Jury Duty

[Creflo]

As a solo practitioner summoned for jury duty, have others faced this? Can a judge require service despite a full clinic schedule? If urgent patient care arises, is temporary release from duty possible? Should I book and then cancel the clinic if selected, or preemptively cancel anticipating jury service? Is deferral for arranging a locum tenens common?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Forcewielder]

You just have to write a request to be excused and explain that you have a fully booked schedule 3 months in advance and as a solo provider you have no one to cover your patients. Also explain that your postop patients and wound patients require continuity of care to avoid serious complications. I've gotten out each time

 

[icebreaker32]

You just have to write a request to be excused and explain that you have a fully booked schedule 3 months in advance and as a solo provider you have no one to cover your patients. Also explain that your postop patients and wound patients require continuity of care to avoid serious complications. I've gotten out each time

Wrong in most areas (obviously not yours)…….they rarely let doctors out of jury duty anymore because they are a solo doc. They used to much more commonly in the past. Does not hurt to try.

They will not force you as a doctor to be involved with a case that could go on a long time.

Your only out may be to answer a question they will ask where you say for one reason or another you cannot be impartial. If for example, you do not believe a drug problem should be treated criminally and could not convict. Even this is not a guaranteed out, just ups your odds of
not being selected.

You will still have to spend a day or two regardless though out of the office even if not selected or case settles before jury selection begins.

Finding out last second on Monday you do not need to report until Tuesday morning (for who knows what reason), then finding out last second on Tuesday morning the case settles before any jury selection even took place is common. The kicker is your name will stay in the jury pool since you did not actually serve on a jury.

 

[HardRoadPaved]

Haven been exactly through this as a solo PP doc with no coverage, the jury commissioner was not sympathetic. Luckily my number was not drawn.

Should you get summoned.... Learn the meaning of jury nullification.

 

[heybrother]

I got excused from my last jury summons (with sub-1 week notice) after writing explaining I was operating that day. Might have played up that I was repairing the cartilage in a kids ankle... Guess I got lucky. Really would truly be a disaster to be out of work for a week.

I had the most unfortunate patient (I haven't seen him in awhile which makes me think he passed away) awhile back. He had a brain tumor and was supposed to die very quickly, but he lived another 10-15 years. Horrible seizures and spasticity issues. Memory loss. Would fall asleep spontaneously and then wake up screaming. He was very funny though, in a horribly dark morbid sort of way. Anyway, he gets summoned for jury duty and there's nowhere on the form that says "I'm too disabled to serve". His wife, who stuck around and took care of him (god bless you lady) asked me to write to the judge and explain he was too disabled to serve. Obviously I assumed someone else was more qualified than me to do this ie. his neurologist, internist, ...palliative care, anyone, but it turned out I was the only doctor he was regularly seeing. They claimed the neurologist told them they didn't need to come back because it was a terminal illness. I sent the letter. They were grateful not to have to go though the patient did tell me he was planning to go and just scream "he's guilty, execute him" until he got dismissed.

 

[Forcewielder]

I guess it's different in every county or state. Mine specifically has a list of excusable reasons which include physical disabilities or active health care provider or caregiver where an interruption in your schedule could cause harm to others. I know for me, missing a week of work would be devastating. Not only financially (because I'm self employed and have no PTO), but also because of my clinic schedule which really is booked 3+ months. If I miss a day, I just work that much more on the subsequent days.

 

[PTPuser]

I've been summoned multiple times and I've always written back saying "I have difficulty with the English language", been excused from all of them and no one has questioned me.

Same thing for my elder parents. They got summoned and I wrote that crap and sent it back.

 

[wakaflocka88]

I personally don’t show up. The summons little form isn’t classified mail nor did I have to sign for it. How can they prove it was not lost in the mail delivery process?

 

[p100]

Haven been exactly through this as a solo PP doc with no coverage, the jury commissioner was not sympathetic. Luckily my number was not drawn.

Should you get summoned.... Learn the meaning of jury nullification.

I have not been summoned yet OP but I want to agree with this poster and say everyone should know about jury nullification.

 

[HardRoadPaved]

I personally don’t show up. The summons little form isn’t classified mail nor did I have to sign for it. How can they prove it was not lost in the mail delivery process?

They'll put Dog the Bounty Hunter on you.

So for many areas if you dont show repetitively and your number is called into jury room they will issue a warrant. Have fun the next time with your interaction with law enforcement. Some jurisdictions will just impact your drivers license renewal.

 

[GreenHousePub]

They'll put Dog the Bounty Hunter on you.

So for many areas if you dont show repetitively and your number is called into jury room they will issue a warrant. Have fun the next time with your interaction with law enforcement. Some jurisdictions will just impact your drivers license renewal.

I have never, ever heard of this happening.

 

[wakaflocka88]

They'll put Dog the Bounty Hunter on you.

So for many areas if you dont show repetitively and your number is called into jury room they will issue a warrant. Have fun the next time with your interaction with law enforcement. Some jurisdictions will just impact your drivers license renewal.

Again…..how can they prove a non classified mail is received by me and was not lost during transit.

 

[HardRoadPaved]

Again…..how can they prove a non classified mail is received by me and was not lost during transit.

Exactly do it enough times or have a low pool show rate and the judge that day has all reason to issue an "order to appear" summons. Then you can explain the mail system to the judge. Why have something like that loom over you?

And while you're at it the IRS doesn't always certify mail so ignore those notices too.

 

[air bud]

Tell them you have many urgent toe nails to trim. I'm sorry, at some point this thread had to involve toenails.

 

[Feli]

 

[Hybrocure]

I’ve never been but I also throw away basically all my mail

 

[NatCh]

Here's a template of the letter that's gotten me out of jury duty twice before. Feel free to use it and edit it however you wish. If I get called up again I'm blocking my schedule and going though. It'll beat the hell out of taking care of injured pickle ballers.


Dear Jury Coordinator:

I [your name] Juror Number 746, am requesting excusal from jury duty summons for the following reasons:

I am a podiatric physician and surgeon at [your practice] and participation in the anticipated jury process would severely limit my ability to provide continued care to my patients. I have several patients scheduled during that time period who will be in various stages of treatment and I would be unable to attend to them appropriately.

I am the owner of my practice, which is a small business. As my physical presence at work is vital to generating income, participation in the jury process would be extremely detrimental to the financial health of my business.

I am very supportive of the jury system and hope that my request does not cause a hardship for the courts. Thank you very much.


Sincerely,

 

[eyeeye_captain]

The stock letter should work. We had one in my residency that got me out of duty, even with the secretary leaving someone else’s name on it.

If you do get stuck, just go full Charlie.

 

[ExperiencedDPM]

Here's a template of the letter that's gotten me out of jury duty twice before. Feel free to use it and edit it however you wish. If I get called up again I'm blocking my schedule and going though. It'll beat the hell out of taking care of injured pickle ballers.


Dear Jury Coordinator:

I [your name] Juror Number 746, am requesting excusal from jury duty summons for the following reasons:

I am a podiatric physician and surgeon at [your practice] and participation in the anticipated jury process would severely limit my ability to provide continued care to my patients. I have several patients scheduled during that time period who will be in various stages of treatment and I would be unable to attend to them appropriately.

I am the owner of my practice, which is a small business. As my physical presence at work is vital to generating income, participation in the jury process would be extremely detrimental to the financial health of my business.

I am very supportive of the jury system and hope that my request does not cause a hardship for the courts. Thank you very much.


Sincerely,

That’s way too much.

I simply write……I want out and I know NatCH.

Works ever time.

 

[NatCh]

That’s way too much.

I simply write……I want out and I know NatCH.

Works ever time.

Your Honor, do you know who I am and what I can do???