If you can't get out of attending jury selection, there are many ways to raise the odds that you will be excused after jury selection without being selected to serve on a jury. Jurors must read and write well enough to fill out forms related to their jury duty. Requesting an Excuse from Jury Duty | United States District Court for If you are summoned for both state and federal jury duty, you need to report to the federal jury service. We will use this information to improve this page. , Written statement that juror cannot speak and understand English,and the language spoken by the juror. A lock icon ( If no form is available, you can type your letter using traditional business letter format. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. If you receive a summons for jury duty, you typically must appear in court. Generally, if you qualify for one of the statutory excuses, you can respond to your jury duty summons letter with an excuse note containing proof of your excuse, and you will not have to report for jury selection. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. You are the sole caretaker of a permanently disabled person living with you (and you do not work outside the home). MA Jury Duty Exemptions and How to Request an Excuse. Please limit your input to 500 characters. You'll need to contact the OJC to be added to the list again if you later decide you'd like to serve. Date your letter with the date you intend to mail it, and include both your mailing address and the mailing address of the court. However, there are times when serving can be extremely problematic or cause hardship. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Learn about juror eligibility and disqualification, is, Learn about juror eligibility and disqualification. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. You should send a copy of your federal jury duty summons to the OJC prior to your scheduled date to be disqualified from your state jury duty obligation. Office of Jury Commissioner Can I Get Excused From Jury Duty Because I Work? While jury duty is a civic requirement for all eligible citizens in Massachusetts, there are a number of excuses that can be used to legally get out of being required to report for jury selection or jury duty, or receive a deferral. Application. For example, if you are summoned to serve on a jury in New Jersey, the court includes a questionnaire that you must complete and return. Written statement that juror cannot speak and understand English, Current out-of-state address and brief explanation, e.g., active. You may also address it to the Judge c/o the Clerk of Court. Felons, unless they have had their civil rights restored, cannot serve on juries. Finally, print out the letter and sign your full name at the bottom in blue or black ink. You must be over 18 to serve on a jury. We can help you with a variety of other problems, including: No matter what your concern, DoNotPay can help! Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. However, DoNotPay can do so much more than file your jury duty exemption request. Therefore, simply having a job isn't in itself enough to be excused from jury duty. Typically, you are required to show up to the jury duty summons, and request excusal in person. Every courthouse is prepared to accommodate breastfeeding mothers who need a private space to pump. Report to the courthouse on the day of service, Speak to the judge about why you feel you should be excused from jury duty, Write a letter to the Office of Jury Commissioner explaining your circumstances and why serving jury duty is an extreme hardship. You are disqualifiedfrom service if: If you're 70 or older, you can choose whether or not you want to perform jury service. If you are wondering if you qualify for MA jury duty exemptions, DoNotPay can help you navigate the process. Some courts require you to show up in person on the date of your summons, even if you've been excused. Persons 70 years of age or older can indicate on the juror confirmation form that they wish to be exempt from performing juror service. If you plan on claiming you should be excused from jury duty for a medical reason, you should read these requirements carefully and talk to your doctor before writing your letter. If you are physically unable to appear in court due to disability / disabilities, make sure to include that information in your letter requesting to be excused. Pending felony charges: statement of felony charge including court where charge is pending. You skipped the table of contents section. You must notify the OJC to be added back to the juror list in order to serve in the future. You can also mail the required information to the OJC at the following address: You can also fax the information to the OJC at (617) 422-5869 or email it to . Instructions for sending proof of disqualification from juror service To write a jury excuse letter, start by checking with your court to see if they'd prefer you to fill out a specific form. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. Section 4. Massachusetts Juror Service Help A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. The reasons are listed below. 617-748-9096. Keep in mind that if you don't meet this deadline, you typically won't be excused from jury duty unless you have an emergency situation that requires your presence elsewhere. Please limit your input to 500 characters. If you're attending college in Massachusetts but you're from another state, you're required to serve in response to your Massachusetts summons. A specific diagnosis isn't required you'll need to identify only the nature of . Your practitioner should review the information for medical disqualificationbefore deciding whether you're capable of performing jury service. These exemptions may be listed on the court website, or you may be able to learn them by calling the clerk's office. You should contact the OJC at(800) 843-5879to discuss your options if you need further assistance. You have served on a grand jury or trial jury in state or federal court within the last 3 years, or you are already scheduled to serve. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 310,964 times. A summons contains the juror confirmation form, which has a place where the juror may indicate a date, and an alternate date of up to one year ahead, to which they prefer to postpone the juror service. In addition, people caring for children under 10 or the elderly may be exempt from jury duty. Thank you for using the Massachusetts Juror Service Website." If you're a breastfeeding mother, you are still qualified to perform jury service. If you attend college in one county in Massachusetts but live in another, you're eligible to serve in either county. Use this button to show and access all levels. instructions for sending proof of disqualificationfor delinquent jurors, Not able to speak and understand sufficient English to perform juror service, Living out of the county/state for more than one year without returning, Felony conviction within the last 7 years, currently incarcerated, or pending felony case, Physically or mentally incapable of performing juror service. Her diverse experience includes publishing fiction in "Secrets" magazine, writing plays for the Live Wires acting group and creating manuals for area businesses. Specific felony charge within last seven years, including court anddate of conviction, or location of current incarceration. State law or court rules may require you to include a note from a doctor (for medical-related hardships) or your employer (for work-related hardships). You can reschedule your service. You should contact the OJC to discuss possible options. The summons or notice may state that your letter must be mailed by that day, or it may say the court must receive it by that day. In addition, jurors must speak, read and write English. If it is an extreme hardship to go to the courthouse (rare medical condition, religious orders restrict travel), you can submit a written request to be excused. On the Disqualification Request page (Step 2) select the reason and follow the instructions that appear below. To learn more about federal jury duty, visit theFederal Jury Duty Information page. All jurors must be U.S. citizens. If you don't want to serve, you can notify the OJC that you'd like to be disqualified, and the OJC willpermanently remove you from the juror list. If you need assistance, please contact the Office of Jury Commissioner. If you attend college in one county but live in another, you can legally serve in either county, but should contact the OJC if you are summoned in both counties. James Marsden made sure Ronald Gladden knew that the friendships the cast made with him on "Jury Duty" weren't part of the act. Learn about doctors' guidelines for jury duty medical disqualification Any citizen of the United States who is a resident of the judicial district or who lives within the judicial district more than fifty per cent of the time, whether or not he is registered to vote in any state or federal election, shall be qualified to serve as a grand or trial juror in . Cookie Notice Find out if you're eligible to serve and what you should do if you're not qualified. Enter the fax number or mailing address for the courtroom as displayed on your jury summons letter. Jury duty is a privilege and a responsibility shared by all eligible citizens in our participatory democracy. Make sure you're sending your letter to the correct court address or office so it is received and considered before the date you were summoned for jury duty. Carefully note any dates on your summons, including the dates you've been called to jury duty. Is Mental Illness a Valid Excuse for Jury Duty? Please do not include personal or contact information. We will use this information to improve this page. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. Then, provide your full legal name and any identifying information included on your jury notice, like a jury number or reference number. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Find out about the 2 different types of medical disqualifications and how to write letters for each type. You may be disqualified from jury duty if you have a mental or physical disability that keeps you from serving. In order to be disqualified from jury duty for one of these reasons, youmust provide the reason for your disqualification. Please include your Juror Badge Number on any correspondence you send to the OJC. A minor is not qualified for jury duty. This disqualification extends to all levels of government, from local to federal. 560 Harrison Avenue, Suite 600 Do you have a comment or correction concerning this page? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Find out if you're eligible to serve as a juror. This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Use the full name as provided for the Clerk. Primary caretaker of a permanently disabled household member. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This article has been viewed 310,964 times. If your business will cease to function as a result of your jury duty, you may be able to claim exemption from jury duty. or My reason is that I am on dialysis treatment. For example, in California your excuse is denied if you indicate more than one reason why you are disqualified from jury service. ", https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Texas_Bar_Journal&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=17697, http://thelawdictionary.org/article/best-way-to-write-a-jury-duty-excuse-letter/, http://www.16thcircuit.org/qualifications-excuses-postponements, http://www.cctexas.com/Assets/Departments/Municipal-Court/Files/JurorQualificationsExemptionsExcuses.pdf. If you've been summoned for both state and federal jury duty, you should report for federal jury service. and my physical condition may not meet the requirements as a jury member. Research source You can do this on the Juror Service Interactive Website. You also may be able to call the clerk's office and find out if there is a particular form that needs to be used. The person is considered capable of performing juror service if they're able to perform a sedentary job that requires close attention for 6 hours per day, with short work breaks in the morning and afternoon, for 3 consecutive days.