get there and back as also BS because most states pay you mileage, or in the alternative reimburse the cost of public transportation, for doing jury duty. As for loss of pay, this is highly unlikely for most people. Most companies pay their employees salary while they are on jury duty. The only requirement is that most companies will have you turn in your jury duty check from the court to the employer. Those claiming that financial hardship will not get you out of jury duty are also full of it. If you can show that you will not be paid by your employer and that this will cause financial hardship, you most definitely will be excused from jury duty. I know more than one person who worked on an hourly basis and whose employer did not give time off with pay that has gotten out of jury duty this way.

People should not try to come up with ways to get out of jury duty. As infrequently as people are called for jury duty, it is not much to ask to keep our justice system working properly. The joke about the only people on jury duty are those who are too stupid to find a way out is both sad and troubling. If you were on trial wouldn't you rather have twelve intelligent people who can listen to and analyze the evidence judging you instead of twelve dolts who are going to vote based on which attorney they liked better or some other equally inane, non-analytical reason. This woman is going to get what she deserves for her blatantly lying to avoid doing her civic duty.

Now they use diver license

Why vote when you have to pick between the lesser of two evils? (I cleaned up some commentaries) Because if you do not vote, then you should not complain about whoever won. At least if you vote and you do not like the person who won, or change your mind about the one you voted for, you can legitimately complain.

They don't just use voters registration lists to pick the jury pools from...they also use DMV records which means anyone with a drivers license can get called.

Seems there is some misconceptions about jury duty out there, all verifiable by a web search:

In some locations, jury duty is picked from drivers license lists, not voter registration.

It is illegal for an employer to fire you for jury duty.

With the exception of Alabama, Connecticut, Colorado, Massachussetts, and New York, there are various states' laws requiring employers to pay employees while on jury duty (in Tennessee, it applies to companies emplying more than five people).

In some cases, reimbursement from the state/Feds may include travel, parking, and room and board.

I think America's jails are brimming because we are the Land of the Dumbest Criminals. Didn't video tapping (bragging about) your crime spree go out with adolescence? Here's someone still doing it 40 years later.

That's right...they don't just use the voters registration lists anymore to get the jury pool, they use DMV records also.

If they expect you to do your duty, then they need to pay you what your pay is. It is not my duty to give up pay or hard-earned vacation and other leave time to go through what often times is a bullsh** case. The government already takes enough from me, I don't need to give anymore!

My employer pays the first two weeks, but after that, we are on our own. So the one time I did get called to the jury box (for a bullsh** personal injury case), I just made sure to say the right things. The judge dismissed me and I felt great about it.

I do think it is our duty to serve, but it is not our duty to give up compensation to do it. So until they change the system, I won't ever serve on a jury when called, at least while I'm earning a paycheck.

The people who skip out on jury duty are most likely the same people who would walk right past a person bleeding to death on a sidewalk or put their heads down and quickly walk away upon seeing a child being beaten.

That may sound shocking to some, but it is part of our civic duty in this country to participate in the judicial system when called. Being able to get a fair trial in this country only works if people take jury duty seriously. Anyone can be accused of a crime, and I, for one, would much rather be judged by a jury of average citizens than to leave everything up to a judge and a prosecutor. The callous disregard for everyone but yourself that I see on many of these postings is pathetic.

The government doesn't ask a whole lot from us. Vote. Pay your taxes. Be willing to act as an impartial juror if one of your friends or neighbors is accused of a crime. If we are not willing to do these few simple things, we get exactly the government we deserve.

But I really don't understand people who don't vote.

It's actually pretty simple. For most people, voting is something that makes you feel like you've made a difference. But honestly, you haven't.

I live in Utah. My vote doesn't matter. All of Utahs electoral college votes will go to the republican. My vote for or against that won't make any difference no matter how much I want that warm fuzzy feeling.

Been subject to jury duty several times, only to be told prior to actually being interviewed that the case was settled out of court..

Its easy to get out of jury duty...just tell the judge you don't mind doing jury duty and you can tell a person is guilty by just looking at them.

If this woman was faking it, well going on a radio program and boasting about faking it, just proves she is not faking anything. The only thing is that she does not realize that she was right the first time. LOL

It is said that crazy people do not belive they are crazy, even when they are being crazy. But then again that may be their idea of normalcy anyway...so... LOL

One way or the other though, she has saved either the prosecution or the defense a headache. For the accused/defendant in the case ... well who knows whether the person benefitted from not having her on the jury or would have benefited from having her on the jury.

One thing though is that she saved her possible fellow jurors a headache. LOL

This woman is seriously in need of psychological testing, 'cause it is crazy to brag about something like that on public airwaves. Now she may get the help that she does not know that she really needs...LOL

Always look on the bright side of things.

On the other hand as the Good Book states.... even a fool when he shuts his mouth is thought of as wise... unfortunately she oped her mouth.... LOL

Peace....mum is the word.....zip the lip.....

some of us cannot afford to take weeks off work for jury duty...

Well, aren't we just "special", aggrevatedofficeworker? Most people can't afford to take off the time to serve, but that doesn't mean that you don't have a moral and legal obligation. You are no exception. Besides, most trials are over within a day. The time I served only required two days. The first day was jury selection. The second was a trial for DUI that lasted less than an hour.

People - keep in mind that when bosses and employees try to wriggle out of jury duty, that only leaves the dregs of society to serve. That's why we get verdicts like in the Casey Anthony trial. The jury is composed of people who are ignorant and undereducated, not those who can form a coherent thought. Believe me, if you were on trial, you would not wants these types of jurors. You would want educated people who can reason.

how funny,,,its so simple to get out of jury duty,,just wad up the summens and throw it away,,,,unless its sent regestered mail and you have to sign for it then they cant prove you ever got it in the first place.

however sometimes its fun to get picked if its a case agianst the state,,,then you simply find the state guilty no matter what the evidence shows,,,its the easiest way to screw the state...after all they dont hesitate to screw you every chance they get.

and as for voting i never vote,,there is no point in it,,the president is already picked ,,the numbers you see on TV are just a gag.

if you could convince EVERY person in the united states to vote for ron paul,,he still wouldnt win,,the news would show someone else as the winner and no one would ever be the wiser.

the banks control the elections as well as who wins as well as the entire government....and thats a FACT!!!!!

I've got one thing to say about this woman: DUMBASS!

If everyone who worked for a company who pays for jury duty, actually did their civic duty and didn't try to get out of it with some pathetic excuse, then maybe they wouldn't have changed the law to not allow the financial hardship excuses. My employer (actually my last 3 employers - and I work in the private sector, not gov't) have all paid for jury duty for as long as necessary, and I always go. I've only been selected to a jury once and was out of work for 3 days. If we all did our part, in one way or another, our country and localities would be much better places.

What saddens me is I have been trying to get on jury duty. The civic thing to do. I once made it as far as the jury seats, but was booted when they realized I was black and the defendants were black. Little did they know if I had made that jury, I would have had them hung. Making almost 100,000 dollars a year, and none of them had jobs. Accusations of a multi state drug operation, four new homes, new cars. Nothing burns my shorts quicker than someone who sells drugs, and makes such a killing off of people that they can just sit back and collect ill gotten gains. I was recently picked to serve on jury duty a month ago. All I had to do was call the day before my scheduled appointment to confirm that a trial would take place. I called and again, there would be no trial. So no need to come down. One day I will make it, and do my duty as an American citizen. And if you're guilty, "Gotta Go, Gotta Go".

In Kittitas County, Washington, if you are sent a summons FOR ANY REASON (jury duty, small claims court, whatever) and you do not show up in court, a bench warrant WILL be issued for your arrest and a sherriff's deputy WILL be stopping by your house. It doesn't matter if it's a utility company suing you for unpaid bills, you ignore a judge's summons, you go to jail. Period.

They came to arrest my 8 1/2 months pregnant sister because she was in the hospital when her phone company sued her in small claims court over a $40 past due phone bill.

Some judges insist that you take your civic duty as seriously as they take theirs.

"Bosses do it because it makes them feel important. Their ego's won't let them admit that most workplaces would function just fine if not better without them."

It's been my observation that most people who complain about bosses are the ones not doing their job. So if you're the one griping about bosses, you're probably the reason why the boss feels the workplace wouldn't function without them.

eric - the irony is that an exempt employee means salaried or highly paid - like a professional would be. and they are the very people who can most afford to take a week or two off unpaid, in comparison to a non-exempt employee...who's working a job at hourly wages, likely low wages.

so, i have no doubt there's a lot of people trying to get out of jury duty because they simply cant afford to take the time off...and if they are non-exempt, their employer can fire them for missing too much time.

you should step out of the corporate world and recognize the reality around you, and it's not so pretty for 1/2 of america.

But more to the point of this specific woman - didnt anyone consider that perhaps this defendant and prosecutor was better off not having a liar on the jury? She shouldnt have served if she was willing to lie to get out of it...

and slapping her with a felony is just a waste of tax dollars. pure and simple...

Michael - it's been my observation that any place of employment that has "lazy workers" who "dont do their jobs well" has crappy management (ie bosses)

at the end of the day, if you are keeping a loser around...you suck as a manager. end of story.

in my short 32 years of life (and workign since I was 16) management is often content to let a few crappy workers remain, and let the rest of us pick up their slack at no extra charge.

it's been the reason i've switched jobs before...and currently, the boss does this with his daughter where i work. everyone see's it and no one can do a darn thing about it, and I frankly cant find a job as good as I have (financially speaking) in this weak economy...

I would think venting about this reality is healthy...bottling it up does no one any good.

they need to change the way to get people on the jury, The ones that don't want to be on it should pay a 40 hour week of wages for the people that do get on the jury. that would solve the ones that do care about our justice system and the ones that don't can just pay to no be on it. where's that "EASY BUTTON"

the day they let me smoke during the trial is the day ill show up for jury duty, and untill then, i wont do it.

PTSD..........Nope, she has Forest Gump Syndrome or FGS..!!

Stupid is as stupid does......!!!!!!!

jb2222 Who is going to pay. the taxpayers. the country is already bankrupt and all people like you can think of is more ways to spend taxpayers money the government does not have. Great idea!!!

Jessica,

I understand in your particular case that the daughter was the crappy employee that your boss wouldn't get rid of, but in many states, the state's employment laws make it very difficult for bosses to get rid of the loser employees without paying a stiff penalty and risking a potential lawsuit. So it is easier and less risky to keep the bad employees and hope that they will move on.

Damn Jessica,

Are you still ranting about that?? I would suggest a resume and looking elsewhere. I read that from you months ago.

"You should have just gone and done your duty. I do NOT understand what the big deal is. My boss does it also. Do ANYTHING to get out of it. Isn't it the LEAST we can do?"

The reason a lot of people try and get out of it is because jury duty takes time... sometimes a lot of time. And time, as you know, is money. If you have to miss a lot of work to be on a jury, the government only gives you a pittance in compensation. If the government paid you the same hourly rate you normally get. People wouldn't try to avoid it like they do.

For ABCxyz and others who think its morally and civically irresponsible for some people to get out of jury duty, they should understand that it's not all black and white.

My wife is a dentist and we have our own practice. For her to serve on a jury would mean our BUSINESS (not just her) would have very little income on the days she would be at jury duty, since she accounts for 75% of the revenues in our business. In addition to losing her revenue, our hygienists would be very limited on what they could do without the dentist there to perform exams, etc. (the state we live in does not allow hygienists to do many things without a doctor in the office). They could do cleanings on patients who have had an exam within the previous year, but it is hard to schedule just those patients on short notice. We could hire a temp dentist, but very expensive with questionable quality and issues with our patients wanting a stranger working on their teeth.

So, for my wife to serve on a jury it would put our business in serious financial hardship, with probably less than 20% of our typical revenue for each day she was out of the office. That means we would probably have to send home (without pay) most of the hourly employees on the days that she served on the jury. That's not right to do to us as business owners (at least in our business), since others (our employees) depend on our business being open and her serving on the jury is impacting everyone in our office.

The business would be ok for maybe a 1- or 2-day trial, but a longer case would have major financial implications for our business. Of course, you don't know what kind of case you are going to get (and how long the trial will be) until you show up to serve.

The two counties where we have lived do not allow exceptions for financial hardships, even for business owners like her. Fortunately, she has never been selected to serve and was able to be excused for a different reason. However, that doesn't mean she won't get selected the next time she is called.

@ sjhrace - LMAO,, pls put away the tin foil hat and take your meds.

Bravo, JS in SD! And you, Sally Lu. And, I think NeighborOfTheBeast.

Jessica, your boss can't fire you for missing work for jury duty. That's illegal.

All of you people who get out of jury duty just because, you deserve what you get. Here's hoping you have to go to trial, and end up with the kind of jury you deserve.

I live in LA county, and out here it seems that my husband and I get called about every 2 years. I've gone 4 times, been on a jury twice, been an alternate once, and kept getting excused/not seated once. Also called and postponed service 3 or 4 times as primary caretaker of small children. Out here, they won't automatically excuse you if your employer doesn't pay, but they will if you can show "extreme hardship." So yeah, if you missing work for 2 weeks loses you your apartment, you'll get excused. (Dude with all the bills to pay- that's probably you. Gee, it's a good thing none of the rest of us have any bills, huh?) Also, the times when I was getting seated on a jury, if your employer only paid for 1 week of jury duty, the judge would not seat you if they thought the trial would run longer than that.

And whoever said that the best way to get out of jury duty is to have strong opinions and be an independent thinker, I think you're right. The one time I got excused was when they were trying to seat people for a drug trial, and the judge asked if any of the potential jurors favored legalization. When I did, he grilled me for like 15 minutes, and then the prosecutor excused me in about .25 seconds.

Not only is jury duty your civic, and maybe moral, duty, it is also quite educational. But then, why would sheeple need any kind of actual knowledge about our legal system? Sigh.

@Paul- that is perfectly reasonable. If it weren't for all the people who abuse excuses, I bet exemptions for people like your wife would be more likely.

That being said, one of the times I had jury duty, I was working a job where I went in at 4 or 5 in the morning, and we would call the courthouse twice a day to see if they needed us (the jury pool) to come in. That resulted in a couple of days where I worked practically my whole shift, then went and spent the whole rest of the day at the courthouse. It was annoying and inconvenient, but we worked with it. And since your wife has gone in, and been excused for other reasons, obviously, she is fulfilling her duty as well, despite the inconvenience to her. It's the people who just trash their summonses, or lie to get out of serving who really get under my skin.

Bosses do it because it makes them feel important.

That's right. Jury duty is just another opportunity to control someone else's life. What makes it even more attractive is that this is a person that the boss has no affiliation with. A chance to control an anonymous person.

From reading some of the comments about the $10 a day for jury duty, I guess I should feel lucky. I was paid $18 for a day's jury duty - nearly have an hour of my regular pay. It only cost me $315/day to do my civic duty for that day. When asked if I could be objective about the decisions necessary to be a juror, I told them I had no problem playing the devil's advocate. Every jury needs someone to make sure the rest of the panel is kept in check. For some reason they dismissed me.

Some people like myself don't believe in sitting in judgement of someone else. Not because i just don't want to.

I know children more responsible than some people that won't do jury duty. She will be getting some community service time in for the next year. Anyone that does jury duty around here is payed normal days wages for the first 4 days, it's the law. Most cases take 2-4 days, the jury hours are shorter than the regular job hours, and it's intresting. It is not counted as vacation or sick or personal time. The boss knows something he ain't telling you.

The fifth ammendment to the constitution protects your right to incriminate yourself if you want to. I assume she knew this.

you said "I don't enjoy doing it, but I do. And if I were a defendant, I would want someone who gives a @!$%# on my jury.

think about that for a minute,,,,,would you rather have a jury deciding your fate made up of people that really dont want to be there and are only there because they are being FORCED to by the state under threat of jail?

or would you rather have a jury made up of people that really want to be there and want to decide the case on its merrits?

because believe me no matter what the evidence shows,,if it will get the jury members home 30 minutes earlier to find you guilty then you my friend are guilty guilty guilty,,,,,

you and your life dont mean SQUAT to those people that are being forced to be there under threat of jail.

I don't enjoy jury duty because it's not a comfortable feeling having someone's fate in my hands. And that's why I pay close attention to both sides of the argument. I don't want to wrongly convict someone. Nor do I want to let the guilty go unpunished.

As far as getting out a half hour early, I covered a trial where the jury let a man go free after he twice shot a man -- once in the back -- and killed him. Jury let him off because they were tired of deliberating and wanted to go home. So unfortunately that's a two-way street.

Either way, if I have to be on a jury, I'm going to do anything I can to ensure the appropriate verdict is handed down.

because believe me no matter what the evidence shows,,if it will get the jury members home 30 minutes earlier to find you guilty then you my friend are guilty guilty guilty,,,,,

Verdicts can also be racial statements rendered within minutes - just ask simpson about his murder trial.

Agree completely. I will also say that I would probably be more willing to vote if there was anyone worth voting for. Should you vote, sure. But I'm not going to vote on which of the two poisons would hurt less.

alohaman: Robinson didn't say they were the same; he just implied that bragging about either is shameful.

defending her will be a challange???

i'm no perry mason, but both sides use the facts, as they are. and if the facts don't 'favor' your client, as in this case, your job is then to make sure she has a fair trial.to make sure the other side plays fair. NOT TO TWIST FACTS TO TRY TO GET HER OUT OF WHAT SHE HAS ACTUALLY DONE.

if she is adult enough to be called for jury duty, then she is adult enough to take the consequences for her actions.

on the bright side, i bet she won't have to worry about jury duty again! if convicted she will most likely be excused, esp when they find out her crime.

so in the end she is actually getting what she wanted all along. but she certainly didn't use very good judgement in her choise of actions.

jail and prison seems full of people who don't use good judgement--- perhaps there is room for one more!!

@alohaman

What?! Not voting is on par with cheating on your taxes? That's preposterous. It's illegal to cheat on your taxes. It is not illegal to exercise your right not to vote.

Read it again and you'll be less confussed. He didn't say not voting was on par with not paying your taxes. He said being PROUD of not voting and not paying your taxes was on par with bragging about getting out of jury duty.

in a democracy like ours citizens have several duties: 1)vote 2) serve on a jury 3) pay their fair share of taxes 4) report crime, etc, etc.

seems some of you need an 8th grade civics refresher course.

It SHOULD be illegal not to vote. It's not like we ask a whole lot from our citizens.

@NeighborOfTheBeast

It SHOULD be illegal not to vote.

God NO!!!! There are far too many clueless morons essentially walking into the voting booth and saying "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe", now. Or worse, voting a straight ticket. Or even worse yet, voting for whomever their favorite celebrity tells them to vote for. We don't need any more of that going on.

But not voting means you can't complain when things don't go your way. Your VOTE is important, get out there and exercise your right to help change things that are not to your liking. Your Vote is important, to get rid of the poor politician not voting your wishes. Your Vote is important to change the Laws that are outdated and are not in the best interest of this Country, State, City, or County interest. Your Vote is important, because with it, you can change Tax Law. Your VOTE is Important, please exercise it every chance you get!!!! If you don't someone else will vote for you??? The Republicans are hoping you stay home this election, so they have a chance of getting back into the White House to screw up the country just like the last time they were in Office. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!!!!!

@Backcountry164:

I agree with your assesment of the sheeple who don't pay any attention to what's going on beyond what they see on today's media. However, I also feel that this ignorance and apathy stem in large part from the intentional dumbing down of our children. Look at the curriculum of a modern middle or high school's U.S. History or civics classes, if they even offer them. Most of today's children couldn't recite the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, have no idea what the Bill of Rights is and look at the struggles of our Founding Fathers in the same light as studying ancient Greece. The Revolutionary War & the War of 1812 mean nothing to them. George Washington is just that guy on the $1 bill. Names like John Adams, Crispus Attucks, John Paul Jones, Patrick Henry, Molly Pitcher, James and Dolly Madison, Betsy Ross, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock mean nothing to them. Most of today's kids think WE started WWII and can't even concieve of the constant threat of nuclear annhililation that was the Cold War. We've had it so good for so long that the struggle to get where we are and where we came from gets ignored.

@AG69 and @Backcountry: I understand the distinction of being proud of the thing vs. the thing itself, but I still think it's a poor analogy to compare being proud of 2 things that are illegal and to throw in 1 more thing that is not illegal so as to seem like he has a broader basis for comparison. Being "proud" of commiting a crime is a whole different mindset than being proud of something that is not a crime.

Inventing false reasons to escape jury duty is illegal, and falsifying tax returns is illegal. Not voting? Perfectly legal. To suggest that being proud of doing these 3 things is equivalent is off-base.

I no longer encourage people to vote, unless I know they have been paying attention to the news on a daily basis and have a good idea about what the issues are. Too many people I know have opinions based on hearsay or the most recent email chain letter they have received that is full of mis-information.

Paul in Chicago

Seems like you also need an 8th grade refresher civics course.

We are NOT a democracy, we are a constitutional republic. A big difference between the two. Too bad our political leaders and most citizens don't understand the difference either or our country wouldn't be in its present condition.

ours citizens have several duties: 1)vote 2) serve on a jury 3) pay their fair share of taxes 4) report crime, etc, etc.

Duty to vote? How about the prerogative to vote but certainly not a duty.

Report crime? Only as far as personal morality to dictates but duty to report is certainly questionable.

Really? That's why? Thanks for clearing things up.

Unfortunately, lawyers don't WANT intelligent people on the jury, they want cattle. From what I've seen and experienced, intelligent people are the first ones thrown off (after relatives of cops and victims of crimes like the one charged).

howieCA ~~ Your statement is sad but true. I have a relative, who, for some reason was called upon time after time for jury duty. This was a terribly self righteous, judgmental, critical, mean person, who had absolutely no compassion for others. Totally imbalanced on every level, as far as I could tell. How, or why this person was ever picked for jury duty is far beyond me. In a million years, I would NEVER want them sitting on my jury. BEWARE, because there are those who know how to lie, in order to be selected for jury duty. They have their own agenda!

Reni...do you see the hypocrisy in your statement? You just accused this person (who is not on the board to verify that they are a REAL person or to defend themself) of being "self righteous, judgemental, critical, mean person, who had absolutely no compassion for others". And yet those statements are all "self righteous, judgemental, critial and mean".

are you suggesting that this woman would have been a good juror?

from time to time i see lots of talk on here about 'sharia law'. they don't use juries. so perhaps you slackers would prefer that system?

if not, then you need to start doing the duties this country requires of it's citizens.

and not wait until the very last minute to do them either!

Bigpicture...no, but that is for the system to figure out....not be left to every person who wants to get out of it.

@Eric:

Reni's talking about a relative of hers/his. If you can't be critical and judgemental of your own family, who can you be?

I don't have a 'duty' to participate in a system designed to screw over poor people, and I would fight to the death against anyone who tried to compel me to participate in the joke called the court system.

Ok... if not you, who? The JURY is the ONLY part of the system that really reaches across rich or poor! You can buy a high priced lawyer, but you can't buy 12 random people with their own ideas. You have to convince them.

That is the beauty of trial by jury.

You individuals who will sit an enjoy the benefits of living in America - freedom to travel to any state you want with no explanation - take any job you can get - worship in any church you want - even call our president an idiot on TV or radio or the intenet - but feel you don't have a DUTY to do your part? You sir, ARE the problem!

stoneddog34...please educate us on how the "system" is "designed to screw over poor people". Exactly how do you arrive that that? The jury is made up of peopel from different races, economic and religious backgrounds. This is specifically why the jury system is important.

And yes, you do have a "duty". Legally, morally and ethically you do. You cn choose not to participate, and face the consequences, but I hope that it is you in the defendant's chair at some point and face a jury of peopel who are just as antogonistic and ignorant as you are.

In Ohio the court system is exactly that! a poor person's nightmare! You are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty in any court but here it is all weighted against any defendant that can't afford an attorney. The public defenders try to make all deals seem like the only possible option so that they can close your case and move on. They tell you the worse case scenario and about the deal they can get you if you plead guilty. If you go to court you have to prove your innocence against a court that is already weighted against you, prime example is the case of that Joaquin guy who was accused of partaking in the shooting of the 2 medical interns in Perk park downtown. He didn't even know the co-defendants and they didn't know him either but the prosecutor still went ahead and tried him and he was found guilty because of some omitted evidence by the prosecutor. He has now been released and the prosecutor has offered him a deal because the prosecutor knew he couldn't win with the now found evidence. If you go to court there isn't a system where you select rither bench trial or jury here, the judge decides. Then when you go to court you find out how close the lawyers networks are here, judges know and are related to prosecutors regularly throughout the state. Too many lawyers look at it as just a paycheck instead of helping the innocent. Unfortunately a public defender is in a position that creates a conflict of interest. They are being paid by the state or system to process as many cases through as possible instead of doing their job to sustain a person's innocence.

but is just as shameful. i've often wondered how messed up it is that we have a bill of rights, but no one ever bothered to enumerate the responsibilities required to live in this country. 1) you are required to find some way to support yourself. 2) you are required to stay politically informed and vote 3) you are required to actually raise your children, and teach them how to be citizens of this country. probably a whole lot more, that's just ones that hit me quick. just like freedom of speech carries with it the inerrant flip side- the responsibility to shut the @!$%# up sometimes.

I thought voting was a right, not an obligation. If I do not agree with any of the candidates why should I vote for any of them? If I vote for a candidate I don't agree with then what sense did the action make? None. If I don't vote I don't get to complain but at least I won't have any guilt hanging on my head for voting for the wrong candidate now will I!

Cheating on your taxes or lying to get out of jury duty are not only illegal, but also morally wrong. Not voting on the other hand is not only legal, it is also a personal choice. There are many who because of religious beleifs and/or personal reasons chose not to vote or get involved in political matters. That is their right and exercising that right is not shameful. No one can or should compel them to go against their conscience. Taxes and jury duty are another story entirely and shouldn't have been compared to voting.

What drivel. Please...follow your own advice then.

You'd think the way some people are carrying on about jury duty it was a monthly obligation. In eight years, I've received two jury duty notifications, both of which I was not selected for, and only one of which my number was within the allotted group to appear. This chick thought she was being clever but had to brag over the radio about how she avoided jury duty and the tactics she used so she obviously knew what she was doing. Two felonies - that's pretty harsh, but isn't it a little refreshing when douchebaggery is punished?

You had me until you got political. Politics has nothing to do with this and your comment is asinine.

I agree, Eric-2213101. Politics has nothing to do with this.

Agreed again. Nothing to do with politics. And "Notanidiot", I am assuming you are counting yrouself in with the group who should not be chosen because they watch "Faux Noise", since you obviously do, or would not know what is being said. And believe me, I would rather someone who gets their facts from actual sources to ANY of the news networks, since they all have an agenda. But I notice you do not call those audiences out, since they happen to agree with you and are therefore "intelligent and not easily swayed".

when Oprah was called for jury duty, they had over flow crouds of potential jurers at the court house in chicago. best attendence they had had in years. and years!

so many people showed up for jury duty they didn't know what to do with them or where to put them all.

So anyone with a high school education isn't smart enough to serve on a jury in your opinion. The other posters are correct. This isn't a political issue at all. But I will put my high school education and my life experiences ahead of your college educated ignorance any day. Oh that's right. In this day and age everyone has a college degree so the rest of us stupid people shouldn't be considered peers. What a sad view you have. Do our society a favor and stay away from jury duty. You haven't the ability to look at both side of the coin.

Smarten Up people and give a Damn!

If a person doesn't participate and do their part, they have no right to complain about it. The flip side of the freedoms we enjoy in this country are the duties that come attached. Anyone who doesn't understand that doesn't deserve the freedoms they have.

To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.

Teddy Roosevelt

Flip side of Freedoms are duties that come attached , makes a whole lot a sense!

Yes, Yes why of course it does and the cow jumped over the Moon!

Oh and give a dam about what? A Corrupt Judicial System,no thanks I don't like smelling bull crap!!

The only thing about this story, was the woman was a bloody idiot for going on TV, and OPENING HER BIG MOUTH! People now a days

I was going to say, people now a days think they have to share EVERYTHING with the rest of the world,even what time they take a crap!

Unbelievable!

gloria...you proved your idiocy...she never went on tv...get your SIMPLE facts straight. It cracks me up when people spout off about bigger issues when they can't even handle simple facts.

There is some kind of cognitive dissonance here. On one hand you say the court is rigged and corrupt, yet on the other hand you refuse to serve as a juror. Have you maybe taken a moment to think that maybe, just maybe, the courts might be "rigged and corrupt" because not enough people that should be serving as jurors actually are. Those that do not participate in the system have no right to complain about it, as the only way to change it is to participate.

I bet she belongs to the Tea Party!

dave, with her stated beliefs, it is FAR more likely that she sympathizes more with the Occupy movement.

@gloria: do you really mean to say that the freedoms you enjoy such as speaking your mind here are free and don't have a cost? Do you really think that you owe the society who gives them to you nothing? That is sad beyond belief.

Oh, and do you really believe her only mistake was admitting it? That floors me.

I don't sympathize with anybody! You ericwatts 60 don't get cramps from laughing to hard!What the hell is the difference tv, radio, she still opened her big fat mouth.If whether she said it on radio, or tv is all your NIT PICKING about, then get a life!

Those freedoms NO they don't have a cost!Society doesn't give freedoms to me.You talk about freedoms as if they're privileges and commodities.Guess what their not!They're BASIC RIGHTS AS A HUMAN BEING!Society gives me Nothing.Where do you come up with your information?Is it from,I make this crap up as I go along.com?

No it's sad beyond belief that the information you're spewing out there is Bogus!

Here's a reminder in case you've forgotten,you and the rest of the gang on here!

I don't serve the Government!The Government serves me,last I Checked!That's how it was intended in the beginning,and that's the way it's suppose to be!Get the Facts Straight!

Of course at the rate it's in this country,the IDIOCY is so great,that it's going to be a thing of the past!

Wow if that isn't an entitlement mentality I don't know what one is. To assume that freedom has no cost means it is worthless. You might not realize this but people died to give you these freedoms. Anyone that doesn't think they owe something back is a waste as a human being.

it seems doubtfull ANYONE will have to worry about this woman being on any jury in the future.

perhaps some of the reasons this country is going to hell in a hand basket is that people don't serve on juries, pay their taxes, vote, or participate in general. in general many americans are pretty lazy about their duties. and getting lazier all the time.

My spouse usually is called just before Labor Day. One time, he was picked for a jury. He was told the trial would only take a week, but he landed up serving for the whole month of September. The courts were closed for Labor Day and the Jewish Holidays, along with one or two other nationalities' holidays. The judge reserved one day during the week for sentencing. They would start late because someone had several job interviews that were scheduled before the trial. Sometimes, a lawyer or the person from the D.A.'s office couldn't come because of a prior commitment. At the end of the month, we figured out that with all the days off because of the above reasons, the trial really did take only one week; it was just spread throughout the month.

This is one of the most randomly stupid comments I've ever read on MSN, and that is saying a lot.

I have been called to jury duty a few times but never selected. I'm well educated and have had a successful life. The lawyers generally want people who are less educated and easier to manipulate.

Look at the O.J. jury. Some were interviewed after the trial and admitted that they thought O.J. was guilty but they lived in poor black neighborhoods and feared for their lives if they were to find O.J. guilty. A very rational fear.

If you end up on a jury where there are gang members on trial, you may be the next victim. People want to stay out of that situation.

You are an idiot. No, women don't have to sign up for the draft...and when was the last time the draft was used? Women had to fight for the right to vote, which in most places once you register to vote you go on the jury pool list, women had to fight for the right to join the military...and who was it who didn't want them doing either? Men, that's who. I know a lot of people who lie to get out of jury duty...not one of them is a woman. I would never attempt to get out of jury duty and not because it is illegal to do so, but because I believe that I do have a duty as an American to serve if I am asked.

As a woman I regret that the 2 times I've been called I was unable to serve. The first time my summons occurred when I had moved out of the area, so I was unavailable because I lived 330 miles away. The second time I was called I was the sole caretaker for my Autistic son. Since that time I haven't been called again.

Now my son's older I wish that I were called again. I wonder if I've been put on some sort of no-call list. He's old enough to be left on his own now. I'm more than ready to do my civic duty.

Perhaps I'll be called again soon. I'm college-educated and had a career prior to being the mother of an Autistic child, so I have experienced the world.

clp,

you are an idiot if you think he stated that women have to sign up for the draft, the post says: "If she were a man she would have to sign up for the draft" key word "IF" meaning there is a condition that has to be met before this statment is true. Get a grasp of the english language before spouting off your ignorance.

Not true. Many people are actually interested in seeing how the system works and others gladly do it because it is a responsibility to our country and citizens. Stop making broad over-generalized statements that can easily be diso@!$%#ed. And even those who do, as you say, HATE JURY DUTY, most will do it anyway because of obligation. She is guilty of a lot more than just being an idiot.

To be completely honest, I don't know anyone who thinks of jury duty or has ever spoken of it in any kind of semblance to what you just described. It is, at best, an incredibly tedious process that is almost entirely without merit and completely devoid of having anything even remotely resembling the 'best interests' of the people who are selected to potentially serve.

On top of that, the system is severely outdated in both its execution and compensation towards those who are forced to respond to the summons unless they are a full time student or fall into a very small category of the civilian population who are exempt as a result of health and/or mental status.

If you'd like, I'll be more accurate in my generalizations going forward:

Jury Duty is considered an incredibly awful process for the overwhelming vast majority of people who are asked (read: forced) to potentially serve as a jury member.

Sono, you don't speak for everyone. Just because you don't know anyone who is civic minded doesn't mean that every person, or even the majority of people feel the way you feel.

It would be more accurate if you spoke for yourself alone.

I had someone do that during jury selection. The judge sent him out, told him he had to stay in the waiting room for the rest of the day, and report again tomorrow because he had not completed his one day or one trial service. I don't expect he'll be trying that again.

i did it and was dismissed. never heard of a one trial service. where i live if you don't get picked for one trial you are allowed to leave but even that takes around 4-5 hours.

Thank God you aren't the one who gets to decide!

Damn Eric, after reading all your posts on the first page it seems to me that you disagree with anyone that doesn't get all giddy like a little girl when they get that letter for jury duty. Just FYI it could and would devastate Some families that barley get by as it to do as you so simply put "your civic duty".

Lets put it this way, civic duty in one hand, families well being in the other. Would you then stand by your little, just do your duty ideals?