Hi,
My therapist's office is a few blocks from the federal courthouse. I mentioned to her that I was called for federal jury duty twice and hated it because I have issues with authority figures.

I got out of the last jury because I told the lawyers that I tend not to believe cops. In my experience they are likely to be liars. I was freaked out by the whole thing but I answered questions honestly for that case.

The therapist told me that I could get a letter from my pdoc to get out of jury duty. I don't know why but I had never thought of that.

What happens? The letter saying that I am too bipolar/anxious to participate in the process goes into a federal file somewhere?

mari

I don't know where the letter goes but I got a letter from mine. I did go once and it was very embarrassing. I wasn't asked to serve but mine was the only name to be called to wait in front of everybody and then I was told I didn't have to serve. That was before I knew I was bipolar. My answers must have really been weird.
Bobby

I was called up to go once and I got my pdoc to tell them I was able to be a juror...I don't know the exact reason she gave them...I just know that I really really did not want to miss work and sit in a court room.
that would have been awful....I too have a problem with authority figures.
I do wonder now if that will "stay on my record" forever?
hummmmm
bizi

Hi,
I don't want to sound like a slacker. I think that serving as a juror is important.

But I freak out in the courtrooms. One of my friend who has an anxiety disorder things that the rooms in court houses are designed to cause anxiety -- to make one feel the power of the gov.



--The second time I was in the fed court house was right after 9/11. A guy was found on the wrong side of the airport without proper papers. (an illegal maybe)
And it was mostly going to be a he said/he said kind of case. They asked us if we would generally believe a cop. I said no. I was surprised that most people said yes.

I really really didn't think I could stand sitting there another minute. And I was scared that I would do something obnoxious and get hauled away to jail or a hospital.

Just happened-they look at the letter and go thanks for coming down, see you later, and you take the letter and stuff with you, and every time you are called you have to do the same thing, keep taking letter with you. Been called twice and both times it was dealt with that way. Side bar with the judge after I explained to the baliff.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that's all I need.

I hate hate hate court. ANXIETY CITY for me. Yet I have no choice with my situation.

I would also get a letter from my p-doc to not have to serve. Imagine if it was a DV case, I would not be a good juror in that case.

Nikko

When I got called for jury duty (state not federal) there was a part of the notice that said "if you can not serve for medical reasons have your doctor fill out this portion of the forum and mail it back to us".

So, I just had to have my doctor check the box, write in the ICD-9 numerical code for my diagnosis, and sign the form. My primary care doctor did it for me because my psychaitrist was on vacation. My primary care doctor used the diagnosis code for anxiety since that is my 'disabling medical condition'.

After I mailed the form back to the court, I got a letter 3 weeks later saying that I was excused from state and federal jury duty for the next 10 years.