| The Constitutions
of the United States and the State of New York guarantee defendants
in a criminal case and litigants in civil cases the right to
a trial by jury. The New York Sate Judiciary Law states that
all litigants have the right to juries selected from a fair
cross section of the community and that all eligible citizens
shall have both the opportunity and obligation to serve.
Summons: Approximately two weeks prior to your
scheduled term of service, you will receive a jury summons for
a specific trial term and assigned a juror identification number.
All trial jurors are on "standby" and report for service
only when instructed by means of a recorded message or by visiting
www.nyjuror.gov.
The recorded message or website will provide specific daily
instructions and/or changes for jury service.
In this way, jurors need not report to the courthouse for service
unless their services are in fact needed for the assigned term.
Be sure to bring your summons with you when you report for service.
Postponement: To request a postponement, please
telephone the Commissioner of Jurors office that has sent you
the summons. Requests for postponements and excuses must be
made no later than the Wednesday before your scheduled terms
begins.
Each juror is allowed to reschedule their jury term to alternate
week of their choice, within a six month period after receiving
original summons. Please have an alternate date available when
contacting the Commissioner of Jurors office.
Reporting for service: In most counties, jurors
who are not involved in a voir dire or trial are excused after
one entire day. In some jurisdictions, jurors who are not involved
in a voir dire or trial are excused after a few days.
Those who are selected on a jury are required to serve on only
one trial. On average, the length of a trial range from three
to five days. Some trials may last longer; the judge or attorneys
will inform the prospective jurors of the expected length of
the trial.
The usual reporting time for jury service is 9:00 a.m. Dismissal
times vary according to court activity. You may be required
to stay after 5:00 p.m. if jury selection is taking place, if
testimony is to be completed by a witness, or by order of the
court.
When you appear for service as indicated by the call-in system
or the website, you will be greeted by the Commissioner of Jurors
staff and provided with instructions and information regarding
your trial term. The staff is there to answer all questions
and concerns you might have regarding your term as well as educate
you about the complexity of the trial process, whether criminal
or civil matters.
Sometimes a case will settle out of court right before a trial
is scheduled. For this or other reasons, you might not be needed
for the jury pool after all. When this happens, you will be
dismissed for the day and instructed to call the recorded message
or visit the website for reporting instructions, unless otherwise
directed.
Those of you assigned to a trial that is going forward will
be escorted to the courtroom where the trial is taking place
and the selection process, also known as "voir dire"
will begin.
If you are selected as a juror, you will follow the instructions
of the judge or the court clerk for that trial. He or she will
advise you at what time and where you must report daily. You
will not call the recorded message or visit the website for
your reporting instructions.
The jury is a critical element in our system of justice. Jurors
presences in the panel is necessary, regardless of whether you
are selected to serve on a trial.
Verification of attendance: If an employer
requires verification from an employee, jurors may request attendance
verification (statement of service form) from a court staff
at the end of the day or at the end of a trial. Most employers
will require this verification.
For further information regarding the steps of a jury trial,
please visit the Trial Process.
|
3rd
JD
