Forum Overview :: Tansin A. Darcos's Alter Ego

How to get out of jury duty (at least, in Virginia), and one for anywhere. by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 09/28/2022, 1:57am PDT An interesting provision of law in Virginia makes it so that not only will you not have to serve, they can't even call you for jury duty. Now, before you're thinking I'm telling you to join the marines or be convicted of a felony. No, it's trivially easy, only takes the time to write a letter, and costs just the price of one postage stamp. The provision is in Title 8.01 of the Code of Virginia 1950: Civil Remedies and Procedure, Chapter 11. Juries, Article 2. Jurors. the law that covers this is § 8.01-339. It reads as follows: § 8.01-339. No person eligible for whom request is made. No person shall be eligible to serve on any jury when he, or any person for him, solicits or requests a jury commissioner to place his name in a jury box or in any way designate such person as a juror. So, what it means is that requesting from the jury commissioner that you be put on the jury list means they must exclude you from jury service. Another way to get out of jury duty that works everywhere, if you don't mind going for the first day. If you don't get called, that's it, usually for three years. If you're actually called, you'll eventually be asked if you have any reason you can't serve, you can say, "Yes, I have a reason which probably would exclude me, but I'm certain I'd be punished if I said so." Now, if told you can approach the bench and tell the judge privately, you can say, "That won't help, it's not that I'm afraid to say it in open court, I'm afraid to tell the court at all, and I fear retaliation or punishment if I do." If the judge says you will not be punished, you can say, "More than one person has been arrested and prosecuted for telling people about this. Okay, regardless of your instructions, I believe juries have the right and the duty to judge the facts and the law. I believe in jury nullification." You'll be bounced faster than a tennis ball at Wimbledon. And they can't do anything to you. This is true. People have been arrested, prosecuted, and indicted for this. Just Google (without quotes) "prosecuted for handing out flyers about jury nullification". So much for freedom of speech.

How to get out of jury duty (at least, in Virginia), and one for anywhere. by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 09/28/2022, 1:57am PDT