FAQ About Jury Duty

Do I qualify for jury service, how can I be excused, how can I claim an exemption? Can I request a deferral?; What if I’m a single parent, a sole proprietor, a doctor, or an over-the-road driver?

• Re-reading your summons will answer many of your questions.
• You many be excused from jury duty by mail if you do not qualify or if you claim an exemption.
• You may NOT be excused by telephone.
• Instructions for disqualifying or claiming an exemption are below. The reasons for which you may be disqualified or exempted have been established by State law and are listed on your summons. Please read them for directions.

To qualify for jury service you must be:

• A citizen of the United States
• Over he age of eighteen
• A resident of St. Joseph County
• Able to read, write, speak and understand the English language

You can be disqualified if:

• You have a physical or mental disability that would interfere with or prevent jury service
• You are under a sentence imposed for an offense
• You have had your rights revoked by reason of a felony conviction and the rights have not been restored
• You are under a guardianship due to a mental incapacity
• Any other reason for which you would like to be excused from jury duty WILL BE ADDRESSED BY THE JUDGE THE DAY YOU APPEAR FOR JURY SELECTION.  Only the Judge is able to release you from jury duty, if you are not otherwise disqualified or if you cannot claim an exemption.

What if I have a hardship on the date I am summoned?

• Requesting a deferral may help you if you have a conflict or a hardship on the date you have been asked to appear.
• You may request a one-time postponement of jury service by checking the appropriate box on your summons and filling in a month when you would be able to appear. You must list a month within the next year when you would be available to serve.

Am I paid for being a juror?

• Jurors who appear for jury duty are paid $20.00 a day plus mileage based on the farthest point in your zip code.
• For actually serving on a jury, jurors are paid $45.00 a day plus mileage.
• Checks are mailed after serving.

Why are some people summoned several times and others are never chosen?

• Because of the random selection process, some names are selected every year or so, and some never are.

Do you pay for parking?

• At this time parking is the juror’s responsibility

Interference with Jury Service

IC 35-44-3-10

Interference with jury service

      Sec. 10. A person who knowingly or intentionally:

1. dismisses his employee;
2. deprives his employee of employment benefits; or
3. threatens such a dismissal or deprivation;

because the employee has received or responded to a summons, served as a juror, or attended court for prospective jury service commits interference with jury service, a Class B misdemeanor.
As added by Acts 1977, P.L.26, SEC.20.

Civil Action for dismissal from employment

IC 34-28-4

Chapter 4.  Remedies for improper Dismissal From Employment Because of Court Attendance.

IC 34-28-4-1

Civil action for dismissal from employment:

Sec. 1.  A person who is dismissed from employment in violation of IC 35-44-3-10 may bring a civil action, within ninety (90) days of the dismissal, against the employer who dismissed the person:

1. to recover the wages the person lost as a result of the dismissal; and
2. to obtain an order requiring reinstatement by the employer.

If the person obtains a judgment  against the employer, the court shall award a reasonable attorney’s fee to the person’s attorney.
As added by P.L.1-1998, SEC.24.

Local Jury Rules

Rule LR71-AR00-801 through LR71-AR00-807. Visit:
http://www.in.gov/judiciary/stjoseph/ or http://www.in.gov/judiciary/localrules/current//stjoseph-all-011508.pdf.

State Jury Rules: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/rules

Summoned to Federal Court

If you have been summoned to serve on Northern District of Indiana the link to their juror information is http://www.innd.uscourts.gov/jurorinfo.shtml.