If you were summoned for jury duty...
 

...and you happened to find the scheduled case and google it...... would that be illegal? And if not, would it be likely to get you dismissed if you admitted that? Hypothetically, of course. Asking for a friend. hypothetically. Who might have an unmissable event not excused by the court on one of the days. If they existed. Would it make a difference if you had strong views about the issue in question even if you had no direct personal experience? Enquiring minds are equiring. Nothing else to see here....

It would be stupid to admit to Googling a case, but admitting to having seen media coverage of a specific case is perfectly fine and admitting a bias is downright honest. Just keep in mind that judges get to decide whether someone is holding their court in contempt, so don't give them a reason.

Oh, and did the summons give you instructions that you violated by Googling?

no and it's not me, so I violated nothing :D

My imaginary friend would not currently have any idea about the case (that sadly doesn't have any obvious bias stance)
if they existed.

My imaginary self has been picked twice. The first time I got out of it because I was the sole provider, and commissioned which would have created an undo financial burden. The second time I tried the same thing, but only got a defferral. So i went, but the case settled at 1pm before they even did the selection bit.

Your friend can request a deferred date because (insert a creative reason). That might alleviate their imagined conflict.

Your friend should live on an island where the nearest court is a ferry-ride away. Then they are automatically absolved so as not to create an undue financial burden through having to be accommodated overnight throughout a trial (though whey they are ever called (which they are sometimes) when their address makes the fact that they live on an island abundantly clear I will never know).

Tell them it's an atheist holiday and ask for a deferment. They'll want to be politically correct.

I've been summoned 3 times.

First time I showed up, sat around for 3 partial days waiting to be selected, and never was.

Second time there was a new clerk and a new system. Phone in for info on if I was needed the next day. I showed up one day and sat on a jury but the case was dismissed after the poor defendant (actually seemed like a nice guy and I was on his side) incriminated himself under oath and took an unknown deal. He had dropped his kid off at elementary school while carrying a loaded gun in a gym bag in his trunk. This was a violation of Virginia law because the gym bag wasn't locked even though the trunk was. He kept that gun in the trunk all the time.

And the third time I provided proof of the second time and was excused because it had been so recent. Thankfully, because that third time was a federal court case and would have been a big deal trial going on for a week or more.

I saw lawyers get excused, single caregivers, elderly with health issues, and lots of people grasping for reasons who were ultimately kept around.

Imaginary friend might have group project college final but court in question has previously shown themselves to be unsympathetic in this regard :(

I guess IF just needs to hope they are told not to bother when they call the night before

Wait, so if it had been out of the bag and just loose in the trunk, it would have been legal?


Jury crap is clearly different in every state. In Texas, they say you've been selected for the next three month period, go online and tell us which of those days are no good for you. I don't know what happens if you pick too many, but my dad picked probably 40% of them once, and they were fine with it. Then they said okay, here's your day to actually show up and find out if you'll be chosen for one of several cases that day, nothing specific you can Google.

I've been called 3 times, but I've always been the caregiver of a child under whatever their cutoff age is. I've only got a couple years of that excuse left...

My recollection was that a trunk doesn't count. It's the same as being inside the car. Apparently a gun has to be locked to be carried (loaded?) in a car in Virginia. I think. Lots of rules and it's complicated. Plus he parked in the school parking lot with a gun in the trunk, and you can't do that at all. No guns on school property. This was years before Sandy Hook.

Is the summons for civil court; or, criminal court?

Are you for primary duty; or, standby?

I've been summoned for standby duty; but, enough primaries showed up and I was sent home.

Once as a primary for a civil court case, it was settled just minutes before trial and I was sent home. Another time though, I had to serve as a juror.

In a criminal case, the defense used its peremptory challenge to dismiss me from a murder trial (crime involved firearms), after finding out about my SF background, and I was sent home.

Perhaps the easiest trial to get out of being selected as a juror for would be a criminal case that could incur the death penalty. Just tell the judge that you could never convict anyone knowing they could possibly be sentenced to die, not even if you weren't involved in the sentencing phase. I've seen that story work after being presented convincingly enough.

They kept sending notices and I'd send them back saying my hearing is not good enough to be a juror. Then a woman calls me and says you can hear me. She got pissy when I told her it was only because of an amplified phone, hearing aid, in a quiet room. The next time I got a notice I replied, I'd love to be a juror to prevent some poor person from getting fucked by the Delaware County Court System that fucked me. Haven't heard since.

it's not me. It's county court. We suddenly had an inspiration that they don't know where my imaginary friend went to college (which I'm absolutely positive is not two doors down from the courthouse), so maybe just say away at college, finals week and it might be enough for a deferment. No choice of time. Report 1pm Monday, trial begins Tuesday, call after 5pm Friday before to see if you got lucky and aren't needed....but is a deferment the best option because you'll definitely get called again pretty soon ...or just hope not to get picked so it doesn't loom again in the near future.... decision decisions

I looked at the W. county court's postponement policy. The chances appear to be slim to none. OTOH, nothing ventured - nothing gained. If they consider it, they will likely require supporting documentation be faxed to them before approval. It might be worth going through the process to have the outcome for future reference.

In any case, if the assigned juror number isn't selected for service, be sure to play that number in the lotto!

dean suggested what documentation to provide and said if no deferment, show up with same documentation looking stressed and studying at every opportunity ;) or words to that effect

...the case looks to me to be a right pain in the ass. personal injury damages from RTA where other driver fell asleep, has already been jailed.....

Those can get nasty. I served on an auto accident case (low speed rear ending) where the plaintiff's lawyer asked for $90,000 for injury, pain and suffering. We awarded the plaintiff $I,000 (mainly to deter the defendant, who otherwise went above and beyond after the accident, from following too closely in the future. The trial lasted only one day.

one day would be fabulous, three not so much.

pologirl was granted a deferment, but had to pick a new date on the spot. Which turned out maybe to also be problematic but we shall see.

Save the deferment request in case Trump brings back the military draft when we go to war with N Korea.