Legal Question in Disability Law in Massachusetts
jury duty
TODAY IS MARCH 5 2009
We are all aware of the fact that the Mass Jury Commission routinely assigns jury duty to:
1. dead people
2. disabled people
3. dogs
4. cats
5. children
Failure of these identies to report without proof of inelegibility will be met with a possible financial penalty or incarceration or both.
Now let's face it.
dead people, dogs , cats and children could care less about this proclomation.
However , disabled people must waive their constitutional rights , to provide information
( medical records ) which could not otherwise be obtained without court order.
failure to do so a fine or incarceration or both would be imposed.
Being a disabled person since December 15 1987 ,
I resent this blatent attempt to circumvent my constitutional rights.
In 2006 I received a letter from the Jury commission demanding my presence at the Newburyport courthouse for jury duty.
I called the number provided , and explained that i was disabled.
That I do not Drive .
That there is no public transportation from Lynn to Newburyport ( 29 miles ).
I was told that I must provide medical records prooving my disability.
Since that time I have contacted the following:
The Massachusetts Governors Office.
The Lyn
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: jury duty
Okay... I'll assume you have a question in there rather than a 'Rant and Rave' that belongs on Craigslist. The commonwealth is within its legal authority to require proof of a disability 9ie medical records) from ANYONE who claims a disability benefitwhetehr it be a tax exemption, medical benefits/insurance, or a jury duty exemption. Every state in these united States has a similar jury duty requirement, so in order to avoid this Constitutionally mandated duty (all plaintiffs and defendants in civil matters, and defendants in criminal matters have a Constitutional right to a trial by a jury selected at random from their community), you would need to move to a foreign country and renounce your citizenship (an option available at any US Embassy)... or simply comply with the requirement of proving eligibility for an exemption you wish to claim. Many people have disabilities, but not all disabilities exempt a person from jury duty.
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