Bill could block jury duty for students, Legislation not expected to see much resistance in state

• Tweet
• 

New legislation could help keep jury duty out of the worries of Michigan college students.

The bill, which would allow full-time college students to postpone jury duty for the duration of their classes, was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives last week.

Lapeer senior Melissa Burke said she understands the bill’s relevance.

Burke had jury duty scheduled to begin Feb. 2. The two-hour drive would have been bad enough, but she also had an exam on the first day she had to appear.

“I can’t skip an exam and do something that’s going to take (more than a few days),” she said.

Burke said she had her obligation pardoned temporarily when she wrote a note to the judge, explaining her situation. But some professors are not as likely to accommodate such things, she said, and the time required for duty could put a damper on a student’s classes.

“There are some professors, their class takes priority over everything,” Burke said.

The bill was inspired by Phillip L. Ellison, a Michigan State University law student who would have been unable to take the bar exam if he had to respond for duty.

Ellison had his time deferred until summer by writing the court, but it struck him as odd that college students do not have any provisions for this under the law when high school students do.

State Rep. Bill Caul, R-Mount Pleasant, gives full support to the bill in its current form.

He said he sympathizes with college students.

“You can’t go back and have the professor do a lecture again,” Caul said, explaining how he cannot imagine the bill will find significant resistance.

CMU has no overall policy for missing classes due to jury duty that Registrar Karen Hutslar is aware of.

Nancy White, associate professor of Finance and Law, said the bill is beneficial, though the problem it solves is not very pressing.

“In most cases, it wouldn’t be a problem,” she said. “In some ways it’s kind of a case of, ‘If it ain’t broke, why fix it?’”

White said exemptions for jury duty occur all the time and this will simply be another one. She expects it to pass as she said there is very little down side to backing the legislation.