NY Juror Information - Questions and Answers (FAQ's) (2023)

FAQs

How do I get excused from jury duty in NY? ›

Any future request for postponement or excusal must be made by contacting your local commissioner of jurors office. If you cannot serve even if granted a postponement, you may contact your local commissioner of jurors office and ask to be excused from service.

Yes; failure to respond to a jury questionnaire could result in fines or other penalties. You should respond by visiting the court in person and showing the clerk your passport, or by mailing in the form with a copy of your passport.

| New York Jury Duty Age Limit Excuse

While there is no state-wide age based jury duty exemption in New York, age excuses vary by county. In some counties a prospective juror over the age of 75 may submit a completed summons/questionnaire with proof of age and a statement asking to be exempt.

If you wish to seek exemption from jury service, you should write to the Registrar, High Court, setting out the reasons in full within 14 days of receiving the summons. The Registrar will consider your application for exemption, and may either agree to or turn down your request. Exemptions are not lightly granted.

What Happens if You Miss Jury Duty The First Time in NYC? In most cases, you will receive a second summons for jury duty. However, missing jury duty summons can be treated as contempt of court. Contempt of court may be punished by fines and jail time.

The questionnaires are used to determine who is qualified to serve as a juror. You must complete the form either by completing the on-line eJuror questionnaire or filling out the paper questionnaire, signing it and returning it in the envelope provided within ten (10) days.

The Juror Qualification Questionnaire simply allows the Court to determine if a person is qualified to serve as a juror. If a person is selected to serve and receives a summons to report, he/she may ask to be excused at that time.

A: Jurors may be summoned for jury service once every 12-month period. If you receive more than one summons, this includes a summons from the Federal District Court, in a 12-month period, please contact the Office of the Jury Commissioner at 657-622-7000.

What happens if you miss jury duty the first time? ›

If you ignore the first summons, you will likely receive a second summons with a new court date. If you miss the second summons, you may be subject to fines.

There are no automatic exemptions or excuses from jury service in New York State. Everyone who is eligible must serve. You are eligible to serve as a juror in New York State if you are: 1) a United States citizen, 2) at least 18 years old, and 3) a resident of the county to which you are summoned to serve.

GENERAL INFORMATION. Telephone Standby: All trial jurors are on standby and report to the courthouse when instructed to do so by means of a recorded message. The recorded message will refer to you by juror number. Please report promptly at the time indicated in the message.

Proper court attire is mandatory. No jeans, shorts, tank tops, sweats or other very casual attire is permitted. Dress "business casual" or "business" for your appearance.

Under no circumstances simply don't turn up for your jury service as this will cause the court delays. You could face a fine or even more serious charges if you fail to tell the court you will not be able to attend. The courts understand that jury service can be stressful, so talk to them as they can help you.

Jury service will typically last one day or the length of one trial. Jury service does not end at a specific time of day, so please plan on serving the entire day. Whether or not you serve on a jury trial, your jury service for that day will be recognized as fulfilling your obligation for one year.

Payment during jury service

People who attend jury service receive a small attendance fee from the Ministry of Justice. Employers don't have to pay employees while they do jury service, but many choose to 'top up' the money the employee gets from the Ministry of Justice so that they get their normal pay.

If you're selected for jury service, you'll receive a summons about 10 days before the first day you're due in court. The jury summons tells you the court, date and time. When you're called for jury service at a court, you mightn't serve as a juror on a trial.

How many times can you be called for jury duty in New York? ›

Under Federal law, a person cannot be required to serve jury duty more often than once every two (2) years.

BY WEB: Visit our website at NYJUROR.GOV and click on the link "Postpone your jury service." Follow the instructions. You will need to supply information from your jury summons. BY TELEPHONE: Choose a date between 2 and 6 months from the date of your summons. Your request can be made by calling 1-800-449-2819.

Phones are checked at the lobby upon entering the courthouse. Wireless devices, laptops, and like devices may not be permitted in court and must be turned off in the courtroom, Since these devices cannot be left in the Jury Assembly Room, please do not bring them with you.

With six weeks of testimony and evidence under their belt, jurors will need to answer "yes" or "no" to the 42 questions. Already, jurors are on day three of deliberation and some believe it may take a while for them to reach a final decision.

Jurors must: Be a citizen of the United States. Be at least 18 years of age. Reside in the county of jury service.

The names of people aged 18 and over are selected at random from the electoral register for jury service. You will receive a single legal document called a jury citation between three and nine weeks before the trial date. It will give you information about where and when to attend the court.

The purpose of the questionnaire is to determine if you are qualified to serve as a juror. You still must complete the questionnaire, even if you moved to another county or out-of-state.

To defer jury service, or be excused, you have to write to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau. You'll need to explain why and provide evidence. Applications must be considered carefully, sympathetically and with regard to the individual circumstances of the applicant.

What happens if you don't go to jury duty? ›

Jurors who fail to show adequate cause for their absence from jury duty can be held in contempt of court under the Jury Selection Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1966(g). Penalties range from a fine of $100 to three days in jail or both.

ANSWER: A PETIT jury is a trial jury for both civil and criminal cases. The PETIT jury listens to the evidence offered during a trial and returns a verdict. A verdict in a civil case may be a finding for the plaintiff or for the defendant. A verdict in a criminal case finds the defendant guilty or not guilty.

Serving on a trial

Trials can last a few days or a number of weeks. A typical jury panel usually remains in place for around four weeks. Jurors could be selected to sit on more than one trial during this time. Sometimes the case isn't ready to go to court.

An employee called for jury service should tell their employer as soon as possible that they have been summoned, when they will need time off and if possible how much. If the employee is not needed at court then they should return to work unless something different has been agreed upon beforehand.

All persons entering court building are required to pass through a magnetometer. Selected jurors may bring a lunch.

Answer: Unbelievably, one minute! According to Guinness World Records, on 22 July 2004 Nicholas McAllister was acquitted in New Zealand's Greymouth District Court of growing cannabis plants. The jury left to consider the verdict at 3.28pm and returned at 3.29 pm.

The petit jury listens to evidence offered during a trial and returns a verdict. A verdict in a civil case may be a finding for the plaintiff or for the defendant. A verdict in a criminal case finds the defendant guilty or not guilty. Grand Jury: A grand jury hears only criminal matters.