what to expect first day of jury duty

A trial by jury is the right of every person in the United States. The right is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and Arizona Constitution. Specifically, the Arizona Constitution provides, "the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate." That right to a jury trial requires that persons summonsed for jury service appear and participate. Therefore, as noted on a jury summons, failure to appear equally directed may field of study you lot to penalties by law.

	If yous are not available on the engagement scheduled, you lot may postpone the date of your initial advent for jury service two times only. To request a postponement follow the instructions in the Juror Affidavit Questionnaire or Summons or contact the court in which y'all are scheduled to appear. Inconvenience to a prospective trial juror or an employer is not a legal reason to be excused from jury service. Withal, you may request to be postponed for this reason.
	Requests to exist excused are infrequently granted. In particular, excuses are not granted on the basis of religious beliefs, moral behavior, status as business proprietor, professional person status as physician or lawyer, etc. Excuses are granted on the basis that you do not empathize English or because jury service would crusade you to incur costs that would take a substantial agin touch on on the payment of your necessary daily living expenses or on those for whom you provide regular intendance. A request to be excused must be made in writing to the court that issued the summons and must exist supported past advisable documentation. Requests for excuse should be directed to the Jury Commissioner's Office. Possible grounds for excuse include: the person has a mental or physical status that causes them to be incapable of performing jury service jury service would essentially and materially touch the public interest, adversely the person does non empathize English jury service would require the person to abandon someone nether their care, because information technology is impossible for them to obtain substitute care jury service would cause the person to incur costs that would accept a substantial adverse impact on the payment of their necessary daily living expenses or on those for whom they provide regular employment back up jury service would upshot in illness or disease the person is a certified peace officer employed by the land jury service would cause undue or extreme hardship the person has served as a juror in this state within the last ii years the person is at least 75 years of historic period (Documentation in support of the excuse is mostly required) the person has served on a grand jury in an Arizona state court within the last iv years. (Does non apply to alternate grand jurors)
	Your service is required as a prospective juror for a minimum of one twenty-four hours. Please be prepared to remain the full day. If sworn every bit a juror, your jury service volition continue until the trial is completed (the average trial is 2-7 days). Arizona follows a i-day/one-trial term of jury service. Once selected, a person's term of jury service is fulfilled after they have served on ane trial. Those individuals who are not selected or assigned to a jury on the first twenty-four hours are also deemed to have fulfilled their jury service obligation by having appeared at the court. Other ways a person's jury service term may be fulfilled include: existence available for 4 days inside a thirty-twenty-four hour period menstruum (that is, the prospective juror calls in to run into whether they must report for jury service) or the prospective juror provides the court with a valid phone number and stands fix to serve on the same day for a menstruation of two days.
	Since you, as a juror, are an officer of the court, nosotros asking that yous clothes appropriately. Business organization attire is suggested. The temperature of the jury assembly areas and courtrooms tin exist unpredictable. Shorts, miniskirts, tank tops, halters, braless dresses or tops, tee-shirts, rubber sandals and other informal attire is not considered appropriate in the courtroom setting. If y'all should appear wearing these or other items deemed unsuitable for attention courtroom, y'all may be required to render home at your ain expense to modify into more than suitable attire or your jury service may be reschedule to another date.
	Depending upon the court, yous will be asked to habiliment a badge upon checking in, swearing in or being impaneled. This badge identifies you lot as a juror to other people and may peradventure protect you from overhearing any conversations pertaining to the case you lot are selected for.
	As a juror, you volition receive a mileage reimbursement for each day you serve. Compensation for mileage is the same corporeality paid to state officers and employees and set past statute. If you are selected to sit on a trial, you volition too receive a $12 per diem. Some courts pay the $12 per diem to jurors even if they are not selected to sit on a trial. Additional compensation is available to those jurors who serve on longer trials (lasting more 5 days) if their employers do non pay them while they serve.
	If your proper name is chosen every bit being a member of a trial console, you and other members of the panel will exist assigned to a courtroom. You volition be instructed where to report and asked to await in the lobby for instructions from the bailiff. Generally, you will be permitted to return habitation at the shut of the day's session in court. If an emergency arises while yous are sitting every bit a juror, consult the bailiff or judge virtually your trouble. Should you need to arrive bear upon with your family unit or employer, the bailiff will be happy to assist you.
	Upon retiring to the jury room to deliberate, the jury selects a foreperson. Information technology is the foreperson'due south duty to human activity as the presiding officer, to encounter that the jury'southward deliberations are conducted in an orderly fashion, and to see that the issues submitted for the jury'southward consideration are fully and fairly discussed and that every juror has a chance to say what they retrieve near every question. When ballots or votes should exist taken, the foreperson should see that this is done. The foreperson should sign whatever written request made of the judge. A expert foreperson can proceed the discussion organized, save time and get efficient results. Every juror should listen advisedly to the views of the other members of the jury and consider them with an open up mind. Your final vote should represent your own opinion based on the show admitted in the case. As a result of the discussion with fellow jurors, your stance may have changed from that which you first held. You should not hesitate to alter your mind. When differences of opinion arise, you lot should say what you think and why you think information technology. Y'all must non try to force another juror to concord with you nor should yous pass up to listen to the arguments and opinions of the others. Y'all must never shirk your responsibleness and must never permit whatever decision to be reached by chance or toss of a coin. If there is any disagreement or confusion as to the gauge's instructions, or as to their pregnant, the jury (through its foreperson) can ask the bailiff for further instructions or assistance from the gauge.
	In performing their sworn duty, jurors must conduct themselves in such a way that no one tin question their integrity. Whatever judicial officer, whether judge, lawyer, or juror, who acts in such a manner as to destroy public confidence in the judicial system becomes unfit to perform their duty. Jurors should be watchful of their conduct and commit no act which may agitate the distrust of any private. They should take no gifts or favors, no matter how insignificant or trivial, either directly or indirectly from parties in the instance or their lawyers. A juror should avert all familiarity with everyone interested in a decision of the jury. Both parties in a case have spent considerable time preparing for the trial. They will nowadays evidence and arguments to testify their side of the case. Jurors must exist careful non to form hasty conclusions or opinions until they have heard all of the prove and arguments and accept received the instructions of the judge. Justice will be done if jurors base their verdicts solely upon the evidence and upon the gauge's instructions as to the law, rather than upon their ain notions of what the law is or ought to be. If yous have whatever questions regarding juror conduct or the trial, ask the bailiff to consult the judge. The judge is e'er in accuse during the course of a trial. The guess is e'er prepare and available to decide all questions of law pertaining to the instance existence tried.
	Both prospective and impaneled jurors have the right to privacy and confidentiality. If your Social Security Number is requested, it will only exist used for the purpose of paying the juror fee and mileage to which you are entitled. Information technology is disclosed simply to the Finance Department in the county in which you served to result a payment to you. Your home or mailing address is known only to the court. Just the estimate can order the release of jurors' addresses, ordinarily to the lawyers in the case, and only for a skilful, legal reason. This very rarely happens. At the determination of the trial, should you exist contacted by the lawyers in a case in which you lot sat equally a juror, retrieve that you lot are not obligated to divulge any information concerning the deliberations, the verdict, or your opinions virtually anything concerning the case unless ordered to do and so by the court. Occasionally idiot box reporters volition ask the judge for permission to moving-picture show courtroom activities. If the estimate approves, the reporters are instructed to exist unobtrusive and to not film jurors. Y'all will not appear on television set. Reporters may interview the lawyers or parties in a case, and once the trial is over may asking to interview the jurors. It is your decision whether or not to consent to an interview. You are not obligated to divulge any data concerning the deliberations, the verdict, or your opinions nearly anything apropos the case.
	The Jury Commissioner'southward Office provides jurors for all trial divisions of the Superior Court, and in some counties for the justice courts and municipal courts. A main jury listing is made up of names randomly selected from lists provided past the Arizona Motor Vehicle and Voter Registration Departments. Prior to the projected date of service, prospective jurors names are drawn from this listing and prospective jurors are mailed a questionnaire or summons. When the questionnaires are returned, they are reviewed to constitute the eligibility of prospective jurors, pursuant to statute. The number of jurors summoned is based on historical trends. In some counties, jurors are instructed to "call in" prior to appearing for jury service. The number of jurors needed is based upon requests received from the court divisions that await to brainstorm jury trials. A member of the Jury Commissioner's staff takes attendance and assigns the proper number of jurors to each division conducting a jury trial. Prospective jurors are selected at random for the individual courtrooms.
	Anything considered to exist a weapon or that is deemed unacceptable by the courtroom security staff will exist confiscated and dealt with appropriately. No firearms or edged cutting devices, i.e. straight razors, pocket knives, hunting knives, or butterfly knives are allowed.
	Due to the nature of jury service and the court process itself, at that place are oft periods of waiting. Sometimes, for example, the parties to a lawsuit will continue to negotiate and settle the matter later a jury panel has been assembled; or the guess may be hearing arguments on last minute points of constabulary. Occasionally, the lawyers may talk with the guess out of the hearing of the jury, or the judge may excuse the jury from the courtroom so that a point of law or an objection may exist argued. Often, the reason for the delays may not be explained to you lot. Delight recall that this time is spent discussing and simplifying bug. Sometimes a case fifty-fifty reaches settlement during such conferences. While this may seem to exist a waste of time, apparently a case that doesn't have to be fully tried saves fourth dimension and tax dollars. As jurors, you are, past your presence and readiness to sit in trial of a case, actively serving our system of justice. Sometimes cases are settled "on the courthouse steps" or during the course of the trial because the parties and their lawyers may feel jurors might decide their dispute in a manner less favorable to them. We propose bringing something to read, needlework, etc.
	Many employers crave proof that you were summoned to serve as a juror. Ask the jury commissioner or bailiff for information on how to obtain written proof that you served equally a juror.