Jury Duty update
So - some of you may recall that I got a summons for jury duty last year. It was for a six week trial, right at the start of a major year-long project that's taken us eight years to get off the ground.
Suffice it to say, my boss was not amused.
My application for exemption was turned down, I showed up on the day, only not to be picked.
That, I thought, was the end of it.
How wrong I was.
Last night, I find the familiar Sheriff's office letterhead in our mailbox, open the letter to find, surprise, surprise, another summons. For a four month trial. Which, of course, covers the end of this year-long project we've taken eight years to, etc, etc.
At this point you should probably be reminded that I have served on a jury twice: one was a mistrial after one week, and the other was a major six week trial involving a major NSW law enforcement character we shall refer to only as RR. This is, in fact, my FIFTH jury summons. And I have had (in total) 13 years (official) exemption from jury service.
I should get another exemption for this because,according to the jury act:
Schedule 3 Persons who have a right to claim exemption
13 A person who:(a) within the 3 years that end on the date of the person’s claim for exemption, attended court in accordance with a summons and served as a juror, or
(b) within the 12 months that end on the date of the person’s claim for exemption, attended court in accordance with a summons and who was prepared to, but did not, serve as a juror. (my emphasis)
Which raises the question - why waste time and resources sending me a summons in the first place? I guess they're banking on people not actually looking at the jury act.
Of course, if my exemption is rejected, I'm really going to be pissed (and my boss will getting legal advice.)
Suffice it to say, my boss was not amused.
My application for exemption was turned down, I showed up on the day, only not to be picked.
That, I thought, was the end of it.
How wrong I was.
Last night, I find the familiar Sheriff's office letterhead in our mailbox, open the letter to find, surprise, surprise, another summons. For a four month trial. Which, of course, covers the end of this year-long project we've taken eight years to, etc, etc.
At this point you should probably be reminded that I have served on a jury twice: one was a mistrial after one week, and the other was a major six week trial involving a major NSW law enforcement character we shall refer to only as RR. This is, in fact, my FIFTH jury summons. And I have had (in total) 13 years (official) exemption from jury service.
I should get another exemption for this because,according to the jury act:
Schedule 3 Persons who have a right to claim exemption
13 A person who:(a) within the 3 years that end on the date of the person’s claim for exemption, attended court in accordance with a summons and served as a juror, or
(b) within the 12 months that end on the date of the person’s claim for exemption, attended court in accordance with a summons and who was prepared to, but did not, serve as a juror. (my emphasis)
Which raises the question - why waste time and resources sending me a summons in the first place? I guess they're banking on people not actually looking at the jury act.
Of course, if my exemption is rejected, I'm really going to be pissed (and my boss will getting legal advice.)