A U.S. citizen can get called for jury duty for civil and criminal cases in New York every four years. After knowing the facts of the case, the jurors decide whether a person is guilty or not for which they have been charged. The jury duty may last up to 2 days and up to 2 weeks to a month in case of a grand jury.

Eligibility to do Jury duty In N.Y

  1. They are a citizen of the United States
  2. They are at least 18 years old
  3. They have resided in New York for at least six months before being called to serve on a Jury duty panel
  4. They are not currently serving in any other capacity, including as an officer or employee of the government

A U.S. citizen who is 18 years old and a resident of the county they are serving can understand and communicate in English, never convicted of a felony, and have no criminal record.

Selection For Potential Jurors

The potential jurors are randomly selected from registered voters in New York State. They are issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles, New York State income tax filers, unemployment insurance or family assistance recipients, and volunteers.

What Exactly Happens During A Jury Duty in N.Y?

The potential juror is given a list of 25-30 names from the members waiting in the central jury room, and they are supposed to enter the jury room when called upon.

The attorneys introduce themselves and the court officer hands out cards with each name to the attorney. Six cards are selected at random and those six names are called ‘the jury panel’ or ‘the hot seats.’ ..

If not selected to serve by the end of the day, some courts will dismiss jurors for the next four years.

Attorney’s Role In The Jury Selection

The attorneys speak with the potential jurors and remove those not ideal for the case. Each attorney can remove a limited number of people during the jury selection process, known as peremptory challenges. An attorney must conserve these opportunities for valuable peremptory challenges and only use them when necessary during the jury selection. For example, suppose there is a disagreement between the defense lawyer and the plaintiff’s attorney on removing a particular juror. In that case, the judge decides whether the person or potential juror will serve as a juror or not.

Facilities Provided To A Juror

The jurors in New York are paid $40 per day, and if the service extends beyond 30 days, they are paid an additional $6 per day by the New York State or the employer, as decided by the court. Employees are provided time off from work to appear as a juror. In addition, the court provides aid for the jurors with disabilities.

Exempt From Jury Duty

  1. Citizens who are citizens of a foreign country and have resided in the United States for at least five years.
  2. Citizens who are citizens of a country that is part of the United Nations and has resided in the United States for at least five years.
  3. Citizens who are citizens of a country that is part of the European Union and has resided in the United States for at least five years.

If you are a person who has served federal or state court in New York, you usually are not eligible to serve again in the New York State court for at least six years. In addition, if you serve on a jury for more than ten days, you are not eligible to serve again for at least eight years. ..

Jury duty is compulsory for all U.S. citizens except for a few groups serving the public or government who may be charged with a penalty if they do not present for jury duty. Jurors are paid for their jury duty which may last between 1-2 days to a couple of weeks or even a month depending on the time of year.

There are nine federal district courts in New York.

Eastern, western, northern, and southern federal district courts are located in New York. ..

If a juror fails to appear for jury duty, the court may declare a mistrial. If the juror is excused by the court, they will be notified and their record will reflect that they were excused from jury service. If the juror is dismissed from service, their record will reflect that they were dismissed from jury service. ..

If you are a juror who is charged with civil or criminal penalties if you skip jury duty without a solid reason, you will be assigned a new date for jury duty.

No, jurors are not given any prior information regarding the case. ..

The jurors do not know what type of case they will serve on before entering the jury room.

The attorney of the injured victim is typically called the lawyer for the victim.

The plaintiff’s attorney is the person who represents the victim in court.