{"id":24387,"date":"2020-09-25T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=24387"},"modified":"2020-09-24T06:14:09","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T11:14:09","slug":"odds-of-jury-duty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/odds-of-jury-duty\/","title":{"rendered":"Odds Of Jury Duty \u2013 What Are Your Chances Of Getting Called Up?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever wondered when you might get called in for jury service?\nIf you\u2019re not quite sure what jury duty is, in a nutshell, it\u2019s this: a citizen\nis summoned to court and expected to serve as a juror during a legal\nproceeding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If selected from a pool of potential jurors, you\u2019ll then\nbecome part of a jury comprised of 12 – 15 members of the public, who will be\nrequired to sit in on a court hearing and help to decide the outcome of a\ncriminal trial. This can take days, or sometimes even weeks or months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just how likely are you to be called for jury service? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve done the research for citizens of the US and the UK, so you can see the odds of being a juror in your lifetime. It\u2019s time for the cross-examination\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds Of Jury Duty In The US<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It stands to reason that, as the third largest country in the world by population<\/a>, your chances of being a juror in the US would be less than usual, among a crowd of over 331 million people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with so many people potentially comes more\ncrime too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, there\u2019s not much recent detail on the chances of being a juror in the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we did manage to dig out reports of a 2012 survey by the Defense Research Institute (DRI) that stated that 27% of adults in the US<\/a> had \u201cserved on a jury at some point in their lives\u201d, per some insightful analysis from the opinion poll site FiveThirtyEight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could also depend on the state or even the borough you call home, as the New York post revealed<\/a> that \u201cin any given year, 450,000 people can get called to serve on state and federal juries in Manhattan alone\u201d. Jeez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds Of Jury Duty In The UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you live in the UK, your odds of being\ncalled up to the jurors\u2019 benches differ depending on which one of the four\nnations you\u2019re in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the BBC, who quote statistics lecturer Deirdre Toher, the chance of being called for jury service in Scotland is \u201capproximately 95% across the 53 years of typical eligibility\u201d<\/a>, from 18 to around 70. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although this is based upon people receiving\nletters with requests to serve, with the odds of actually being selected for\nthe benches on a Scottish jury dropping to roughly 30%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The higher figures in Scotland are based on\njuries that are made up of 15 members of the public, while Wales and England\nonly require 12 citizens to complete a jury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BBC states that, according to the Ministry\nof Justice, people from Wales and England have a 35% chance of \u201cbeing\nsummoned\u2026over the course of their lifetime\u201d with only around half of those\ncalled actually serving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no reliable or specific information\non Northern Ireland\u2019s odds at the time of writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\"Nervous<\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Objection! Jury Duty\u2026The Facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some people love the idea of being asked to participate in jury service and find criminal cases fascinating, or see being a juror as an important part of their civic duty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there are others who dread the time away from work and home, and would prefer not to be subjected to lengthy legal processes or disturbing crime details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whichever side you\u2019re on, it\u2019s important to\nknow what you\u2019re getting yourself into (or out of). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we\u2019ve compiled our top jury duty facts\nbelow, so you\u2019ll be fully prepared if that summons ever drops through your\nletterbox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, You Can Get Out Of Jury Duty<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Or rather, you can be exempt from jury duty<\/a> in the UK. But only if you fit any of the following criteria: serious illness or disability, if you\u2019re a full-time carer of someone with an illness or disability, or if you\u2019ve already been a juror in the last two years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your reason for bailing out of bench duty is\na little less severe, there\u2019s still hope. Pre-booked holidays\/vacations,\noperations, exams or problematic employers may all give you a reprieve for up\nto a year \u2014 but you will have to book another date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In both the US and the UK, things that can rule you out of your civic duty<\/a> may include being aged under 18 or over 70, subject to felony\/criminal charges, not having sufficient English language levels, a mental or physical disorder, or having an occupation including being a member of the police or fire department, armed forces or government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Can Call In Sick To Jury Service (But Only\nIf You\u2019re Actually Sick)<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can try<\/em> to call in sick but remember that in the UK you\u2019ll have to present a\ncertificate from your doctor as evidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are genuinely ill, you have to let the\njury officer know before 9.30am, or you could risk a fine for being a no-show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the US, it\u2019s the same kind of deal. Just\nlike for sports class, you\u2019ll need a sick note to get yourself out of jury\nduty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you point blank ignore your summons,\nyou\u2019ll potentially get more than just a slap on the wrist, with an arrest\nwarrant, fine, jail time, community service and misdemeanour conviction all\npossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\"Gasping<\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How To Get Picked For Jury Service<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can better your chances of getting selected\nfor jury duty in the US simply by being 18 or over and a citizen who is registered\nto vote and has a driver\u2019s license. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s according to the New Yorks Times Magazine<\/a>, which also advises presenting yourself as \u201cstable and balanced\u201d and a team player. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the UK they insist that everything, from the\nsummons selection via electoral register to a selection for the jury by court\nclerk, is random. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, if there aren\u2019t enough potential jurors on\nthe day, courts can claim a passerby on the street or from a local office. This\nhas a great name: \u201cpaying the talesman\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Get Paid For Jury Duty?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you get selected for federal jury service in\nthe US, you can earn $50 per day with potential for a \u2018pay-rise\u2019 of up to $60 a\nday if your trial exceeds 10 days. That\u2019s in addition to travel expenses, plus\npotential meal allowances and lodging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, you don\u2019t get paid for doing jury\nservice. But you\u2019re not completely out of luck, or out of pocket, as you can\nclaim money back for lost earnings up to \u00a364.95 per day, plus some food and\ndrink and travel expenses, and even childcare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What To Wear For Jury Service<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There isn\u2019t really a dress code for jury duty in the UK, with the government recommending<\/a> that you wear something more comfortable. But if you rock up in revealing shorts or wear rude logos and slogans, you\u2019ll be shown the door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in the US, it\u2019s best to double check\nas the advice can differ between states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Florida bans jeans and t-shirts,\nwhile California suggests business attire without ties and frowns upon\nmini-skirts, flip-flops and tank tops, with hats only allowed for religious\nreasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Happens If You Miss Jury Duty<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you skip jury service without prior approval\nor a good reason, you can land yourself in hot water in both the UK and the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possible penalties include fines, arrests, a\ncriminal record and brief jail time. But that\u2019s at the severe end of the\nspectrum. You could simply end up with just a second summons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But who\u2019d want to risk that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best (And Worst) Excuses For Getting Out Of\nJury Duty<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\"Happy<\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We scoured the web and some of our favorite worst excuses for getting out of jury duty included these real corkers from the Sydney Morning Herald<\/a>, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n