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I had a tramatic experience when last called for jury duty. Both the defendant and his attorney were my former students. It was a sexual abuse case and I had to write about my own child's sexual abuse and disclose it to people I know personally. I was horrified that I told the court I knew them and was not excused immediately. I am deeply distressed about having to return to serve. It is an intrusive, cruel process. What can I do?
Optional Information: Country relating to Question: United States Already Tried: I don't know what to do.
Hello,
Thanks for your question. I am a former prosecutor and have participated in numerous jury trials. I will be glad to assist you.
If you were emotionally traumatized by the experience of serving on a jury and are fearful about serving on a jury in the future, I would suggest that you obtain a letter from your physician or from a mental health professional advising that due to medical/psychological reasons, it would not be advisable for you to serve on a jury at any point in the future. Give your letter to the appropriate authority at your local court(s), and this should be sufficient to have you excused from jury duty.
Or, another approach would be for you to appear when called for jury duty in the future, and advise the court that you simply cannot be fair and impartial due to your negative experience with serving on a jury in the past.
Hope this helps.
Juliana
Experience: 23 years of experience; former prosecutor, magistrate, child support attorney