You are here: Home > Jury Duty > Jury Duty Frequently Asked Questions

Adobe Download Print this page

Jury Duty Frequently Asked Questions





General



1. What is the difference between State and Federal court?

Federal courts hear cases involving violations of federal statutes, crimes committed on federal property or disputes between residents of different states. State courts hear cases involving violations of state laws or disputes between two or more residents of that state. The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota is a Federal Court. This Court is completely separate from State Courts.

Back To Top

2. Can I volunteer for jury service?

No, the pool of jurors is randomly selected by computer and accepting volunteers would compromise the random selection.

Back To Top

3. Will I be sequestered (spend the night away from home)?

It is extremely rare for jurors in this Court to be sequestered. If this should occur, your hotel and meal costs will be paid by Court funds.

Back To Top




Questionnaire


1. How was I selected?

Each year, the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota creates Master Jury Wheels. To create the Master Jury Wheels, potential juror names are selected at random using an electronic data processing system. The names are randomly selected from a non-repeating list of registered voters, driver's license holders and state identification card holders obtained from the State of Minnesota and are proportionally selected from each county.

Back To Top

2. Will I be on call for an entire year? What if I have vacation plans?

You will not be on call for the entire year. You can live your life and make plans as you normally would. You will be part of our qualified jury wheel for the year. We summon jurors, by means of random selection, to be on call for a two month period of time. If you are summoned, you will receive paperwork from us approximately one month before your on call period begins. At that time, you can let us know about any vacations/appointments you may have.

Back To Top

3. What if I have an excuse other than the four listed under question number 14?

At this point in the process, you can only be excused for the four reasons listed under question number 14. No other excuses are taken into account. If you feel you need to be excused for any other reason you can notify us if you are summoned. Please note that the paper form has 10 boxes under question number 14, but we only have 4 excuse options. Please do not mark boxes 5-10.

Back To Top

4. What if I am only available during a certain part of the year?

At this point in the process it is not possible to specify what time works best for you. If you are sent a summons you can notify us if you have circumstances that make it difficult for you to serve during certain parts of the year.

Back To Top

5. How will I know the status of my request for excuse?

Unfortunately, we are unable to individually contact each person regarding their status at this stage of the process. However, if you completed the questionnaire and met the exempted from service categories under question nine or met one of the four grounds for requesting excuse under question 14, then, generally, you may assume you are excused from jury service at this time.

**Please note that in order to be excused under question 14, you must provide all requested information in the “Remarks” section. If you have questions as to whether your specific situation would qualify as an excuse under question 14, you may contact a jury clerk.

Back To Top

6. Can I request an excuse over the phone or by e-mail?

The only way to request an excuse is by marking the appropriate circle under number 14 on the questionnaire and explaining your excuse in the remarks section. This can be done on the enclosed paper form, or online using eJuror. Requests for excuse will not be taken over the phone or by e-mail.

Back To Top

7. What if the questionnaire recipient has died?

Please write “deceased” on the front of the questionnaire and return the questionnaire in the enclosed envelope.

Back To Top

8. What if I have previously served on a jury?

If you have served on a jury, in either state or federal court, in the past two years and would like to be excused please mark circle number 2 under question 14. Write the name of the court and exact dates that you served in the Remarks section. This can be done on the enclosed paper form, or online using eJuror. If you do not know the exact dates, it is your responsibility to call the court you served with and ask them for the information. You will not be excused unless this information is provided.

Back To Top

9. What if the questionnaire recipient is not able to fill out the form?

Someone other than the recipient may fill out the form. This can be done on the enclosed paper form, or online using eJuror. Please follow the specific instructions noted in the top right hand corner on the back of the questionnaire or on the first page of the eJuror questionnaire. The person filling out the questionnaire must provide his/her name, address and the reason why the recipient is not able to complete the form.

Back To Top

10. What if I have moved?

If filling out the enclosed paper form, cross off your old address on the top left hand corner of the questionnaire and write in your new address. If you are using eJuror to complete your form, update your address on the appropriate screen. If you have moved out of the state of Minnesota, you will be disqualified because you are no longer a resident of the District of Minnesota.

Back To Top

11. What if I move after I have returned my questionnaire?

It is noted on the bottom of the questionnaire that you are to notify the court in writing. Address changes can also be made over the phone, or online through the “Update Personal Information” option in the eJuror program. Please be sure to notify the court promptly if you have a change of address.

Back To Top

12. Which courthouse will I have to report to?

The District of Minnesota calls two different kinds of juries each year – grand juries and petit juries. To select grand juries, names are selected from the entire state of Minnesota. Grand jurors will report to the courthouses located in Minneapolis and St. Paul. To select petit juries, names are generally selected from the geographic location in which the jury trial will be held. This typically means that if a jury trial will be held in St. Paul or Minneapolis, petit jurors from the entire southern half of the state will be asked to report to either St. Paul or Minneapolis. Petit jurors in the northern half of the state will report to either the Fergus Falls or the Duluth courthouses.

Back To Top

13. Why am I being asked to report to a county that I do not live in?

The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota is a federal court. We are completely separate from state courts located in each county. We are required to have a fair representation of our entire district; therefore, we call jurors from the entire state of Minnesota.

Back To Top

14. What if I accidentally used ink to fill out the questionnaire?

We prefer to have the questionnaires filled out in a #2 pencil; however, we can accept and process forms filled out in ink.

Back To Top

15. What if I have a prior conviction and I do not know if my civil rights have been restored?

It is your responsibility to determine whether your civil rights have been restored. If your civil rights have been restored, please enclose documentation to prove your status. Unfortunately, without documentation showing that your civil rights have been restored, we will be unable to call you for jury service.

Back To Top




Summons



1. Now that I received a summons for jury service, what do I have to do?

In response to the summons for jury service you received you must do the following:

  • Complete the Jury Information Form. You can complete the paper form located at the bottom of the enclosed summons, or you can log onto our website (www.mnd.uscourts.gov) to complete the form out on-line using eJuror.
  • Complete the Vacation/Appointment Form. You can indicate the dates during your two months of service that you have scheduled vacations and/or appointments that cannot be rescheduled on the paper form provided or you can use the Partial Excuse option in eJuror to give vacation/appointment dates.
  • Contact the Jury Clerk to update your availability if your schedule changes after you have sent in your Vacation/Appointment Form. The Jury Clerk must be notified at least two weeks prior to the date(s) you are not available. You may contact the Jury Clerk via mail, phone, or e-mail.


IMPORTANT: If you are called to serve on a day that you are unavailable but did not inform the Jury Clerk as to the change in your schedule, you will still need to report for jury service and ask the Judge to be excused.

Back To Top


2. How will I know when to report for jury service?

You will be notified as to when to report for jury service by receiving a Notice to Report in the mail. You should receive the Notice to Report approximately one week prior to the day you must report to the Court for jury service. The Notice to Report assigns you to a panel and provides you with specific instructions regarding the date, time, and location (including a map) of your service.

IMPORTANT: You do not need to call or report for jury duty until you receive either a Notice to Report in the mail or a telephone call from the Jury Clerk.

Back To Top


3. How long do I have to serve as a juror?

Jury service in the United States District Court - District of Minnesota lasts for two months. This means that you are “on call” to serve as a juror for a period of two months. This does not mean that you will be reporting every day for two months, but that you may be called at any time during the two months to serve as a juror.

If you report for jury duty and are not selected to be on the jury, you will remain “on call” for the rest of your two month period and may receive another Notice to Report. You will not need to report again unless you receive another Notice to Report in the mail. In the event that you are selected to serve on a jury, your service will be complete at the conclusion of the trial in most all circumstances. The average jury trial in federal court is less than two weeks; however, some trials last longer.

Back To Top


4. What can I do if I cannot serve as a juror or cannot serve as a juror at this time?

You may request to be excused from jury service or you may request to have your jury service postponed. This request must be submitted before you receive a Notice to Report. Requests for excuse or postponement are handled on a case by case basis.

The Jury Clerk may excuse upon request the following occupational classes or groups of people from jury service:

  • Persons over 70 years of age.
  • Persons who served as a Grand or Petit Juror in the last two (2) years.
  • Persons having active care of a child or children under 10 years of age whose health and/or safety would be jeopardized by the jury service, or a person who is essential to the care of aged or infirm person(s).
  • Persons who serve without compensation as a volunteer firefighter or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew for a federal, state or local government agency.


IMPORTANT: If you feel you need to be excused for a reason other than those listed above, you will need report for service on your reporting date and ask the judge to be excused during the jury selection.

Upon request, the Jury Clerk may grant postponement of jury service for the following:

  • Persons with a health problem. You may be asked to submit a letter from your doctor to support this request.
  • Persons who are enrolled as a full-time student.
  • Persons with other extenuating circumstances.

Back To Top


5. How do I submit a request to be excused or to postpone my jury service?

To request to be excused from jury service or to have your jury service postponed, please follow these procedures:

  • Fill out the Jury Information Form, either in paper form, or on-line using eJuror.
  • Write a letter stating specifically why you need to be excused/postponed, or use the Excuse/Postpone/Partial Excuse option to submit your request on-line using eJuror. If you are asking to postpone your service, please include the date that you will be available. If you are requesting to be excused/postponed for medical reasons, you may be asked to submit a letter from your doctor.


You will receive a letter in the mail or an e-mail message to let you know if your request has been approved.

IMPORTANT: Requests for excusal/postponement may only be submitted by the person summoned (not your employer). Requests for excusal/postponement must be submitted before you receive a Notice to Report; the Jury Clerk cannot grant you an excusal or postponement once you have been issued a Notice to Report.

Back To Top


6. What if my employer will not let me serve as a juror?

While you serve as a juror, your employment is protected under federal law, 28 U.S.C. § 1875. If you have questions or problems regarding your employment as a result of your being summoned to jury service, please notify the Jury Clerk. Most employers have a jury duty policy and we encourage you to check with your employer regarding its jury duty policy.

Back To Top


7. What happens if I fail to report for jury service?

We try our very best to work with all prospective jurors so that they can timely report to jury service. In order for this to happen, we ask that you keep the Jury Clerk informed of any changes in your availability.

A juror who fails to report for jury service and was not excused from jury service by the Court may be ordered to appear before the Court and show cause for why he or she failed to comply with the summons for jury service. Failure to appear before the Court or failure to show good cause for failing to report for jury service may result in a $1000 fine, up to three days imprisonment, order to perform community service or any combination thereof. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1864(b), 1866(g).

Back To Top


8. Will I be paid for jury service?

All jurors receive $40.00 per day, and $0.51 per mile traveled to and from the courthouse. If you live 60 miles or more from the courthouse, you may choose to stay overnight during your jury service and/or the night before selection. If you choose to stay overnight during your jury service you are paid a subsistence fee to cover your lodging, meals and incidental expenses. If you stay at a hotel you are required to submit a receipt before you are paid any subsistence fees. Please see the jury information you received in the mail or contact your Jury Clerk for the most current subsistence fees.

Back To Top




Notice to Report



1. What do I do when I receive a Notice to Report?

  • Follow the instructions on the Notice to Report. Remember to call the jury voicemail message, as noted on your Notice to Report, before you report for jury service;
  • Report to the Jury Assembly Room at the courthouse on time. Please allow yourself plenty of time to find parking and the courthouse;
  • Bring a photo I.D.;
  • Bring your parking ticket for validation;
  • Be prepared to report your mileage.

Back To Top

2. What happens when I report for jury service?

When you report for jury service, you will check in, attend a brief orientation, and shortly thereafter, proceed to the courtroom for jury selection.

During jury selection, the judge will ask you a series of questions to determine if you are appropriate to serve on that particular jury. If you are not selected to be on the jury, you will be permitted to leave after the selection process is finished; however, you will remain on call for the rest of your two month service period. If you are chosen to be a juror, you will then receive instructions for how to report for jury service for that trial - trial hours are set by the Judge. On most occasions, the trial will begin as soon as the jury has been selected.

Back To Top

3. What is the dress code?

Please dress appropriately for court. Shorts, hats, halter or tank tops and jeans with tears are not acceptable courtroom attire. The courtrooms can be quite cool, so dress accordingly.

Back To Top

4. What amenities are available for jurors?

The U.S. District Court strives to make your time in the Jury Assembly Room as comfortable as possible. Coffee, water, juice and cookies, as well as magazines and daily newspapers are provided. Phones, a refrigerator and microwave are also available for your use. Reading materials, cell phones and laptops are allowed in the Jury Assembly Room. Food and beverages are not allowed in the courtroom. Computers, reading materials, and cell phones may not be used once you are in the courtroom.

Back To Top

5. Will I be paid for my jury service?

All jurors receive $40.00 per day, and $0.51 per mile traveled to and from the courthouse. If you live 60 miles or more from the courthouse, you may choose to stay overnight during your jury service and/or the night before selection. If you choose to stay overnight during your jury service you are paid a subsistence fee to cover your lodging, meals and incidental expenses. If you stay at a hotel you are required to submit a receipt before you are paid any subsistence fees. Please see the jury information you received in the mail or contact your Jury Clerk for the most current subsistence fees.

Back To Top

6. What happens if I fail to report for jury service?

We try our very best to work with all prospective jurors so that they can timely report to jury service. In order for this to happen, we ask that you keep the Jury Clerk informed of any changes in your availability.

Back To Top