View Full Version : Expat Jury Duty
A quick question-I received notification from my Miami mailbox today that I have been called for jury duty. First ever. I called the court in question in Miami and was told that by law, I have six months to arrange jury duty, or if I fail to do so, surrender my drivers license. I would prefer to do neither. The fact that I have been living outside the country for over three years apparently has no bearing on the matter. Does anybody have any experience with this pain in the butt?
Gato Hunter
02-20-09, 14:41
Can you get a letter from your "employer" that your job is important and your absence would cause economic harm to the "employer".
That works in my state, that is not Florida.
The one I get is an application form, to put you in the system. It says you have to fill it out, and send it back, and wait to be called. If you never fill it out, and put in the system, they never know if you moved, or ever got it. Once you fill out the form, and you don't show up, then they can issue an arrest order. They know you living where you got the notice, since you filled out the form.
The best thing would be not to respond at all. I have not responded to the one I get in NY, for years, and nothing has ever happen. If something does happen, when you get back, just play stupid, and say you have been out of the US and did not know about the notice. You can prove it with you passport, that you've been away.
You told me you where going home for a bit, just say you never got the notice. Things get lost all the time, and by the time your out of the US again, nothing going to happen.
You can also just get a drivers license where ever you happen to be living, and tell them you no longer live in Florida.
Sidney I think they use DMV data too. If you move to a different state, your supposed to change your drivers license to the new state, within a few months of moving.
Thanks for the advise. Keep 'em coming! Unfortunately, the employer angle is not likely to work as I am outside of the country by my own choice. Maybe my accountant could work up proof of my ongoing expat tax status. I am sure the court goes through the DMV for addresses. Otherwise they would not have my current mailing address. Actually, I am going to be in Miami in early May, but the last thing I want to do is waste at least one day (maybe more! Cooling my heels in a courthouse.
Doggboy,
From what I know, they get the jury duty lists from the registered voter lists.
That means, regardless of where you are living in the world, if you are a registered voter and you vote, the federal government seems to see that privilege as conditional to other civic obligations such as jury duty.
Bottom line, you can weasel out of it (doctors note, work obligations etc) a few times, but you will eventually be called up.
Regards,
BM
Doggboy,
From what I know, they get the jury duty lists from the registered voter lists.
That means, regardless of where you are living in the world, if you are a registered voter and you vote, the federal government seems to see that privilege as conditional to other civic obligations such as jury duty.
Bottom line, you can weasel out of it (doctors note, work obligations etc) a few times, but you will eventually be called up.
Regards,
BM.My aim is to weasel out of it now and forevermore if there is a way.:) Maybe they go through the voter lists, but I never changed my address with the voter folks when I left the states, but I did with the DMV as my license was about to expire. Not that it makes much difference in the long run. I find it hard to believe that the multitude of expats living abroad, some for decades, return to the USA whenever they get a jury summons. Maybe they don't care if their license is pulled, or other penalties, but I'm not that far out of the USA orbit yet.
Thomaso276
02-20-09, 19:10
BM is right, you can send a letter in asking for a delay but eventually you will have to respond. Happened to me about 5 years ago and I arranged for it to be moved when I was back in Fl.
Fortunately the case was a DUI / Accident and the defense had an expert (ex cop) on traffic issues. He used to work for me so when the judge asked about personal invovlement or knowledge I raised my hand and told 'em. I was outta there in minutes. PS I managed not to tell the judge and the jury pool that the expert had been fired for lying during an IA (something he did regularly) I think that would have been overkill.
BMis right, you can send a letter in asking for a delay but eventually you will have to respond. Happened to me about 5 years ago and I arranged for it to be moved when I was back in Fl.
Fortunately the case was a DUI / Accident and the defense had an expert (ex cop) on traffic issues. He used to work for me so when the judge asked about personal invovlement or knowledge I raised my hand and told 'em. I was outta there in minutes. PS I managed not to tell the judge and the jury pool that the expert had been fired for lying during an IA (something he did regularly) I think that would have been overkill.Thanks for the further info Thomaso. Well, if you gotta, you gotta. I'd rather take a beating though.
It's not such a big deal to lose your US drivers license. You should be able to drive if you visit the US with your foreign drivers license. My friend's girlfriend been driving with her Spanish drivers license in NY for months now. She told me she has never been pulled over, so she does not know what will happen.
Many tourist rent cars when the visit. Don’t know if you have to get an international license, or just your country license will do. I think to get an international license is a joke, just show you have a valid license and pay some money, and they give it to you. Your Florida license will work, or if you get another countries license it will work too.
If you ever decide to move back to the US, just take that stupid test, and get another license.
If you ever decide to move back to the US, just take that stupid test, and get another license.I can see you have never dealt with the DMV in Miami!.
Most people don't realize, that DMV is a state function, not a city one. I have a friend who drives out of the city, to a small town in Long Island, (not fare from the city) and does his DMV stuff there. Things that would take hours in Manhattan, only take him minutes there.
Punter 127
02-20-09, 19:51
I'd like to say it ’s that absent tee ballot coming back to haunt you, but I think most states are using DMV now, rather that voter registration.
I have been selected the last two years in a row, both times the questionnaire they sent me asks about any vacations I had planned. Both times I listed my vacation schedule and they left me alone, they never ask me to prove I had vacation scheduled.
I have been called over the years about 5 times but only had to serve once, jury duty and the draft are the only lotteries I ever won.
I tend to agree with Tessan just ignore them and play dumb. (Shouldn ’t be to hard Dogg …lol:D)
I 'd like to say it 's that absent tee ballot coming back to haunt you, but I think most states are using DMV now, rather that voter registration.
I have been selected the last two years in a row, both times the questionnaire they sent me asks about any vacations I had planned. Both times I listed my vacation schedule and they left me alone, they never ask me to prove I had vacation scheduled.
I have been called over the years about 5 times but only had to serve once, jury duty and the draft are the only lotteries I ever won.
I tend to agree with Tessan just ignore them and play dumb. (Shouldn 't be to hard Dogg. Lol:D)I didn't get my absentee ballot filled out in time to use it! Well, you and I got something in common with jury duty and the draft. Too late to play dumb, I already called them. I'll wait until I actually look at the form they sent me and then see what's what. I do think they are going through the DMV files as well.
I 'd like to say it 's that absent tee ballot coming back to haunt you, but I think most states are using DMV now, rather that voter registration.
I have been selected the last two years in a row, both times the questionnaire they sent me asks about any vacations I had planned. Both times I listed my vacation schedule and they left me alone, they never ask me to prove I had vacation scheduled.
I have been called over the years about 5 times but only had to serve once, jury duty and the draft are the only lotteries I ever won.
I tend to agree with Tessan just ignore them and play dumb. (Shouldn 't be to hard Dogg. Lol:D)Why don't you just write to them and tell them the truth; you are in a foreign country and due to commitments you will not be back in the USA except from Dec. 24 to January1. You would love to serve but, you would appreciate it if they could consider you for jury duty during the summer of 2011. Ask them if they would like a certified letter by the American Consulate stating you are currently in a foreign country. I've been doing this for years with my european country.
Why don't you just write to them and tell them the truth; you are in a foreign country and due to commitments you will not be back in the USA except from Dec. 24 to January1. You would love to serve but, you would appreciate it if they could consider you for jury duty during the summer of 2011. Ask them if they would like a certified letter by the American Consulate stating you are currently in a foreign country. I've been doing this for years with my european country.I called today and told them I had no plans to return anytime soon, which is actually not the truth. I just don't want to be bothered. I will contact the US Embassy however. That is a good idea. Remember, the US government loves to track their folks all over God's green earth, bug them for taxes, and constantly remind them of their lifelong obligation to the American way.
If you can get ahold of any business stationery, you write a letter signed by an officer of the company [not by you in other words] stating so-and-so is an employee of our company on an assignment in South America, and he will not be returning to the United States until such and such a date. Thus will keep you off the jury duty list of the court that sent you the initial notice until the return date in the letter.
Dogg,
Write the "CockSuckers" and tell them your a convicted fellon and can't legally sit on a jury.
Exon
Continued thanks for all the ideas. I will actually have the letter in hand the first week of March and then will formulate a plan of attack.
Actually Exon, this is one case where I wish I was an ex felon. The other possibility is to have a local shrink write that I am crazy as batshit and completely unable to travel outside of my house, much less to the USA.
Continued thanks for all the ideas. I will actually have the letter in hand the first week of March and then will formulate a plan of attack.
Actually Exon, this is one case where I wish I was an ex felon. The other possibility is to have a local shrink write that I am crazy as batshit and completely unable to travel outside of my house, much less to the USA.Fuck, Don't do that Dogg, that might someday come back too bite You. Either tell the "CockSuckers" Your a Fellon or just Ignor the "MotherFuckers"
Exon
QuakHunter
02-21-09, 13:51
Continued thanks for all the ideas. I will actually have the letter in hand the first week of March and then will formulate a plan of attack.
Actually Exon, this is one case where I wish I was an ex felon. The other possibility is to have a local shrink write that I am crazy as batshit and completely unable to travel outside of my house, much less to the USA.Exon is correct. It might come back to bite you in the ass.
If you are declared mentally incompetent you might be drafted to run for a political post in Argentina under CFK.
I don't think that would be much of a stretch.
Regards,
BM
The other possibility is to have a local shrink write that I am crazy as batshit and completely unable to travel outside of my house, much less to the USA.
Thomaso276
02-21-09, 23:48
I say go for the jury duty, you might get one of those thieves who blew all our investments, or a juicy murder case or you could declare not guilty for some poor hooker.
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