A jury duty notice is rarely received with great enthusiasm. It can feel like a burden, requiring time away from work and interrupting your routine. However, jury duty is really your opportunity to oversee the work of the judicial branch. In addition to ruling on the facts of a case, your job is to evaluate the judge, prosecutors, attorneys, and the court system itself. Show
When jury service causes a hardship, such as interference with childcare responsibilities, you can be excused by following the court prescribed process. Simply not showing up for jury duty is a not a good idea, and may result in serious penalties. Penalties for Skipping Jury ServiceJurors not showing up for jury duty is a big problem that’s burdening our judicial system. In some California counties, for example, the jury duty no-shows rate is more than 30 percent, according to a 2015 report. Judges are cracking down on people who skip out of jury service with a court-authorized excuse. Penalties are set by state or federal law. State Court Jury Duty Ignore a jury duty summons and the court may receive a Failure to Appear Notice, Delinquency Notice, or a Notice of Hearing on an Application for Criminal Complaint. If there's no valid excuse for your failure to appear, you could face the following:
Federal Court Jury Duty There are two types of juries serving different functions in the federal system: trial juries and grand juries. If you fail to report for jury duty and are not excused by the court, you may be served with an Order To Show Cause by the U.S. Marshal Service. You must appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge to explain why you should not be held in contempt of the Jury Service and Selection Act. Contempt penalties include:
Lying about Jury Service ExcuseLying to the court is a crime. It’s easy to believe that telling a little lie to get out of jury duty is no big deal. However, if you're caught, the government can prosecute you for perjury. In some instances, perjury is a felony and you can end up in prison for up to five years for committing it. Although it’s unlikely you would be prosecuted, you could receive a five-day sentence and a fine of $1,000. If you're caught lying, it’s more common to be held in contempt. Unlike perjury, you don't have to be convicted to be punished for contempt. The moment the judge holds you in contempt, you go directly to jail. How to Lawfully Avoid Jury ServiceGenerally, you can postpone jury service for reasons outside your control such as illness, death or illness of a family member, disability, undue hardship, care-giving, or public necessity. If you want to be excused from jury service you must get the court's permission before the date you’re summoned to appear. Otherwise you must go to court and ask to be excused. Reasons for having jury service excused or postponed may include:
Facing Charges for Not Showing Up to Jury Duty? An Attorney Can HelpJury duty always seems to come at the least convenient times. Maybe you thought no one would notice if you didn’t report, and now you’ve learned that not showing up for jury duty can result in serious penalties. If you’ve been charged with missing jury duty, an experienced criminal defense attorney can help negotiate your case. Jury Administration Quick Links Directions to Courts, Parking Instructions for Jurors and Phone NumbersWhat to expect when you get to Court Notice of Court closings, cancellations or delays - PDF Juror Orientation Video Answering the Call for Jury Service Video Jury Administration Home Unconcious Bias: Jury Video Espa�ol - PDF | Jury Home General Information and Answering the Summons
Preparing to Serve
Requesting an Accommodation
Employer and Employee Information
Going to Court
General Information and Answering the Summons 1. How was I selected for jury service?
2. How often can I be called for
jury service? 5. Can I ask to be disqualified from jury service? You may also submit certain disqualification requests online. 6. What about childcare?Please be advised that childcare is not available at the courthouse and children are not permitted to attend jury service with their parents. If you would like to postpone your jury service in order to make arrangements for childcare, please visit our on-line postponement page. You may postpone your jury service to a date within ten months of your original date. You may be reimbursed for childcare and other allowable expenses up to $50.00 per day if you do not work full-time. See Question 12. If jury service will cause a childcare hardship, please contact Jury Administration. 7. How should I respond if I receive a summons addressed to a person who is deceased?To process a jury summons issued to a deceased person, Jury Administration requires a form of written documentation of the death. Any one of the following is acceptable:
Top Preparing to Serve 8. How do I confirm that I need to go to court on my scheduled date? You can also check your attendance status online or by phone after 5:30 p.m. the evening before you are scheduled to serve. If your service has been canceled you do not need to do anything else. You have fulfilled your jury obligation for the court year in which you were summoned. A court year runs from September 1st to August 31st. To check your status by phone, call the number on your reminder notice and a prerecorded message will inform you whether the court still requires your services as a juror. Please Note: In the event of inclement weather, please do not rely on the attendance status web page or receiving a Text Alert. Please call the attendance status phone number at the courthouse to which you have been summoned after 5:30 p.m. the night before your jury service date. 9. Where can I find information about closings, cancellations and delays due to inclement weather?It is recommended that you check for announcements on closings, cancellations and delays at the Judicial Branch Homepage, or by tuning in to the following TV or radio stations: Top Requesting an Accommodation 10. I have a disability and have been summoned for jury service. How do I make a request for an
accommodation? 11. I am a breastfeeding woman and have been summoned for jury service. Can I make
a request for an accommodation or to postpone my jury service? Please also be advised that childcare is not available at the courthouse and children are not permitted to attend jury service with their parents. If you would rather postpone your jury service to a date within ten months of your original date, please visit our on-line postponement page. If jury service will cause a childcare hardship, please contact Jury Administration. Top Employer and Employee Information 12. Must employers allow their employees to attend jury service? If you do not work full time the state may reimburse you up to $50.00 per day for out-of-pocket expenses for the first five days of jury service. Out-of-pocket expenses include childcare, parking, and transportation costs. In order to request a reimbursement you must complete a Reimbursement Form and return it to the court. Proper documentation of expenses may be required as well. Top Going to Court 14. Is
there a dress code for jury service? Potentially dangerous items include, among other things, weapons of any kind, pocket knives, and sharp objects such as tools or knitting needles. If you have any questions about what to bring to court, contact Jury Administration. Top Which action is an example of a mandatory civic duty?U.S. citizens must comply with certain mandatory obligations, including: Obeying the law. Every U.S. citizen must obey federal, state and local laws, and pay the penalties that can be incurred when a law is broken. Paying taxes.
What is the significance of the 9th and 10th amendments?Whereas the Ninth Amendment provides that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage other unenumerated rights retained by the people, the Tenth Amendment clearly reserves to the states those powers that the Constitution neither delegates to the federal government nor prohibits to ...
What is significant about the Fourteenth Amendment?A major provision of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to “All persons born or naturalized in the United States,” thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.
Which activity is an example of a voluntary civic duty quizlet?Which action is an example of a civic responsibility? volunteering one's time to serve others.
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