The American judicial system gives everyone the right to a fair trial before a jury of their peers. This requires the careful selection of attorneys, judges and jurors.
Serving as a juror is a centuries-old practice that leaves some wondering how their employer will respond to the summons. In this article, we define jury duty and answer some common questions on what is required and how it affects your job. Jury duty is a process by which the federal or state government summons citizens to appear as part of the selection process for choosing a jury.
A jury is typically a body of 12 people sworn to render a verdict, penalty or judgment in a legal case. Jury duty can last anywhere from one day to several months if you are selected for trial. Courts will usually let you know if they expect a trial to take longer. Depending on the state, after serving, you will not be required to appear for at least another year.
The process of selecting jurors typically lasts one day. Choosing a jury requires an able-bodied adult to make non-biased decisions based on presented facts.
If you meet any of the requirements below, you are eligible for jury duty:. You are legally obligated to appear for jury duty. Choosing not to appear without a response to the court can lead a judge to hold you in contempt of court. Contempt of court is a crime punishable by up to five days in jail and a fine. There are many legitimate reasons why you may choose not to appear. In these cases, your service can be rescheduled or postponed.
Jury duty is a civil service that both employees and employers are required to serve. For this reason, employers often make allowances in their policy for missing work due to jury duty.
Policies usually detail if you will be paid for time off, who will cover your workload and what your responsibilities are for your work. As soon as you know you will be serving jury duty, inform your employer. Depending on your state and employer, you may be required to show proof. Employers are legally obligated to give you time off for jury duty but they are not legally obligated to pay you.
Figure out what is being asked of you. Is the summons from federal court or state court? Is it for a petit jury or grand jury?
Depending on the answer to these questions, the length of time and location for service will be different. Respond to the summons. If you receive a jury summons, the absolute worst thing you can do is ignore it.
Skipping jury duty may result in civil or criminal penalties. Repeat skippers are often treated even more harshly by the court. Of course, if you truly have a legitimate reason for not serving at the time requested, each summoned juror is permitted to postpone service one time without consequence by calling the court at least one week before the scheduled date. Alert your employer. Do not worry about missing work to serve on a jury. It is illegal for an employer to punish an employee through discharge; forced use of vacation, personal or sick time; scheduling changes designed to penalize; or requiring make up time for serving on a jury.
Before potential jurors are summoned for service, their names are randomly drawn from voters lists and sometimes drivers lists to receive a questionnaire to determine whether they meet the legal qualifications for jury service.
Individuals who receive questionnaires are required to complete and return them to the clerk's office, which then screens the completed questionnaires to determine eligibility for jury service.
In some courts, qualification questionnaires and summonses are mailed together. Yes, it is legally required, and there are penalties for noncompliance. Jurors perform a vital role in the American system of justice. Jury service is an important civic function that supports one of the fundamental rights of citizens - the right to have their cases decided by a jury of their peers.
The Jury Act, which is set out at Title 28, U. Code, Sections , calls for random selection of citizens' names from voters lists or from voter lists supplemented by additional sources such as drivers lists. Because random selection is required, individuals may not volunteer for service. More on Jury Service. Explore the topic Courts, sentencing and tribunals. Is this page useful? Maybe Yes this page is useful No this page is not useful. Thank you for your feedback.
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