On the first day of jury duty, the staff ushers you to the jury assembly room, where you’ll be walked through the orientation films on the jury selection process and required to take an oath. Thereupon, the length of the first day of jury duty can vary considerably anywhere from a small part of your morning-after jury selection to serving till the court gets out at 5:30 pm, that is, if you’re sworn in. Keep reading further to know more about what you can expect from your first day at the courthouse.
What Should You Bring on the First Day?
Since you’ll be required to go through the security checking point as you enter the premises, keep your photo ID and summons on hand at all times. Don’t forget to bring your Confidential Juror Questionnaire with you as well, and make sure you’ve gone at least twice over your answers.
You can also expect a lot of waiting time before you’re called for jury selection by the judge. And although the jury assembly room is fully stocked with magazines and board games as a juror spends most of his time there, you can even bring a book or any work-related material to keep you occupied in your downtime.
What Should You NOT Bring on the First Day?
Children, pets, weapons, and other electronic devices other than your cell phone are by no means allowed inside the courthouse. As for the cell phones, you’ll have to turn them off once inside the courtroom.
If there is any special need of bringing medical supplies, you should contact the helpline number given in your summons and be better informed of the situation earlier.
How is a Jury Chosen?
At some point, after being given handouts and video briefed in the assembly room, you’ll be escorted by the courthouse staff to the courtroom. The lawyers and judge usually select a jury by the process called ‘Voir Dire,’ whereby they start with asking questions from potential jurors. The questions mostly pertain to determining the biases and background of the jurors and if they’re legally qualified to serve.
After completing all the questions, the lawyers begin to eliminate the jurors by making challenges that can even last for more than a day. Typically, there are two types of challenges: challenges for cause and peremptory challenges. If they feel a potential juror is not fit to sit through the entire length of the trial or does not qualify by any means, they can call for a challenge for cause. Peremptory challenges are rare but made if they find you favoring the opposing party even though you qualify for the jury.
Once they have all the 12 jurors, you are finally set up in the jury box and sworn in on a holy book of your choice that you will try the case honestly and return with a true verdict according to the evidence.
What Happens After You’re Selected?
After becoming a part of the empaneled jury, the judge will give you a basic rundown on the case, how long the case is expected to last, and all the other instructions about the courtroom discipline. You will be reminded not to form any opinions for either party until all the evidence is laid out and cautioned against seeking or discussing the case with any other jurors or family members.
Usually, the trials last from 1-3 days but can carry over for a week or several weeks depending on the complexities of the case. In any case, the judge is going to keep you informed. If the jury selection process gets expedited, the trial can begin the very same day with lawyers from each side going back and forth over their arguments. You’re thus required to pay full attention to all the motions and evidence presented from then.
Conclusion
Your first day of jury duty may vary significantly according to how long the jury selection takes. And since most of your time will also be spent waiting on several other court proceedings, it is hard to tell how long your first day will be.
However, as a general rule, if selected, you can be there for a full day which typically is around 5:30 pm for most courts in the U.S. And, if not, you can return to the assembly room and go about your normal scheduled day. Regardless, your attendance will be marked and noted as one day served of jury duty.
