Does being a veteran keep you from serving on a jury?

I was summoned for jury duty in 2006. Both the defense and prosecution seemed pleased with my status as a service member. I don't know if that was a significant factor, but I was ultimately selected. Of course my example is only anecdotal, so ymmv.

When jury's are selected they have to have things in common with both victim and defendant. More than likly it was just because they didnt serve in the arm forces

Not so far

This bad and good....bad for the system and good for the vet.

I'm not sure if specifically being a veteran prevented me, but I also work in law enforcement. I believe its the combination of the two that prevented me.

I served a county jury for a criminal case once about 3 years ago. I have also been a county voting precinct poll worker and am now on the county grand jury. I was asked about military service. However, my service was during cold war semi-peacetime period (80-86). I do not know if that made a difference or if county being surrounded by national mountain range/forest did. It is mostly retired citizens here.

Military personnel are to put it very simply emotionally controlled through our training... Let me expand on that, to win some cases the facts alone aren't enough to convince a jury at that point the attorneys try to create an emotional response. We (unfortunately at times) have been taught to turn away from emotions in order to focus on logic and reason. Makes us great in the working environment but not so much when someone tries to sell us on their opinions.

It may have more to do with your rank than veteran status as a whole. I went through a similar situation as a potential juror in a criminal trial. The defense attorney asked me if I had ever imposed Article 15 punishment upon any of my soldiers. I replied that I had. He then asked the judge to dismiss me for cause.

The first time I went in uniform, I was dismissed. The 2nd time I was retired I had to stay.

At times the fact you have been part of the Non-Judicial system or served on a Courts Martial seems to be a factor in not being selected. The one time I came to the down select I was ruled out because I managed R&D contracts, some of which went over a million dollars - it was a fraud case.