Jury duty??? (page 2)

DevonMcBride

In the state of Pennsylvania they select jurors by driver's license and not by the voter's registration.

Devon

My devout JW mother-in-law did jury duty awhile back and it wasn't a secret or even a big decision. I don't think she knew she had a choice - she didn't want to do it because it was sex-related (and she is very squeamish) but there was never any concern over the religious implications.

Although, the more I read, I think their congregation is more liberal in a lot of things, such as meeting attendance. Most of their young married dubs only come once or twice a month and are still considered good associates. Go figure. So maybe jury duty isn't a big deal. The good aspect of that, of course, is that they do not zealously pursue inactive ones. :)

SLM

loveis

RE: Jury duty, see the WT of April 1, 1997, QFR on pages 27-29 for the official word (also March 15, 1973 WT pages 190-191 for an older discussion, also Awake of Dec. 8, 1978, pages 27-28).

dh

my dad was called to do jury duty when i was a kid, he felt he had to refuse for whatever reason, but thanks to jehovah, a few days later he fell and broke his leg ice skating and got out of it on medical grounds.

got my forty homey?

But if your father broke his leg going to a circuit assembly part or to a Sunday meeting that he had a public talk then Satan did it, huh?

little witch

EGADS!!

How would you like to be judged by a witness! (scary thought)

In Indiana, you can be chosen for duty by voting or by registering at the DMV (department of motor vehicles).

The movement is toward including all citizens as possible jurors. In my opinion, it is a duty as a citizen of society. These are societal obligations, and not religious or political.

However, I realize that JW's automatically condemn as guilty any "worldly" person. So I would hate to be in court as a defendant with one as a juror.

Unfortunatly, this applies to many other religions as well. I have seen many convicted over moral stances unique to christianity for instance, without consideration given to secular law.

For example: Let us imagine a wiccan accused of larceny. Let us imagine the jury was made up of 12 christians. The very fact that the jury is alienated by the defendants religion ie "this person is non-christian and does not believe the ten commandments" is a powerful persuader.

This is a most interesting topic, and one that I hope goes on for awhile. I will watch with interest.

jgnat

It is a conscience matter, and the WTBTS will not bail you out or pay your legal defence if you refuse jury duty due to religious reasons. I researched this for a JW friend who was facing jury duty, and the article was very clear that THEY WOULD NOT BAIL YOU OUT. On the other hand, my JW friend was quickly released from duty when she mentioned her religious affiliation.

I should also mention the elders were too lazy (or maybe afraid to get it wrong) to look up WTBTS policy for my friend. They told her to look it up herself.

Here in Canada, it is every citizen's responsibility to do jury duty when called upon. The practicalities of actually finding our names and addresses, though, is a whole other problem for the courts. I have heard they use motor vehicle registration lists. Desperate clerks of the courts have even been known to go to the local mall and collar passers-by.

Ailla

The WTS recommends that JWs report for jury duty and claim they couldn't support a law that would go against their conscience. Therefore they would be dismissed more often than not as a juror.

Odrade

My dad sat as juror on a murder trial last year in NYC while still a Bethelite. I don't think it necessarily follows that mentioning your religious affiliation will get the attorneys to use their exemptions. It seems there is an inclination at least to tell the JWs to go through with their "civic duty" and serve if called. I know that Bethelites are not given any help on getting out of it anymore. They are expected to serve if called. I would imagine that holds true for the rank and file also, at least in the US.

I got a jury summons this summer. I kind of wondered how I would have felt getting called while still a JW. I don't think I would have played the religious card, trying to get out. As it turned out, I got dismissed by the judge with prejudice. The trial was going to be on a guy charged with felony stalking and assault on his girlfriend and kid. I had a close friend who's husband smacks her around, and my aunt's best friend's daughter was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend. He stalked her for several years then just walked up to her one day with a rifle and shot her head off. After telling the judge, HE dismissed me. Didn't even wait for the attorney exemptions.

Obviously they don't want people bringing clear prejudice to the jury box, but I don't think the average JW presents an issue, the JWs just THINK it's an issue.

onacruse

Yep, it's always been a "conscience" thing, technically speaking...with the usual plethora of negative caveats that the WTS always spins into such 'matters of the world' that leave the vast majority of JWs convinced that it's actually wrong.

I speculate that the WTS's relative "hands-off" posture is based on the fear that they'd otherwise get nailed to the wall for treasonable interference with the political process (it's happened before, eh?)...rather like what they say about a person who joins the military: not a disfellowshipping, but a statement that by so doing a person has in essence disassociated themselves.

The "superior authorities" do have their prerogatives.

Craig

Jury duty???