New Rules for Jurors

* Re “Tough Rules for Jury Duty Try Patience of Residents,” May 28.

In this article, Superior Court Judge Glen Reiser says, “Because of the pace of today’s society, people have really forgotten that we are blessed with a lot of things.”

Well, I for one have not forgotten that I am blessed with two small children, ages 4 years and 9 months. I chose to have my children and to take the responsibility of raising them. That means I am with them every day, all day. It is my foremost duty to be with them and not in a courtroom for a month, two weeks or even a day. Who is going to nurse my baby when I am waiting to see if I am picked for a jury or when I’m in jail for contempt of court?

By all means, serving on a jury is an important duty, but it should not take precedence over caring for our children. When will our society place the importance on children that they so rightly deserve? If we did, then maybe children would grow up to be law-abiding, responsible adults, therefore eliminating the need to ask for so many jurors so often.

DANI RANDAZZO

Ventura

* Isn’t it amazing how easy it is for those judges to ignore financial hardship? They get a guaranteed paycheck every week, paid sick leave, paid vacations, paid pensions and--surprise!--paid jury duty.

It’s time to remove these benefits so that our esteemed justices can relate a little better to the rest of us, who only get paid to work.

The Ventura County judicial system cares nothing for people who aren’t criminal defendants or litigants.

STEVE BRODIE

Thousand Oaks

* I have lived in Ventura County for almost 35 years, been called for jury duty at least 30 times and served as a juror on approximately 15 trials.

I’ve served on every possible type of case from theft to child molestation to wrongful death. Some of these cases lasted several days, some as long as two months.

What happened during the rest of the times I was called? Thanks to Ventura’s excellent jury system, I went home after one day in the jury room if I wasn’t seated on a panel. This is a much more “juror friendly” system than Los Angeles County’s, which until recently could keep you sitting in a jury room for two weeks regardless of how many (if any) cases you were serving as a juror.

During this time, I was a wife, a mother, then a single parent, a caregiver to an elderly parent and always working full-time. And I live in the easternmost part of the county--an hour’s drive from the courtroom.

I cannot tell you that every time I opened that envelope from the jury commissioner it was with delight at the prospect of the disruption in my life, but it is my duty as a citizen of this country and a resident of this county.

One of the basic freedoms we enjoy is a trial by our peers. If that doesn’t mean much to you now, you never know when it might!

The judges and the jury commissioner’s office staff do their best to run their courtrooms in accordance with the laws of this country and the county. Be grateful that you have the right to a trial by your peers and try to think about what it would be like if this freedom were taken away from you. When called, be the best juror you can be. It’s a very important job.

At least I now understand why half the year is gone and I haven’t received my usual summons for jury duty. Fewer excuses and more citizens expected to do their civic duty.

Thank you, judges of Ventura County.

JUDY McLAUGHLIN

Simi Valley