What Happens If You Don’T Show Up For Jury Duty?

What happens if I don’t report for jury duty? | Northern District of Iowa | United States District Court Answer: Any juror who fails to report for jury duty may be served by the U.S. Marshal’s Service with an Order to Show Cause. 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.

What happens if you don’t show up for jury duty Texas?

Failure to Attend Court/Filing a False Exemption –

• A juror who is lawfully notified to attend court is subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 if that juror either:
• fails to attend court in obedience to the notice without a reasonable excuse; or
• files a false claim of exemption from jury service.

(Texas Gov’t Code § 62.111. Penalty for Defaulting Jurors.) If you have questions about your jury summons or jury duty, please contact the appropriate court or judge as indicated on the jury summons.

How can I get permanently excused from jury duty in California?

(1) An applicant must submit to the jury commissioner a written request for permanent medical excuse with a supporting letter, memo, or note from a treating health care provider.

What happens if a juror gets sick during a trial UK?

Empanelling the Jury – The process of selecting a jury to hear a Crown Court trial is known as empanelling the jury. Twelve jurors are required to start a Crown Court trial, although a ‘jury panel’ of more than twelve potential jurors will be asked to go into court.

In most cases there will be a jury panel of 15 or 16 people (more in cases expected to last for a long time) from which the 12 will be chosen at random. As each juror is called from the panel they will take their place in the jury box, usually two rows of 6 people. In cases expected to last for more than 4 weeks the court can start a case with 2 extra jurors who can take the place of any of the 12 who are unable to continue for any reason (e.g.

due to illness). The minimum number required on a jury is 9 people so starting a longer trial with extra jurors reduces the risk of having to abandon a trial in the event of sickness etc. Before the jurors take the jury oath or affirmation, they will be told the names of the main witnesses in the case (prosecution & defence witnesses), together with any locations relevant to the case.

1. The purpose of this is to ensure that the members of the jury have no prior knowledge or connection with anyone involved in the case.
2. If a member of the panel does have any connection, the judge will usually excuse them and another juror-in-waiting will take their place (hence one of the reasons for a panel of more than twelve).

In longer and more complex cases questions can by asked of potential jurors by asking them to fill out a questionnaire. However, there is no equivalent to US-style jury selection where jurors are questioned by legal representatives before being accepted onto a jury.

• Jurors will normally be expected to do jury service for two weeks but some cases last far longer than this; in these longer cases potential jurors will have been contacted in advance and asked about their availability.
• When the jury box is full but before each juror takes the jury oath or affirmation, the defendant is told by the court clerk that (s)he has the right to object to any juror in this way: “, the names that you are about to hear are the names of the jurors who are to try you.

If therefore you wish to object to them or to any of them, you must do so as they come to the book to be sworn, and before they are sworn, and your objection will be heard.” Each juror then stands (if able) and takes the oath on their holy book or affirms as follows: “I swear by almighty God/by Allah/by Waheguru/on the Gita (oath)/I solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm (affirmation) that I will faithfully try the defendant and give a true verdict according to the evidence.”

Has anyone been fined for not attending jury duty UK?

How will I be called for jury service? – The 12 members of a jury are selected at random from the electoral register. If you’re selected, you will receive a jury summons informing you of your requirement to attend, as well as the date and time on which your service will begin.

Can you go to jail for missing jury duty Texas?

What happens if you don’t show up for jury duty in Texas? – You should never ignore a jury summons. If you need to reschedule the courts will be amenable as long as you actually show up for your future date. If you don’t show up for jury duty the court may fine you anywhere between $100 and $1,000, and depending on the court in which you failed to appear, sentence you anywhere from 3 days – 6 months in jail.

• Jail time for missing jury duty is rare, as it is more often because of a mistake or a scheduling headache, but it remains a possibility nonetheless.
• Remember that just because you receive a jury summons does not mean that you will be required to serve on a jury.
• You and the other prospective jurors that were summoned will go through voir dire (“to speak the truth” in Latin), a period of questioning by relevant counsel to select the most impartial group of jurors for the specific case.

Statistically, it is unlikely that you will be picked, as county courts only require six jurors, and district courts twelve.

At what age can you skip jury duty in Texas?

Jury Service: Disqualifications and Exemptions – General Disqualifications for Jury Service (GOVT CODE §62.102):

You are not at least 18 years of age. You do not reside within the City of Houston limits. You are not a U.S. citizen (If you claim this exemption, you may no longer be eligible to vote in the county. These claims are reported to the Voter Registrar). You are not of sound mind or of good moral character. You cannot read or write. You have served as a juror for six days during the preceding three months in a County court, or, during the preceding six months in the District court. You have been convicted of misdemeanor theft or a felony; You are under indictment or other legal accusation of misdemeanor theft or a felony.

IF PERSON SUMMONED IS DECEASED: If the person summoned is deceased, please check line above and mail it back to the court at the address provided at the top of this page, or scan the summons and e-mail copy to [email protected], We apologize for any inconvenience. Exemptions from Jury Service (GOVT CODE §62.106):

You over seventy (70) years of age You have legal custody of a child/ children younger than 12 years of age and your jury service requires leaving the child/children without adequate supervision You are a student of a public or private secondary school You are enrolled and attend an institution of higher education You are an officer or employee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, or any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the legislative branch of State government You are the primary caretaker of a person who is an invalid or unable to care for himself/herself You have served as a petit juror in the Municipal courts, County courts or District courts in the preceding 24 months You are a member of the United States military on active duty and deployed outside the city limits of Houston.

**Business reasons are NOT a lawful excuse. Should you qualify for any of exemptions or disqualifications listed above, please complete the back of your summons, marking the appropriate exemption/disqualification, and providing your signature and the date on the corresponding lines.

Mail the completed form to the following address: JURY SERVICE CITY OF HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS 1400 LUBBOCK, ROOM 214 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 Penalties for Failure to Answer Summons The Government Code states that a person who fails to comply with this summons is subject to a contempt action punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 (§62.0141).

Additionally, a person shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 if he: (1) fails to attend court in obedience to the notice without reasonable excuse; or (2) files a false claim of exemption from jury service (§62.111).

How much do you get paid for jury duty in Houston?

Jurors will be compensated $6 per day of service. The juror fee payment will be paid to the juror via a check that will be mailed to the address shown on the summons.

Does jury duty excuse you from work all day California?

California law does not require employers to offer paid time off for jury service, However, if a company has a stated policy of allowing a certain number of paid days off for jury service, then it has an obligation to act in accordance with its policy,

Fire you, Demote you, Threaten you, Punish you, or Take any action against you because of your jury duty service.

Who is Eligible for Jury Duty Leave in California? All employees in the State of California are eligible for jury duty and subpoena leave. Employers are permitted to ask that you provide proof of your service. Employers commonly accept:

The original subpoena ; The notice of jury duty service ; or A note or notice provided by the court.

Payment While on Leave California state law does not require that California employers pay their employees while on jury duty leave, However, employees do have the option of using accrued vacation time, paid time off or personal time for the purpose of jury service. Employers in California are required to allow you time off of work due to jury duty service (a civic duty) or because you were subpoenaed to court as a witness.

How many times can you be called for jury duty California?

There is no limit to the number of times that you may serve in a lifetime. However, you are only obligated to serve jury duty once every 12 months. Jurors who are selected and sworn as trial jurors or alternates will be excused from serving again for 36 months, upon request.

Can a California judge overrule a jury?

Can a judge overrule the jury? by | Sep 2, 2021 No. Once a verdict has been rendered, either guilty or not guilty, the judge cannot overrule the jury. However, under California law, a defendant can make a motion for judgment of acquittal before the evidence is submitted to the jury.

What happens if you miss jury duty in the UK?

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not return the form or turn up for your jury service.

What mental conditions disqualify you from jury duty UK?

Call to lift ban on jury service for people with mental illness

Ministers are facing demands to scrap an “unfair and discriminatory” law that bans thousands from being jurors because they have suffered from mental ill-health.Campaigners claim that many law-abiding citizens are wrongly excluded from jury service after being treated for conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.One in four Britons suffers mental illness at some point in their lives, and one in 10 is prescribed antidepressants, which would be enough to debar them.

Rethink, a mental health charity supported by barristers in England and Wales, will this week launch a campaign to have the rule rescinded. It agrees that some people’s mental state makes them unfit to be jurors, but argues that many others are victims of an “archaic” ban.

• More than 9,000 people a year in England are refused permission to serve on juries.
• The government promised in 2004 – and again in early 2008 – to review the situation, but has not done so.
• The ban arises from the Juries Act 1974.
• A section on “mentally disordered persons” bars from jury service anyone “who suffers or has suffered from mental illness, psychopathic disorder, mental handicap or severe mental handicap, and on account of that condition either is resident in a hospital or other similar institution, or regularly attends for treatment by a medical practitioner”.

Rethink wants that replaced with a new definition of “capacity”, based on the 2005 Mental Capacity Act, which would allow many of those currently banned to serve, while excluding those who are genuinely unfit. Stephen Fry, the actor and comedian, who has suffered from bipolar disorder since childhood, is backing the campaign.

• There are thousands of people with mental health problems who are willing and perfectly capable of serving on a jury, but who find themselves rejected solely because they see a doctor from time to time for support or medication,” he said.
• Exclusion purely on the grounds of treatment for a mental health problem is unfair and discriminatory.” Rethink cites Winston Churchill as someone who, owing to his depression, would be banned.

Paul Corry, Rethink’s director of public affairs, said that about 50,000 people with mental health problems had been excluded since the government’s first pledge in 2004 to consult on the issue. “People should be judged on their capacity, rather than being arbitrarily written off.

It is high time the government carried out a consultation and considered outlawing this archaic and discriminatory practice, which prevents capable citizens from carrying out a basic civic duty.” The Criminal Bar Association, which represents barristers in England and Wales, also argues that the ban is wrong.

“Trial by jury is a vital component of our criminal justice system and, in order to work at its best, juries should represent a cross-section of society,” said Paul Mendelle, its chairman. “Figures suggest that one in four people will be affected by mental health problems, so it is inappropriate to impose a blanket ban that prevents anyone with a history of mental illness from sitting on a jury without assessment of their capacity.” But the Ministry of Justice ruled out any revision of the rule, and refused to say why the government had reneged on its pledges to consult.

What was the longest jury deliberation in the UK?

The most notable 18th century trial was that of Warren Hastings in 1788. It was in fact the longest in British history; it lasted seven years although the court only sat for 142 days.

What happens if you miss jury duty NYC?

What happens if a juror does not report for jury service? Jury duty, like paying taxes, is mandatory. Skipping jury duty can result in civil or criminal penalties. In addition, anyone who skips jury service will be assigned a new date for future jury service.

Do you get paid for jury duty UK?

You will not be paid for doing jury service, but you can claim some money back if your earnings are affected. For each day you’re at court, you can usually claim:

up to £64.95 to help cover your loss of earnings and the cost of any care or childcare outside of your usual arrangements £5.71 for food and drink the cost of travel to and from court

You’ll be told how to claim expenses after your jury service has ended.

What happens if a UK jury Cannot reach a verdict?

If a defendant is found ‘not guilty’ Toggle accordion If a defendant is found not guilty, the case is over and they are allowed to leave the court. If they have been held in prison during the trial, they will be released immediately. If the defendant is found not guilty, that doesn’t mean you weren’t believed or that people thought you were lying.

• It simply means the jury couldn’t be ‘satisfied so they were sure’ that the defendant was guilty.
• If a defendant is found ‘guilty’ Toggle accordion If the defendant is found guilty, the judge can either sentence the defendant straight away or they can postpone (adjourn) the sentencing hearing to ask for more information to help them decide what the sentence should be.

This can include a pre-sentencing report, written by the probation service, which provides an independent assessment of the offender and the risks they pose. We will also provide the court with your Victim Personal Statement if you have written one. The police will ask you if you’d like to write one during the investigation – this is your opportunity to explain how the crime has impacted you.

If you would like to provide an updated victim personal statement you should speak to your police contact and they will arrange for you to do this. If you would like to read your Victim Personal Statement out loud to the court, then we can apply to the court for you to do this. Otherwise the prosecutor will read it out to the court on your behalf.

If you would like to read your Victim Personal Statement to the court yourself, you are entitled to special measures to do so and we will pay for your expenses as before. The judge will then use that information to decide what sentence the defendant will receive in line with the sentencing guidelines for the offence they’ve been convicted of.

• Sentencing guidelines are set by the Sentencing Council in line with the law in England and Wales.
• You can read more about sentencing on their website.
• If the defendant has been held in prison awaiting the trial, they will usually be sent back to prison to await the sentence if it’s likely that they will be given a prison sentence by the judge.

Normally, any time the defendant has already spent in prison waiting for the trial will count as part of their sentence. If you decide not to attend the sentencing hearing then the police will let you know what happened once it has finished. If the jury fails to reach a verdict Toggle accordion If the jury can’t reach a verdict (either guilty or not guilty ), then the CPS prosecutor has to decide whether or not to hold another trial.

Is there is still enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction – has anything changed during the course of the first trial and are the witnesses still willing and available to give evidence again? Is the trial still in the public interest – for example, would a delay until a new trial change anything and is that delay proportionate with the sentence the defendant would likely get?

The prosecutor will also take your views as the victim into account. If we decide to go ahead with a new trial, the court will set a date for it to start. If we decide not to go ahead with another trial we must make formal decision to offer no evidence.

1. That means the case is stopped, the defendant will be acquitted and formally found not guilty of the offence(s).
2. What support is available after the trial has finished? What support is available after the trial has finished? Toggle accordion Many support services continue to provide support after a trial has ended.

Going through a trial can be difficult and it’s natural to need more time and help to process what has happened. Victim Support has teams across the England and Wales who can offer local support and their national helpline is open 24/7. Find out more on the Victim Support website,

Can you be called for jury service twice UK?

If your name is in the jury pool, there is no limit to the number of times that you can be flagged for jury duty. The good news is that once you report for service, your name is pulled from the jury pool for at least the next 12 months, even if you don’t get placed on a jury.

How many days is jury duty in California?

If you are requesting an excuse or disqualification you may do so online or by completing the excuse section on the back of the summons and returning it to the jury office. You may telephone (619) 844-2800 or click here to request a postponement to a more convenient date.

• To request a transfer to a more convenient location, call (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m.
• To 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m.
• To 12:00 p.m.
• On Fridays.
• Otherwise you MUST follow the reporting instructions on the summons.
• Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 209, any prospective juror who has been summoned for jury service and who fails to appear as directed, or who fails to respond to the Court, may be found in contempt of Court and may be placed in custody and/or fined.

California law says you are qualified to be a juror if you :

Are a U.S. citizen Are at least 18 years old Are living in the State of California Are a resident of the county that sent you the jury summons Have had your civil rights restored if you were convicted of a felony or malfeasance while holding public office Can understand English enough to understand and discuss the case Are not currently on a grand jury or on another trial jury Are not under a conservatorship

If you do not meet all of the qualifications listed above, please complete the Disqualification Section on the back of your Summons for Jury Service. Mark the appropriate box and fill in any information you are asked for. Then mail it to the court using the enclosed return envelope.

You will only be notified if your excuse is not granted. Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 204(a), no one is exempt because of his or her occupation, economic status, race, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, disability, or for any other reason.

You have been summoned for one day or one trial. Most jury trials last 3 – 7 days, but some may go longer. The trial judge will advise you of the length of the trial. If you are assigned to a case, you will be required to serve until the trial is completed.

1. Generally, if you are not selected for a trial, your jury service will be completed in one day.
2. The day that you report for jury service, you may be assigned to more than one courtroom to go through the selection process.
3. Upon completion of your jury duty, you will be exempt from jury service for one year.

If you were a sworn juror on a trial, and receive a Summons for Jury Service within 3 years, you may request to be excused. Yes. If you are seeking a postponement, click here to Request a Postponement call (619) 844-2800 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You may postpone your service for up to six months from your reporting date. You must have your juror ID number in order to access your records. Yes. Call (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday, to speak with a Deputy Jury Commissioner. If you are seeking to be excused, click here, or you may complete the appropriate sections of the Summons for Jury Service, sign, date and then return it to the Jury Commissioner in the enclosed envelope as soon as possible.

If you do not have the return envelope, please mail to: Office of the Jury Commissioner, P.O. Box 121531, San Diego, CA 92112. You will only be notified if your excuse is not granted. Excuse requests are considered on an individual basis. The request must explain why a postponement of jury service will not solve the problem.

1. Students are not exempt from jury duty.
2. You may request a postponement of your service to the next school break.
3. We strongly recommend that you consult your school calendar before postponing your service.
4. The court does not notify those who are excused or disqualified.
5. The court only notifies those whose excuse is not acceptable under law.

If you do not hear from the court, consider yourself excused, or you may call (619) 844-2800 approximately two weeks after you mailed in your request. Put in your Juror ID number when asked and you will be informed if you have been excused. You may also check your status on the web by clicking here.

1. If you request a postponement, you will choose a date convenient for you to serve and the court will mail you a new summons approximately one month prior to the new date.
2. For a postponement click here,
3. Employers are not required by law to compensate employees on jury duty.
4. However, many employers do pay their employees for jury service.

It is advisable to check with your employer regarding the company’s jury duty policy. Minor hardships or inconveniences to an employer are not legal reasons to be excused from jury service. However, you may request to be postponed to a more convenient time.

If serving on jury duty will create an extreme financial hardship, fill in item #10 in the Request for Excuse section on the back of the Summons for Jury Service. You must provide your employer’s name, phone number, number of days you are paid while on jury duty, and describe in detail how jury service will cause an extreme financial hardship.

Labor Code section 230(a) provides that an employer may not discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee for taking time off to serve as required by law on an inquest jury or trial jury, if the employee, prior to taking the time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer that he or she is required to serve.

• Time sheets will be provided to clock in and out to give your employer an exact accounting of your time at court.
• Time sheets cannot be recreated, so we strongly suggest you use one, even if you’re not sure if your employer requires it.
• You may also request a Work Certificate, which shows the dates you served but not the times, by clicking here,

Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 1.100, persons with disabilities may request accommodations. This includes but is not limited to assistive listening devices or sign language interpreters. To request an accommodation, please contact the Jury Commissioner’s Office at (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m.

To 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday. Please click here for further information on Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities. State law provides payment of $15.00 per day and 34 cents per mile one way from your home to the court beginning on the second day of service.

Payment will be computed on the last day of your jury service and a check will be mailed to your home address within two or three weeks of your jury service. Jurors serving at the Central Courthouse also have the option to receive transit passes for each day they serve.

Free parking is available at the East, North and South County Court locations. There is no free parking at the Central Courthouse. You cannot easily use parking meters because they have a 2 hour limit, and parking tickets for expired meters are expensive. We encourage you to use the trolley, bus or Coaster.

For transit information call (619) 233-3004. People with hearing impairments may call TTY/TDD (619) 234-5005. For 24 hour information from a touch tone phone call InfoExpress at (619) 685-4900. Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) – The following link is for trolley, bus and Coaster transit service information, transit.511sd.com,

1. Back to Top All jurors entering the courthouse are required to go through a weapons screening process conducted by the Sheriff’s Department.
2. If you have items that are not allowed, you may be asked to leave the courthouse and return without them.
3. For a list of prohibited items please click here,
4. Business casual dress is recommended.

Due to the nature of the court process itself, there are often periods of waiting before jurors are seated in the courtroom. Each day, the trial judge usually handles more than one case. Sometimes he or she will handle a calendar involving dozens of cases.

During the trial, attorneys need time to organize evidence, interview witnesses, and prepare answers to legal questions raised during the proceedings. We suggest you bring something to read. There are brief recesses throughout the day, and you will have at least one hour for lunch. Restaurants are located within walking distance at most court locations.

If you were a sworn juror on a trial, and receive a Summons for Jury Service within 3 years, you may request to be excused. Yes, unless your health prevents you from doing so. If so, you may be permanently excused without a doctor’s letter. For more information, call the court at (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m.

To 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Friday. The process of summoning jurors is random. If you have already responded to a summons or have served in the past 12 months, call the court at (619) 844-2800 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Friday. Explain to the staff person that you have been summoned twice in 12 months. Our list of names comes from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Registrar of Voters, and the Franchise Tax Board.

What is a good work excuse?

Frequently Asked Questions About Last Minute Notices to Miss Work – This FAQ will help ease your mind and provide you with some of the best excuses to miss work on short notice that are convincing and effective, allowing you to take the time off you need without raising any eyebrows.

1. What is considered a good excuse to miss work? A good excuse to miss work should be a real, legitimate one.
2. It’s not supposed to be something you have made up last-minute just to miss work.
3. Your reason could be that you’re feeling sick, bereaving a loved one, or taking care of an emergency.
4. Something like having a slight headache or feeling tired or unhappy may be considered unprofessional and could make your boss see you as someone who doesn’t take their work seriously.

What are good excuses to leave work early on little notice? Reasonable excuses to leave work early with late notice include child-related care, pet care, last-minute family arrival, family issue, home break-in, package delivery, utility issue, headache, back pain, stomach issue, menstrual cramps, toothache, contagious sickness, oncoming cold, work injury, and a doctor’s appointment.

What are the best excuses for when it snows to miss work? When snow hits, getting to work can be impossible, and you must devise appropriate excuses to give your boss. The excuses must be convincing enough since not many employers perceive a snowy day as a solid reason to miss work. Some of the best excuses include the roads are not safe for driving, or the authorities have advised people to avoid traveling unless it’s for emergency purposes.

If you opt to go this route, suggest remote work that you can do, if possible, that can alleviate any issues with you being away. What are the best excuses to call off work on short notice? Some of the best last-minute excuses to miss work include feeling sick, having a household problem, or an emergency appointment.

• Generally, these excuses need to be unpredictable as it’s unprofessional to give a reason at the last minute when you would have communicated them to your boss several days before.
• Can you say you’re feeling tired as an excuse to miss work? Being tired is not a great reason to miss work unless you’re dealing with constant stress or depression that needs to be addressed.

There is a growing movement to destigmatize mental health issues in the workplace, but many employers still do not support mental health concerns as a legitimate reason to miss a day of work. Be cautious if you use tiredness as an excuse to miss work on short notice.

1. Is it a bad sign when you make excuses to miss work? It is not necessarily a bad sign that you must take an unexpected day off.
2. If it doesn’t happen very often and you follow the tips above about communicating to your boss that you need to miss work, you should be fine requesting an occasional day off on short notice.

Can you get fired for calling in sick? If you work in an ” at-will ” state, an employer can fire you for calling in sick. That said, it’s unlikely that an employer will fire you for taking one sick day or calling out of work occasionally, especially if you follow the tips about communicating with your boss.

What are the best sick excuses to miss work? Not all sicknesses are considered good excuses for missing work. For example, having a slight headache cannot be a convincing reason for your boss. Some of the best sick excuses to miss work include body ache, diarrhea, cramping, nausea, fever, etc. You can tell your employer that you’re ill and need to rest or seek treatment.

What are the best last-minute excuses to miss work? The best last-minute excuses to miss work include personal illness, family emergency, doctor’s appointments, child care, mental health challenges, death of a loved one, and household problems, In fact, any unforeseen circumstance that requires your attention is among the best last-minute excuses to miss work.

What mental conditions disqualify you from jury duty UK?

Call to lift ban on jury service for people with mental illness

Ministers are facing demands to scrap an “unfair and discriminatory” law that bans thousands from being jurors because they have suffered from mental ill-health.Campaigners claim that many law-abiding citizens are wrongly excluded from jury service after being treated for conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.One in four Britons suffers mental illness at some point in their lives, and one in 10 is prescribed antidepressants, which would be enough to debar them.

Rethink, a mental health charity supported by barristers in England and Wales, will this week launch a campaign to have the rule rescinded. It agrees that some people’s mental state makes them unfit to be jurors, but argues that many others are victims of an “archaic” ban.

More than 9,000 people a year in England are refused permission to serve on juries. The government promised in 2004 – and again in early 2008 – to review the situation, but has not done so. The ban arises from the Juries Act 1974. A section on “mentally disordered persons” bars from jury service anyone “who suffers or has suffered from mental illness, psychopathic disorder, mental handicap or severe mental handicap, and on account of that condition either is resident in a hospital or other similar institution, or regularly attends for treatment by a medical practitioner”.

Rethink wants that replaced with a new definition of “capacity”, based on the 2005 Mental Capacity Act, which would allow many of those currently banned to serve, while excluding those who are genuinely unfit. Stephen Fry, the actor and comedian, who has suffered from bipolar disorder since childhood, is backing the campaign.

• There are thousands of people with mental health problems who are willing and perfectly capable of serving on a jury, but who find themselves rejected solely because they see a doctor from time to time for support or medication,” he said.
• Exclusion purely on the grounds of treatment for a mental health problem is unfair and discriminatory.” Rethink cites Winston Churchill as someone who, owing to his depression, would be banned.

Paul Corry, Rethink’s director of public affairs, said that about 50,000 people with mental health problems had been excluded since the government’s first pledge in 2004 to consult on the issue. “People should be judged on their capacity, rather than being arbitrarily written off.

It is high time the government carried out a consultation and considered outlawing this archaic and discriminatory practice, which prevents capable citizens from carrying out a basic civic duty.” The Criminal Bar Association, which represents barristers in England and Wales, also argues that the ban is wrong.

“Trial by jury is a vital component of our criminal justice system and, in order to work at its best, juries should represent a cross-section of society,” said Paul Mendelle, its chairman. “Figures suggest that one in four people will be affected by mental health problems, so it is inappropriate to impose a blanket ban that prevents anyone with a history of mental illness from sitting on a jury without assessment of their capacity.” But the Ministry of Justice ruled out any revision of the rule, and refused to say why the government had reneged on its pledges to consult.

What disqualifies you from jury duty in PA?

4502. Qualifications of jurors Every citizen of this Commonwealth who is of the required minimum age for voting for State or local officials and who resides in the County is qualified to serve as a juror unless such they meet 1 of the following:

Unable to read, write, speak, and understand the English language Incapable, by reason of mental or physical infirmity, to render efficient jury service Convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year and has not been granted a pardon or amnesty therefore

4503. Exemptions from Jury Duty As a general rule, no person is exempt or excused from jury duty except for the following reasons:

Person in active service of the armed forces of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Persons who have served within 3 years preceding on any jury

Exception: A person who served as a juror for fewer than 3 days in any 1 year, the exemption period is 1 year

Persons demonstrating to the court undue hardship or extreme inconvenience may be excused permanently for a limited period, and at the end of the period be assigned to the next jury array Spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents, and grandchildren of victims of criminal homicide under 18 Pa.C.S.2501 (relating to criminal homicide)

Requests for Excusal All requests for excusal must be made in writing and should be returned with your questionnaire. In the event of a medical excuse, please include a statement from your physician. Last minute requests and/or requests made after your questionnaire has been returned may be returned by fax at 717.240.6460 (attn: Jury Coordinator), by email, or by mailing to: Court Administration Office Attn: Jury Coordinator 1 Courthouse Square Carlisle, PA 17013

How do I postpone jury duty in NYC?

You can postpone your service once online or by calling 800-449-2819 at least one week before your date of service. Have your juror index number (from your summons) with you when you call.