Anybody use E to get out of Jury duty?

[Dignan]

Maybe a dumb question, but I wondered if going thru med changes, or feeling zoned out from the drugs, or just E itself was a reason to be excused for jury duty..

 

[Janus]

What a great idea! Thank you.

 

[Bernard]

I believe that each court has it's own discretion as to what medical conditions might be valid excuses to exempt someone from service.

 

[BIGMAN131307]

Several years back I was asked to serve. But because of Epilepsy, I was able to be accused
from it. Stress and heat are two big triggers for my CPS. My neurologist signed a medical waiver for me. I haven't been asked again.

 

[Cint]

I have been asked to serve jury duty, but because of my E, my neurologist signed a waiver for me, also, saying that I could have a seizure during the trial due to the type of seizures I have.

 

[cadsgj]

I remember both Southern California and North Dakota, with me not having seizures under control they did not let me in to jury duty.

 

[Fedup]

Yes epilepsy has had me excused from jury duty.

 

[Dignan]

I don't like using E to make excuses for things in general. But, I received a summons, and I planning on possibly tapering off a drug soon and starting another, so I'm sure you know how tricky that can be.

I can wait till after Jury duty to this, or I could try and get my doc to give me a note, but I don't want to get labeled as having a disability or anything.

I also didn't know if you get a note from a doc and use it for jury excuse, if that will now be on file with the county or state, and could come back to you as being "disabled" when you do anything that requires county or state licensing or approval? Like looking for government work or getting licensed for driving or anything else??

Anyone have any knowledge on this sort of thing?

 

[notime]

I think you would require a note signed by your neurologist, epileptologist, or even a general practitioner to get out of jury duty. There are legitimate reasons for this, even when you're going through changing medicines, and so forth. You may experience serious side effects that makes you irritable, suicidal, or to simplify it, it basically screws your emotions up. It may also make you have a difficult time to think, and make critical decisions that will mess with your judgments.

Listen, I am not a medical professional nor a lawyer, but let me elaborate my opinion. Why would you want to serve? First, if you have difficult to control seizures such as complex partials or generalized seizures, then you'd be confused and wouldn't hear the case. It would be dangerous, if you have terrible side effects that affects your emotions, critical thinking, or even judgments; because that could be dangerous for the person on trial, assuming it's something like this. Would you want somebody on a jury, judging you, if they had some form of medical problem like this? It's nothing personal, but if you can qualify to serve and your doctor offers you recommendations, and says it's okay, then it would be a good thing.

I understand that you do not like labels and same applies to me, I do not like labels. But, as I just stated, that can be extremely dangerous, and perhaps even illegal, if you do not disclose this information to the court. So, just to be safe you should at least call your doctor and ask for advice. Perhaps he will say it's okay to serve, or give you a note to get you off of the jury. You know, I doubt that would do anything to your career, if you were to work for government, just dangerous jobs that you shouldn't work for anyway. These jobs people shouldn't join, if they have epilepsy at least in my opinion: firefighter, police, pilots, military, and perhaps a couple of others. If you were to get an education, and become a judge, lawyer, or even do simple office jobs that doesn't threaten anybody life then it should be safe. Usually you would be protected under the ADA (Americans with disabilities act), unless the career was dangerous and people depended on you, like the military.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm

You should ask your doctor, a lawyer, or even research your state and federal laws just to be on the safe side. But, as I said if you don't tell them then it could perhaps be illegal, you don't want to do that! For driving, usually medicine side effects doesn't stop you unless it's something where you may fall asleep at the wheel. I doubt they would label you as disabled, unless you just had a seizure. State laws varies, and if you're seizure free for X months or year then you should be able to drive. I doubt they would stop that.

They may just say you're unfit at the moment, instead of saying you're disabled for life. So, perhaps in the future they would call you back to jury duty. I don't know. Others may have better advice! Good luck though.

P.S. if you see any grammar errors, please let me know. I've been trying to improve my grammar. <3

 

[CathyAnn31]

I always get excused by saying I'm a caretaker of my young children. My kids are now school-aged but I still use it.

 

[valeriedl]

My husband and I had a talk about this a few years ago.

He had colon cancer and was wearing a portable chemo pump at the time. He got a note from the dr saying that if he had to go to the bathroom he had to go right then and couldn't wait for a recess. It was unhealthy and dangerous for him if he didn't. Sounds stupid but it's true.

I know that I wouldn't be able to serve. I could have a seizure at any time, so if I were to have one during a trial then they probably have to start it all over again. My memory is also horrible so if the trial went on for a good while I wouldn't remember what people had said about it. I have a hard time remembering what things go on in tv shows one week to the next. So if that trial went on for a few weeks I'd probably forget who's the plaintiff and who's the defendant.

If I don't get enough sleep I'll tend to have a seizure. I take a nap every afternoon and if I go too many days in a row without it I have a seizure. So I know if that trial went on over 3 day's I'd have a seizure.

I'm sure my neuro would write waiver for me. It would actually be safer in general for the trial itself.

 

[Pinkattitude]

I just wrote about my humiliating day in court last Thursday where I ended up having a seizure while in the process of the judge giving all the potential jurors instructions. He then decided that since I can't predict when I will have a seizure, and since I am unaware of the court proceedings while I'm having one, that I should be excused. He also said he "might" write and have me permanently excused. The lady at the desk where we initially check in said that the judge cannot do that, but a doctor can. In this state, the doctor writes a note to the court and says that it's a permanent condition. This excuses you forever.

 

[Janus]

That is good to know. I must find out what they say in Washington State. How much else can you get out of?

 

[Janus]

I just found out that with a doctors letter describing that the animal helps me stay calm and/or helps me in a seizure somehow; I can take my dog on the plane with me for free.
I want to do this and never have her go into the luggage area.