jury duty | Wex Legal Dictionary / Encyclopedia | LII / Legal Information Institute

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node-wex-cck en view-mode-full clearfix" about="/wex/jury_duty" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document"> <header> <span property="dc:title" content="jury duty" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span><span property="sioc:num_replies" content="0" datatype="xsd:integer" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span> </header> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><div id="noloblock"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 200%">An obligation to appear for <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/jury">jury</a> service. A person summoned for jury duty who fails to appear will face <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/penalty">penalties</a> depending on the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/state">state</a> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/law">law</a>. For example, in <a href="https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/resources/">Washington</a>, individuals summoned for jury duty who fail to appear are guilty of a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/misdemeanor">misdemeanor</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 200%">A person summoned for jury duty may request accommodations if they face disabilities or other circumstances, such as <a href="https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/resources/">child care</a>. A person may also be exempt from jury service if serving on a jury would impose undue hardship. For example, <a href="http://www.nhd.uscourts.gov/excuse-from-jury-service">some states</a> allow exemption for military personnel on active duty.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 200%">A person summoned for jury duty may not end up actually serving as a juror. For example, they may be excluded by the process of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/voir_dire">voir dire</a>. Alternatively, the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/party">parties</a> in a <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/case">case</a> may <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/settle">settle</a> right before the case is scheduled to begin. However, once selected, jurors are responsible for listening to all of the evidence presented at <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/trial">trial</a> and then asked to “<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/fact_finder">determine the facts</a>.” People do not need any special knowledge or skills to serve on the jury, but are expected to be honest and impartial during their deliberations.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 200%">Jurors are usually <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/compensation">compensated</a> by an amount dependent on the state’s law. For example, <a href="https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/resources/">Washington state law</a> allows for compensation between $10 and $25 a day with possibility for mileage reimbursement. See also <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/jury_fees">jury fees</a>. <a href="https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/resources/">Washington state law</a> also requires that employers to allow sufficient leave of absence for employees summoned for jury duty.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;background:white">[Last updated in June of 2020 by the</span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/about/lii_staff/wdt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;background:white;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#954F72;background:white">Wex Definitions Team</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black;background:white">]</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 200%"> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-7 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"> <ul> <li class="field-label">wex <ul class="field-items"> <li class="field-item even"><a aria-label="category: wex: courts" href="/wex/category/courts" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">courts</a></li> <li class="field-item odd"><a aria-label="category: wex: wex definitions" href="/wex/category/wex_definitions" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wex definitions</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </article> </div> <div id ="page-bottom"> <div class="region region-bottom"> <div id="block-liidfp-2" class="block block-liidfp first last odd"> <div class="gfs"><div id='div-gpt-ad-bottom'> <script type='text/javascript'>  </script> </div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <aside id="sidebar-second" class="col-sm-4"> <section class="region region-sidebar-second column sidebar"> <div id="block-block-50" class="block block-block first odd"> <h2 class="title toolbox">Wex Toolbox</h2><div class="collectiontools"></div>  <div class="social"> <div class="socSep"><hr /></div>    <div class="socSep"> <hr /> </div>  <div class="addthis_sharing_toolbox"></div> <div class="socSep"> <hr /> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var addthis_config = { data_track_addressbar: false, data_track_clickback: true, publid: 'liiadverts', ui_tabindex: 0, ui_508_compliant: true }; 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