Autistic adults exempt from jury duty

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TimmyTurnerFan1
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10 Jul 2021, 11:36 pm

I don't think I'd do well in jury duty! Thank goodness I never had to do that! (I'm not registered to vote and don't have a driver's license.)



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11 Jul 2021, 12:47 am

Quote:
skibum wrote:
Quote:
Double Retired wrote:
I think we are getting into "Every Autistic is different" territory.
Whether a specific Autistic was or was not suitable for serving on a jury should--I think--be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some would make excellent jurors.

Some would but since it's hard to concretely measure, the declaration of autism when first reporting for jury duty is probably enough to disqualify you in many jurisdictions irrespective of your individual capacity and circumstance. You could theoretically be jeopardising the outcome of the trial, especially if they are found guilty and his/her lawyer digs into your life for purposes of appeal should the case be significant enough.
How could you being Autistic jeopardize the outcome of the trial?

The mental faculties of anyone who's autistic will be deemed incompatible with what's required to interpret the evidence presented and come to a conclusion that, when adhering to neurotypical standards of thinking, is reasonably formed after giving (sub)conscious consideration to even things that are neurotypically innate like euphemisms, innuendos, facial expressions, etc. All of these little nuances can be make or break a trial. It's important someone doesn't have a 'miswired' brain.

The Achilles' heel for autistic people is that the reality of NTs and those on the spectrum differ entirely beyond nurture and nature, meaning it's probably ideal to have autistic jurors if the defendant is also; but that should be optional for all parties involved.
I disagree. I understand your point and I respect it but I personally don't agree with it.


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11 Jul 2021, 2:39 am

due to my arthritis and difficulty in walking the 3+ blocks [no more jury parking] to the courthouse, i have been given a year's excuse. i would not mind a permanent exemption.



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11 Jul 2021, 2:57 am

auntblabby wrote:
due to my arthritis and difficulty in walking the 3+ blocks [no more jury parking] to the courthouse, i have been given a year's excuse. i would not mind a permanent exemption.

Fnord has outlined an exemption method on page 1 of this thread, though you'd still have to go there once.

I'm stuck in the USA because of Covid, and wouldn't be allowed to "serve" here, which I'm not unhappy about. If I got drafted in for UK jury service, obviously I couldn't do it, so if it came up I'd probably just worry about it and hope that they wouldn't attack me for not complying when I do get back to the UK. Authorities can be awkward things, but I don't suppose they'd bother. They say on the electoral register forms that you can be prosecuted for not filling it in, but I ignored those a couple of times and after a bit of weak coercion they let it go. I guess I was exempt last time because I wasn't there, so I guess the same goes for jury service.



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11 Jul 2021, 3:02 am

^^^i have employed said technique a few times before, it worked.



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11 Jul 2021, 9:52 am

I have better things to be doing than serve on a jury



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11 Jul 2021, 11:04 am

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11 Jul 2021, 11:19 am

Quote:
skibum wrote:
I disagree. I understand your point and I respect it but I personally don't agree with it.

It's the position of many localities and their respective jurisprudence. You can disagree with it but ultimately you're contending that you're able to understand technicalities that may not be easily understood by someone with autism in the first place. The outcome of a trial could literally hinge on a tidbit that you or someone else on the spectrum struggles with comprehending.
I am really glad to know it's not your personal position. It's a shame that localities could be so incredibly ignorant and arrogant especially considering the fact that many judges and lawyers and people who create those technical terms are, in fact, Autistic.


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14 Jan 2023, 10:40 pm

Scientific studies do indicate that autistic college students on average will be more logical than their allistic counterparts, they will not be swayed by different frames. For example, experimenters may ask college educated students whether they would take a bet if they have a 20 percent chance of winning, then change the framing to whether they take the bet if they have an 80% chance of losing. Autistic college students tended not to be swayed by the change in framing, while allistic college students were more inclined to change their bet with the different framing, even though the different frames describe identical probabilities.

Not only are autistic jurors likely to be more rational in their decision making, they will have the ability to stay focused for longer lengths of time. They will more likely pick up the fine details of the case than the average juror. Yet, in all probability, due to negative stereotyping, they will probably be more likely to be dismissed from jury duty.

Another good question would be: Can an autistic person be treated fairly by a jury? Unfortunately, probably not.



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14 Jan 2023, 11:19 pm

i let the judge know i was on the spectrum, and she wanted professional proof that it would interfere with my jury duty.



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15 Jan 2023, 4:14 am

Summer_Twilight wrote:
Hi:
I have been finding that some autistic friends of mine and their parents think that all spectrumites need to be exempt from getting jury duty because they don't think they would be able to understand the technical terms. It makes me mad because many individuals often fight for social justice, acceptance and inclusion. Yet, they don't want to serve on a jury. They get mad at me for having a different opinion.

Why are the reasons autistic are being exempt from Jury Duty? I feel like the system seems to be designed for a one-sized fits all system. I feel we should be included because

1. I believe some of us are able to learn how and when to use technical terms
2. Autistics are able to understand when someone is fair or unfair
That is idiotic. Not only are we able to understand technical terms, and probably better than most people, but we also tend to have an exceptional understanding of what is right and wrong and what is just and unjust. In fact, many lawyers and judges are Autistic. The reason I finally decided to stop doing jury duty is because of the extreme exhaustion that I now deal with every day. But We make superb jurors, In fact, we tend to be better at it than neurotypical people because we tend to be more logical and factual and we don't tend to make social or emotional decisions.


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15 Jan 2023, 4:15 am

zzyzzy wrote:
Scientific studies do indicate that autistic college students on average will be more logical than their allistic counterparts, they will not be swayed by different frames. For example, experimenters may ask college educated students whether they would take a bet if they have a 20 percent chance of winning, then change the framing to whether they take the bet if they have an 80% chance of losing. Autistic college students tended not to be swayed by the change in framing, while allistic college students were more inclined to change their bet with the different framing, even though the different frames describe identical probabilities.

Not only are autistic jurors likely to be more rational in their decision making, they will have the ability to stay focused for longer lengths of time. They will more likely pick up the fine details of the case than the average juror. Yet, in all probability, due to negative stereotyping, they will probably be more likely to be dismissed from jury duty.

Another good question would be: Can an autistic person be treated fairly by a jury? Unfortunately, probably not.
YES!! !! I agree with this 100%


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15 Jan 2023, 5:39 am

Playing devil's advocate a lot of it involves finding intent and that is often done by reading body language. OTOH a lack of body language reading skills would shield us from lawyers' attempts to persuade us.

I have never served on a jury. Either I was dismissed or the case was settled before going to trial. This was way before I knew I was autistic.


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15 Jan 2023, 6:39 am

I think having ADHD will make jury duty hard for me.


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15 Jan 2023, 6:43 am

i tell them the truth, i can't guarantee i will always be impartial.



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15 Jan 2023, 6:48 am

It’s very difficult to be exempt from jury duty in New York State.