Jury duty in the U.S. means attending a court trial along with other jury members, listening to testimonies, and reviewing evidence. It also means coming to a mutual decision on whether a defendant in a civil or criminal trial is guilty of the charges against them. Most American citizens over 18 are eligible to serve on a jury. This means you may receive notice of jury duty once every twelve months. For most people, jury duty is not that big of a deal, depending on the case they are asked to serve on. For others, jury duty might be a huge inconvenience, considering that it lasts at least a week. And, a trial may last even longer due to various factors. If you have received a notice but simply cannot make it, you …show more content…
The first thing to do is to remember to always be truthful and respectful when communicating with the court. Having an attitude or being sarcastic about the situation is simply not going to help. Make it clear why you cannot serve jury duty. Do not waffle on about unrelated things, but instead, just provide an overview of the consequences you and your family face if you take time off. Remember, the court is not going to take everything you say at face value. There is a good chance that the court will contact you for more information. Answer all questions honestly and give the court any additional information it requests. If your potential hardship is a temporary situation, you should consider asking for a postponement of your jury duty. This will allow you to serve your civic duty at a later stage, minus any disruptions. If being excused is not possible, you could request that you serve jury duty for a trial that will not last longer than a week. Lastly, if your state offers a jury duty pool system, you may not be called to serve immediately. This will allow you to prepare for when you are called in the future. Jury Duty Is a Necessary