Jury duty is the legal obligation to appear at a courthouse when a court summons you and, if you’re selected, to help decide a criminal or civil case by weighing the evidence and applying the law as the judge explains it. The Sixth Amendment guarantees a jury trial in criminal cases, and the Seventh Amendment extends that right to many civil disputes. When a summons arrives in your mailbox, you’re being called to fill one of those seats.
What a Juror Actually Does
There are two kinds of juries, and they do very different jobs.
A petit jury, also called a trial jury, is what most people picture. You sit in the courtroom, hear both sides, and decide whether a criminal defendant is guilty or whether a civil plaintiff has proven their claim. Federal petit juries have between 6 and 12 members.1United States Courts. Types of Juries In federal criminal cases the verdict must be unanimous; every juror has to agree before someone can be convicted.2Supreme Court of the United States. Ramos v. Louisiana, 590 U.S. 83 (2020) Most federal trials last three to five days, though complex cases run longer. Once the verdict is delivered, your service on that case ends.
A grand jury does something else entirely. It doesn’t decide guilt. It reviews evidence behind closed doors to decide whether there’s probable cause to formally charge someone with a federal crime, and if so, it issues an indictment. Grand juries have 16 to 23 members, and only 12 need to agree to indict.3United States Department of Justice. Justice Manual 9-11.000 – Grand Jury The time commitment is also very different: a grand jury can sit for up to 18 months, with a possible six-month extension.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 6 – The Grand Jury Most grand jurors report one or two days a week over those months rather than every day.
Who Qualifies to Serve
Federal law sets a floor that applies in every U.S. district court. You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18, and have lived in the judicial district for at least a year. You also need to read, write, and speak English well enough to follow testimony and complete court forms.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service
Some things disqualify you automatically. A pending charge for a crime punishable by more than a year in prison keeps you off the jury, and so does a past conviction for such a crime if your civil rights haven’t been restored.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service Serious mental or physical conditions that would prevent you from functioning in a courtroom also disqualify you. State courts use similar standards with minor variations.
How Your Name Got Picked
Federal courts draw names primarily from state voter registration lists, adding sources like licensed-driver lists when voter rolls alone don’t reflect the community.6United States Courts. Juror Selection Process Selection is random. If your name comes up, you first receive a qualification questionnaire. If your answers confirm you’re eligible, a summons follows telling you when and where to report.
What Happens When You Report
You’ll join a pool of potential jurors at the courthouse. When a trial needs a jury, a group from that pool is sent to the courtroom for a screening process called voir dire. The judge and the attorneys ask questions to figure out whether you can be fair in that specific case.6United States Courts. Juror Selection Process Questions range from general (“Have you ever been the victim of a crime?”) to case-specific (“Do you know any of the witnesses?”).
If your answers show clear bias or a conflict of interest, either attorney can ask the judge to remove you for cause, and there’s no cap on those challenges. Each side also gets a limited number of peremptory challenges, which let them strike jurors without stating a reason, though they cannot use those strikes based on race, ethnicity, or sex.7U.S. District Court. The Voir Dire Examination Courts also seat alternate jurors who sit through the trial and only deliberate if a regular juror has to step out.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 24 – Trial Jurors
Once you’re sworn in, the judge sets strict ground rules. You can only consider the evidence presented in the courtroom. No searching the case online, no checking the defendant on social media, no visiting the scene, and no discussing the case with anyone outside the jury room during deliberations. Judges repeat these instructions throughout the trial.9United States Courts. Revised Jury Instructions Hope to Deter Juror Use of Social Media During Trial A violation can trigger a mistrial.
Pay, Time, and Your Job
Federal courts pay jurors $50 a day. If a trial runs longer than ten days, the presiding judge can raise that to $60 a day for each additional day. The court also reimburses travel costs, including mileage, tolls, and sometimes parking.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees State daily rates vary widely, generally ranging from around $15 to $50, with some states raising the rate after the first few days.
Your employer cannot fire, threaten, intimidate, or punish you for serving on a federal jury. A court can order reinstatement, lost wages, and a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation. When you return, you’re treated as if you had been on leave: your seniority stays intact, and you keep eligibility for insurance and other benefits under your employer’s existing leave policies.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment What the law does not require is continued salary. Many employers keep paying some or all of your wages voluntarily, but it’s a company policy, not a legal duty.12United States Courts. Juror Pay Check your employee handbook before your service date.
Postponing or Getting Excused
If the date on your summons doesn’t work, most courts allow a postponement. The process is usually simple, often handled online or by phone, and you’ll need your juror number and an alternate date.
Permanent excusals are harder. Each of the 94 federal district courts sets its own policies, but common categories include people over 70, anyone who served on a federal jury within the past two years, and volunteer firefighters or emergency rescue personnel.13United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses Beyond those categories, you generally need to show genuine hardship, and the court decides.
What Happens If You Ignore the Summons
Skipping jury duty has real consequences. If you don’t appear, the court can order you to come in and explain yourself. Without a good reason, a federal judge can fine you up to $1,000, sentence you to as much as three days in jail, order community service, or combine any of those penalties.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels Courts often send a second summons before escalating, but that’s practice, not a right. State courts set their own penalties, and some fines are higher than the federal cap.