# Jury Duty



## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Does anyone have any experience of being called for jury service while still a stay at home Mum, adopter or otherwise?

I had a letter through on Thursday telling me I've been called for jury service in September.  I've sent the form back and have asked to be excused on the basis of our children not being left with other people because of complex needs and difficult behaviours, but also more simply because I am a stay at home Mum and have no-one to leave the children with.  I called the Court which manages jury service locally but they can't tell me whether this will be considered grounds for being excused, and they said it will be 3-4 weeks before I get a reply, at which point we will be only three weeks away from when the jury service is due to start, and we will be about to go on holiday.  I am not normally the sort of person to do this, because I like to plan, but at the moment my plan is to note think about it, bury my head in the sand, and work on the assumption that I can get excused.  But it's definitely nagging at me, because I have no idea what I'll do if they won't excuse me.  By the time I hear back there won't be time to ask for a deferral to get more time to find some sort of childcare arrangement, because the time they take to deal with a request for deferral is also 3-4 weeks and there wouldn't be that sort of time left at that point.

Any answers appreciated.

Thanks,

Wyxie xx


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

I'm sure this was asked on Auk sometime ago. It is difficult to be excused from jury service but if I remember correctly it can be done on the grounds you've given. I'm sure the topic on Auk had a post were someone had their service deferred due to the complex needs of their children. I think they stressed the attachment difficulties faced by the children. I think they were deferred for 6 months.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

I was just going to post the same loopy. I'm sure they managed to defer it for a specific period of time. 
Good luck wyxie x


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

When I was on jury service there were two ladies there who had deferred due to reasons related to their children: one was due to being called whilst on maternity leave and not wanting to leave her baby, and the other was deferred due to her Childs disability and her daughter never having been previously in the care of someone else before.  

For what it's worth my Dad was deferred three times because of being on a temporary work contract, and then because of a holiday and finally because of his bad back. When he did eventually attend he told the Jury manager that he was self employed and he was able to ask for exclusions from any long trials he may have been picked for on these grounds. They did say they couldn't guarantee it, a lot depends on how many people or cases they have on going, but in the end he was only there for a day and a half!

Good luck xxx


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## superal (May 27, 2005)

Is there not a list of reasons as to why you can not do jury service.........I was also called BUT could not do it as I meant one of the criteria on the list of reasons as to why to be excused. Lets just say   at the time and I have not been called since.to be honest I would have loved to have gone but that's just me being me!  Look up the reasons as to why you could be excluded and if not a deferred option sounds good. 
Good luck!


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks for the replies.  I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens.  In the meantime I'll have to speak to MIL *sigh* and local nurseries and see whether and what I can arrange in case I do need to do it in September.  Think I'll get hubby to speak to MIL, actually.  :/

There is a list of reasons why you can't do jury service but I don't qualify for any of the automatic exclusions.  It's really weird, I know so few people who've had to do it, but almost everyone in my immediate family has been called in the last few years, including my husband, which could have cost us an absolute fortune if it wasn't for his employers being very good about it!  

I know it's very unlikely you get placed on a significantly long trial, but if I did it would be simply catastrophic for our family and I can't help worrying about it.


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## snapdragon (Jun 27, 2011)

I did jury service a few years back and if there is there is a long trial the jurors are told beforehand. The week after my 2 weeks were up there was a long trial starting. The jurors starting that week were told by letter. Really don't worry about a long trial. We were given the option of putting ourselves forward for this trial but it was very much up to us.


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## Kaytie (May 7, 2005)

Just wanted to add something...my hubby and I have been called several times only since the adoption went through the courts (April 2012). Never ever been called before then, funny that...not!
Though so far we were lucky and our citation number did not get pulled out of the hat (so to speak), so were each just able to go home. DH has been 3 times and I've been twice. What's random about that?

Good luck Wyxie x


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I had a reply today, sooner than I was expecting, and I have been excused this time.  A huge relief.

Wyxie


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Wooohoooo fab news wyxie and VERY prompt!


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