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How do I Avoid Jury Duty?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Not many people are anxious to be jurors and may look for ways to avoid jury duty. The right of living in a society that offers jury trial to anyone accused of a crime means that most people must occasionally be willing to support this right by serving on a jury. This is often a mandated part of living in a country where rights of the accused are significant. Still, there are some ways to avoid jury duty, if it is difficult to serve, and some people may be able to either postpone or be excused from performing this service. Citizens should be aware that attempting to avoid service by lying is often treated as a criminal offense.

One of the first things people might be able to do to avoid jury duty is to request a postponement. Perhaps the timing is just not right; a new baby has been born, a person is moving or other factors are occurring that would make putting off service attractive. Many courts give people the right to request a postponement for six months to a year, and people may even be able to make this request on the phone or online. They will need to remember they’re likely to receive another summons at the expiration of the postponement.

Jury duty is considered a civic responsibility.
Jury duty is considered a civic responsibility.

There are also some people who can, by occupation, avoid jury duty. These can include active military, rescue or police workers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, and anyone providing care to someone who is either very young, or in some way dependent on the person for total care. Certain personal disabilities may make it possible to avoid jury duty too, including severe mental disorders, chronic pain conditions, and visual or hearing deficits. Anyone too ill to render jury service effectively can usually avoid service with a supporting note from a physician.

Public servants, like police officers, may be exempt from jury duty.
Public servants, like police officers, may be exempt from jury duty.

In most cases, people cannot avoid jury duty by claiming financial hardship, though they can certainly attempt this argument. Since many juries don’t provide equivalent compensation to a day’s pay, some people try to prove loss of funds threatens survival. People usually have to attend the first day of a summons to make their case, and the judge determines who to accept or dismiss based on what he hears.

It is a criminal offense to lie in order to avoid jury duty.
It is a criminal offense to lie in order to avoid jury duty.

Occasionally, people avoid jury duty if they are assigned to a case with which they have some kind of personal connection. They might know the accused, a witness for the prosecution, the judge, or they could be prejudiced by past personal history. When lawyers examine jurors during voir dire, they work to make certain that a juror can be impartial.

In most cases, people cannot avoid jury duty by claiming financial hardship.
In most cases, people cannot avoid jury duty by claiming financial hardship.

Someone with strong feelings about a subject may be excused because he or she isn’t impartial. When impartiality is discovered, the juror is excused by one of the lawyers. It must be stressed that potential jurors must give truthful answers during voir dire, and lying to get kicked off a jury is potentially criminal.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent MyLawQuestions contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent MyLawQuestions contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Buster29

I don't know if I'd call this a proven method or not, but I've heard that many attorneys don't want highly intelligent people serving on a jury. They like being the smartest people in the room, and if they think a potential juror is intelligent enough to figure out their tactics, they will dismiss that person during voir dire. A person might try answering every question in as much excrutiatingly precise detail as possible, letting both sides know he or she is well-spoken and academic. It could be their ticket out of jury duty.

AnswerMan

I have been a registered voter in the same city for over 30 years, and I have never been selected for jury duty. I have known other people who seem to get called every year. I've heard the selection process is supposed to be random, but I have my doubts.

I don't think I'd mind serving on a jury, as long as it wasn't a major murder trial that could last for months. I enjoy settling disputes at work, and I also like making decisions based on all the facts available.

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    • Jury duty is considered a civic responsibility.
      By: Daniel Oines
      Jury duty is considered a civic responsibility.
    • Public servants, like police officers, may be exempt from jury duty.
      By: petert2
      Public servants, like police officers, may be exempt from jury duty.
    • It is a criminal offense to lie in order to avoid jury duty.
      By: sas
      It is a criminal offense to lie in order to avoid jury duty.
    • In most cases, people cannot avoid jury duty by claiming financial hardship.
      By: Matthew Benoit
      In most cases, people cannot avoid jury duty by claiming financial hardship.
    • In the United States, the censure for failing to attend jury duty differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
      By: Corgarashu
      In the United States, the censure for failing to attend jury duty differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.