Requesting a Partial Excuse

Partial excuses, also known as temporary excuses, can be granted for many types of temporary hardships during your term of service, such as: prior vacation plans, doctor appointments, business trips, etc. Please send a written request for your partial excuse when you return your jury information form. If you submit your jury information form online, you can request a partial excuse at that time.

Requesting a Postponement

If serving as a juror at this time is an undue hardship or an extreme inconvenience for you, submit a written request to be postponed and return it to the Court, along with the jury information form, in the envelope provided with your summons. You can request a time in the near future that you are available to serve. If you do not give a date, the Court will choose one for you. If you submit your jury information form online, you can request a postponement at that time.

Requesting a Permanent Excuse

You can request a permanent excuse if you meet one of the following conditions:

• are over 70 years of age
• if you have already served as a grand or petit juror in a federal court within the last two years
• if you serve as a volunteer firefighter or a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew for any federal, state, or local government agency.
• if you are a student with a regular schedule of classes
• if you have legal custody of a child under the age of ten (10) and it is essential they remain in the home for child care.

You must request the excuse in writing, and it should be returned to the court, along with the juror information form, in the envelope provided with your summons. If the basis of the excuse is a permanent disability, you must attach a doctor's statement.

Please do not wait until the last minute to request an excuse. If you have already returned your form or submitted your form online, and you are nearing your reporting date, call the jury clerk to discuss your hardship.

Does your employer have to let you off work?

Your job is protected under title 28 U.S.C. Section 1875 which reads in part:

(a) "No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee by reason of such employee's jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with such service, in any court of the United States.

(b) Any employer who violates the provisions of this section—

(1) shall be liable for damages for any loss of wages or other benefits suffered by an employee by reason of such violation;

(2) may be enjoined from further violations of this section and ordered to provide other appropriate relief, including but not limited to the reinstatement of any employee discharged by reason of his jury service; and

(3) shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each violation as to each employee, and may be ordered to perform community service."

However, under the law, the employer is not required to pay salary or wages while the employee is serving jury duty.