Jurors' Office - Tips on Planning Your Jury Service
One Trial or One Day System
On many occasions, jury panel selections for lengthy criminal
or civil trials may take more than one day to complete. Please
factor this into your schedule when you are planning to appear
for service. Many citizens assume that under the One Trial or
One Day system, your jury service will last only one day; in
fact, it can be longer. Plan your schedule as if you will be
selected. By planning for at least 3-5 days in addition to the
selection process and by clearing your schedule of any outstanding
travel or medical appointments, you will be fully prepared to
successfully serve for the duration of your jury service.
District of Columbia law does not provide automatic excuses
from jury service based on your profession or the type of work
that you do. Your employer (whether you are privately employed
or a government employee) is required to give you time off from
work to serve as a juror.
Deferrals
If it is impossible for you to serve on your summons date, immediately request a deferral online at www.dccourts.gov/jurorservices or contact the Jurors' Office at 202-879-4604, or. You are entitled to one change, or deferral, of your service. You must provide the Jurors' Office with a mutually agreeable date on which you can begin your service, that is not later than 90 days from your original summons date. The day of the week that you select must be the same day of the week on which you were originally summoned. For example, if your original summons date falls on a Tuesday, the deferral date you select must also be a Tuesday. The Court does not enroll new jurors for service on federal holidays or Fridays. Normally, there are no new trials scheduled during the week before Christmas through New Year's Day, so please plan accordingly when deciding on the date(s) you are available to serve.
When obtaining a deferral of your jury service by telephone, always remember to jot down the name of the clerk to whom you have spoken. If for any reason you need to contact the Jurors' Office for follow-up, you can refer to that clerk, and he or she should be able to help you more quickly. You can be assisted most quickly if you telephone in the afternoon, as the Jurors' Office staff is quite busy in the morning when checking-in jurors. Be prepared when calling our office to request a deferral: have your juror badge number available (the bar-coded number printed in bold type on the face of your summons), your calendar, and the new date on which you wish to serve.
For your convenience, the Court offers online deferrals and an Automated Juror Deferral line. Both options are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week. A Jurors' Voice Mail Box option is also available if you prefer to leave a message with us. When leaving a message, please clearly state your name, your bar-coded juror number, and a telephone number where you can be reached. You should receive a return call from our staff within 1-2 business days. See Deferrals.
If you requested a return call and do not receive one within
that timeframe, please call again, as our staff has likely
had difficulty in retrieving your voice mail message or reaching
you by telephone.
If you request and obtain a deferral of your service, complete the juror questionnaire online at www.dccourts.gov/jurorservices, or return the completed form immediately in the postage-paid summons packet that was provided to you. You may also fax the form to us at 202-879-0012, or mail it to: Superior Court Jurors' Office; Room #3130; 500 Indiana Avenue N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20001. To reduce duplicate mailings, you will not receive a new summons packet if you plan to serve on a deferred date. Retain the original summons and bring it with you when you report for service; you will have the same juror number that appears on the original summons. If an emergency prevents you from appearing on the deferred date, contact the Jurors' Office at 202-879-4604 immediately for advice.
Although the Court will automatically mail a confirmation
of your deferral date to you, be advised that mail delivery
may be adversely affected by holidays and/or inclement weather
conditions. We therefore recommend that you mark your new
service date prominently on your calendar or in your electronic
scheduler. It is your responsibility to report on the deferred
date you have chosen, whether or not the confirmation notice
reaches you by mail.
Managing Your Health and Well-Being During Jury Service
The Superior Court encourages jurors to manage their health and well-being responsibly.
This means taking appropriate care of personal and medical needs during jury service -- whether it's one day or an extended period of time. While the Courts' Health Unit is available to provide emergency medical care to jurors during their service, it does not offer routine medical screening, treatment or medication administration.
Following is a checklist of items that jurors should consider having on hand when reporting for service:
- Prescription Medication (Rx)
- OTC (over the counter) medication such as aspirin, or other pain reducing medication
- Eyeglasses and/or contact lens solution
- Bottled water
- Light snacks
- Hand sanitizer/wipes
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