"Juror Qualification Questionnaire"

[miguel]

Yesterday I received a "Juror Qualification Questionnaire" in the mail from the Hamilton County Courts.

It was not a summons to serve on a jury, but a form to be completed to determine if I'm eligible to be a juror. They also gave me the option to complete the survey online, which I did. The fine print said if they didn't receive a response within ten days, I would be "directed to appear" to complete the form at the Court. (which I was half tempted to do, but I have alot of **** to do in August...)

Getting the survey was kind of irritating really...it was like the extra Census form some people were sent. The questions are basically things like: Am I a citizen? Am I 18? Do I speak, read and write English? etc. The most irritating question was "list members of your household". They gonna be on the jury, too?

I thought jurors were pulled from the ranks of registered voters? If that is the case, several of these questions (citizenship status, age, are my voting rights revoked?) would seem silly, since one needs to be a citizen and 18 or older to vote.

Anyone else ever get this kind of thing?

 

[NYFelon]

I got one a while back, and filled it out. My wife just had jury duty on a civil trial a month ago, about 4 months after she got her questionnaire. So, if I am to use that as a frame of reference, I imagine I have 90 days or so before I receive my call for jury duty.

 

[Fletch]

I got one a while back, and filled it out. My wife just had jury duty on a civil trial a month ago, about 4 months after she got her questionnaire. So, if I am to use that as a frame of reference, I imagine I have 90 days or so before I receive my call for jury duty.

Out of curiosity, can felons serve on juries?

 

[NYFelon]

Not everywhere. I was only recently informed that I can sit on one, when I called about the jury questionnaire. I informed the official at the clerk of the court's office, and was told that I can sit on any jury not trying a case for the same conviction I have.

 

[spasmo]

My mother got one of those here at my house. I know that you aren't chosen by voter registration any more. But I can't remember how you are chosen to receive those questionnaires. Why I am confused is because my mother has been dead now for 2 years and I don't know where they came up with her living in my house. She was here for about 3 months before she went into a couple of nursing facility and has since died in one of them. Before that, she lived in another county. So where are they getting this information from? Maybe it is because I was her Power of Attorney and all of her paperwork/taxes/ss stuff was sent to my house? I don't recall her State ID card having my address on it. (She didn't have a Driver's License because she never drove)

 

[ViperJock]

Just indicate that you are an educated conservative and you will never sit on a jury. You know, unless you want to...

 

[miguel]

Maybe I'll wear my Glock shirt if they call me in...

 

[indykid]

Got one of them near the end of last year, got called to jury duty early this year, had a high enough number that I was just told "Thank You" and went home. I have to say I enjoyed listening to the judge give the instructions and other stuff to the pool of prospective jurors. Very interesting and worth the half day it cost me.

Oh, and they paid me a few dollars for my time too!

 

[Prometheus]

Got one of them near the end of last year, got called to jury duty early this year, had a high enough number that I was just told "Thank You" and went home. I have to say I enjoyed listening to the judge give [STRIKE]the instructions[/STRIKE] lies and other stuff to the pool of prospective jurors. Very interesting and worth the half day it cost me.

Oh, and they paid me a few dollars for my time too!

Fixed it for you.

Every decent person needs to sit on a jury, because would YOU want someone like yourself on your jury?

Check out Fully Informed Jury Association for REAL juror 'directions'.

 

[Destro]

Fixed it for you.

Every decent person needs to sit on a jury, because would YOU want someone like yourself on your jury?

Check out Fully Informed Jury Association for REAL juror 'directions'.

I believe they use the Drivers License database, so im sure there are plenty of unqualified people who have drivers licenses, and when I received my form I filled it out and returned it the next day. It's our duty and I would have served proudly. I was sad when I called the day before the trial and the recording informed me my services were not needed.

 

[JetGirl]

Yep. Straight off of the Invasion of Privacy Questionnaire they sent me a while back:

How many people are in your household?
What are their ages?
What are their relationships to each other?
What are their occupations?
What is your marital status?
What is your level of education?
What is your employment?
How long have you been so employed?
What did you do before that?
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor? Explain.
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony? Explain.
Has anyone in your immediate family been convicted or served time? Explain.
If so, how did you view your/their treatment by the judicial system?
Financially, what is your annual household income?
What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time?
What magazines do you subscribe to?
What newspapers do you subscribe to?
How much television do you watch?
What sports are you involved in?
Do you have membership to any club, church, or organization?
Do you participate in any volunteer activities? Explain.

 

[kludge]

I just got mine too.

BTW, the list of questions has changed. (Ref Post#11 by Jet Girl)

My wife got her's a year ago with the question posted above. She sent back a nice letter saying she wouldn't be answering those question and only answered the ones required by Indiana Code. She said she would be glad to fill out the rest of the questions if they could show her where in the IC that she was required to do so.

She never got a response. Or a summons. Or jury duty.

All the more "personal" questions have been ommitted.

 

[2A_Tom]

Yep. Straight off of the Invasion of Privacy Questionnaire they sent me a while back:

How many people are in your household?
What are their ages?
What are their relationships to each other?
What are their occupations?
What is your marital status?
What is your level of education?
What is your employment?
How long have you been so employed?
What did you do before that?
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor? Explain.
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony? Explain.
Has anyone in your immediate family been convicted or served time? Explain.
If so, how did you view your/their treatment by the judicial system?
Financially, what is your annual household income?
What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time?
What magazines do you subscribe to?
What newspapers do you subscribe to?
How much television do you watch?
What sports are you involved in?
Do you have membership to any club, church, or organization?
Do you participate in any volunteer activities? Explain.

Are you serious? Or is this a joke?

I am asking seriously. I really hope you are being sarcastic. Because this is too believable.

I answered 6 on my census form. and had nearly 20 visits from census takers to try to get me to capitulate. Sorry for wasting your money.

 

[melensdad]

Just indicate that you are an educated conservative and you will never sit on a jury. You know, unless you want to...

I tried to get on a jury for a murder trial. In the interviews and pre-trial stuff it sounded really interesting.

Then the defense attorney asked how many guns I had . . . I asked the judge if I had to answer or if I could simply say more than enough. Judge said just say "more than 1."

Then the defense attorney asked where I kept them . . . again I asked the judge if I had to disclose that information in a public room full of strangers. Judge said I didn't have to answer.

Well you get the picture, as it turned out, I was the FIRST to be dismissed from the jury box.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Yep. Straight off of the Invasion of Privacy Questionnaire they sent me a while back:

How many people are in your household?
What are their ages?
What are their relationships to each other?

In case any are related to a potential plaintiff or defendant.

What are their occupations?

To show any special knowledge of a field that might be related to a case. If there is something medical, for example, they might not want me to bring my knowledge of medicine into the jury room.

What is your marital status?

Are you divorced? Perhaps angry with an ex? Enough to prejudice you against all men or women?

What is your level of education?

Could this prejudice you against someone with more or less than you, say, by jealousy?

What is your employment?
How long have you been so employed?
What did you do before that?

Could you have worked with the defendant or plaintiff before?

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor? Explain.
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony? Explain.
Has anyone in your immediate family been convicted or served time? Explain.
If so, how did you view your/their treatment by the judicial system?

These are all fairly self-explanatory, IMHO.

Financially, what is your annual household income?

???

What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time?
What magazines do you subscribe to?
What newspapers do you subscribe to?

Would you have any other indirect relationship with a party to a case that might affect your thinking? What about any additional knowledge?

How much television do you watch?

Could you have already received information about this case? How well-informed are you?

What sports are you involved in?
Do you have membership to any club, church, or organization?
Do you participate in any volunteer activities? Explain.

Again, these relate to any connection you might have with a party to a case, IMHO.

A jury is picked by a process called voir dire, which means, in Latin, "to tell the truth". The attorneys are looking to find anything that might prejudice you for or against their client, in an effort to ensure the defendant and the plaintiff a fair trial. (Would you want six members of the jury to be members of the Brady Campaign and find out you own guns and shoot recreationally?)

Yes, they're being nosy, but I think them not doing so would be negligent of their duties.



Blessings,
Bill

 

[kludge]

Here are the new questions:

1. Are you a citizen of the United States? y/n
2. Are you 18 years of age or older? y/n
3. Are you currently a resident of Hamilton county y/n
4. Do you read, write, speak and understand the English language? y/n
5. Are you currently under guardianship for a mental incapacity? y/n
6. Are your voting rights currently revoked or are you in the department of corrections? y/n
7. Are you seventy-five (75) years of age or older? y/n
8. If you answered "yes" to question #7, do you choose not to serve? y/n
9. Date of birth.
10. Occupation/Employer
11. Marital status: single/married/widowed/separated or divorced
12. List of members in your household (including relationship, age, and occupation)
13. Have you ever served as a juror? y/n civil/criminal when_____
14. Have you or any member of your immediate family been a victim of crime? y/n
15. Have you made a claim for personal injury, property damage or any other damage or has any such claim ever been made against you? y/n
16. Have you or anyone close to you ever worked as a law enforcement officer? y/n
17. Do you have a physical or mental condition, including age related infirmities, that would interfere with or prevent you from serving as a juror? y/n If yes please explain. If you require accommodation, please explain.
18. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? y/n If yes, please explain.

 

[JetGirl]

Are you serious? Or is this a joke?

I am asking seriously. I really hope you are being sarcastic. Because this is too believable.

I answered 6 on my census form. and had nearly 20 visits from census takers to try to get me to capitulate. Sorry for wasting your money.

I am serious. That was not a joke. I was not being sarcastic.
I copied them straight from the paper to a blog I wrote, word for word. I left them all blank (with just my name/address at the top because they already had that info from mailing the form to me)...signed it, dated it, and sent it back.
I call called up to go to the jury selection. They asked me about 13 or 14 questions (so much so, the people behind me started sighing and fidgeting because they weren't moving on like with every one else). The prosecutor asking me all the questions went up to the judge and said something I couldn't hear, and the judge said I could leave. So I did.

 

[littletommy]

I got one, but it didn't have nearly that many questions. Mine came, I filled it out, and sent it back, and about two weeks later I was called for jury duty. I dunno if they only do these for specific type trials or what, because my wife was called for jury duty a few months later, and never received the questionnaire. Side note, I would urge anybody who is called to do everything in their power to serve on a jury, it is a fascinating experience, and can be very eye opening as to how our system works, or doesn't work, whichever the case may be.

 

[Destro]

Here are the new questions:

1. Are you a citizen of the United States? y/n
2. Are you 18 years of age or older? y/n
3. Are you currently a resident of Hamilton county y/n
4. Do you read, write, speak and understand the English language? y/n
5. Are you currently under guardianship for a mental incapacity? y/n
6. Are your voting rights currently revoked or are you in the department of corrections? y/n
7. Are you seventy-five (75) years of age or older? y/n
8. If you answered "yes" to question #7, do you choose not to serve? y/n
9. Date of birth.
10. Occupation/Employer
11. Marital status: single/married/widowed/separated or divorced
12. List of members in your household (including relationship, age, and occupation)
13. Have you ever served as a juror? y/n civil/criminal when_____
14. Have you or any member of your immediate family been a victim of crime? y/n
15. Have you made a claim for personal injury, property damage or any other damage or has any such claim ever been made against you? y/n
16. Have you or anyone close to you ever worked as a law enforcement officer? y/n
17. Do you have a physical or mental condition, including age related infirmities, that would interfere with or prevent you from serving as a juror? y/n If yes please explain. If you require accommodation, please explain.
18. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? y/n If yes, please explain.

this seems to be close to what mine was

My wife got one for Federal Court, and it had even fewer questions than this.

 

[Bill of Rights]

I got one, but it didn't have nearly that many questions. Mine came, I filled it out, and sent it back, and about two weeks later I was called for jury duty. I dunno if they only do these for specific type trials or what, because my wife was called for jury duty a few months later, and never received the questionnaire. Side note, I would urge anybody who is called to do everything in their power to serve on a jury, it is a fascinating experience, and can be very eye opening as to how our system works, or doesn't work, whichever the case may be.

^^This. I served on a murder jury fresh out of high school. Fascinating barely scratches the surface. Sadly, remembering it, we were instructed as so many others have been, that we were to judge the facts of the case and the judge would tell us what the law was. Sitting in the jury box, as young and inexperienced as I was, that made sense. In principle, of course, it doesn't, but in that specific case, it was fairly cut and dried: The defendant was accused of murder, and as such, there wasn't really a question of whether the law was just and needed to be enforced or injust and needed nullified.

As a juror, your vote is not subject to question nor to being overruled. Your one word ("not") can set an innocent man free no matter how much evidence is trumped up, no matter how loudly the prosecution screams, no matter what the judge says. If the act is not, in your eyes, a crime, find the defendant not guilty, even if the evidence is overwhelmingly against him. Accusations do not equal guilt. Conversely, if you think the evidence shows the accused to be guilty, no matter how much the defense screams about it, find him guilty. His attorney can and probably will still appeal, if there is a problem with the trial.

I strongly encourage every freedom-minded American to serve in the most powerful office he or she can... that of the juror.

Blessings,
Bill