16 months ago I was served notice that my name came up for federal grand jury selection. I ended up being first alternate.
Federal grand jury duty is an 18-month stint, the grand jury meeting one or two days every month. As first alternate I was required to go through the entire training and orientation session, but after that I was free to go unless I got called up to replace one of the original jurors. I heard nothing until a couple of weeks ago, when I got the call. I will have three remaining months of duty to serve.
When I first got served the selection notice I dreaded the idea of having to make an 18-month commitment, which one does not get off the hook without a very compelling reason. During the selection process several tried, but the judge played it pretty strict.
Anyway, I found the orientation session fascinating, and being somewhat of a casual student of our judicial process (thanks to a marketing professor, of all people, when working on my masters) I wanted to get selected.
But instead, I ended up first alternate (of four) which meant that I was required to go through full training, which too was fascinating and left me hoping that I would get called up during my 18-month standby, which happened a couple of weeks ago.
I got the best of all worlds in a way. I do get the experience of serving, but I only have to do it for three months instead of eighteen.
Has anyone else here served on a federal grand jury?
Side note....
Fifteen years ago the only legal experience I ever had was seeing a lawyer about creating a will or a corporation. In the last fifteen years, I have been involved with four lawsuits, two court trials (on federal, one state), two appeals, and now this. I might as well have gone to law school.
Federal grand jury duty is an 18-month stint, the grand jury meeting one or two days every month. As first alternate I was required to go through the entire training and orientation session, but after that I was free to go unless I got called up to replace one of the original jurors. I heard nothing until a couple of weeks ago, when I got the call. I will have three remaining months of duty to serve.
When I first got served the selection notice I dreaded the idea of having to make an 18-month commitment, which one does not get off the hook without a very compelling reason. During the selection process several tried, but the judge played it pretty strict.
Anyway, I found the orientation session fascinating, and being somewhat of a casual student of our judicial process (thanks to a marketing professor, of all people, when working on my masters) I wanted to get selected.
But instead, I ended up first alternate (of four) which meant that I was required to go through full training, which too was fascinating and left me hoping that I would get called up during my 18-month standby, which happened a couple of weeks ago.
I got the best of all worlds in a way. I do get the experience of serving, but I only have to do it for three months instead of eighteen.
Has anyone else here served on a federal grand jury?
Side note....
Fifteen years ago the only legal experience I ever had was seeing a lawyer about creating a will or a corporation. In the last fifteen years, I have been involved with four lawsuits, two court trials (on federal, one state), two appeals, and now this. I might as well have gone to law school.
