Robert M. Hammers | November 4, 2024 | Personal Injury
Serving on a jury when a court calls upon you to do so is a civic duty for all adult Americans. Nevertheless, serving on a jury can take time, and it doesn’t pay very well. In personal injury, cases involving medical malpractice, wrongful death, and mass torts can take a long time to resolve. So, what can you do to avoid serving on a jury? Here is a rundown.
Check Your Jury Summons
If a court selects you for jury duty, you will receive a summons that tells you when and where to show up for jury duty. It will also contain other information. Read it carefully, including the fine print. If you’re lucky, the summons will list ways that you can avoid jury duty. Even if you cannot qualify for a complete exclusion, you might be able to defer your jury duty until a later, more convenient date.
Contact the Court
If you think you might qualify for an exclusion or a deferral from jury duty, contact the court that sent you the summons. They almost certainly have a formal system that will allow you to request an exemption or a deferral.
Be careful–you will probably have to sign an affidavit to qualify. If you lie about an important matter in an affidavit, a court might charge you with perjury. Even if you lie about an irrelevant matter (by stating your eye color as blue instead of green, for example), you might face penalties.
Document Your Basis for Refusal
If you’re claiming an exemption or requesting a deferral from jury duty, especially based on reasons like age, be sure to document your reason clearly. For example, if you’re claiming age as a basis, obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate or another official document to verify your eligibility.
Standard Ways to Avoid Jury Duty in Georgia
Here are some of the standard ways to avoid jury duty in Georgia:
- You are over 70 years old.
- You are a full-time student. You must be currently taking classes to qualify. That means you might not qualify for an exclusion if it is summer break and you’re not taking any summer classes.
- You are the primary caregiver for a child under seven years old or for a physically or mentally disabled person.
- You have a severe disability or a serious medical condition. You’ll need proof.
- You are on active military duty.
- Your spouse is on active military duty.
- Your work involves public health, safety, or other critical concerns—doctors, sanitation workers, police officers, government officials, etc.
- You have already served four weeks of prior jury duty during this calendar year.
- Serving on a jury would involve undue hardship or be impossible. You are in the hospital in traction, for example.
Even if one of these exemptions applies, you’ll need to respond promptly to qualify for them. Since it is illegal for your employer to fire you for participating in jury duty, “my boss will fire me” is not a justification for an exemption.
Voir Dire
During voir dire, the jury selection process, attorneys and the judge question potential jurors to identify any biases, conflicts of interest, or preconceptions that could affect impartiality. This process is competitive because both the defense and prosecution aim to select jurors who may favor their case while remaining fair and unbiased. It is possible that you could be dismissed during this stage.
What Happens If You Skip Jury Duty?
Skipping jury duty could involve serious consequences. If you ignore your first summons, you’ll probably receive another one. If you ignore the second summons, you’ll receive an “Order to Show Cause,” and the court will expect you to explain why you ignored the first two summons.
If you continue failing to cooperate, the judge might cite you for contempt of court. This might mean fines, community service, jail time, or other penalties. The more you refuse to cooperate, the more serious the penalties are likely to become. Don’t risk it.
Talk to a Lawyer Before You Make Any Rash Moves
If you seek to avoid jury duty, it’s best to talk to a lawyer in Lawrenceville, GA, first. A lawyer can let you know what you can and cannot do and what the penalties for violating your duties might be, much better than a short blog post can. Contact Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your questions and concerns.
Contact the Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers at Hammers Law Firm Today
For more information, contact the Atlanta personal injury law firm of Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation. We have convenient locations in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, Mableton, Smyrna, and Roswell.
We serve Fulton County and its surrounding areas:
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Atlanta
201 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW Suite 312,
Atlanta, GA 30314
(770) 900-9000
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Sandy Springs
5555 Glenridge Con, Suite 975,
Sandy Springs, GA 30342
(678) 605-9838
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Lawrenceville
265 Culver St S. Suite A.
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
(678) 916-8584
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Mableton
5701 Mableton Pkwy SW Suite 108,
Mableton, GA 30126
(706) 480-5487
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Smyrna
2400 Herodian Way Ste#220,
Smyrna, GA 30080
(678) 922-4497
Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers – Roswell
110 Mansell Cir #111,
Roswell, GA 30075
(678) 582-8466