Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1997)
Bill would keep college students from missing class far jury duty By Erin Schulte Senior Reporter Matt Dane didn’t want to give up his chair in a classroom for one in a jury box. So when the UNL sophomore was called up for duty in his home county ofYork, more than an hour away, he politely declined, saying he was a full time student. The judge said OK. But over the next two months, Dane was called for jury duty seven times, and the judge demanded more evidence of his dedication to classes every time. At first, he had to provide a copy of his class schedule and regis tration. Then the courts asked him to come for jury selection (requiring him to skip a day of school) to plead his case for exemption. • * Later, the jury draft escalajed to requiring letters from professors say ing Dane couldn’t miss class. His parents became concerned. “Ifhe would get selected, how long would it go (mi?” his mother, Joyce Dane, said. “We even asked if they could take one of our names instead.” Eventually, Matt Dane said, his time in the jury selection pool ran out, and so did his troubles. “Either that, or they ran out of cases,” he said, laughing. But his parents, who live in Henderson, decided to take action any way and went to their state senator, Elaine Stuhr of Bradshaw. The result is LB73, a bill that would exempt full-time college stu dents from jury duty. “It’s a hardship,” Stuhr said. “Stu dents from my district live far from college, and there’s the cost of attend ing college to consider, too.” The bill would simply put off jury duty for students until they finished their classes, Stuhr said. “Fm sure students would be glad to do it when they’re not at the uni versity,” she said. Stuhr said passing the bill might be easier if students would come to committee hearings and testify about their troubles getting out of jury duty. Dane’s father said he planned to tes tify before the committee. ft If he would get selected, how long would it go on? We even asked if they could take one of our names instead.” Joyce Dane bill advocate “If students want to testify, they should give my office a call,” Stuhr said. Ifthe bill is passed, Matt Dane said he had a definite lack of celebration plans. “I guess I just won’t have jury duty.” ’ ygurs 8 nightmare? Send us your wedding horror stories to be published in the DN wedding guide on Jan. 24. Give us the nitty-gritty via e-mail letters@uniinfb.unl.edu, or bring your stories to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union. Mark mem "Attention: Honeymoon's over." Unbelievable Low Prices Diamonds, Engagement Rings, ^^Goki Chains and Bracelets. Shop the Rest Come to die Best 3| 11 Q St 474-6044 8^WEEK SESSIONS BEGIN FEBRUARY ($40 PER PERSON) —intry + swing lroom ♦ latin CaU Now to Register! bracthan dance directive 2i'OQOs|ree| 435-3344 f . ■ >:• > ST. ■ : r“> »••• '-'■v f, . -«ii, a»-st i< ... •. .. ■ , i-:.' .•« • I.