Can I take the Fifth on a jury-duty questionaire?

[shuvom]

Hello webernet folks, got a question for ya,

I got a jury-duty questionaire in November, and like any good Fifth Amendment following folk, I ignored it. 

Not that I don't want to be on a jury and nullify some laws if that's appropriate, but I can't miss that much work without a paycheck. 

So now I get a letter that says I have to appear next Monday at District Court to answer the questions in front of someone or it's a misdemeanor.   

Never mind that the second letter was sent to the wrong address, and I never would have known I had to appear if I didn't have nice neighbors who knew me. 

But isn't it a principle that the State can't just assign me homework that I have to do (ie this questionaire)
without me breaking some law first? 

Has anyone else refused to answer a what-would-you-be-like-on-a-jury questionaire in NH?  What happened to you?

No legal disclaimer needed- I'm calling the friendly neighborhood lawyer anyway, no matter what the responses are.  I just wanted to know. 

Thanks,
Shuvom

[kola]

as Elvis once sang:

Return to sender/address unknown....

Kola.

[Dave Ridley]

do you want someone to go with you?

[shuvom]

Dada,

Thanks, but it's just a misdemeanor.  I just wanted to see what arguments have/haven't worked/been most fun in the past. 

Shuvom

[porcupine kate]

Get a Fully Informed Jury Association button or shirt and show up with fliers.  One you will be better prepared and They won't want you on a jury.
www.fija.org

I don't know how it is here in NH but I've never served on a trial even though I've been called up 6 times in 2 different states.  I'm talking about showing up not just getting the card in the mail.  This was before I knew about FIJA.
Kate

[Little Owl]

Loading the www.fija.org website caused a virus warning to pop up on this toy (ie windows) computer.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

I'll be out of work after the 21st of this month for a month.  I wish I could fill in for someone else on jury duty during my time off work.  I've never done jury duty.

[grasshopper]

   I'd ask after hearing a few questions if they were trying to stack the jury and if this practice could be considdered as jury tampering.

[Lloyd Danforth]

The questions are supposed to determine if you can be objective about whatever the trial is about.  At least the questions they ask when picking a jury for a trial.

[penguins4me]

What about the objectivity of the person(s) supposed to determine your objectivity?

[Lloyd Danforth]

Subjective. But, they, the prosecutor and the defending attorney are looking for answers that won't hurt their case.

[sandm000]

I'm remind of the line from Alice's Restaurant when he tries to talk his way out of the draft:

And I went up there, I said, "Shrink, I want to kill.  I mean, I wanna, I
wanna kill.  Kill.  I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and
guts and veins in my teeth.  Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill,
KILL, KILL."  And I started jumpin up and down yelling, "KILL, KILL," and
he started jumpin up and down with me and we was both jumping up and down
yelling, "KILL, KILL."  And the sargent came over, pinned a medal on me,
sent me down the hall, said, "You're our boy."

You could try something like that.