How hard is it to get out of Jury Duty

[Anonymous]

Summoned for Federal jury duty in Alexandria. I live 1-1/2 hours away and have to bring my kids to school and pick them up. DH has to work and can't help. I'd love to do it, but can't make it work without paying for childcare (money I don't have).. Will I be able to get out of it?

[Anonymous]

Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

[Anonymous]

How can you be 1 1/2 hours away from the court and yet called for jury duty. Are you not updating your residence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can you be 1 1/2 hours away from the court and yet called for jury duty. Are you not updating your residence?

IDK Western Prince William County.

[Anonymous]

What does the form say?

I would think that 1 1/2 hours away is an undue hardship/ extreme inconvenience (where do you live?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

That's unfair. They do not pay enough to cover childcare expenses that are not usually incurred. If you work, you receive your usual salary. If you don't, you get ton thing if you aren't chosen and $30 per day if you are. That does not cover the cost of our school's drop in aftercare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

No, If he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. I have to drive my 2 kids to school and pick them up, no buses. Not trying to get out of civic duty, it will be a financial hardship. We're not high HHI people.

[Anonymous]

Agree on the distance. That is crazy.
Looks like you can ask to be excused or deferred.

I am not sure about federal but I was able to get Arlington county deferred for vacation. I literally paid for the trip the day before so I had proof. I was able to defer from July to Sept. They even let me pick the week. It was so much better and gave me plenty of time to figure out back up if I was selected (which I wasn't)


The Jury Act also allows courts to excuse a juror from service at the time he or she is summoned on the grounds of "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience." The juror should write a letter to the clerk of court requesting an excuse with an explanation of hardship.

The Jury Act allows courts to grant temporary deferrals of service on the grounds of "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience." The qualification questionnaire and juror summons provides specific information on how to request a deferral from your individual court. Whether to grant a deferral is a matter of discretion for the court and cannot be reviewed or appealed to Congress or any other entity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree on the distance. That is crazy.
Looks like you can ask to be excused or deferred.

I am not sure about federal but I was able to get Arlington county deferred for vacation. I literally paid for the trip the day before so I had proof. I was able to defer from July to Sept. They even let me pick the week. It was so much better and gave me plenty of time to figure out back up if I was selected (which I wasn't)


The Jury Act also allows courts to excuse a juror from service at the time he or she is summoned on the grounds of "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience." The juror should write a letter to the clerk of court requesting an excuse with an explanation of hardship.

The Jury Act allows courts to grant temporary deferrals of service on the grounds of "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience." The qualification questionnaire and juror summons provides specific information on how to request a deferral from your individual court. Whether to grant a deferral is a matter of discretion for the court and cannot be reviewed or appealed to Congress or any other entity.

This is very helpful. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Summoned for Federal jury duty in Alexandria. I live 1-1/2 hours away and have to bring my kids to school and pick them up. DH has to work and can't help. I'd love to do it, but can't make it work without paying for childcare (money I don't have).. Will I be able to get out of it?

SAHM's with small children have to pay for childcare for jury duty. Working parents have to continue to pay for childcare while not getting paid themselves. That's part of the nature of jury duty.

You can request to have the dates moved to summer, and put your kids in camp or other childcare that is convenient to the to jury location.

[Anonymous]

Breastfeeding? Then it's easy to get out of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

That's unfair. They do not pay enough to cover childcare expenses that are not usually incurred. If you work, you receive your usual salary. If you don't, you get ton thing if you aren't chosen and $30 per day if you are. That does not cover the cost of our school's drop in aftercare.

Only some people get their salary. People who are paid hourly generally do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

That's unfair. They do not pay enough to cover childcare expenses that are not usually incurred. If you work, you receive your usual salary. If you don't, you get ton thing if you aren't chosen and $30 per day if you are. That does not cover the cost of our school's drop in aftercare.

Only some people get their salary. People who are paid hourly generally do not.

This is not true. Not that I needed it (thankfully) but I got paid for the day I showed up in Arlington it was $20 or $30. I was not selected for the jury.

It looks like Federal is $40. While that is not enough to cover childcare for the day it is better than nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

That's unfair. They do not pay enough to cover childcare expenses that are not usually incurred. If you work, you receive your usual salary. If you don't, you get ton thing if you aren't chosen and $30 per day if you are. That does not cover the cost of our school's drop in aftercare.

Only some people get their salary. People who are paid hourly generally do not.

This is not true. Not that I needed it (thankfully) but I got paid for the day I showed up in Arlington it was $20 or $30. I was not selected for the jury.

It looks like Federal is $40. While that is not enough to cover childcare for the day it is better than nothing.

That's not what PP was talking about. My employer, for example, will pay my regular salary if I got called to jury duty. My sister's employer, on the other hand, would not pay her salary and she would in essence be taking a vacation day or no pay to go to court. That's what they're talking about, not what jury pay is. Which is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, otherwise every SAHM would get out of it.
Cant your DH take leave? Or you trade hours with a neighbor or friend?

That's unfair. They do not pay enough to cover childcare expenses that are not usually incurred. If you work, you receive your usual salary. If you don't, you get ton thing if you aren't chosen and $30 per day if you are. That does not cover the cost of our school's drop in aftercare.

Only some people get their salary. People who are paid hourly generally do not.

This is not true. Not that I needed it (thankfully) but I got paid for the day I showed up in Arlington it was $20 or $30. I was not selected for the jury.

It looks like Federal is $40. While that is not enough to cover childcare for the day it is better than nothing.

That's not what PP was talking about. My employer, for example, will pay my regular salary if I got called to jury duty. My sister's employer, on the other hand, would not pay her salary and she would in essence be taking a vacation day or no pay to go to court. That's what they're talking about, not what jury pay is. Which is ridiculous.

+1 you should not have to pay money to be on a jury