Courtney Balcombe

News Editor

clb6264@psu.edu

Throughout my four years of college, I have been summoned for jury duty twice… in the same year. The first time in the spring of my junior year and now the fall of my senior year. Now even though they say I’ll be paid $50 a day and compensation for gas, is the risk of failing my classes worth it? No, of course not.

As we turn 18 years old, we automatically get signed up for jury duty. There is no question asking if we plan on going to college or not. Sure I live in Erie, PA and I attend Behrend, but I cannot do it because I am a full-time college student while also working on campus as a mentor and a tour guide.

While the packet they sent me says, “You have been summoned to be a POTENTIAL petit juror for a 30-day term… Please note that while your term of service is 30 days, you will NOT be needed every day of that term.”

This adds the stress that if I have to miss one day just to find out if they do need me still means I had to miss a day’s worth of classes. Along with that, if I am chosen there are random days that they will summon me to be there throughout that 30 day period. Not only would I miss classes, but missing classes can lead to failing a class and adding more stress to what I already have with graduation so close.

Receiving my summons at the beginning of the month for something that is for September 27th, I won’t be able to know if they need me until September 24th when I call the number they provided.

“When you call, you will hear a recorded message that will let you know if you need to report or it will give you a date and time for you to call back.”

While it also states that previously scheduled conflicts, such as “vacation, appointments, etc. during the time of service must be reported to the Jury Office in advance and you will be excused for those days.” It does not give full instructions that as a college student I can tell them I cannot do any of those 30 days.

Since the courthouse doesn’t have an option to opt-out of jury duty for being a full-time student, and there is no question that allows me to say right away that I am in college and cannot attend at all for that fact. They should at least have a form for students to give to a professor or their academic advisor that can be the same as a doctor’s note to be excused, rather than making the student stress and have to call almost everyday.