But what if youre an upstanding citizen whowantsto serve on a jury?
Maybe youre craving a scene out of12 Angry Men, or you want to put some dirtbag behind bars?
Either way, here are some tips that could help you get chosen to do your civic duty.
confirm youre eligible to serve
Juries dont take everyone; they only takenearlyeveryone.
Some places give tests.
If you are a felon, you cannot serve on a jury unless your rights have been restored.
So ensure youre signed up for both.
But dont hold your breathits a long process, and theres no way to speed it up.
In some places, there is a call-in number to confirm youll be appearing.
You might have to fill out a short questionnaire online.
Or you might just be told the date and location where youre supposed to show up.
You arerequiredto respond to this summons.
You could be fined or even jailed if you ignore it.
Can you fit jury duty into your busy schedule?
How long depends on the case, the jurisdiction, and the kind of grand jury.
A federal grand jury can sit for anywhere from 18-36 months.
Grand juries typically dont meet every day, though.
Instead, you might be on the hook for only a few days a month.
Think average person with middle-of-the-road views for your best chance at being chosen.
Attorneys are likely to ask open-ended, attitudinal questions instead of asking, Are you impartial?
So if youre really serious about being chosen, scrub your feeds of political and religious opinions.
You want to seem neutral and persuadable for either side.
If members of your close family are in law enforcement, you might have a problem, too.
If you know anyone involved in the case, youre probably going to be sent home.
Its not because youre a bad person and no one likes you (Oris it??)
