Jury Duty

[lpn954]

Hello all ,

I just got summoned for jury duty. As a home health nurse I'm an independent contractor, and serving jury duty would be a financial hardship for me as if I don't work, I don't get paid. I was wondering if other home health nurses out there were able to get out of jury duty for this reason? If so how? I was going to try mailing back my summons with that reason listed.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Is there anything on the summons which gives you a clue to the allowable exemptions? My summons lists a reasons you can list which will exempt you from service (for example, no child care, things of that nature).

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Hi,

Good luck! I just served for the entire month of January and they would not let me out of it for financial hardship, I think that is mainly because everyone has a financial hardship from jury duty for the most part. If you have younger kids you are better off playing the no childcare card!

Annie

[elkpark]

How about just sucking it up and doing your civic duty?

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

I can see the hardship, but unfortunately sometimes you still have to go in, sit there

and then explain why you can't be there. In a couple of cases I sat on for work, the judges were pretty much telling people unless they absolutely had no childcare or were near death, they would be staying.

[LeChien, BSN, RN]

You could always ask to switch a day with another nurse, that way you don't lose out on hours.

[Boog'sCRRN246, RN]

Ugh, jury duty. "Financial hardship" isn't an option on the jury summons in my county. If it was, nobody would ever show up when summoned. Last time I was called, my group was dismissed at 10am, but then we were made to hang around until after 5pm because one of the other trials might have needed more people to select from...you know, "just in case." It very much reminded me of how staffing at my hospital uses nurses, "Technically your unit doesn't need you today, but come in anyway just in case you need to float."

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

^^^^That stinks. Every time I've ever gone in for jury duty, they've let us go home before noon if we weren't needed. It doesn't seem even remotely likely that they wouldn't know before 5pm whether or not the pool is needed. That's just incredibly disrespectful of your time imo.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

How about just sucking it up and doing your civic duty?

The only problem with that is if you get stuck with a case for a month. I can't go without pay for month. Can you?

[LaneyB]

I just had jury duty and the judge did let people go who were self-employed. But they still had to report for the day and stay until the judge dismissed them.

[elkpark]

The only problem with that is if you get stuck with a case for a month. I can't go without pay for month. Can you?

Well, it would be a real hardship. But I know that, if I were charged with a crime and on trial, I would want a jury of my "peers," a jury made up of people other than just those who truly have nothing better to do or not bright enough to figure out a way to get out of serving. The times I've been called over the years, I've shown up and not tried to get out of it. The chances of getting seated on a jury for a trial that would run over an extended period are v. slim.

Plus, many employers pay you for your jury time. My current employer does, and some of my past employers have (I don't know exactly how many, because it never came up at most of my jobs).

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

Do Independent Contractors get reimbursed for Jury Duty?