I am sitting here looking at a subpoena to go to court and testify regarding a child neglect case I had the misfortune to encounter. I’ve been called about a dozen or so times over the course of my career. Despite the number of times I have been called, I have only made it inside the courtroom once. Most other times I have been subpoenaed, I showed up to court only to find that the defendant plead out and no one informed me that the party was cancelled. So there I am on my day off, looking like a tool while trying to find someone to validate my parking.
That is until I got this fantastic tip that I will pass along to you. About a week before the court date, call up the law office that subpoenaed you. But don’t call them during business hours. Wait until well after business hours. Friday or Saturday night is best. Call the office and you will get an answering machine. Leave a message like so, “Hello, my name is paramedic so-and-so. I have a subpoena to appear next week on such and such date. I have been called over a dozen times and always arrive to find out that it has been cancelled. In fact, this has happened to me so much that I will ASSUME that this court date has been cancelled and that you DO NOT need me to appear. If this is not the case and you do wish me to come, please call me and let me know. I am available on that date and will be happy to comply with the subpoena. Thank you for your time and please do not hesitate to call me at blah blah blah number.”
This works like a charm. They never call. However, it’s not going to work in my case this time. The original date was scheduled during my vacation. So I called the law office during business hours and told them I was going to Hilton Head. The lawyer was super nice and wished me a happy trip, but I returned to find that the court date had been rescheduled so that I could appear. So I will not be leaving my usual after-hours message this time.
But for the rest of you all out there, happy court avoidance.
Good advice. Thanks.
I did something similar years ago, as a civilian witness. I had to cut two trips short for court dates which were later postponed. On the third one, my own lawyer (estate attorney, but he was what I had) advised to call the DA and state that since the defendant had gotten it postponed twice, they could do it once for me. DA said yes; I left town; I got home to find a series of, “Why aren’t you here?” messages from the DA’s office. Then the defendant got another postponement anyway. Fourth attempt I made it to court, he plead out. Never even sworn in. And we wonder why people are fed up with the courts.
Yeah, you would think that someone organized enough to be a lawyer would think to have the phone numbers of all the people who were supposed to appear that day. They have no idea what you know or what they are going to ask you. And if everything gets cancelled (which is everyday) they just leave and let you figure it out on their own. If someone was that rude to them and wasted their time like that they would have someone’s ass.
DAs/ADAs amaze me. I had a patient who had stabbed another high school student, so it was a very big deal. Newspaper headlines. A lot of consternation over whether they could prove what had happened.
The guy who still had a pulse had told me what had happened. It may not have been accurate, but it did include him stating that he had stabbed the pulseless kid.
I kept getting calls from the ADA, but since this was before I had a cell phone, I was never at home when the ADA would call. I would call back and leave messages, because the ADA was never there when I called. I made it clear that I worked a lot and that the best way to reach me was to call dispatch and they would have me go to a phone and call the ADA when we were not on a call.
The ADA never managed to do that. Several months later, the lawyer for the guy with a pulse made a deal. I am assuming that it was not the deal that the ADA wanted, because the newspapers kept stating that there was no evidence against the guy with a pulse. These lawyers get paid more than EMS, but some are lucky they can tie their own shoes.
The one time I did go to court was for a drunk driver. Not your regular drunk driver, but it is a long story. I had everything the trooper would have needed to convict – in my chart. He did not subpoena my chart. It was over a year later and the case was postponed four, or five, times. He apparently got off with some minor traffic plea.
Maybe I need to just take up a life of crime. I could wear a cape and drive a really fancy car. I would just have to worry about caped crime fighter, because the law even if I were to get caught, I will be an old man before I get convicted of anything serious.
I would just have to worry about caped crime fighters, because even if I were to get caught, I would be an old man before I would be convicted of anything serious.
Maybe I should start watching out for the grammar police.
Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam.
Stay on topic? WTF? From you? As if I am ever able to stay on topic. Speaking of which . . . .
I use something similar to get out of jury duty. Our jury duty summons forms allow you to request a new date. I always specify the days before Rosh Hashonnah and Yom Kippur. There are enough Jewish lawyers in my area that court never seems to be scheduled on those days.
Hello Rogue Medic. No matter how infrequently I post, you are always there. It flatters me. I promise to drop by your place later tonight. Danimal, the Jewish Holiday thing is priceless. I am so trying that.
I am happy you are getting a well deserved vacation to Hilton Head. Enjoy.