Re: Excuse from Jury duty denied - now what??

[Guest guest]

If I were in your situation, I would be writing a letter to whoever is in charge of this whole process. If you can't find the name, then I'd just write several letters to all the judges in that courthouse - whatever it takes. You need to detail what your issues are in this letter and make it known that there is no possiblity that you can serve. In addition, you should also have your sons' doctor write a letter verifying their diagnoses and what is required for their care and how you are the sole provider for this care. I'm sorry, but I think that a single parent with two typical children should be excused from jury duty let alone a parent of special needs children. I would be fighting this jury duty in that instance as well. Luckily, you have time to do all this. Also, if worse comes to worse, you could show up on the first day and appeal to the judge in person during jury selection. But I truly believe that if you write your letter and it is specific and has the backing from a doctor about the diagnoses that you will be excused. I never take the first answer on these types of things if it isn't what I want - especially since the person you talked to and the person who made the first level decision was probably a low-tier employee without much authority to overrule special circumstances.

Anne Marie

-------------- Original message --------------

Weeks ago I got the notice for jury duty. You had to fill out the red form, call a number for your excuse and then send the form back.

The phone process took awhile, the lady said my excuse as the single parent to two kids with autism was valid and that was it.

Well I got in the mail another red form and thought it was the same thing, so did not read it until today and it says the following:

This is to advise you that your request for an excuse from jury duty has been reviewed. Unfortunately, we are unable to grant your request. Therefore, you are now required to prepare for service during the week at the location listed in the upper right hand corner of this notice.

I am in Los Angeles and the date is for March 28th - week after spring break for my HFA kid. The court house I am assigned to is downtown LA, not far from where I live.

What method do I take to get out of this now? I am the single parent to two kids with autism. gets picked up at school at 2:15 and is in an autism special ed class with an aide, drinks a bottle, not toilet trained and is on Geodon.

is HFA and in third grade and gets picked up at his school after . It is just me, my family is in NJ and we are not on speaking terms for several years.

The father is paranoid schizophrenic and has supervised visits with conditions, that has not happened in over a year since he is nowhere to be found and has not complied with the order.

I get respite for 32 hours per month, just got approved again but no person yet and they said I should try to find someone since they have no one experienced who speaks English, only spanish speaking people.

I am freaking out, because what am I suppossed to do with my children while sitting at the court house!

The paper states lunch is 12-1:30 so if I am sitting down there what I will do if all else fails is go pick up my kids and then the court can figure it all out. The babysitting service at court does not take kids who are not toilet trained.

ANY ADVICE???????

HELP!!!!!

Bonnie

[Guest guest]

Bonnie, I would call them back and talk to them again or perhaps you can get their doctor to say that they need you to take care of them and cannot be available for jury duty. Perhaps they just do not understand that you have kids that are disabled?

Betty

[Guest guest]

And probably does not have a clue as to what autistic is all about. Probably thought you said artistic.)-:

Betty

----- Original Message -----

From: ambramlage@...

and the person who made the first level decision was probably a low-tier employee without much authority to overrule special circumstances.

Anne Marie

[Guest guest]

This is a letter I sent last summer when I was called to Jury duty. I wrote it, but Greg's behavior analyst signed it. Its written from her perspective. Feel free to use whatever you can.

Marge

"Jury Manager

Monroe County Courthouse

Stroudsburg PA 18360

Dear Ms.

I am writing in regard to Margaret Foti’s request to be excused from jury duty on Tuesday September 1, 2004.

Mrs. Foti is requesting to be excused from jury duty due to her son’s disability and special needs. Foti has been diagnosed with Autism, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. ’s diagnoses of Autism and OCD require that his environment be as consistent as possible. It is extremely important that Mrs. Foti be home to put her son on the bus in the morning and to get him off of the bus when he returns after school. Sudden or prolonged changes in Greg’s routine have in the past adversely affected his behavior at school and home.

In addition to being Greg’s parent, Mrs. Foti is also her son’s sole therapist. Therapy sessions are every day after school. Mrs. Foti works with Greg on his functional communication skills utilizing Applied Behavioral Analysis. Mrs. Foti also helps Greg to generalize his new skills in the natural environment.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me at xxx-xxxx

Sincerely,"

[Guest guest]

Just remember Greg's teacher wrote a letter as well.

August 11, 2004

To Whom it May Concern:

Mrs. Foti told me she might have to do jury duty this fall. Mrs. Foti’s autistic son, Greg, is in my class and the beginning of the school year is most difficult for Greg. Greg is autistic and suffers from obsessive-compulsive behavior; breaks in his routine will bring about aggressive behavior due to the anxiety of a new schedule. Mrs. Foti is Greg’s primary caretaker and the only person in his life who can keep him stable when new routines are introduced. It is difficult to make Greg understand the absence of his mother for any length of time and he inevitably will display behaviors such as increased obsession, anxiety and aggression towards himself and classroom staff.

Please consider the consequences of having Mrs. Foti away from her son for any period of time. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Respectfully,

Kim VanWhy

Autistic Support Teacher

CIU #20

[Guest guest]

Call the court again ! I had mine excused, must have been a misunderstanding.

CB's Granny

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this. Good ideas to start my letter. My basic issue is that once both my kids get out of school where are they going? I pick them both up at different schools and there is no other option and I bet if I just left them there the Principals would call police and my kids could go to foster care if no one showed up for hours, who would watch them?

The only option is to pick them up at lunch hour and bring back with me so they can see it first hand.

At bankruptcy court we were first because my son walked and ran around the court room, when I was at a order for cause he walked up the steps to the judge and stomped his feet.

When we were in court for supervised visits for their father they cleared out the court room so we all could go in. The child care on the site for LA does not accept kids who are not toilet trained.

Bonnie

=============Marge Foti <mafoti@...> wrote:

Just remember Greg's teacher wrote a letter as well.

[Guest guest]

Did you go through all the same steps? Did you fill out the form, call in the excuse and mail back the form?

Then did you get confirmation weeks later that your excuse was valid?

I thought I was done with the phone call and since this form was red and looked the same thought it was another one, but turned out to be the last phase.

Bonnie

===================LornaBerry@... wrote:

Call the court again ! I had mine excused, must have been a misunderstanding.

[Guest guest]

Knowing the system here in the LA area Bonnie, they prob aren't going

to let you off--but I'd write the letter anyway and copy it to someone

so there's at least 2 copies out there, then what are they gonna do? 9

of 10 times, though, you just call in to the automated system every day

during your duty week and you won't be actually called into the

courthouse at all.

On Dec 14, 2004, at 2:42 PM, ambramlage@... wrote:

> If I were in your situation, I would be writing a letter to whoever is

> in charge of this whole process.  If you can't find the name, then I'd

> just write several letters to all the judges in that courthouse -

> whatever it takes.  You need to detail what your issues are in this

> letter and make it known that there is no possiblity that you can

> serve.  In addition, you should also have your sons' doctor write a

> letter verifying their diagnoses and what is required for their care

> and how you are the sole provider for this care.  I'm sorry, but I

> think that a single parent with two typical children should be excused

> from jury duty let alone a parent of special needs children.  I would

> be fighting this jury duty in that instance as well.  Luckily, you

> have time to do all this.  Also, if worse comes to worse, you could

> show up on the first day and appeal to the judge in person during jury

> selection.  But I truly believe! that if you write your letter and it

> is specific and has the backing from a doctor about the diagnoses that

> you will be excused.  I never take the first answer on these types of

> things if it isn't what I want - especially since the person you

> talked to and the person who made the first level decision was

> probably a low-tier employee without much authority to overrule

> special circumstances.

>  

> Anne Marie

>  

> -------------- Original message --------------

>

> Weeks ago I got the notice for jury duty.  You had to fill out the red

> form, call a number for your excuse and then send the form back.

>  

> The phone process took awhile, the lady said my excuse as the single

> parent to two kids with autism was valid and that was it.

>  

> Well I got in the mail another red form and thought it was the same

> thing, so did not read it until today and it says the following:

>  

> This is to advise you that your request for an excuse from jury duty

> has been reviewed.  Unfortunately, we are unable to grant your

> request.  Therefore, you are now required to prepare for service

> during the week at the location listed in the upper right hand corner

> of this notice.

>  

> I am in Los Angeles and the date is for March 28th - week after spring

> break for my HFA kid.  The court house I am assigned to is downtown

> LA, not far from where I live.

>  

> What method do I take to get out of this now?  I am the single parent

> to two kids with autism.  gets picked up at school at 2:15 and

> is in an autism special ed class with an aide, drinks a bottle, not

> toilet trained and is on Geodon.

>  

> is HFA and in third grade and gets picked up at his school

> after .  It is just me, my family is in NJ and we are not on

> speaking terms for several years.

>  

> The father is paranoid schizophrenic and has supervised visits with

> conditions, that has not happened in over a year since he is nowhere

> to be found and has not complied with the order.

>  

> I get respite for 32 hours per month, just got approved again but no

> person yet and they said I should try to find someone since they have

> no one experienced who speaks English, only spanish speaking people.

>  

> I am freaking out, because what am I suppossed to do with my children

> while sitting at the court house!

>  

> The paper states lunch is 12-1:30 so if I am sitting down there what I

> will do if all else fails is go pick up my kids and then the court can

> figure it all out.  The babysitting service at court does not take

> kids who are not toilet trained.

>  

> ANY ADVICE???????

>  

> HELP!!!!!

>  

> Bonnie

>  

>

>

>

>

>