It seems like a right of passage for individuals as they reach the age of adulthood to inquire what happens if you miss jury duty; I remember being a teenager and learning about the process through Pauly Shore’s Jury Duty. As one can likely imagine, I learned precious little about the actual duties of a juror and what sort of time requirements may be necessary in more complex cases. The first thing I learned about jury duty is that an employer cannot fire you because you are not available for your job, if you’re actively serving on a jury.
The pool of individuals that can be chosen for jury duty is large, comprising those that have reached the age of majority (18 years old). When you are looking at something like the federal district court for the Eastern District of Arkansas’s jury FAQ, you find out some fascinating stuff. Before I was an adult, I presumed that after someone had served jury duty, they would be excluded for some static length of time. However, this may not be the case – the jury wheels of each term contain names comprising the whole of the adult population.
Better to ask forgiveness
You will have to check in your specific jurisdiction, but your absence from scheduled jury duty is not the biggest issue one can have. If you call the court as soon as possible (ideally, you will want to explain to the court the reason for the absence beforehand if you know you will be unable to make jury duty. In Arkansas, there is advisory content from the Arkansas Judiciary that strongly recommends that a juror request to have their service truncated. The state does not provide for any exclusions to jury duty based on one’s occupation.
Legal punishments for those that miss jury duty
The requirements (and punishments) for jurors that miss their service are different. For example, it is within the right of the judge to require jurors to pay $1,000 in a fine for the offense. Particularly problematic jurors may also receive a bench warrant with potential jail time for this misaction. Of course, being arrested for willfully ignoring jury duty could have additional complications. Particularly sensitive jobs may not want to hire someone that has flaunted their civic duty (or does not have a sterling background check).
That is a lot of information to mull over, but the instruction to readers is fairly simple. Make jury duty if you can and contact the judge (or county offices) to ensure that they understand why it is you’re missing jury duty. Be cognizant of the rules your court follows – many jurisdictions have juror responsibility documents accessible online.
Concluding thoughts
This article is intended only to discuss a topic and is in no way legal advice. Please contact a legal professional for advice about what you should do if you are summoned to jury duty. If you have had anything in the way of experience with being a juror in a case, please leave a comment below.
