Jury Summons Question

[borgin.livejournal.com]

I just did a google search of this community and while I found discussions on other courts, I didn't find anything for this one:

I was summoned to jury duty in Woburn. I don't drive. Does using only public transportation qualify me for a hardship transfer to another court in Middlesex County? If so, which ones are the most T-accessible? My card lists Malden, Lowell, Marlborough, Somerville, and Ayer as hardship transfer possibilities.

If not, it looks like the best bet is the 134 bus, which leaves from Wellington Station. It wouldn't be fun to get there (I live in Davis) but it would be possible.

Comments

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I recently was summoned for October, and got transferred from Concord to Medford by citing my inability to drive. I have also had jury duty at Lowell, which was ... reasonably T-accessible (Commuter rail to Lowell, walk a couple blocks up a hill and halfway back down to reach the courthouse.)

[frotz.livejournal.com]

Malden is super-easy via the orange line.

Depending on where you're coming from and any fondness you may or may not have for walking or bringing a bike, commuter rail between West Medford and Mishawum is a quick trip, and it's about 1.5 miles from there. (Mishawum has terrible service, but a day in court is one of the few things it's actually well-timed for.)

[borgin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I'm going to request to transfer to Malden or Somerville but plan on having to get to Woburn. I have a bike but I'm a horrible navigator...

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

You can take the 94 or 96 to Medford square from Davis, and then get on the 134 at Medford Square. At that point, you only have to consider how far the courthouse is from where the bus lets out. But if your Woburn summons is to the courthouse on rte 93, I don't know which bus goes there.

[borgin.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that the courthouse is a stop on the 134 bus. 94/96 to 134 came up as an option on Google maps, but there would probably be a 30 minute transfer....which isn't that horrible. I'm going to request a transfer to another courthouse but plan to not get one. Thanks!

[jadelennox]

I've never had a problem citing don't drive as a reason for hardship. They don't guarantee it but they mostly are decent about it.

[laryu.livejournal.com]

Since the 134 bus goes pretty close to the Woburn courthouse, they might not consider it a hardship. As with another poster's experience, I tried to move a Lowell appearance once, but it's proximity to the commuter rail meant I had to show up. YMMV.

[borgin.livejournal.com]

thanks for the comment! I think I'm going to request to move it to Somerville or Malden, since they would be much easier to get to, but count on having to get to Woburn.

[alphacygni]

In fact, the route of the 134 bus was altered to serve the courthouse when it moved up there, and the trips that take that little side-route into the Cummings-owned office park where the courthouse is located were selected especially to be useful to court hours (as much as possible, anyway). So I think it is considered "on public transportation", even though it is a long and potentially unwieldy bus trip.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

there is apparently public transit to woburn, I gotta say, I was there on Tuesday and the building is super new and clean and nice and everyone was really friendly, which is a big plus for woburn.

[ron_newman]

I'd much rather go to Lowell than to Woburn. It's easy to bike to West Medford and take your bike on the train to Lowell.

[maclou.livejournal.com]

I didn't have any problem at all switching to Malden by saying I didn't have a car and I helped my dad do the same thing/ I think it's pretty easy?

[borgin.livejournal.com]

Update: My request for a hardship transfer was approved! Now I just need to get myself to Malden.

For what it's worth, all I said was that I don't drive and I would have a hard time getting to Woburn by 8 a.m.

[elements.livejournal.com]

While it's too late a comment for this OP, I recently had jury duty that had been scheduled for Lowell. I did a hardship transfer on the basis of being a non-driver (not only not having a car, but not being a driver) and it was approved. I noted that to make it to the courthouse by 8 am I would need to leave my home at 5 am to take public transit.

I transferred it to the 3rd district court which is in Medford, right by the shopping plaza. I took a $15 cab there in the morning, and then walked up to the 134 bus into Medford Square and then the 96 home at the end of the day.