What are the accepted reasons for not serving as a juror in a trial if it is my turn?

The courts across the nation may randomly summon various citizens to serve as jurors, according to their jurisdiction, and those who receive the summons are legally obligated to serve. Typically, these citizens are chosen from a “jury wheel,” which is a database of residents in each district.

While each court has its own requirements to be legally qualified for jury duty, in most cases, these range from being a US citizen, being 18 years old or older, having lived in the judicial district in which you will serve, for at least one year until the time of answering the qualification questionnaire, be able to speak, write and read in English, including that you do not have any physical or mental condition that could disqualify you nor having been charged with a serious crime.

If selected for jury service, the citizen in question will have the task of deciding the facts of a case in accordance with the principles of the law explained by a judge, according to the United States Courts. But what happens if you were selected and cannot fulfill your civic duty? Below, we will explain.

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Reasons for being excused from jury service

If unable to serve as a jury, the selected individuals may issue a request to be excused from service. As with the requirements to be legally qualified, each district has its respective accepted excuses. In some cases, excuses may be given permanently to certain designated groups of people or occupational class, while in others they may be influenced by various factors.

Among the most common reasons for being excused from jury duty are medical problems, situations of “undue hardship”, for example, not being able to go because you are working; caring for dependents, being a full-time student, an elderly adult. Because each court is different, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts recommends consulting your court’s valid excuses, as well as the correct way to present them.

In Federal trials, members of the Armed Forces or National Guard on active duty, members of the non-professional (not to be confused with volunteer) fire and police departments as well as currently serving ‘public officers’ of federal, state or local governments that have been appointed or elected by the public are barred from jury duty even if they are otherwise eligible.