The dreaded jury duty is a little less dreadful — thanks to the recession.
A flagging job market is good for courts desperate to fill juries, officials said, adding that, for the first time in years, people are actually volunteering to play their required role in the American legal system.
“People are calling up, saying, ‘Look, I lost my job; now would be a good time for me to serve,’ ” said Vincent Homenick, chief clerk of the jury division for Manhattan. “Not that $40 will pay the bills, but it’s something.”
Homenick said he has gotten about 20 calls since May from folks asking if they could become jurors — far more than normal.
“The jury pool is also more diverse than normal right now,” he said. “We’re getting a lot of Wall Streeters and other professionals. It’s not your typical jury of civil servants.”
The phones have been ringing even in federal court, which doesn’t take volunteers.
“Just this week, a woman wanted to serve on a jury, but there was nothing we could do,” said one clerk in Brooklyn federal court. “That’s probably the first time I’ve ever heard someone offer to serve.”