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OT: Grand Jury Duty

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/24/2014 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I received a summons for Grand Jury Duty... It says once a week for 17 weeks. Gasp! I find it odd, because I have never been chosen for regular jury duty. This is going to be a major pain in the butt (Pun intended) for me at work, not to mention with my UC.

What are my chances of getting excused if I provide a letter from my GI? Something along the lines of that with my condition, a flare could occur at any given time and I will not be able to perform my duties as a juror?

Also, those who have served grand jury duty - what is it like?
Posted 8/24/2014 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
I'm pretty sure if you have a doctor's letter stating why you cannot sever you will be excused. Gosh I could have never sat through any of that when I was flaring. I never had grand jury only petit jury. Good luck.
Posted 8/24/2014 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hope you're not in the St. Louis area. In this case a letter should do.
Posted 8/24/2014 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
I was summoned four times. The first three, i got my idiotic gi doc to excuse me for a few months. I begged her for the forever excuse but she wouldnt sign it. Once i saw my new and current gi doc, he signed the form to never be summoned again. He has crohns so he understands.
Posted 8/24/2014 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
I just got out of jury duty with a letter. I hope it works for you too!
Posted 8/24/2014 9:42 AM (GMT 0)
It was pretty easy for me (at least where I live). Just called them up saying I was a student and that jury duty would coincide with my schedule. Education first chaps. Said nothing about having UC though.
Posted 8/24/2014 12:09 PM (GMT 0)
At my last summons, my GI provided me with a letter basically saying that my disease is highly unpredictable. Turns out that I didn't need it because the case got tossed - I wouldn't have been picked anyway because it was a stalking case and my daughter was a victim of a crazy stalker.
Posted 8/24/2014 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
@banana - It's crazy how many GI's perhaps understand the disease in some way, but don't understand in the least little bit what it's like to have the disease and what you can and cannot do like sit through a day of jury duty, or go to an all day long seminar etc etc.

Unless they have the disease they really don't fully understand.
Posted 8/25/2014 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
my Gi doc's letter explained it well........frequent unplanned bathroom trips with little or no notice.  Have not been called since
Posted 8/25/2014 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
mark, yeah, my main thing was having to drive an hour downtown in the morning and then sit there all day. no way in hell i could do that when i was going 30 times a day and i couldn't even drive anyway. i dreaded every new summons letter i got 3 months later because i couldn't attend the previous time. it got annoying having my GI keep signing "3 months" instead of the "NEVER AGAIN" form.

as soon as i was summoned the 4th time, my new gi didn't bat an eyelash and signed it no problem. he didn't send a letter with it at all or ask me any questions.
Posted 8/25/2014 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
Very easy to get out of the regular jury duty. I have written those letters for patients and it's a very simple process. Never did one for grand jury.
Posted 8/25/2014 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
I was also called in for grand jury duty and I was able to get out of it with a doctors note explaining my UC symptoms and also a letter from my employer stating how I can not be removed from the current project I was on at the time. I have yet to receive a summons to go back for any jury duty since.
Posted 8/25/2014 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all of the replies. Turns out, I don't even need a note. I called this morning letting them know that I will be mailing out the questionnaire with a letter from my doctor asking to be excused...well, apparently I was already excused for medical reasons! I will be getting a notification in the mail confirming this soon. It strikes me as odd as I don't remember filling or asking my GI to submit a letter....

The only thing I can think of is perhaps when I applied for FMLA for work, somehow this was sent to the Jury Management office? Strange..
Posted 8/27/2014 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
Glad you're getting excused. A couple colleagues of mine served grand jury duty, and it was a Royal Pain. Depending on court locale, the hearings can go on at length and then recess for a period of time, after which the jurors get called back again to hear further proceedings. One of these guys was on a case that lasted 17 months total-- so he went to court off/on as the proceedings required. Definitely NOT a good scenario for IBDers! / Old Hat (33 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 8/27/2014 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
You can TOTALLY get out of jury duty. You have the biggest excuse in the books. Your doctor needs to write you a note and you're all good. I've done it time and time again. I actually think that jury duty would be fun (I know sounds odd) However, not having UC in remission it would be impossible.
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