3 Consequences of Skipping Jury Duty

Finding a jury summons in your mailbox is rarely a welcomed surprise. While jury service is critical for a fair and functioning justice system, it may conflict with your already busy schedule.

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Sometimes courts allow you to skip or postpone jury duty, but there can be serious consequences for doing so without permission. 

Simply ignoring a jury summons isn't wise, as there are legal consequences for not showing up. However, courts do excuse jurors for a variety of reasons. Valid reasons will depend on whether you were summoned for a federal, state, or local jury. Rules for grand juries are often different as well. Read your summons carefully to get more information on excuses and exemptions for jury duty. Possible exemptions vary by jurisdiction but are sometimes available for: 

• Active duty military 
• Police officers 
• People over the age of 70 
• Mothers of new infants 
• People who served on another jury within the past year 
• A full-time caregiver for a disabled family member 
• Extreme hardship

Additionally, courts may allow you to postpone jury duty and serve on another date if you have a scheduled vacation, surgery or other major obligation that conflicts with the original summons date. 

Valid exemptions for jury duty can vary significantly between courts. For example, some state and federal courts won't excuse a juror just because the person was convicted of a felony. However, being a convicted felon may exempt you from jury service in other states or disqualify you from a grand jury. 

Additionally, you generally must contact the court before a deadline listed on the summons. The summons will have information on communicating with the court about your service. Failing to show up without following the instructions on the summons could result in legal trouble, even if you had a valid reason for an exemption.

What Happens If You Miss Jury Duty?

While it's never a good idea to skip jury duty on purpose, unexpected events do occur. What if a car accident or illness happens on the morning of your scheduled service date? Or what if you move and later learn that you missed a jury summons? Your best option may be to contact the court as soon as possible and ask about rescheduling your jury duty. However, if significant time has passed or you're worried about legal problems, you may wish to speak with a lawyer.

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What Are the Potential Consequences?

Missing jury duty can have consequences ranging from rescheduling to jail time. Ultimately, the consequence will depend on your situation and the jurisdiction. Here are three potential consequences of failing to appear.

1. A Warning and Another Jury Service Date

The court may try to contact you after you've missed jury service. The court clerk may reissue your summons for a different date, giving you a second chance to appear for jury duty.

2. A Hearing for Contempt of Court

A judge could consider missing jury duty being in contempt of court. Contempt of court means disobeying a court order, and you could face fines, probation, or jail time. The penalties depend largely on where you're located. For example, Texas state courts impose fines ranging from $100 to $1,000 for missed jury service. In Florida, a man spent 10 days in jail after he failed to report for jury duty. 

A judge is most likely to find you guilty of contempt if you have failed to appear multiple times or don't seem to take the matter seriously. If you're facing contempt charges, you should consider speaking to a lawyer. 

3. A Warrant for Your Arrest

In the most serious cases, the court could issue a warrant for your arrest. This is most likely to happen if you've ignored multiple jury summonses or you fail to appear for a contempt hearing. 

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Can You Make Up Jury Duty?

Yes, in many situations, the court will allow you to make up jury duty on another day. A randomly selected jury pool is vital to a fair justice system in the United States, so you can't simply pick a day you want to serve. However, many places do allow you to postpone jury duty if needed. If you miss due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, many courts will allow you to serve on a different day. However, it's always important to contact the court as soon as possible to determine if a makeup date is possible.