The day starts early and involves a lot of waiting

You arrive at the courthouse at the time printed on your summons — usually between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. Bring the summons itself, a photo ID, and proof of residence. You'll check in at the jury assembly room, a large space that often looks like an airport terminal, filled with other people who received summonses. Court staff will take attendance and explain the day's schedule.

Most of your time will be spent waiting. You may sit in the assembly room for hours while court staff process paperwork, contact attorneys, and decide which cases need jurors that day. Bring a book, headphones, or something to occupy yourself — phones are usually allowed in the assembly room but not in the courtroom itself. Some courthouses have WiFi; many do not.

If your county or court uses a staggered reporting system, you may be told to report on a different day or to call the night before to confirm you're needed. This varies significantly by location.

Key Takeaways

  • Jury duty involves arriving early, checking in with court staff, and waiting in a large assembly room with other potential jurors.
  • You will answer questions under oath about your background, beliefs, and ability to be fair — this process is called voir dire and can last from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the case.
  • If you are selected, you will hear evidence and testimony, then deliberate with other jurors to reach a verdict, which can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks in complex cases.
  • You are required by law to attend unless you have a valid excuse, and ignoring a summons can result in fines or a court order to appear.
  • Most trials last three to five days, but some civil cases settle before trial and some criminal cases are resolved through plea agreements, so you may be dismissed before any trial begins.

Jury selection: answering questions about yourself

If a case needs jurors, court staff will call groups of potential jurors — usually 20 to 40 people — into a courtroom. This is called voir dire, which means "to speak the truth." A judge and the attorneys for both sides will ask you questions about your job, your life, your beliefs, and whether you can be fair in this particular case.

The questions are designed to uncover bias. An attorney might ask whether you've ever been in a car accident if the case involves a traffic collision, or whether you have family members in law enforcement if the case involves police conduct. You answer under oath. Lying during voir dire is perjury and can result in criminal charges.

After questioning, attorneys on both sides can remove jurors they believe cannot be fair. The judge can also remove jurors "for cause" — meaning the judge believes the juror has shown actual bias. This process continues until 12 jurors (or sometimes 6, depending on the court and case type) and alternates are seated. Voir dire can take 30 minutes for a simple case or several days for a high-profile or complex trial.

The trial itself: listening to evidence and testimony

Once selected, you sit in the jury box and listen to opening statements from both attorneys, then witness testimony, physical evidence, and closing arguments. The judge will instruct you on the law — what you must prove, what standard of proof applies (beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal cases; preponderance of the evidence in civil cases), and how to apply the law to the facts you hear.

You cannot take notes in many courtrooms, though some courts now allow it. You cannot discuss the case with anyone — not other jurors, not family, not the attorneys — until deliberations begin. You cannot do your own research, visit the scene of an incident, or contact witnesses. If you violate these rules, it can result in a mistrial, which means the entire trial is thrown out and may have to start over.

Trials vary enormously in length. A simple traffic case might take a few hours. A typical criminal case takes three to five days. Civil cases can last one to two weeks. Complex cases — fraud, medical malpractice, product liability — can run for weeks or months. You will not know the length in advance.

Deliberation: deciding the verdict with other jurors

After closing arguments and jury instructions, you and the other jurors go into a private room called the jury room. A judge or court staff member will give you the verdict form — the specific question or questions you must answer. In a criminal case, you might be asked "Is the defendant guilty or not guilty of the charge of theft?" In a civil case, you might be asked "Is the defendant liable for damages, and if so, how much?"

You elect a foreperson, who leads discussion and eventually signs the verdict form. Deliberation is entirely private — no judge, no attorneys, no court staff are present. You discuss the evidence, the law as the judge explained it, and your views until you reach a verdict. In most cases, the verdict must be unanimous, meaning all 12 jurors must agree. If you cannot reach unanimity after a reasonable effort, the judge may declare a mistrial.

Deliberation can take 30 minutes or several weeks, depending on the complexity of the case and how much jurors disagree. Once you reach a verdict, you return to the courtroom, the foreperson reads the verdict aloud, and you are dismissed. In some cases, the judge will ask jurors questions about how they reached their decision — this is called polling the jury.

Pay, time off, and employer protections

Jury duty pay varies by state and county. Some jurisdictions pay $15 to $50 per day; others pay nothing for the first few days and then a small amount after that. A few pay more — some federal courts pay up to $50 per day. Check your summons or your local court's website for the specific amount in your area.

Your employer is required by law to let you take time off for jury duty. However, employers are not required to pay you during that time unless your state or local law says otherwise. Some employers do pay; many do not. If your employer threatens to fire you, demote you, or cut your pay because of jury duty, that is illegal retaliation in all 50 states, and you can report it to your state's labor department or file a lawsuit.

If jury duty will cause you genuine financial hardship — you are self-employed with no income if you don't work, or you are the sole caregiver for a child or elderly parent — you can request to be excused or postponed. The judge decides whether your reason is valid. Simply not wanting to go is not a valid reason.

What happens if you ignore a summons

Ignoring a jury summons is not advisable. 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 (typically $100 to $1,000, depending on the jurisdiction) or an order to appear in court. In rare cases, a judge can issue a bench warrant for your arrest. If you receive a second or third summons and ignore those as well, penalties increase.

If you have a legitimate reason you cannot attend — a medical emergency, a pre-planned surgery, a death in the family — contact the court immediately and explain. Most courts will postpone your service to a later date. If you wait until the day of and then call in sick, the court may require a doctor's note or other documentation.

If you are over 70, disabled, or have other circumstances that make jury duty genuinely impossible, you can request permanent excusal in many jurisdictions. The process and standards vary by state and county.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be fired for serving on a jury?

No. Federal law and the laws of all 50 states prohibit employers from firing, demoting, or reducing pay because an employee served on a jury. If this happens to you, report it to your state's labor department or contact an employment attorney. You may be able to sue for damages.

What if I have a medical condition or disability?

Tell the judge during voir dire or in writing before jury selection begins. Bring documentation if you have it. The judge can excuse you or allow accommodations such as a chair with better support, frequent breaks, or permission to sit closer to speakers. You are not automatically excused simply because you have a condition; the judge decides based on the specific facts.

Do I have to answer every question during jury selection?

Yes. You are under oath during voir dire, and you must answer truthfully. You cannot refuse to answer or say "I don't want to say." If a question feels too personal, you can ask to answer it privately with the judge, away from the other potential jurors and the public. The judge will decide whether to allow that.

What if I think the law is unfair?

You must follow the law as the judge instructs it, even if you disagree with it. However, you cannot be punished for your verdict — once you vote, your decision is final and cannot be overturned because someone disagrees with it. This protection is called jury nullification, though judges do not tell jurors about it.

Can I request to be excused before I'm selected?

Yes. If you receive a summons and know you cannot serve, contact the court listed on the summons as soon as possible. Explain your reason in writing or by phone. The court will tell you whether your reason qualifies for excusal or postponement. Waiting until the day you're supposed to appear makes it less likely the court will accommodate you.