How much trouble can you really get into for failure to report for jury duty?
From what I have seen, the answer would seem to be “not much” based on the stories I relate below.
I have read that in some locations, 50% of the people called for jury duty never show up.
In Florida, a line on the jury notices says, “The law provides penalties for failure to appear”. They don’t say what the penalties are. I don’t know if this varies state-by-state, or county-by-county within each state.
An old boss of mine received a notice to report for jury duty on a certain date. He wrote a letter to the Clerk of the Court saying that he would be out of the country for job related business at the time he was to report. He never received a response or heard anything else on the matter.
I heard that a lawyer tore up his secretary’s jury duty notice, because, as he told her “they can’t prove you received it”.
Which brings up another question, can you call in sick for jury duty? I mean if you’re really sick the day you’re supposed to report. You’re supposed to call the Clerk of the Court’s office for such things, but what if all you get is voice mail or a busy signal?
I inadvertently missed jury duty in DC, and got a notice threatening me with a fine (either $200 or $300, don’t remember which) and/or imprisonment. I believe the jury pool is fairly small in DC and that they’re being more aggressive in making people show up, so this may be specific to the jurisdiction.
I’m sure if you’re sick you can reschedule. I came in one time and explained that I had a final exam that week and was concerned that jury duty would cut into my studying time, and they simply rescheduled my date.
I was called for jury duty one May. Small problem - I was moving out of state that Tuesday. I called the courts and once they understood I was NOT coming back to that state to live ever again (wish I had a recording of that conversation - it was priceless - took about 5 minutes for the person answering the phone that I was MOVING, not going on vacation ), they removed me from the list and told me not to worry about coming in even on Monday (my luck, I would have gone in on Monday and been put in a sequestered jury )
My wife was supposed to have jury duty this very week. Being the procrastinating kind, she did not send in her questionnaire in time, and then our daughter was sick on Monday anyway, so she couldn’t go. She simply called and rescheduled.
I’m sure it varies from place to place, but I doubt they want to clog up the court system even more with jury-duty dodgers.
I was called for jury duty this week. In a state I haven’t lived in for nearly six years. According to the notice, I will be held in contempt of court if I don’t show up. Don’t know what that means - i.e., a warrant for my arrest, a fine, or I’m just contemptible - but I’m sure it’s not good.
In a thread a few months ago, I asked if you could treat a jury questionnaire (which in my state comes at you twice before the jury notice shows up) as unsolicited mail. Kind of like junk mail. I didn’t ask for it, so why can’t I just toss it in the trash? I got beat up! One poster said that a bill from the IRS is unsolicited mail…would I toss that in the trash? Lesson I learned…answer the questionnaire and hope you don’t get called. If you are called, go, you are an American…join in the process.
Many jurisdictions have been taking a harder line in recent years regarding failure to report for jury duty. Penalties vary greatly, but a quick google gives a couple of examples:[ul][li]Sacremento, California - fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 5 days in jail[/li][li]Federal District Court - fine of up to $100 and/or up to 3 days in jail[/li][li]Florida - fine of up to $100 and/or jail time determined by presiding judge[/li][li]Woodbury County, Iowa - fine of up to $40 and/or up to 2 days in jail[/li][/ul]
Don’t know about other states, but in Florida they send them by regular mail. At one time they used to come by certified mail, but I suppose they eliminated that due to increased cost or manpower. Also, they used to get their list of potential jurors from voter registration, but they later changed it to driver licenses.
So how could they prove that you received it? Seems to me you could just say you never got it.
I got a jury duty questionnaire a few weeks ago. This is in Queensland, Australia. I can’t remember how much the fine for not showing was, but the alternative was two months’ jail.
I missed a call to jury duty in Florida. Just plain got the date wrong. I called the clerk of court and was told not to worry about it. It was implied, though, that I might be called again sooner than the law of averages might suggest.
In California once, I got a jury duty notice, but I was scheduled to be out of the country on the date in question. So I checked the box requesting a postponement, also checking the “I will be out of the country” box as the reason. I then went on vacation out of the country, and when I returned, I found their response to my postponement request: “no.” Of course, at this point, the date had passed.
So I missed jury duty, and I never heard from them about it again.
Usually, it’s safe- esp if they sent the notice regular mail. But also once in a while, a judge will just go ahead and issue bench warrents for everyone that didn’t show up. Fun thing to have next time you’re pulled over for a traffic infraction. :dubious: :eek:
Look, it’s your duty, and it’s not worth the (admittedly small) risk. I personally forgive you if you have a job where they won’t pay you for jury duty- but so will 90% of the judges. But if you are unemployed or if your job pays you full time while you’re on a jury- then DO IT! IANAL. YMMV.
), they removed me from the list and told me not to worry about coming in even on Monday (my luck, I would have gone in on Monday and been put in a sequestered jury 