Questions & Answers (FAQ's)

• Where do you get the names of potential jurors?
• Who must report?
• What happens if a juror does not report for jury service?
• What accommodations are available for jurors with disabilities?
• Can jurors postpone jury service for a later date?
• How long is jury service?
• Are jurors compensated?
• How long does it take for jurors to get paid?
• What if my summons or questionnaire is lost?
• Can I request an excuse from service due to a financial or medical hardship?
• Is there an age restriction for jurors?
• What happens if a juror does not report for jury service?
• If I serve as a juror in federal court do I still have to serve in state court?
• If I served as a juror in New York State Court, do I still have to serve in federal court?
• How can jurors make comments regarding jury service?

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Where do you get the names of potential jurors?

Potential jurors are randomly selected from lists of registered voters, holders of drivers’ licenses or ID’s issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles, New York State income tax filers, recipients of unemployment insurance or family assistance, and from volunteers.

Who must report?

There are no automatic exemptions or excuses from jury service in New York State. Everyone who is eligible must serve. You are eligible to serve as a juror in New York State if you are:
1) a United States citizen,
2) at least 18 years old, and
3) a resident of the county to which you are summoned to serve.

In addition, jurors must

4) be able to understand and communicate in the English
language, and
5) not have been convicted of a felony

What happens if a juror does not report for jury service?

Jury duty, like paying taxes, is mandatory. Skipping jury duty can result in civil or criminal penalties. In addition, anyone who skips jury service will be assigned a new date for future jury service.

What accommodations are available for jurors with disabilities?

The court provides services or aids to reasonably accommodate jurors with disabilities. Aids that are generally available for hearing impaired people include assistive listening devices, sign language interpreters, and “real-time” captioning of court proceedings. Courts may also be able to provide a reader for visually impaired jurors. A juror who has a mobility impairment and is sent to a courtroom with access problems may be reassigned to a different location that has better access. TDD users can call the relay service at 1-800-662-1220 to place the call. Some courts may have a TDD or TTY in the Clerk’s office. Access questions or requests for assistance should be addressed to a jury commissioner, court clerk or judge.

Can jurors postpone jury service for a later date?

You can postpone your service once online or by calling 800-449-2819 at least one week before your date of service. Have your juror index number (from your summons) with you when you call. Pick a date between 2 and 6 months from the date on your summons and you will be assigned the available date closest to your choice. Any future request for postponement or excusal must be made by contacting your local commissioner of jurors office.

If you cannot serve even if granted a postponement, you may contact your local commissioner of jurors office and ask to be excused from service. The commissioner may ask you to provide documentary proof of the reasons why you need to be excused.

How long is jury service?

Jurors who do not sit on a jury trial may serve for as little as 1–2 days. However, even if not needed for a trial, a juror may be asked to be available or on call for up to five days. Those who are selected to serve on a jury are required to serve on only one trial. The judge informs the jurors how long the trial is expected to last. Length of service on a grand jury may vary from two weeks to a month or more. For more information about service as a grand juror see the Unified Court System’s “Grand Juror’s Handbook.”

Are jurors paid?

The jury fee is $40 per day. If service extends beyond 30 days the court may authorize an additional $6 per day per juror. The fee is paid by the State or the employer depending on (1) the day of service and (2) the size of employer. Employers’ jury fee obligations are explained below. For help figuring out how the rules apply to your individual circumstances, you can use the chart “Who Pays Your Jury Fee?” The Commissioner of Jurors will collect the Social Security number from any juror who is likely to be paid $600 or more in jury fees.

How long does it take for jurors to get paid?

Four to six weeks.

What if my summons or questionnaire is lost?

Contact your local Commissioner of Jurors. Find contact information by scrolling down at “Select County” in the box on the left menu.

Email Your County:

Select County                      New York City Counties: Bronx Kings (Brooklyn) New York (Manhattan) Queens Richmond (Staten Island) ------------ Albany Allegany Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Rensselaer Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Wyoming Yates

Can I request an excuse from service due to a financial or medical hardship?

Yes. Jurors are normally required to provide supporting documentation. Contact your local Commissioner of Jurors.

Email Your County:

Select County                      New York City Counties: Bronx Kings (Brooklyn) New York (Manhattan) Queens Richmond (Staten Island) ------------ Albany Allegany Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Rensselaer Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Wyoming Yates

Is there an age restriction for jurors?

Jurors must be at least 18 years old. There is no upper age limit. If you believe that you cannot serve for an age-related reason, contact your local Commissioner of Jurors Office to discuss possible accommodations or excusal. Your local Commissioner can also advise if any, or what type of, documentation is required for excusal.

What happens if a juror does not report for jury service?

Jury duty, like paying taxes, is mandatory. Skipping jury duty can result in civil or criminal penalties. In addition, anyone who skips jury service will be assigned a new date for future jury service.

If I serve as a juror in federal court do I still have to serve in state court?

A person who serves in a State or Federal court in New York—either by reporting in person or by being available to serve via a telephone call-in system—normally is not eligible to serve again in the New York State courts for at least six years. A juror who serves for more than ten days normally is not eligible to serve again in the New York State courts for at least eight years. Jurors who physically report to serve in Town and Village courts are eligible to serve again in six years. Just because a person is eligible to serve does not mean they will be called.

If I served as a juror in New York State Court, do I still have to serve in federal court?

Each of the four federal district courts in New York State treats the length of time for ineligibility from service differently. The Eastern, Western, and Northern Districts excuse from service anyone who has served within two years. The Southern District excuses anyone who has served within four years. If your service in the Eastern District (Queens, Kings, Richmond, Nassau or Suffolk) was limited to telephone standby you are not excused from federal court service. In the Northern District (32 northern counties) a summoned juror who attended a jury selection in state court but was not selected to serve on a jury is not excused. For specific information about each court’s practices go to NYS Federal Court Jury Rules.

How can jurors make comments regarding jury service?

• Contact the Commissioner of Jurors for your county:
  
  
  Select County                      New York City Counties: Bronx Kings (Brooklyn) New York (Manhattan) Queens Richmond (Staten Island) ------------ Albany Allegany Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Rensselaer Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Wyoming Yates
  
  For questions or comments about your service, please include your juror index number.  It is on your questionnaire or summons right next to a bar code.
  
  
  

• For general comments you may email [email protected] or call 1-800-NYJUROR [1-800-695-8767].

 

 

FAQ's in Adobe Acrobat.

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