Penalties for Jury Duty non-cooperation?

[johnsonderberg]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I received a summons for jury duty. Here's what I did with it:

(1) choose NOT to fill out the section asking "Are you a citizen of the US?", "Are you 18 or older?", "Have you been convicted of a felony?", etc.,

(2) choose NOT to fill out the section asking for Phone Numbers, Emergency Contact, Occupation, Employer, etc.,

(3) checked "Request to be excused"

(4) attached a letter for section D ("Explain reasons for excuse") in which I further state that, if called to Jury Duty, I will NOT take any oaths nor answer questions during Voir Dire

(5) signed & dated it

(6) sent it in

I have yet to hear back from the office of the jury commissioner.

Question: If I (grudgingly have to) show up for jury duty and I choose to continue this tactic of non-cooperation, what, if anything can the judges/courts do to/with me?



PS -- In section D ("Explain reasons for excuse") I do go into detail about the political reasons for my civil dis-obedience . . . . I'm just not elucidating them here so as to avoid wasting your time (and not biasing you) with extraneous details . . . . but suffice to say that my reasons are genuine (not just an attempt to get out of jury duty).

 

[ecmst12]

Jail for contempt could be in your future.

 

[FlyingRon]

I suspect since you gave no information that is legal cause for you to be culled from the roles, you'll remain as "potentially callable." Obviously they have your mailing address, so you can expect that if your name comes up (not everybody who is asked to fill out the questionnaire is called even if they fill out everything straight) and you continue your obstinate attitude, that you very well can be locked up. I've seen judges to it to those who are defiantly not appearing or otherwise playing tricks to avoid duty.

 

[You Are Guilty]

It's quite possible there is no better entertainment inside a courthouse than when the judge reams out a recalcitrant juror. (Particularly when said juror arrives at the courthouse after an "assist" by the local sheriffs). It's the little things in life

Anyway, the word of the day is "contempt". To pick a random CA county:

Contempt of court is punishable by fine of up to $1,500.00 and/or five days in the county jail.

http://www.saccourt.ca.gov/jury/general.aspx#report

 

[CdwJava]

So, johnsonderberg, I suspect that you do not protest or complain about criminal or civil court proceedings and have no concern for the justice system? If you refuse to participate, then I can only assume you are not concerned with the outcomes. That's fine ... hopefully you will never be a victim of a crime nor have need to appear in civil or family court.

You can either be a part of the solution and the process, or, you are part of the problem (if you see one).

 

[swalsh411]

There is no legitimate reason to reject the very notion of serving on a jury other than simply not wanting to serve on a jury. The alleged reasons of yours are pure BS and I hope a night in jail teaches you a lesson.

 

[johnsonderberg]

I guess nobody read the "PS" at the bottom of my original post.

I'm not trying to get out of jury duty. They can put me on a panel, and I'll listen to the case, and vote yay or nay.

I'm simply contemplating NOT volunteering any information about myself on the forms or during Voir Dire. The court/judge/attorneys are still free to research anything about me in any OTHER way available to them.




Trust is a two-way street, and I didn't break any bonds of trust. The government (NSA) did that by illegally spying on us via our phone records. The court/judge/attorneys can hire the NSA to gather my personal info (or they can STOP SPYING and I'll return to volunteering it).

Why should I speak to strangers (fellow jurors, were I to be empaneled) when the "hate speech" laws are maddeningly vague & unpredictable? I know somebody (no, not me) who got arrested for calling a cop a fag. If our first amendment rights are so flimsy, why should I expose myself to any risks? I can't predict what might 'set off' any of 11 strangers or 3 (judge & at least 2 attorneys on the case) legal minds.

Why should I volunteer information like my age, employment, or occupation? That sounds like profiling to me. If the police and the TSA aren't supposed to do that, why can courts?

BTW, even if I volunteered all the personal info they request, I'll never be put on a jury: I'm aware of the concept of jury nullification, reserve the right to exercise it, and will alert the judge & lawyers to that effect. Clearly, I'd be removed for cause due to that alone.



Yea, I know: I'm "crazy", "nuts", insert-epithet-here. We should all just accept the status quo and march happily down the road to serfdom. Don't forget to pay the extra taxes for ObamaCare (a law the president, Senate, and Congress are immune from) or Jerry Brown's Dream Act (give free college educations to the children of people who broke the law). As long as the government says to do something, we should make like the-famous-4-letter-athletic-shoe-company-based-in-Oregon (edited out by this website's software for some reason) and "just do it".

 

[Silverplum]

I guess nobody read the "PS" at the bottom of my original post.

I'm not trying to get out of jury duty. They can put me on a panel, and I'll listen to the case, and vote yay or nay.

I'm simply contemplating NOT volunteering any information about myself on the forms or during Voir Dire. The court/judge/attorneys are still free to research anything about me in any OTHER way available to them.




Trust is a two-way street, and I didn't break any bonds of trust. The government (NSA) did that by illegally spying on us via our phone records. The court/judge/attorneys can hire the NSA to gather my personal info (or they can STOP SPYING and I'll return to volunteering it).

Why should I speak to strangers (fellow jurors, were I to be empaneled) when the "hate speech" laws are maddeningly vague & unpredictable? I know somebody (no, not me) who got arrested for calling a cop a fag. If our first amendment rights are so flimsy, why should I expose myself to any risks? I can't predict what might 'set off' any of 11 strangers or 3 (judge & at least 2 attorneys on the case) legal minds.

Why should I volunteer information like my age, employment, or occupation? That sounds like profiling to me. If the police and the TSA aren't supposed to do that, why can courts?

BTW, even if I volunteered all the personal info they request, I'll never be put on a jury: I'm aware of the concept of jury nullification, reserve the right to exercise it, and will alert the judge & lawyers to that effect. Clearly, I'd be removed for cause due to that alone.



Yea, I know: I'm "crazy", "nuts", insert-epithet-here. We should all just accept the status quo and march happily down the road to serfdom. Don't forget to pay the extra taxes for ObamaCare (a law the president, Senate, and Congress are immune from) or Jerry Brown's Dream Act (give free college educations to the children of people who broke the law). As long as the government says to do something, we should make like the-famous-4-letter-athletic-shoe-company-based-in-Oregon (edited out by this website's software for some reason) and "just do it".

Alrighty, then.

 

[Proserpina]

Drag. I'd forgotten that today is "National Special Snowflake" day.

 

[justalayman]

I'm simply contemplating NOT volunteering any information about myself on the forms or during Voir Dire. The court/judge/attorneys are still free to research anything about me in any OTHER way available to them.

so we are still talking about contempt of court. Good for you. Stand up for your rights, even if it is from behind the jailhouse bars for those 5 days.






Why should I speak to strangers (fellow jurors, were I to be empaneled) when the "hate speech" laws are maddeningly vague & unpredictable?

I know somebody (no, not me) who got arrested for calling a cop a fag. If our first amendment rights are so flimsy, why should I expose myself to any risks?

what was the charge and the end result?

Why should I volunteer information like my age, employment, or occupation?

because you don't want to set in jail for 5 days and leave the courthouse $1500 lighter maybe?

BTW, even if I volunteered all the personal info they request, I'll never be put on a jury: I'm aware of the concept of jury nullification, reserve the right to exercise it, and will alert the judge & lawyers to that effect. Clearly, I'd be removed for cause due to that alone.

so you would refuse to hear the trial before making a judgment as to whether jury nullification even might be a valid position? Jury nullification is not based on the fact a person is being tried. It is to protest what the jury perceives as an unjust law and as such, finds the defendant not guilty when in fact the evidence did prove them to be guilty. Sounds like you really want to spend a few days in jail and give the court some of your hard earned money.

 

[TigerD]

There is no legitimate reason to reject the very notion of serving on a jury other than simply not wanting to serve on a jury. The alleged reasons of yours are pure BS and I hope a night in jail teaches you a lesson.

I hate to disagree, but I have to. There a quite a few people with legitimate religious prohibitions against judging another person.

DC

 

[TigerD]

Yea, I know: I'm "crazy", "nuts", insert-epithet-here. We should all just accept the status quo and march happily down the road to serfdom. Don't forget to pay the extra taxes for ObamaCare (a law the president, Senate, and Congress are immune from) or Jerry Brown's Dream Act (give free college educations to the children of people who broke the law). As long as the government says to do something, we should make like the-famous-4-letter-athletic-shoe-company-based-in-Oregon (edited out by this website's software for some reason) and "just do it".

There is absolutely nothing wrong with standing on principle. There may be consequence for that action, but personally I respect those few people who actually live according to the principles they espouse.

DC

 

[LdiJ]

I guess nobody read the "PS" at the bottom of my original post.

I'm not trying to get out of jury duty. They can put me on a panel, and I'll listen to the case, and vote yay or nay.

I'm simply contemplating NOT volunteering any information about myself on the forms or during Voir Dire. The court/judge/attorneys are still free to research anything about me in any OTHER way available to them.




Trust is a two-way street, and I didn't break any bonds of trust. The government (NSA) did that by illegally spying on us via our phone records. The court/judge/attorneys can hire the NSA to gather my personal info (or they can STOP SPYING and I'll return to volunteering it).

Why should I speak to strangers (fellow jurors, were I to be empaneled) when the "hate speech" laws are maddeningly vague & unpredictable? I know somebody (no, not me) who got arrested for calling a cop a fag. If our first amendment rights are so flimsy, why should I expose myself to any risks? I can't predict what might 'set off' any of 11 strangers or 3 (judge & at least 2 attorneys on the case) legal minds.

Why should I volunteer information like my age, employment, or occupation? That sounds like profiling to me. If the police and the TSA aren't supposed to do that, why can courts?

BTW, even if I volunteered all the personal info they request, I'll never be put on a jury: I'm aware of the concept of jury nullification, reserve the right to exercise it, and will alert the judge & lawyers to that effect. Clearly, I'd be removed for cause due to that alone.



Yea, I know: I'm "crazy", "nuts", insert-epithet-here. We should all just accept the status quo and march happily down the road to serfdom. Don't forget to pay the extra taxes for ObamaCare (a law the president, Senate, and Congress are immune from) or Jerry Brown's Dream Act (give free college educations to the children of people who broke the law). As long as the government says to do something, we should make like the-famous-4-letter-athletic-shoe-company-based-in-Oregon (edited out by this website's software for some reason) and "just do it".

I honestly do not get you at all. I don't mean that in a snarky way, but in a sincere way.

You say that you would be willing to hear the case and vote in an objective manner but you are unwilling to provide any information about yourself. How would you feel if you were the defendant and someone like you was going to be on the jury? Would you feel that you were going to be getting a fair trial if you had no idea what any biases any one juror held? What if the potential juror just hated people like you because of some weird reason. Wouldn't you want your attorney to be able to ask questions to help determine if you could be objective?

I honestly do not understand what your objections are based on what you have said so far.

 

[cbg]

Interesting how you won't provide any information about yourself, but you're pre-judging what other people are going to do, say and feel.

 

[Proserpina]

Interesting how you won't provide any information about yourself, but you're pre-judging what other people are going to do, say and feel.

I see what you did there...