# How do you volunteer for jury duty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376 "2010-08-06T06:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/81 "2010-08-15T02:26:17Z")
Potential jurors here are selected randomly from the voter enumeration rolls. If selected, you are off the hook for 3 years. According to the Ministry of the Attorney General’s website, you can request a deferment for various reasons, but, if granted, your service will be postponed, not cancelled. Your employer is required to give you leave for jury duty, but is not required to pay you. The court will pay you zilch for the first 10 days on a jury, $40 a day after 10 days, and $100 a day if the trial drags on over 100 days. If you live more than 40 kilometres away, you get a small mileage allowance. In my case, I have been on the voter rolls for almost 40 years, in the same jurisdiction, and have been called only once, about 35 years ago, was put into the pool for a trial on day one, and was rejected by the defence when I said I was a government employee. I came back for a second day, didn’t get picked, and was sent home. My employment contract gives full paid leave for the whole jury process - this is standard for the federal government. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/82 "2010-08-15T04:33:37Z")
I’ve been registered to vote, and have had my drivers license, since 1984 - I’ve been a trial lawyer since 1992, and a magistrate since 2001 - and I have _never_ gotten a jury summons. I’d be delighted to serve, and very interested to see the process from the inside out, but just have never had the chance, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Quincyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Quincyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quincyz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/83 "2015-08-13T22:39:36Z")
OF COURSE you can volunteer for jury duty! Why don’t you people do your homework before posting wrong information? Please see the link below for CORRECT info: > **[Commissioner of Jurors FAQ - Nassau - 10th JD | NYCOURTS.GOV](https://ww2.nycourts.gov/COURTS/10JD/nassau/cojask.shtml)** > > Ask the Commissioner In this section, I have answered many of the most common questions asked by jurors. I hope that you will find that this section is informative and helpful. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact our office... ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/84 "2015-08-13T23:48:27Z")
> [@Quincyz](#): > > OF COURSE you can volunteer for jury duty! Why don’t you people do your homework before posting wrong information? Please see the link below for CORRECT info: > > [https://www.nycourts.gov/COURTS/10JD/nassau/cojask.shtml](https://www.nycourts.gov/COURTS/10JD/nassau/cojask.shtml) Seems to be the case for Nassau County, New York. Can you provide similar documentation for every other jurisdiction in the country? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/85 "2015-08-14T14:00:11Z")
I’ve been a registered voter for 28 years, in three different states (not at the same time!) and have never been summoned once, ever. I’d like to do it sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/86 "2015-08-14T18:41:12Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I’ve never been able to figure out how it works, though obviously it relies on a combination of government records such as voter registrations and drivers licenses. > > **Lots of people I know who live around here get called very rarely, or not at all. Yet I get called practically like clockwork, every one or two years.** I just got my latest summons this week. I have a friend (in Alameda County, Ca.) who has told me he has the same experience – called like clockwork, while other people he knows never get called. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/87 "2015-08-14T20:04:14Z")
I’ve been called up 4 times, not selected. One of them was a county court a month after I’d been called up for district court. I used the first to get out of the second. One case I was in the very large jury pool for was the wrongful death case against BP, Jacobs Merritt, et al over the Texas City explosion. I was kinda interested in sitting in on that one, but I also had a fairly reliable excuse from the jury pool - I was employed for a subcontractor working with a different branch of Jacobs Engineering. Technically that could be construed as a conflict of interest. However, it didn’t come to that. They gave the room full of ~200 potential jurors surveys on Tuesday and asked us to return on Thursday. The surveys were intended to measure the atmosphere relating to how we felt about certain elements of safety and whatnot. Apparently the consensus was fairly strong, because we showed up at 9 am on Thursday and were told to be back in an hour, and at 10 am then announced a settlement that involved BP paying large sums of money spread around all over the place. That also satisfied my duty for that round. So for two half days I was done. The other time was county duty I was on call for a week. Had to go in Monday and see if I was selected, then on call for the rest of the week. I sat through voir dire on a family court case involving severing of parental rights on both parents individually. The claims were going to revolve around the mother being a druggie and the father was too busy working multiple jobs to know what was going on, or something like that. Got out of that one by virtue of mentioning my mom used to work as a social worker for juveniles associated with the courts in a different state. Got called back that Friday for a JP court, guy suing his insurance agency over roof damage. He claimed it was storm damage, they claimed it was a really old roof that was worn out and the storm damage was incidental. I also got weeded out in voir dire. The guy asked me the same standard questions he asked everyone: Do you own or rent? Ever had an insurance claim? Then he asked me about my career listed as engineer, and about that being detailed with lots of data and whatnot. Somehow I wasn’t picked. Go figure. The other time was district court going to be some drug case, but when we got seated in the courtroom for voir dire, the judge came in and explained that they had to cancel proceedings for the day because something came up (we weren’t told what - possibly illness, or maybe something weirder). Anyway, she spent a bit talking and answering questions, then gave us all dismissals. So while I’ve had a few opportunities, and I’ve been through voir dire twice, I haven’t had to serve. Part of me wants to, part of me doesn’t want the hassle. It’s always when I’m busy at work or something. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/88 "2015-08-14T23:21:20Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I have a friend (in Alameda County, Ca.) who has told me he has the same experience – called like clockwork, while other people he knows never get called. I’m in Alameda County also, and a judge told us that once you show up and prove reliable, you get called every year. Which has been true the 10 years since he said that, for both my wife and me. OTOH I lived in New Jersey for 16 years, voted in every election, and never got called once. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/89 "2015-08-14T23:23:46Z")
> [@Quincyz](#): > > OF COURSE you can volunteer for jury duty! Why don’t you people do your homework before posting wrong information? Please see the link below for CORRECT info: > > [https://www.nycourts.gov/COURTS/10JD/nassau/cojask.shtml](https://www.nycourts.gov/COURTS/10JD/nassau/cojask.shtml) Not in California. From [here](http://www.placer.courts.ca.gov/jury/jury_faq.html) > [@](#): > > Can I volunteer for jury service? > > ``` > California Code of Civil Procedure states "All persons selected for jury service shall be selected at random, from a source or sources inclusive of a representative cross selection of the population of the area served by the court". > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/90 "2015-08-14T23:58:27Z")
I have been called 4 times in 15 years or so but never on a trial. Last time they were looking for jurors for a trial for a guy accused of 5 murders. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/91 "2015-08-15T23:01:56Z")
I’m 36, and have had a driver’s license and have been registered to vote as early as I could. I’ve been called once. The jury was selected before I was even brought up from the pool for consideration. I wouldn’t have been allowed to serve anyway, though – in a classic example of life being stranger than fiction, the defendant in the case was a coworker. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/92 "2015-08-16T01:22:57Z")
I’ve never been registered to vote and I was called one (I’m 42) so it must be based on driver’s licenses or something. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/93 "2015-08-16T01:32:55Z")
> [@Mdcastle](#): > > I’ve never been registered to vote and I was called one (I’m 42) so it must be based on driver’s licenses or something. Are you sure you’re not automatically registered to vote when you get your driver’s license? Don’t some states have what’s known as “motor voter” legislation? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/94 "2015-08-16T02:12:33Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’ve been registered to vote, and have had my drivers license, since 1984 - I’ve been a trial lawyer since 1992, and a magistrate since 2001 - and I have _never_ gotten a jury summons. I’d be delighted to serve, and very interested to see the process from the inside out, but just have never had the chance, dammit. Since I wrote this five years ago, I’ve been summonsed for jury service twice, but both times never even got out of the waiting room. Still love to actually be on a jury sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/95 "2015-08-16T02:34:21Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Are you sure you’re not automatically registered to vote when you get your driver’s license? Don’t some states have what’s known as “motor voter” legislation? They have to ask you in every state (it’s a federal law), but it’s only automatic in Oregon and that was just enacted a few months ago. Some states uses drivers license data for jury selection, though. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/96 "2015-08-16T02:34:36Z")
The case I sat voir dire that was for parental rights termination, one of the potential jurors apparently knew the man. Judge was taking reasons to exclude, and one guy knew him from around town. I assume he was shipped back to the pool room. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/97 "2015-08-16T05:44:46Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > [@Mdcastle](#): > > > > I’ve never been registered to vote and I was called one (I’m 42) so it must be based on driver’s licenses or something. > > Are you sure you’re not automatically registered to vote when you get your driver’s license? Don’t some states have what’s known as “motor voter” legislation? Driver’s license holders aren’t necessarily eligible to vote. I know of legal permanent residents (i.e., green card holders) with driver’s licenses. They may be drawing from the license registry to send out the jury summons, but one of the automatic disqualifications is not being a US citizen. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376/98 "2015-08-16T06:07:14Z")
In Pennsylvania, they gather names for potential jurors from drivers licenses, tax records, voter registration, and other places. It’s not just registered voters here. If you get selected, you have to answer a questionnaire to determine your eligibility for jury duty. Then you just show up, go through orientation (a few people talk to you and you get to watch a movie, yay…), and then you sit in a big room for a week. Out of the people sitting in the room, groups will be called periodically to select a panel. That panel is taken up to the courtroom where lawyers from the prosecution and defense ask a bunch of questions. Those lawyers also have copies of the questionnaires. The lawyers go back and forth eliminating names until they get down to a jury of 12. If you are eliminated, you go back to the big room and rejoin the jury pool. If you are selected, then you sit on that trial. If the trial ends before the week is up, you go back to the big room and rejoin the jury pool, so it’s entirely possible to end up serving on more than one jury during the week. Since names are chosen at random out of the people sitting in the room, it’s also possible that you won’t get called at all for a panel during the week. I’m 49 and have been registered to vote since I was 18, and it took until this year for me to finally get called for jury duty. I sat for three days, then finally got called for a panel and ended up sitting on a jury. A guy was charged with drug possession and illegal possession of a handgun (he was a convicted felon). We found him guilty on the drug possession charge, and not guilty on the handgun possession. We got called up for the panel in the morning, broke for lunch after the jury was selected, and the case was done by late afternoon. In Pennsylvania, you have the option of registering to vote whenever you renew your drivers license, but you are not automatically registered. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376.md?page=4)