Receiving a jury duty summons in the mail is a moment of civic whiplash. On one hand, you feel a twinge of pride in the judicial system. On the other, you feel a wave of panic as you scan your calendar. You have a non-refundable vacation. A critical work deadline. A medical procedure. A child without childcare.
Here is the loophole: When you postpone, request “standby service.” This means you call a phone number each night for a week. If your number isn’t called, you are done.
Postponing jury duty is not the same as evading it. Courts expect that people have conflicts. In fact, most jurisdictions allow you to postpone your service by up to six months to a year. The secret is knowing how to ask, when to ask, and what to say to push your service to a date that actually works for you.
Postpone better, not harder. And when your new date arrives, bring a book. You’ll probably be sent home by 10 AM anyway.
You cannot serve on those dates. But the language on the summons is intimidating: “Failure to appear may result in fines or imprisonment.”