The day starts early and involves a lot of waiting

You arrive at the courthouse at the time listed on your summons — usually between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. Bring the summons itself, a photo ID, and proof of residence. You will check in at the jury assembly room, which is often a large waiting area with rows of seats. Hundreds of people may be there on the same day. You will be asked to confirm your name and address and to turn off your phone.

Most of the morning is spent waiting. You may watch an orientation video about how the jury system works. You may read, work on a laptop, or sit. The court moves slowly because judges, lawyers, and court staff are handling multiple cases at once. Bring something to do. Many courthouses have WiFi, but not all.

Around mid-morning or early afternoon, court staff will call groups of people — usually 30 to 60 at a time — to go upstairs to a specific courtroom. This is called being called to the "jury pool" for that case. You will sit in the courtroom gallery (the public seating area) while the judge and lawyers ask questions to figure out who will actually sit on the jury.

Key Takeaways

  • Jury duty starts with hours of waiting in a courthouse assembly room; bring your summons, ID, and something to occupy your time.
  • If you are called to a courtroom, you will answer questions from the judge and lawyers about your background, beliefs, and ability to be fair — this process is called voir dire.
  • Either side can reject you without giving a reason (peremptory challenge) or for cause if you admit bias or hardship.
  • If you are selected, the trial itself can last anywhere from one day to several weeks depending on the case.
  • You are paid a small daily fee by the court, usually between $15 and $50 per day, though some states and counties pay more.

Voir dire: how lawyers and the judge decide who sits on the jury

Once you are in the courtroom, the judge will explain the case in general terms — the charge, the parties involved, and what the trial will cover. Then the judge and the lawyers for both sides will ask you questions. This questioning is called voir dire. The questions are designed to find out whether you can be impartial, whether you have personal experience with the subject matter, and whether anything in your life would make it hard for you to serve.

You may be asked about your job, your family, whether you have been a victim of crime, whether you have strong political views, whether you know anyone involved in the case, or whether you have medical conditions that would make sitting for hours difficult. Answer honestly. Lying during voir dire can result in perjury charges, though this is rare. If something makes you unable to serve fairly — a scheduled surgery, a job you cannot leave, a genuine bias — say so. The judge will decide whether to excuse you.

After questioning, each lawyer gets to reject a certain number of jurors without giving a reason. This is called a peremptory challenge. Lawyers use these to remove people they think will not favor their side. The judge can also remove you "for cause" if you admit bias or hardship that makes you unsuitable. If you are not removed, you are seated on the jury.

What happens during the trial itself

Once the jury is seated, the trial begins. The prosecutor (in a criminal case) or the plaintiff's lawyer (in a civil case) presents their case first. They call witnesses, show evidence, and make arguments. Then the defense does the same. Witnesses are sworn in and answer questions from both lawyers. You sit and listen. You cannot take notes in most courtrooms, though some courts now allow it. You cannot talk to anyone about the case — not other jurors, not people outside the courthouse, not even your spouse.

The judge will give you instructions about the law. You must follow those instructions even if you disagree with the law. You cannot do your own research, look up facts online, or visit the scene of the crime. You cannot contact witnesses or parties to the case. If you break these rules, it can result in a mistrial, which means the whole trial has to start over.

Trials can last one day or several weeks. During the trial, you will be in the courtroom during business hours — usually 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a lunch break. Some trials run longer. You will be told at the beginning roughly how long the trial is expected to last.

Jury deliberation and reaching a verdict

Once all the evidence has been presented and the lawyers have made their closing arguments, the judge sends the jury to a separate room to deliberate. This is where you and the other jurors discuss the case and try to reach a verdict. The judge will have given you specific questions to answer — in a criminal case, usually "guilty" or "not guilty"; in a civil case, usually "liable" or "not liable" and sometimes the amount of money owed.

Deliberation can take anywhere from an hour to several days. You must listen to the other jurors' views. You cannot simply vote and leave. If you cannot reach agreement, the jury is "hung," and the judge may declare a mistrial. In criminal cases, the verdict must usually be unanimous. In civil cases, the rule varies by state — some require unanimity, others require only a majority.

Once you reach a verdict, you return to the courtroom and announce it. The judge thanks you and releases you from jury duty. You are done.

Pay, time off work, and employer protections

You are paid by the court for jury service. The amount varies widely by state and county. Some courts pay $15 to $25 per day. Others pay $50 or more. A few states pay nothing for the first few days. You are usually paid at the end of the trial or by check mailed to you afterward. The pay is taxable income.

Your employer cannot fire you, demote you, or cut your pay because you served on a jury. This protection is federal law and applies in all states. However, your employer does not have to pay you during jury duty — only the court does. If you are self-employed or hourly, you will lose income. Some employers pay employees during jury duty anyway, but they are not required to.

If jury duty will cause you serious financial hardship, you can ask the judge to excuse you during voir dire. Explain the situation clearly. The judge may excuse you, postpone your service to a better time, or ask you to serve anyway. The decision is up to the judge.

What disqualifies you or gets you excused

You can be excused from jury duty for several reasons. If you are not a U.S. citizen, do not speak English well enough to follow the trial, have a felony conviction that has not been restored, or are under 18, you are disqualified and will not be called. If you have a medical condition, a scheduled surgery, a job you cannot leave, or caregiving responsibilities you cannot arrange, you can ask to be excused. The judge decides whether your reason is valid.

You cannot simply ignore a summons. If you do not show up and do not contact the court, you can be held in contempt of court, which can result in a fine or jail time. If you receive a summons and cannot serve, call the court and explain why. Many courts will postpone your service to a later date or excuse you entirely.

Common misconceptions about jury duty

You do not have to know anything about the law before you serve. The judge will explain the law to you. Your job is to listen to the evidence and apply the law as the judge instructs, not to decide what the law should be.

You cannot be punished for your verdict. Once you announce a verdict, you cannot be questioned about how you voted or why. This protection is called jury nullification immunity, and it means you are free to vote your conscience without fear of retaliation.

You will not necessarily be on a jury. Many people are called to the courthouse but never make it past voir dire. Lawyers reject jurors for strategic reasons, and judges excuse people for hardship. It is common to spend a day in the assembly room and go home without being seated on a jury.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get out of jury duty if I have a job?

Having a job does not automatically excuse you. However, if jury duty would cause you serious financial hardship — you are hourly, self-employed, or your employer will not pay you — you can ask the judge to excuse you during voir dire. Explain your situation clearly. The judge may excuse you, postpone your service, or ask you to serve anyway.

What happens if I lie during voir dire?

Lying under oath during voir dire is perjury, which is a crime. However, perjury charges for jury duty are rare. The real risk is that if your lie is discovered, the verdict can be thrown out and the trial starts over. Answer honestly about your background, beliefs, and ability to be fair.

Can I be fired for serving on a jury?

No. Federal law protects you from being fired, demoted, or punished by your employer because you served on a jury. However, your employer does not have to pay you during jury duty — only the court does. If you lose income, that is your loss, not your employer's responsibility.

How long does jury duty actually take?

You will spend at least one full day at the courthouse. If you are selected for a jury, the trial itself can last one day to several weeks depending on the case. The judge will tell you at the beginning how long the trial is expected to last. Deliberation can add another day or more.

What if I cannot reach a verdict with the other jurors?

If you cannot agree after deliberating, the jury is hung. The judge may ask you to keep trying, or may declare a mistrial. In a mistrial, the case may be retried with a new jury, dismissed, or settled. A hung jury does not mean you did anything wrong — it means the evidence did not convince all jurors.