Some local cities give the gift of no jury duty

CHESAPEAKE

Go to Chesapeake's courthouse in late December and you'll find lawyers and defendants, briefcases and gavels, even Christmas trees and baked goodies. What you won't find are juries.

The court doesn't schedule anything that requires a jury the last two weeks of the month, and hasn't for years. It was too hard getting enough people to show up during the holidays, when thoughts turn to tinsel instead of testimony.

"What we found over the years was there were numerous requests for excusals from jurors with pre-planned vacations," said Tammie White, court administrator in the Circuit Court judges' chambers.

Truth is, many lawyers already shy away from scheduling work-intensive jury trials near the holidays because of their own plans, or those of victims, witnesses, police officers and others involved. And often it's not known far in advance which days the state may give its employees off, White said - this year, for example, they were given Dec. 23 along with Christmas Eve.

Norfolk's Circuit Court follows a similar practice. The chief judge picks a mid-month cut-off date - Dec. 16 this year, court officials said.

Light schedules don't mean no juries in some other cities. "We don't block out December - we keep going," said Cindy Robertson, chief deputy clerk for Suffolk Circuit Court, where she said one trial was scheduled as late as Dec. 16.

Virginia Beach doesn't schedule trials for the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, and tries not to go too late the week before, especially with criminal trials.

"We don't set any cases the day before Christmas Eve, because we don't want a case to carry over," said Michael Davy, court administrator. "But if you have a one-day civil case, it could happen. But it's remote."

Actually, a civil trial that began the third week of the month and was scheduled to last two to three weeks was interrupted for two weeks for the holidays, and will resume in the new year, Davy said.

That decision, like the policies of Chesapeake and Norfolk, likely brings holiday cheer to residents who might not make joyful noises over fulfilling this civic duty while still scrambling to find gifts and bake cookies.

"It's fortunate for jurors summoned for the month of December," Chesapeake's White said, "because they have a light month."

Portsmouth court officials didn't respond to phone messages.

Matthew Bowers, (757) 222-5221, matthew.bowers@pilotonline.com