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Some answers via Twitter
Agreed
Have always taken a laptop to jury duty there without any trouble. However, get there early if you want to get a seat near an outlet. Those are rare.
No WiFi
It's fine to bring a laptop, but there is no WiFi available.
Can confirm
...however, if you are a witness, defendant, whatnot, you are not allowed to bring so much as a cell phone...at least according to the rules:
http://www.mass.gov/courts/court-info/trial-court/exec-office/ocm/banned...
I actually appeared for a summons (witness) this morning, and while I didn't try, this rule seemed to be poorly enforced.
No problem having one with
No problem having one with you, so far as I've seen the couple of times I've had duty there.
Just remember - volume off, and make sure you're giving the court officer, any group/pool number announcements, the orientation video, and the judge who comes in to give the welcome talk your FULL attention - look up, headphones off, put the device down or close its lid, etc... If you appear to be giving less than your full attention when they want it, you will have a problem.
You can bring a laptop but
You can bring a laptop but between limited outlet space and the configuration of the room good luck getting much done.I realize we are all super busy these days but I have tried working in that room before and it is just a big hassle. I've since decided to just bring a tablet with cell service and a book and just "enjoyed" my time and did what I had to do when I got home.
How about this
You're reporting for JURY DUTY - Leave the DAMM laptop at home, it's not going to kill you to disconnect from work for a day.
Why so hostile? As long as a
Why so hostile? As long as a person does what they need to while being instructed, while being screened for a jury, and while serving on a jury, who cares if they work on a laptop during the several hours they may be stuck waiting?
Yeah, but it's mostly just waiting
When you are just sitting there (which is the majority of the time) the time goes faster when you are busy. Once I read the whole paper (~1 hour) it's time to be productive.
Jury Duty
Bring those things called a "book"
eBook?
Why do you care if someone is reading on a screen vs. paper?
Book
Because I care for my fellow man....too much time looking at a screen is bad for your eyes.
Bring several, or a couple of long ones
Last time I had jury duty, I brought books 2 and 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire. I got through all of book 2 and half of book 3 by 2:00, at which point I got empaneled and had to come back the next day (without books).
Jury Duty
I can only assume that you've never served jury duty in Suffolk County. Most of the times I've been called, I've spent at least 4 hours sitting in a large room waiting to see if my group is actually going to be selected.
Obviously once you are selected your full attention should be on the business at hand, but I've done jury duty at least 8 times so far and only been on a jury twice, and only two or three times made it as far as being selected for the jury pool and then eliminated through peremptory challenge. Most of the time it's been a matter of sitting around until 1 or 2 in the afternoon and then being sent home.
I've served jury duty in both Essex and Middlesex
Counties (Salem, Lawrence, Cambridge, and Lowell Courts) eight times in the 35+ years I've been a registered voter. Never once did I wish I had a laptop or other electronic device to get me through the day.
Then again, I grew up before the "entitlement" generation with their "Oh, it's an unacceptable inconvenience if I can't use my toys while fulfilling an important civic requirement such as jury duty" attitude. Sad that this is what society has come to.
Huh
So what DO you do during the hours spent in the waiting room?
I've served jury duty for about that long in Suffolk
And am very grateful I now have an alternative to buying lots of magazines to get me through until I'm dismissed at 1 p.m. (never yet actually served on a jury, closest I ever got was being called into a courtroom a couple times before being dismissed).
But then, I realize there is more you can do with a phone these days than just make calls on it. Sad that's what technology used to be about.
Why do you care what people
Why do you care what people do while waiting for jury duty? Of course, one should be fully involved during the actual jury duty, but why shouldn't we use our time constructively during the 3-8 hours of waiting? Why is that seen as "entitled?" Many of us can't really take time to sit in a room for four or more hours - our employers expect us to work wherever we are. And many who are called are students. I finished my final paper during one jury duty session and worked on a presentation during another. Sometimes, I just read on my tablet. tetelAs long as one observes the usual electronic etiquette, it makes no demands on other people, except perhaps an outlet. These electronic devices are now an important part of our lives, don't blame people for using them appropriately
Well, old-timer...
Apparently you also grew up before the age when these devices that you call "toys" were used by many people to perform work, and you've clearly been unable to adapt to the modern-day reality. Sad that cranky old farts like you can't learn and adapt.
Cool story
Bro.
PS: Don't hurt yourself climbing down off of that high horse.
I put my monocle on but still can't find the entitlement
Please point out where entitlement came into this? A person *asked* if it was OK to bring a laptop so they could do *work* while in a waiting room.
Waiting in the jury pool
"You're reporting for JURY DUTY - Leave the DAMM laptop at home, it's not going to kill you to disconnect from work for a day."
You have clearly never reported for duty yourself. Although I agree with the therapeutic pleasures of disconnecting from work (and all other electronic distractions) for a day, 95% of jury duty consists of sitting around in a drab room doing absolutely nothing for what seems like endless hours. Often about five, but I have been there waiting in the jury pool from 8 AM until 4 PM on occasion and believe me it can be torture.
Torture
My worst jury duty experience was the one time that they tried to provide some "entertainment" during the wait by showing a movie on videotape. We were offered a choice between Beethoven's 2nd and Forrest Gump. I normally go well prepared with reading material, but because they insisted on darkening the room, it was impossible to do anything but watch the movie.
Live Entertainment
During my first jury duty experience in MA in the 1990s at the Suffolk Country courthouse, the relative quiet of the wait was interrupted by a fellow jury pool member* who stood up, announced he thought we might enjoy hearing some jokes to pass the time, and proceeded to rattle off a few gems of the "cops like big busts" variety. Thankfully he quickly got discouraged by the complete lack of appreciative response from the rest of us.
*Male, wearing what I would characterize as typical construction worker fashion, carrying a hard-sided lunchbox.
Wow, that's terrible. Where
Wow, that's terrible. Where was this? And how much did the court pay in copyright licensing fees for the public exhibition of the movie?
Jury Duty
Have you considered talking to fellow jury duty attendees? I did that when i served and it passed time very quickly.
To each his own
That's great, but not everybody is or wants to be chatty.
Wrong
They're actually reporting for the jury selection process, which mostly involves waiting, so there's really no reason not to bring whatever you want, since there's no jury business unless and until they get to the jury selection, assuming that even happens. If you are impaneled, although you can't bring anything into the courtroom, you can bring whatever you want to use in the jury room, and there's absolutely no reason not to until the jury gets the case.
Grumpy old man
Is grumpy. Applies 1950s heirarchy thinking to feel better about himself.
Looks stupid, people say he looks stupid, gets grumpy all over again because nobody cares about his heirarchy thinking and how he's better.
Votes for Trump.
Rolls Eyes
Look, pops: If I have to fricking pay for childcare so that I can sit in a room doing nothing for hours I AM GOING TO GET SOME WORK DONE.
That's REALITY for you, you spoiled little trustifundian.
Rolls Eyes
Look, pops: If I have to fricking pay for childcare so that I can sit in a room doing nothing for hours I AM GOING TO GET SOME WORK DONE.
That's REALITY for you, you spoiled little trustifundian.
So some of us have jobs where
So some of us have jobs where there are projects and things that have to get done no matter what. The law can say whatever it wants about getting excused from work for Jury Duty, but it does not reflect the reality of a lot of businesses, especially a small one. If I show up to Jury Duty, that means I have to do whatever I was going to do at work that day after Jury Duty. You bet I am going to do try to make use of any downtime during Jury Duty to try to get some work done. I am also going to do everything in my power to avoid Jury Duty in the first place.
Laptops
I thin it's productive if I can work remotely while there. How productive is it to sit and sit and sit. I can sit and do nothing or I can catch up on my work emails which will be overflowing and I'll be buried the next day. Really, I see laptop use as a good use of time.
Only allowed if
you're not from a Muslim-Majority country. If you are, you have to stow it under the courthouse for the duration of the duty.
This has an upside
This has an upside, though; if you are spotted doing it, you are immediately promoted from Juror to Defendant, which gets you express service.
Don't Forget
To leave your multi-tool (leatherman, swiss-army) at home. Had one in my bag and had to check it with security.