What happens if you don’t go to jury duty
Are you curious what is jury duty? No, not the Freevee program, where James Marsden made an appearance as a melodramatic, idealized version of himself.
What is juror duty?
it is a service that allows US Citizens to get involved in the court process that is to work along with the judge and hunt facts based on the information submitted or provided during the legal proceedings.
Random selection is used to choose jurors from a list of registered drivers or voters. They are citizens of the United States who have lived in the district or county for at least a year, are at least eighteen years old, and speak English fluently. According to the U.S. Courts website, qualified jurors must not have any criminal convictions or charges against them, nor do they have any physical or mental disabilities that would disqualify them.
Individuals exempted from jury duty:
- Active duty armed forces
- Professional firefighters or police officers
- Active public officers of federal, state or local government
What happens if you miss jury duty?
It is mandatory for an individual to be present on the jury duty. As if you failed for it you will be penalized and have to face consequences depending on the state and type of the court. It is because each court has it’s own unique guidelines.
However, most probably on missing the jury duty you will be contacted by the respective court and will be asked to give explanation or reasoning for your absence in front of the judge. Further, you will be then given a new date for the jury duty.
Jury duty absences are punishable by fines, but watch out for scammers who try to take advantage of you. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts states that penalties won’t be applied until the person has given a judge an explanation for their absence. No one will ever be asked to pay money over the phone or through money wire services by federal courts.
Being absent on jury duty is a serious matter that needs to be resolved with the court as soon as possible. A criminal complaint or an arrest warrant may be issued for you if you fail to show up for court.
How to get rid of jury duty?
It does not necessarily means that you need to serve because you have been called for. There goes a process to assess if an appointed juror is best fit for the case. The counsel and judge will examine the juror for it.
Few reasons why juror are dismissed:
- They know a person involved in the case
- They have information about the case
- They have strong prejudices about the people or issues involved
Summary
It might be wise to consult with an expert lawyer if you have been charged with failing to appear for jury duty and are subject to consequences. Your attorney can assist you in minimizing the repercussions of missing jury duty reports and in understanding your rights.