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Bob... I live in Los Angeles (which some say is a state all it's own - Maybe they mean a "state of mind?") <grin> and this past year is the first one in which I asked to be dismissed from jury duty due to having PD. I sent the court clerk a note from my neuro verifying that I have Parkinson's, and the symptoms I claimed to have. The MD included an unsolicited comment stating that other, more debilitating PD symptoms could appear at any time (OY!) I stated that some but not all of my existing PD symptoms are distressing enough to cause me not to be able to guarantee my regular daily attendance in court. I said like so many PWPs that I repeatedly and involuntarily fell sleep throughout the day, even while sitting up, and also needed to periodically walk about to ease discomfort in my legs and back. I realize I could've listed a bunch more unappealing and distressful symptoms which I do have, tho since most are non-visible (either because they're internal or because over the nearly 25 years I've lived with Parkinson's, like many other Parkies I've become a master at disguising them so they'll appear to just be normal random body movements), but didn't feel I needed to beat it to death. I felt I could always list those additional symptoms in another note to the court clerk, if needed. Within two weeks of my sending my neuro's note and my letter, I received a phone call from the court clerk's office asking me if I wanted to be permanently excused from jury duty based upon the PD symptoms I live with. I've served on jury duty a couple of times in the past, and wouldn't have minded doing my civic duty yet another time (Heck, I met some interesting people in my fellow jury members and those awaiting jury assignment, plus the experience of sitting on a jury was fasinating to me). I felt SAD in telling the clerk that yes, I felt my physical condition would handicap me and cause me not to be able to do a good job as a member of a jury and agreed to have my name removed from the list of potential just members. I felt sad because not only would mean I'd lost one more thing to this steeeeenkin' disease, and also because I strongly feel that it's my RIGHT to serve jury duty when called. Anyway, that's the story, m'friend... Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Bob Chapman <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Monday, July 05, 1999 10:07 AM Subject: Jury Duty (in California) >Hi All, > >Have any of you PWP's been excused from jury duty because of PD? >If so what symptoms did you have that prevented you from performing this >duty? > >I have bee summoned for jury duty and have been trying to decide if I want >to try to be excused or not. I have been diagnosed for over five years now >but I am very fortunate that my PD has progressed very slowly and my >symptoms are relatively minor, compared to some of you guys. My most >applicable symptoms are my falling asleep without an apparent cause, my >drooling, on and off tremors, and difficulty in staying in one position >for a prolonged period of time. >Your comments will be appreciated. > >Bob Chapman >66/60/54 >[log in to unmask]