Jury duty is a legal obligation to serve on a jury when a court summons you, and ignoring it has real consequences: in the federal system, failing to comply can mean a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, or court-ordered community service.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels Most people called never sit through a full trial, but the process has several stages, and knowing what to expect before you show up at the courthouse makes the experience smoother.
Who Qualifies
Federal law sets baseline qualifications that most state courts mirror. You must be a United States citizen, at least 18 years old, and a resident of the judicial district that issued your summons for at least one year. You also need to read, write, and understand English well enough to complete the juror qualification form.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service
Two groups are automatically disqualified: anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment whose civil rights have not been restored, and anyone with a mental or physical condition that would prevent satisfactory service.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service Beyond those categories, federal law prohibits excluding anyone from the jury pool based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1862 – Discrimination Prohibited
How to Respond to Your Summons
A jury summons is a court order, not an invitation. The first step is completing the juror qualification form that comes with it. Federal law requires you to fill it out and return it within ten days.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels Skip it, and the court can order you to appear in person and complete it on the spot.
Most federal courts now use an online portal called eJuror where you can complete the questionnaire, request a postponement, or submit an excuse with supporting documents. Many state courts offer similar systems. If online filing isn’t available, mail the completed form back in the provided envelope. Submit any excuse or postponement request by the deadline printed on the summons. The court will then tell you what to do next.
Getting Excused, Postponed, or Accommodated
Meeting the qualifications doesn’t guarantee you’ll serve. Courts can excuse people who demonstrate undue hardship or extreme inconvenience. Commonly accepted reasons include a serious medical condition supported by a doctor’s note, active military deployment, and full-time student enrollment. Financial hardship sometimes qualifies, particularly when your employer won’t pay you during service and the lost income would cause genuine harm. Each request is evaluated individually, and inconvenience alone isn’t enough.
If the timing is wrong but you’re willing to serve, most courts prefer postponement over a full excuse. Federal courts typically allow up to two postponements within a year of your original reporting date. Postponement is usually easier to get because it keeps the jury pool intact.
If you have a disability, the court must provide reasonable accommodations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That can mean sign language interpreters, wheelchair-accessible facilities, or other modifications that allow full participation.4ADA.gov. State and Local Governments A disability itself does not disqualify you. The court’s job is to remove barriers, not to send you home.
Jury Duty Scam Calls
Scammers routinely impersonate court officials or police officers, calling or emailing to say you missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for your arrest. The pitch always ends the same way: pay a fine immediately to avoid jail. The caller may rattle off a fake badge number or case number for credibility. These calls are always fraudulent. Courts never demand immediate payment over the phone, never threaten arrest to collect money, and never ask for your Social Security number during a phone call.5Federal Trade Commission. Did You Get a Call or Email Saying You Missed Jury Duty and Need to Pay? It’s a Scam Hang up. If you’re genuinely worried you missed a summons, call the courthouse directly using the number on its official website.
Grand Jury vs. Trial Jury
Your summons will tell you whether you’ve been called for a grand jury or a trial jury (also called a petit jury), and the two are very different commitments.
A trial jury sits through a single case. In a criminal trial, you decide whether the prosecution proved the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In a civil trial, you weigh whether one party’s claim is supported by the stronger weight of the evidence. When the case ends, you’re done.6United States Courts. Types of Juries
A grand jury doesn’t decide guilt or innocence. It reviews evidence presented by a prosecutor to decide whether there’s enough reason to formally charge someone with a crime. Grand jurors hear multiple cases over a term of service that can last up to 18 months, with extensions up to 24 months possible if a judge approves.6United States Courts. Types of Juries The term doesn’t mean daily courthouse visits for a year and a half; sessions are typically scheduled for a few days each month.
What Happens at the Courthouse
If you report for trial jury service, the next stage after check-in is voir dire, a French legal term meaning “to speak the truth.” The judge and the attorneys ask prospective jurors questions designed to uncover anything that might prevent a fair verdict. Expect questions about your job, your personal experiences, whether you know anyone involved in the case, and whether you hold strong opinions about the subject matter. The goal isn’t to find jurors without opinions. It’s to find jurors who can set them aside and decide the case on the evidence alone.
Attorneys can remove prospective jurors in two ways. A challenge for cause asks the judge to dismiss someone for a stated reason, such as a personal relationship with a party or an admitted inability to be impartial. There’s no cap on these challenges, but the judge has to agree. Peremptory challenges let an attorney remove a limited number of jurors without giving any reason. The number varies by court and case type. Peremptory challenges cannot be used to exclude jurors based on race or sex.7United States Courts. Facts and Case Summary – Batson v. Kentucky
Rules While You’re Serving
Once you’re sworn in, the rules about your behavior tighten considerably. The most important one surprises many first-time jurors: you cannot discuss the case with anyone until deliberations begin. Not with fellow jurors during breaks, not with your spouse at dinner, not in a text to a friend. The blackout covers social media too. Posting about the trial or even hinting at its subject matter online violates your oath.8U.S. District Court. Preliminary Jury Instructions – Jury Conduct
You also cannot do independent research. No Googling the defendant’s name, no looking up a medical term from testimony, no driving by the scene of an incident. Every piece of information you use to reach your verdict must come from the courtroom. Judges repeat this rule because violating it is one of the fastest ways to cause a mistrial, which wastes the court’s time and the parties’ money and forces everyone to start over.8U.S. District Court. Preliminary Jury Instructions – Jury Conduct
During the trial itself, your job is to listen carefully, take notes if the judge permits it, and keep an open mind until you’ve heard everything. When both sides have rested and the judge has given final instructions, the jury retires to a private room for deliberations. The first task is selecting a foreperson, who leads the discussion and eventually delivers the verdict.
How Long It Lasts
Most courts follow a “one day or one trial” system. If you report and aren’t selected for a trial by the end of that day, your obligation is complete. If you are selected, you serve for the length of that one trial. Simple civil or misdemeanor cases might wrap up in a day or two. Complex cases can run for weeks, though that’s uncommon. Grand jury service is a longer commitment measured in months rather than days.
Pay and Employer Protections
Jury pay won’t replace your regular income. Federal jurors receive $50 per day. After ten days on a single trial, a judge can increase the daily rate to as much as $60.9United States Courts. Juror Pay Federal jurors also receive a travel allowance for mileage to and from the courthouse, plus reimbursement for tolls and, at the court’s discretion, parking fees.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees
State court pay varies widely. A handful of states pay nothing for the first few days, while others pay as little as $5 or $6 per day. The highest-paying states match the federal $50 rate. Many states also provide mileage reimbursement at varying rates. Whatever you receive is taxable income and must be reported on your federal return. If your employer pays your full salary during service and requires you to turn over your jury pay, the surrendered amount can be deducted as an adjustment to income on your Form 1040.11Internal Revenue Service. Publication 525 – Taxable and Nontaxable Income
Federal law prohibits any employer from firing, threatening, intimidating, or retaliating against a permanent employee because of jury service in a federal court. When you return, you’re entitled to the same position, seniority, and benefits as if you’d been on an authorized leave of absence.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment Nearly every state has a parallel law for state court service.
The law does not, however, require your employer to pay your salary while you serve. Some states mandate pay for a limited number of days, and many prohibit employers from forcing you to use vacation or sick time for jury duty. Check your state’s rules and your company’s employee handbook before your service date. If your employer pressures you to skip jury duty or threatens your job, that conduct is illegal, and you can report it to the court.
Penalties for Ignoring a Summons
Treating a jury summons like junk mail is a mistake people make exactly once. In federal court, anyone who fails to appear or respond can be ordered before a judge to explain why. Without a good reason, the penalties include a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, mandatory community service, or a combination.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels State penalties vary but follow a similar pattern, with fines and contempt proceedings as the standard tools. Courts rarely jump straight to jail, but they do follow up, and a pattern of ignoring summonses makes the outcome worse.
If you never received your summons because it went to an old address, contact the court as soon as you learn about it. Courts are more understanding when someone reaches out proactively than when a marshal has to track them down.