# Jury Duty...? + Being a composer?



## kid-surf (Jun 16, 2006)

Just wondering how you guys deal with that? I hardly have enough time to sleep let alone even remember to call. Last time I was so caught up I just forgot. They didn't arrest me... so?


What do you guys do? It's not as if a director/producer will be cool with you taking an "undermined" amount of time off. This film stuff is life and death as well all know.


----------



## Daryl (Jun 16, 2006)

I don't know how it works in the US, but in the UK your Employer can get you out of it if you can't be spared. However, I think that the next time your name comes up you have no choice. Whether or not you get arrested I couldn't say as I did my duty when I was asked......!

D


----------



## midphase (Jun 16, 2006)

I try to remind myself every day that composing for someone is just a job, it's what I do to pay the bills, but I also have a life beyond music. Granted, spending time on jury duty is not my idea of fun stuff, but I try very hard not to become enslaved to my job day and night. 

Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my job very much, probably more than most of my friends who work in offices, but it is nonetheless just that, a job!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I get summoned for jury duty, and the director won't understand that I can get in trouble for not at least showing up and try to get out of it, then he's a dick and if get fired from the gig I probably wouldn't lose any sleep over it. There will be other opportunities, other good directors to work with who are not dicks and who understand that I have a life beyond working on their "masterpiece" film.


----------



## kid-surf (Jun 16, 2006)

Good points...


----------



## PaulR (Jun 16, 2006)

Jury duty is a fucking pain in the ass.


----------



## Daryl (Jun 16, 2006)

PaulR @ Fri Jun 16 said:


> Jury duty is a [email protected]#k pain in the ass.


Agreed. I could tell you about mine, but then I'd have to kill you :twisted: 

D


----------



## PaulR (Jun 18, 2006)

Daryl @ Fri Jun 16 said:


> PaulR @ Fri Jun 16 said:
> 
> 
> > Jury duty is a [email protected]#k pain in the ass.
> ...



Oh I don't give a shit after my experience. They had me in there for over a week - 2 cases. The first was a poxy run off from a taxi and not paying the fare, The second was where a person blew another away with a shotgun. And do you know what technicality they got him on?

Murder.

:roll: :lol:


----------



## Scott Cairns (Jun 18, 2006)

I got summoned for jury duty in the last month of the deadline for Stargate SG-1.

The game developer rang the Sheriff's office, sent a fax and got me out of it.


----------



## Thonex (Jun 18, 2006)

Scott Cairns @ Sun Jun 18 said:


> I got summoned for jury duty in the last month of the deadline for Stargate SG-1.
> 
> The game developer rang the Sheriff's office, sent a fax and got me out of it.



That would never fly in LA... :lol: everyone would be calling the courts to get their "employee" out...

Here... I got called for a grand jury (which can last up to a month) and I had to go to the court for an afternoon and tell them that I was self-employed and that it would result in me losing a contract and put me in financial hardship... I then had to fill out a bunch of paper listing my income and expenses and dependents... a real PITA. They said they would then get back to me to see if I could be excused.... I got excused... but got called for a shorter... regular jury duty. :roll: 

T


----------



## kid-surf (Jun 18, 2006)

Today is my deadline to call....... And tomorrow I need to turn in my cues. And I'm slammed, and I'm also going out of town. 

They have this thing where you can postpone it, but that really doesn't do me much good. I have a few things lined up and don't know the exact start dates... so? 

I dunno, I feel like composers should be exempt.  Maybe I'll just call in and cross my fingers that I don't have to show up. 

But if I have to make the choice between getting 'let go' (fired) or going to jail.... I'd rather risk jail. :lol:


----------



## kid-surf (Jun 18, 2006)

Scott --- Thonex is right, in LA they did away with that. I'm not sure there's a way out of it anymore over here.

So even if you are a scientist on the verge of curing cancer, you must put all that aside and go to court and decide whether or not some knuckle head hot wired a car. :roll: 

Societal priorities......... :razz:


----------



## Thonex (Jun 18, 2006)

kid-surf @ Sun Jun 18 said:


> But if I have to make the choice between getting 'let go' (fired) or going to jail.... I'd rather risk jail. :lol:



Nah... I think it's more like getting fined... just do the phone thing and IF you get called.... go to the court house and make your case...


----------



## kid-surf (Jun 18, 2006)

I know... I was just being dramatic... :D

I'm sure I'll call... I just HATE it, is all. I'm mostly venting. :mrgreen:


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 18, 2006)

You can always delay jury duty if you're in the middle of a project.

Also, sometimes the summons gets lost in the mail.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 18, 2006)

In fact I've heard of that happening a lot...


----------



## Mike Greene (Jun 19, 2006)

Yeah, my mailman tends to be particularly careless that way.  But they are getting less leniant in L.A. about it.

Jury duty's not as bad as it was. The new policy (a few years old) is you only need to show up one day if you don't actually get put on a jury that first day. If not, you're done. At least that way you don't totally waste two weeks.


----------

