What happens if you do not go to Jury Duty?:- Everyone in the US who is 18 years of age or older must serve on a jury since both the civil courts and the criminal justice system depend on juries to decide cases.
Some people, though, ponder if they can get out of jury duty or what would happen if they skipped the appointment.
The right to an expedited trial by a jury of one’s peers is guaranteed by the US legal system. Contrary to common assumption, this does not entail choosing a jury made up of people who share the same racial, gender, age, and socioeconomic level as the defendant. An appropriater phrase may be “a jury of fellow citizens.”
Procedure for Jury Duty
The state can summon you for jury duty if you are a U.S. citizen and possess a driver’s licence, state identity card, or voter registration card. You get a notice telling you when and where to arrive.
Most courts allow you to reschedule your service by phoning the court or going to their website if you are aware of a conflict or will be out of town. A new date that works better for you can be set aside for jury duty.
You can ask the court to be excused if your circumstance makes it difficult for you to serve, such as caring for small children, attending school full-time, or experiencing financial difficulty.
For instance, if you are a one-person business owner who is in debt and unable to run your company, you may be able to prove financial hardship. You can also ask to be excused if you suffer from a severe mental or physical condition that precludes you from participating in a jury trial. Be ready to provide the court with supporting evidence to prove your rightful justification
What happens if you do not go to Jury Duty?
It’s not as easy to avoid jury duty as having the government simply forget to ask you. The official New York Jurors website states that jury duty is obligatory, much like paying taxes. Penalties for failing to report for jury service may be civil or criminal. In addition, those who miss jury duty will be given a new date in the future.
State-by-state variations exist, although almost all appear to include additional jury duty and monetary sanctions. According to Tennessee law, for instance, “You may be found in civil contempt of court and might suffer a fine of up to $500 plus the expense of the show clause order.
According to Chiozza Law, the fine might be lowered to $50 if you actually serve your summons.
What happens to a person who doesn’t show up for jury service is made more clear by states like California. “Any prospective juror who has been summoned for service, and who fails to respond as directed and be excused from attendance, may be found in contempt of court, punishable by fine ($1,500), incarceration (5 days), or both,” according to the Superior Court of California.
For instance, the first offence carries a $250 fine in Ventura County, California, where 45% of prospective jurors missed jury duty in 2015. For the second offence, the fine is $700, and for the third, it’s $1,000 or five days in jail. That’s accurate, missing jury duty can result in jail time in some circumstances.
Can I formally escape jury duty?
There are a few ways you can avoid serving on a jury.
No obligation to report
On the Friday before your scheduled reporting date, often after 6:00 pm, phone the juror information number listed on your summons at the time specified. Pay close attention to the recorded message. If your juror number is outside of the allowed range, you are exempt from serving and your summons may be thrown away without consequence.
The justifications that are typically accepted include:
- Within the past year, you have completed jury service.
- Financial loss or hardship—you may be exempted from serving if it would result in either.
- clinical grounds
- Dependent care: You will be excused if you are providing care for someone and are unable to make other arrangements.
- Your studies are ongoing full-time.
- Being an instructor of a home study course,
- You’re associated with active criminal proceedings.
- You’ve been found guilty of a felony.
- You are at least 70 years old.
- There isn’t a way for you to get to and from the court.
- You are incapable, either physically or mentally
- Your child, who is 6 years old or younger, has no other carers.
- You’re a serving member of the military.