If you do go for jury duty then go early. I went early and I was able to get my own cubicle in the back of the room. Brought my laptop and even had an internet connection for a while. Cell phone usage was also sporadic – best if you’re outside.
I actually didn’t respond to my first notice late last year. I never replied back. But they sent me another notice to which I replied and had to go on a Monday.
I’ve talked to some of my co-workers in OC and they said that they never respond and eventually they stopped receiving yearly notices. Some of my co-workers seemed to resent and even sniff at the idea that I was out of pocket for half a day because of jury duty.
(It’s just about a mini vacation for me so I kind of look forward to it just to get some time away from work.)
I’ve only been picked once but I’ve gotten out of 3 to 4 jury selections. Just a couple months ago I said (wrote) that my being on a jury would be a financial hardship. That got me dismissed for another year!