Explain to a fellow European why jury duty is so universally hated in the United States of America. I always pictured it as an exciting opportunity with a certain responsibility.
As mentioned by another, a lot of it really is compensation. Most jobs won’t pay your missed days for jury service. They can’t fire you, no, but they also dont have to pay you. If you have kids, live paycheck to paycheck, then get a letter from the government saying you will be needed for an unspecified amount of days, possibly weeks, and won’t get paid for it, it doesn’t seem like much of an opportunity. Better have those sick days saved up, cause if not, you may not make rent.
Luclily they usually pull a large pool of people so that is sometimes not an issue. My last jury summons, I told the judge that I wasn’t paid for being there and the loss of income would cause me financial hardship. “Thank you sir, you’re excused.”
Employers respect jury service only as far as the law requires them to. They do not respect it enough to make service economically viable for their employees.
Well, it is never a convenient time. You wind up missing a day of work and they give ( at least in my state) the potential juror $20 for your trouble. I never get picked and have a hard time staying awake throughout the day.
There is definitely a great responsibility involved and I answer the questioning truthfully so I have never get selected by both the prosecution and the defense.
The reasons the others gave are valid, but it’s also a cultural thing. We’re taught via pop culture that getting a jury duty summons, much like having to go to the DMV, is something to be dreaded. Like if it happens in a cartoon or a cheesy sitcom, there might be scary music that plays in the background while the character does a Darth Vader “noooooo.”
Opisek@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Explain to a fellow European why jury duty is so universally hated in the United States of America. I always pictured it as an exciting opportunity with a certain responsibility.
Hazmatastic@lemmy.world 1 week ago
As mentioned by another, a lot of it really is compensation. Most jobs won’t pay your missed days for jury service. They can’t fire you, no, but they also dont have to pay you. If you have kids, live paycheck to paycheck, then get a letter from the government saying you will be needed for an unspecified amount of days, possibly weeks, and won’t get paid for it, it doesn’t seem like much of an opportunity. Better have those sick days saved up, cause if not, you may not make rent.
Luclily they usually pull a large pool of people so that is sometimes not an issue. My last jury summons, I told the judge that I wasn’t paid for being there and the loss of income would cause me financial hardship. “Thank you sir, you’re excused.”
Employers respect jury service only as far as the law requires them to. They do not respect it enough to make service economically viable for their employees.
allidoislietomyself@lemmy.world 1 week ago
You have to take time off from work and you are not usually compensated well enough for the inconvenience.
AoxoMoxoA@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Well, it is never a convenient time. You wind up missing a day of work and they give ( at least in my state) the potential juror $20 for your trouble. I never get picked and have a hard time staying awake throughout the day.
There is definitely a great responsibility involved and I answer the questioning truthfully so I have never get selected by both the prosecution and the defense.
Zink@programming.dev 1 week ago
The reasons the others gave are valid, but it’s also a cultural thing. We’re taught via pop culture that getting a jury duty summons, much like having to go to the DMV, is something to be dreaded. Like if it happens in a cartoon or a cheesy sitcom, there might be scary music that plays in the background while the character does a Darth Vader “noooooo.”