A jury wheel is the database of names a court uses to randomly select people for jury duty. The term is a holdover from when clerks spun a physical drum of paper slips, but every federal district now keeps its jury wheel as an electronic file. Each district builds and maintains its own, and federal law requires those databases to reflect a fair cross-section of the local community.
Where the Names Come From
Court clerks populate the jury wheel from existing government records. Voter registration lists are the starting point in virtually every federal district. Federal law requires each district’s jury plan to begin with voter lists and to add at least one supplemental source whenever voter rolls alone would leave noticeable gaps in community representation.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1863 – Plan for Random Jury Selection The most common supplement is the state Department of Motor Vehicles file, which captures licensed drivers and state ID holders who may never have registered to vote.
Some districts reach further. The statute lets courts tap “other appropriate records,” and it specifically allows the District of Columbia to use its city directory and Massachusetts to use its resident list rather than voter rolls alone.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1863 – Plan for Random Jury Selection State and local officials who control these records are legally required to make them available to the court for copying and inspection.
The Master Wheel and the Qualified Wheel
The jury wheel actually has two stages, and the distinction matters.
Every harvested name lands first in the master jury wheel. This is the raw, unfiltered database. Nobody on it has been screened for eligibility yet. Federal law requires each county or similar subdivision within a judicial district to be proportionally represented in the master wheel.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1863 – Plan for Random Jury Selection The Jury Selection and Service Act also bars excluding any citizen from jury service based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status, and that principle governs the master wheel from the start.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1862 – Discrimination Prohibited
Names are then drawn at random from the master wheel and mailed a juror qualification questionnaire. Based on the answers, the court either moves you into the qualified jury wheel or screens you out. Only the qualified wheel is used to call actual panels.
Who Qualifies for Federal Jury Service
To make it into the qualified wheel, you have to meet all of the following:4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service
- Be a U.S. citizen at least 18 years old.
- Have lived in the judicial district for at least one year.
- Be able to read, write, speak, and understand English well enough to follow court proceedings and complete the qualification form.
- Be mentally and physically capable of rendering satisfactory jury service.
- Have no pending felony charge or prior felony conviction, unless your civil rights have been legally restored.
The felony bar catches people off guard. It applies to any crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, regardless of the actual sentence imposed.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service Restoration of civil rights is handled under state law, and the federal statute doesn’t lay out how to do it.
Automatic Exemptions
Three groups are exempt even if they otherwise qualify:2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1863 – Plan for Random Jury Selection
- Members on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.
- Members of any state, local, or territorial fire or police department.
- Public officers in the executive, legislative, or judicial branches of any level of government who are actively performing their official duties.
Being Excused for Hardship
If you don’t fall into one of those exempt categories but serving right now would create a genuine hardship, you can ask the court to excuse you. Federal law defines “undue hardship or extreme inconvenience” to include living far from the courthouse, a serious illness in the family, or an emergency that outweighs the obligation to serve. Courts have broad discretion to consider other reasons as well, and for trials expected to last more than 30 days, severe economic hardship to an employer from losing a key employee can also justify a temporary excuse.5United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses An excuse usually means a postponement rather than permanent removal from the wheel.
How Random Selection Works
Once the qualified wheel is populated, the court draws from it at random whenever a grand or petit jury panel is needed. Automated systems handle the draw, and the clerk’s office must post a public notice explaining the random selection process both in the office and on the court’s website.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels Every qualified name has the same mathematical chance of being drawn.
After the draw, the court issues a summons by mail, or occasionally by personal delivery from a U.S. Marshal, telling you when and where to report.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels A summons doesn’t guarantee a seat on a jury. You still go through voir dire, where attorneys ask questions and may strike jurors they consider unfavorable, and many people summoned are sent home without serving on any trial.
How Often the Wheel Is Refreshed
The master jury wheel doesn’t stay static. Federal law requires each district to periodically empty and refill it, with the interval never exceeding four years.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC Chapter 121 – Juries; Trial by Jury Most districts refresh every two to four years. A refresh pulls in residents who recently moved into the area, people who turned 18 since the last fill, and updated voter and DMV records. It also drops people who’ve moved away or died.
Each district’s written jury plan sets its exact refresh schedule, and the plan itself is subject to approval by the judicial council of the circuit.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1863 – Plan for Random Jury Selection If you want to see how your district handles the mechanics, the clerk of court is required to make the computer instructions used for random selection available for public review.
What Happens If You Ignore the Process
There are two separate stages where failing to respond triggers penalties: the qualification questionnaire and the summons itself.
If you don’t return your juror qualification form, the clerk can summon you to appear in person and complete it. Ignore that follow-up, and you face a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or any combination of the three.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1864 – Drawing of Names From the Master Jury Wheel; Completion of Juror Qualification Form The same penalties apply if you lie on the form to avoid serving.
If you’ve been summoned to a jury panel and don’t appear, the court can order you to show up immediately and explain yourself. Without a good reason, the same maximum applies: $1,000 fine, three days’ imprisonment, community service, or a combination.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels Courts usually give people a chance to comply first, but the statutory authority is there from the moment you miss the date.
State court jury wheels operate on parallel but separate systems, with their own eligibility rules, refresh cycles, and penalties for no-shows. If your summons came from a state court rather than a federal district court, the rules above are a useful frame but not the controlling law for your case.