Husband has mild dementia and has been called to jury duty. Is this OK?

I am not trying to be rude but, REALLY?

Cognitive dissonance and you are willing to help him serve on a jury?

I find this criminal, you know that his thought processing is broken and you want to support him in serving on a jury. If you really care about supporting him, please support him by getting his name permanently removed from jury duty. This is NOT all about him, this could be someone's life or a serious matter that impacts lots of people.

The right thing for you to do, don't tell him, call the number on the summons and tell them the truth and ask for help stopping him without crushing him. You can not let him serve on a jury.

Your husband is not competent to serve on a jury.

This isn't like a game of golf or a vacation. A person's fate rests in his hands and the other jury members.

He needs to ask to be excused for medical reasons if ckear dementia documentation is available from doctor or age. I think they have an age cut off where you are automatically be excused.

It is not about getting him there, it is about allowing a mentally incompetent person making a legal decision.

His civil duty will be served by opting out.

He 71, over 70 do not need to serve, there is no reason to bring up medical reasons.

There is no way that I would recommend him doing this.

NO. I can’t believe that anyone would think that someone with dementia should serve on a jury. You need to inform the court immediately about your husband’s illness. His age alone would be enough to excuse him in my state.

This is truly shocking.

In complete agreement with Margaret. OP, this is serious business! He'll decide someone's fate! And possibly make the wrong decision because he incorrectly remembered a small detail! It's possible. And then what? "Oops"?

ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT POINT:
In our country (I'm from Ohio), our legal system is based on case law! It's also based on the constitution and laws, but it's also based on case law.

Your husband's contribution to the verdict, can shape our country's future case law, meaning he's not just deciding the fate of the person on trial. But he potentially decides the fate of other people on trial in the future.

THIS IS NOT CAMP.
It's not something to play around with and hope for the best that he performs his abilities as a juror.

STOP HIM.

Your "pride about fulfilling his civic duty" should be in having stopped him. And his "pride about fulfilling his civic duty" should be in stopping himself. THAT is fulfilling civic duty.

Would you want 12 jurors with "some memory issues and some cognitive dissonance"? No. So why would you even want 1 juror with that.

I find it very upsetting that your husband might go ahead. Please don't. It's your civic duty to stop him.

"and we will practice going there and back a few times before the actual date he needs to report"

I don't know if you're practicing because he needs practice walking, or because his memory is so bad he can't remember how to get there. If it's because of his memory....

Whatever the case, really, I find the whole thing very upsetting that you're/he's considering to be a juror. What is this world coming to.

No .. absolutely not. I would not want a juror on my case with cognitive issues…

For some reason I was very popular with the jury duty folks for a period of time. I've been called six or seven times and served on three juries, and two of the three lasted over a month each.

Trust me, there are enough people who aren't cognitively impaired who aren't competent to serve on juries. My first criminal case was populated by people who stated loudly in the jury room that "All cops lie," so there was no way they'd convict anyone. Fortunately, the case ended up being pretty weak and the jury was unanimous in acquitting the defendant, but still, these people made it clear wouldn't even consider the evidence against him.

Your husband is not competent to serve on a jury, and that's the end of the story. Jury duty is also tedious, tiring, and depending on the case he might get on, it can be really upsetting. I served on a jury for a capital murder case, and I've vowed that if I ever get called to the jury box for such a case again, I'll tell the attorneys that I've paid my dues on violent cases.

There is no question that your husband cannot serve. You can sit in your living room for eight hours trying to read a book with The Price is Right running and a talk radio station playing in the background to replicate the experience of sitting in a jury room all day. It isn't fun.

Being on a jury--well the 'call' is the first thing. Just b/c you get called, there still is the jury selection process and likely your DH wouldn't do well with that.

If he serves, and finds someone guilty--IF the news came out that your DH is not mentally all there--there could be some real anger on the part of both sides.

Jury duty is NOT a day at the zoo. It's grueling and you really should be at the top of your game, mentally.

Also--wasting time and money (your money, too, since taxpayers pay for much of the judicial system) to assuage your husband's desire to serve is not OK.

I got out of jury duty after about 9 months post chemo. All I said was I did not feel that I had the stamina or mental acuity needed at that time to serve without prejudice. I was excused.

I don't think it is OK for him to serve on a jury as he has mild dementia. I understand that he wants to do this and you want to support him. But the bigger picture is not about him. It's about whatever the case is and having competent jurors to make sound decisions. Others have suggested ways to let him down gently. Please follow that route.

If you were involved in a court case or if your dh was, would you want someone with cognitive/memory issues to serve on the jury?