Jury Duty

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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.

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
I'd be more than happy to "contact the court clerk directly". Do you have a number where a human actually answers the phone? Because there is no such number in my county.

I don't know why your county wouldn't have numbers published, all the info I needed was always on the summons itself, or the questionair to be filled out that came with it. Several states and federal summons had them. My clerks have always been helpful, I wish you the best in finding one. Could you just go to the courthouse itself? The clerk should have an office near the judges.

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I don't know why your county wouldn't have numbers published, all the info I needed was always on the summons itself, or the questionair to be filled out that came with it. Several states and federal summons had them. My clerks have always been helpful, I wish you the best in finding one. Could you just go to the courthouse itself? The clerk should have an office near the judges.

I agree, it's bizarre that there would be no listed phone numbers on the summons. I guess there's always Google?

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In my county, a summons to serve can be postponed to a future date. It's streamlined to one morning, where most people are sent home without actually being assigned to jury duty.No exemtpions other than age or illness.

If I was picked for duty, I would blow the pre- selection questions.. end of jury duty.

No civic duty for me if I am self - employed .

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
most times, the summons itself listed me as an alternate; I called the night before and was told my services weren't needed, but thanks anyway.

This actually stinks more than jury duty to me. Just because now youve likely already taken the day off of work and now it's for no reason! Ah well.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I'm in exactly the same position right now. I received a summons on Thursday that I have to appear on a Monday @ 8:30 a.m. at a courthouse almost 2 hours from my home. I sent a certified letter Friday requesting a change of courthouse & change to a Tuesday or Wednesday. I work private duty through an agency & they don't pay for jury duty. I also work Sunday & Monday night shifts so I can't even get to the courthouse by 8:30 a.m. & if f I go on a Monday, it means I will miss 2 nights work. I don't get paid when I don't work so there's no way I can do jury duty on a Monday.

I'm curious to know how they respond to your letter. Please update when you hear back!

(As an aside, I think jury duty where I live pays more like $7.50. I'm jealous!)

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Specializes in Hospice.
This actually stinks more than jury duty to me. Just because now youve likely already taken the day off of work and now it's for no reason! Ah well.

No, what I would do was bring in the summons, give my supervisor a copy, and warn her I might have to call off that day.

I would make the call at the earliest time I could (usually around 4pm), and then call off for the next day if I needed to.

Also, while jury duty only pays a pittance, your employer is required to pay the balance of what you would make for the day. Unless you're self-employed, or per diem. Then you're kind of screwed, unless they accept the "if I don't work I don't get paid" excuse.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
No, what I would do was bring in the summons, give my supervisor a copy, and warn her I might have to call off that day.

I would make the call at the earliest time I could (usually around 4pm), and then call off for the next day if I needed to.

That's a good idea about how to handle it. Smart lady!

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Also, while jury duty only pays a pittance, your employer is required to pay the balance of what you would make for the day.

This isn't actually true, federal law doesn't require employers to pay anything at all to employees who are out on jury duty. There's a handful of states that do have this as a law but most don't and the employee is out of luck. Most people won't have employers who will pay them a dime if they aren't at their work that day!

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Specializes in Hospice.
This isn't actually true, federal law doesn't require employers to pay anything at all to employees who are out on jury duty. There's a handful of states that do have this as a law but most don't and the employee is out of luck. Most people won't have employers who will pay them a dime if they aren't at their work that day!

You're right, and I do actually remember reading that a long time ago. I'm in IL, and every place I worked, they made up the difference in pay.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
No, what I would do was bring in the summons, give my supervisor a copy, and warn her I might have to call off that day.

That's what I did -- I've gotten two summons. The first I never even had to appear at the courthouse, the second I sat on a 4th degree assault/domestic assault trial and was at court for one day.

Both times, as soon as I got my summons I gave my managers and schedulers a heads up that I was on jury duty from x date to y date and may need to call off. Actually last time we were either told to call in at 0800, or 1200, or after 1700. Work wants call-offs to happen 4 hrs in advance, so finding out at 1200 that I had to appear at 1330 would have been a late call-off, so it really behooved them to make a contingency plan for my absence.

Side note, I had a great experience! I'm almost sad I won't get another call for 4 yrs. :cheeky: We acquited the defendant pretty much immediately...forget reasonable doubt, the county didn't even create reasonable faith! the accuser, witness, and prosecutor didn't even have the same accounts of the assault. And she had given the police a different version than what she claimed in court. Plus, she claimed head and neck trauma, but the police -- trained 1st responders -- didn't even suggest she get medical attention. So yeah, it felt good to be a part of seeing justice done. I imagine a nationally high profile case with sequestration wouldn't be a great time though!

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No, what I would do was bring in the summons, give my supervisor a copy, and warn her I might have to call off that day.

I would make the call at the earliest time I could (usually around 4pm), and then call off for the next day if I needed to.

Also, while jury duty only pays a pittance, your employer is required to pay the balance of what you would make for the day. Unless you're self-employed, or per diem. Then you're kind of screwed, unless they accept the "if I don't work I don't get paid" excuse.

The OP has stated she is a contractor. That is the problem. No work, no pay.

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I'm thinking that the only thing employers are bound to with respect to jury duty is that they cannot fire you for it.

Is that true or did I imagine it?

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