Jury Duty and Nursing School

[bear14]

I know this question has been asked before but the only dates I see for this question is 2006 and 2003 and I dont know if things have changed since then. So here goes, if you get called for jury duty while in nursing school how do you get out of it since its hard to make up classes and clinicals? Can the school drop you and make you wait to get back into the program? I know they can with medical issues but what about civic issues? I was told to talk to the chair of the program and I left her a message but if anyone else has any other input it would be great. Thanks!

[cally527, RN]

our state allows you to take one bye without explaining why, but then the next time they call you, you have to appear even if it's only get excused. however, there is a phone number to call the night before, and often the recording says something like, "if you are in groups 1,2, and 3, you are excused, and this counts for your once-every-three-years service."

being elderly, in charge of small kids, having to go to work, being a nurse, a physician, a vet, a lawyer, a judge.... none of these are automatic excuse-generators here. dh has a law degree and he served.

it's actually pretty interesting. i served on a drunk driving case and had a really good time with all the other women on the jury (all women, by the luck of the draw).

grntea, you live in ma right? you can defer up to a year every time you get a 1st summons. i have always done that and always requested a change of venue (they always seem to assign me to brockton when i am closer to hingham.) i have done this every time since i got my first summons at 18. i always choose a friday about a year after the original date. the only time i did not choose a friday was last time and i ended up spending a good chunk of my day at the hingham courthouse until the judge finally dismissed us all because he got all of the cases to make deals.

so in 16 years i have never served on a jury, and only had to appear once.

[kleee]

I had gotten a notice that I had to serve jury duty the week of my biochem test and my professor did not allow make ups. So they rescheduled me to August. I then had to call back on move it up because I have my nursing school orientation the week that I had rescheduled to. They do understand about school. You just have to rearrange it to a time when you are on break. They will work with you, just don't keep pushing it off.

[kmlnielsen]

You can check the box that will exempt you as a full-time student. But you MUST mail the form back in.

[bear14]

There was nothing to fill out on my summons just a number to call if I have an excuse.

[Sadala, ADN, RN]

I don't understand it. I have been a registered a voter for a NUMBER of years. I have NEVER been summoned to jury duty. Due to my previous profession the defense would almost certainly have striken me, anyway. I've begun nursing school and there are SERIOUS repercussions (up to and including dismissal for being ill a couple of days), and vastly increased paperwork even for missing one class - like being assigned lengthy reports to write. This is in addition to making up the missed days activities if it's a lab, clinical, or test date.

I can only imagine that something like being forced into jury while still a full-time student nursing student could easily cause dismissal from the program. In our program that would mean the loss of thousands of dollars as well as an extended period in order to be re-accepted (if that was even a possibility). Serious injuries, accidents, illness, death in the family - same thing.