U.S. District Court Policy
In accordance with the Jury Plan for the Northern District of New York, jurors are exempted from serving in federal court for a period of two years if they have served previously in another court. In order to claim this exemption, the Northern District of New York requires that the person was actually selected as a juror on a case that reached a verdict. Simply going in for jury selection does NOT meet the requirement for this exemption.
Juror Information Form
Read this entire section before proceeding.
If you have been directed to appear at the Court for Jury Duty, you will need to provide the Court with certain personal information. This information will be used to update the jury records with your service credit and to process your jury pay. The information you provide WILL be kept confidential.
Jury Compensation: Pursuant to Section 519 and 521 of the Judicial Law, effective February 15, 1998, Jurors will be paid $40.00 for each day of physical attendance with the following exceptions:
- Exception #1: Jurors who are employed CANNOT be paid a jury fee for any day(s) on which they receive regular wages unless their regular wage is less than $40. In that case, the state will pay the difference between the juror's wage and the $40 fee.
Exception #2: Jurors who work for an employer with more than 10 employees MUST be paid, by their employer, at least $40 or his or her regular daily wage- whichever is less- for each of the first three days* of service. If a juror's daily wage is less than $40, the state will pay the difference between the juror's wage and the $40 for the first three days of service.
*Note: The obligation of the employer to pay only applies if the juror is serving on jury duty on a regular scheduled work day. If not, the state pays the daily fee of $40.
When You Report
All persons entering court building are required to pass through a magnetometer. No pagers, cell phones, laptop computers, food or beverages are allowed in courtrooms. Selected jurors may bring a lunch. A refrigerator and microwave are available in the jury deliberation room.
Telephone Standby
All trial jurors (excluding Grand Jurors) are required to call the Commissioner of Jurors office at 607-376-5404 starting at 5:30 p.m. on the day before your service is to begin for final reporting instructions as to date, time and place. If reporting on a Monday, you may call any time after 5:30 p.m. on the preceding Friday. A prerecorded message will give you further instructions. Please listen to the entire message.
Although the message begins at 5:30 p.m., you may call anytime up to 8:00 a.m. the next business day. A failure to call will subject you to the same sanctions as if you had not reported for jury service.
If you are not instructed to report, you are expected to continue to report to work or school, as is your normal routine. The State of New York will only pay you (if entitled) for days in actual attendance. Also, a record of attendance will only reflect actual attendance.
Absence/Emergency
If you are unable to report at any time during your jury term due to illness or emergency, please telephone the Commissioner of Jurors at 800-299-3669.
Excuses
Parking Accommodations
Jurors serving in Delaware Supreme & County Courts are allowed to park behind the County Office Building at 111 Main Street Delhi, NY or in front of the Courthouse on Main Street, Delhi, New York.
Jury Sequestration
Sequestration of jurors is no longer mandatory. Under the law, the trial judge will be authorized to decide, in all criminal cases, whether a deliberating jury should be sequestered or permitted to separate. It will be decided case by case, whether a jury will be allowed to separate or be sequestered.