I’ve served three times, and taken the ’small business exemption’ twice.

The first time I was called for jury duty was a mixture of boredom and fascination. After a week of hanging around waiting, I was finally selected for a medical malpractice case, very involved. I was impressed by my fellow jurors, who were more savvy than I expected. (sigh. We all carry stereotypes in our head.)

The second time was physically very uncomfortable. I spent most of the time moving between the waiting room and various court rooms for jury selection. The constant up-and-down was rough on my arthritic joints. This was before the building was renovated for accessibility, and there were lots of stairs and not nearly enough chairs in the rooms for all of us to sit. I wound up standing far too long for comfort. I was selected for a couple of small cases, but spent most of the two weeks waiting around.

My third jury experience was after the building renovation AND after some major changes in the selection process. Ramps and wide doorways everywhere—very easy to manage with cane (in my case) or wheelchairs. Less hanging around, too. Not everybody had to report every day, and once we had served on one case we were excused.

All in all, I’m glad I served. I’m also glad I took advantage of my right to postpone jury duty when I felt I wouldn’t be able to concentrate for business or health reasons. The justice system is better off when we can fulfill our commitment with our full attention.

K@
Kat Nagel

You could have exercised the right to remain silent (a US right), but no, you were transparent, you were honest.

So thank you for your willingness. Thanks for your graciousness. Thanks for allowing yourself to be the anvil.

And I agree. You get to move onto another subject.

And I’m not sure what the exact definition of “physical infirmity incompatible with the discharge of the duties of a juror,” but it sounds like you’re not saying you couldn’t physically do it, but that you’re too tired and busy right now? When I was called for jury duty, I was still nursing my son, and his grandmother encouraged me to use the opt-out option of “responsible for the care of a minor child” even though I work from home and she’s my babysitter. I guess I could have said that I would have been too anxious about my son and too distracted by having to pump every few hours, but unfortunately that didn’t meet the standard the law had set for that option. Luckily, they didn’t make me stay past the first afternoon. So I guess it really depends on what the legal standard is.

I completely agree jury duty is a civic responsibility to be taken seriously. However, arriving for juty duty with the “lock him up and throw away the key” mindset, because I’m so worn out, is not what the accused needed. Besides, are jury boxes even wheelchair accessible?

However, I have seen people with various disabilities take advantage of systems. As a disability advocate, should I not also shed light on that aspect too?

To Maritzia who commented “there are also those who are truly mentally ill who are truly not responsible for those actions”, I respond with ‘two minds’…. 1. being mentally ill does not negate ones responsibility. A crime is still a crime, regardless of the ‘reason’ one committed it. And secondly…. you, yourself, said it: “some criminals might falsely try to use mental illness as a way to get out of responsibility for their actions” – it happens more often than not (or so it seems). Recently a man in Canada stabbed, decapitated, dismembered & cannibalized a young man on a Greyhound bus (in front of horrified and traumatized onlookers)…this man has been found ‘not criminally responsible due to the fact that he claims that “voices in his head told him to commit the crime”. This man IS mentally ill – AND guilty of a crime. Given your belief that “there are also those who are truly mentally ill who are truly not responsible for those actions”, perhaps you should offer him a room in your home as he’s being released soon – I mean… he’s not responsible, right?

Glenda… in this instance -YOU did the right thing.

As a disability advocate yourself, I’m surprised that you would make a statement that seems to make light of the legal protections in place for the mentally ill.