Carefully note any dates on your summons, including the dates you've been called to jury duty. You'll need to contact the OJC to be added to the list again if you later decide you'd like to serve. Submit the request at least 30 days before your date of service to the following address: Search Jury Duty Excuse on DoNotPay, and enter your jury duty summons information, including the assigned date, court name, juror number, and more. There are some instances where you do not meet the criteria for disqualification or deferment, but you may still request an exemption for an unusual hardship. Make copies of everything you send to the court before you mail it, so you have copies for your records. If you want to file a jury duty excuse request but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in easy steps: DoNotPay takes the stress out of trying to get exempt from jury duty. General Law - Part III, Title II, Chapter 234A, Section 4 If you are aged 70+ you can serve on a jury, or you can notify the Office of Jury Commissioner (OJC) that you would like to be disqualified and be permanently removed from the juror list. Write down the rule number or statute number of any exemptions that fit your situation so you can reference them in your letter. If you plan on claiming you should be excused from jury duty for a medical reason, you should read these requirements carefully and talk to your doctor before writing your letter. However, there are times when serving can be extremely problematic or cause hardship. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. If you've been summoned for both state and federal jury duty, you should report for federal jury service. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Please limit your input to 500 characters. If you're a breastfeeding mother, you are still qualified to perform jury service. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. For example, in California your excuse is denied if you indicate more than one reason why you are disqualified from jury service. Question still not answered? This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. If you're claiming a work-related reason you should be excused from jury duty, you should talk to your supervisor or manager about writing a letter for you to include with your own letter describing the need for you to be at work on the dates you've been summoned. This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Same form also used to ask for excusal due to hardship. Written statement that juror cannot speak and understand English,and the language spoken by the juror. What Disqualifies a Person for Jury Duty? | Legal Beagle Find out if you're eligible to serve as a juror. You are not an MA resident/do not live in MA at least 50% of the year. Requesting an Excuse from Jury Duty | United States District Court for Disqualified from jury duty, but not sure why : r/massachusetts 560 Harrison Avenue, Suite 600 If you work as a police officer or a firefighter on a full-time basis, you are disqualified for jury duty. Check your notice or summons carefully and make sure you fulfill all requirements to avoid fines or other legal penalties. You should send a copy of your federal jury duty summons to the OJC prior to your scheduled date to be disqualified from your state jury duty obligation. Understanding jury duty laws and exemptions can be a little confusing, but fortunately, DoNotPay can help you with Massachusetts jury duty exemptions. Your request may have a greater chance of being approved if you are willing to serve at a different time. You can also postpone your service for up to a year if you prefer, or request a hardship transfer to a more convenient location, depending on your situation. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Some page levels are currently hidden. If you're attending college in Massachusetts but you're from another state, you're required to serve in response to your Massachusetts summons. Pending felony charges: statement of felony charge including court where charge is pending. Find out if you're eligible to serve and what you should do if you're not qualified. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. - Stephen Breyer, 1991. Do not abbreviate titles, nor change the person's name. The state of Massachusetts clearly defines who is eligible for jury duty, who is disqualified, and who can request a deferment. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. For example, if you are summoned to serve on a jury in New Jersey, the court includes a questionnaire that you must complete and return. Email. FAQs. If the court states it accepts some work-related excuses, you need to explain the necessity for you to be at work or explain the hardship that would occur if you were you to miss work. Depending on the reason for the disqualification, you may be summoned for juror service again as early as next year. Generally, if you qualify for one of the statutory excuses, you can respond to your jury duty summons letter with an excuse note containing proof of your excuse, and you will not have to report for jury selection. You should be prepared to provide documentation of your status in the event that you are called for jury duty. Or a glitch in their system? Check with your court clerk for specific guidelines and procedures for voluntary disqualification. General Law, Chapter 234A, section 4, a person may be disqualified from performing juror service if that person is "incapable, by reason of a physical or mental disability, of rendering satisfactory juror service.". We will use this information to improve this page. If you don't want to serve, you can notify the OJC that you'd like to be disqualified, and the OJC willpermanently remove you from the juror list. Thank you for your website feedback! Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2447. Applying for an exemption from jury duty | Gouvernement du Qubec You were convicted of a felony within the past 7 years, are currently charged with a felony, or are currently in custody at a correctional facility. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Address the letter to the name indicated on your jury summons, whether the clerk of court or a specific judge. You can also fax the information to the OJC at (617) 422-5869 or email it tojurorhelp@jud.state.ma.us. Find out about the 2 different types of medical disqualifications and how to write letters for each type. Persons wholly responsible for the daily care of a permanently disabled person living in the same household may be exempt from service by providing physician's note detailing the nature of care they provide. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Keep in mind that if you don't meet this deadline, you typically won't be excused from jury duty unless you have an emergency situation that requires your presence elsewhere. You are responsible for confirming that the OJC has received your proof of disqualification. You can reschedule your service. A summons contains the juror confirmation form, which has a place where the juror may indicate a date, and an alternate date of up to one year ahead, to which they prefer to postpone the juror service. For example, the federal court exempts people from jury duty if they are public officials, employed as police officers or firefighters, or serving active duty in the armed forces. Use this button to show and access all levels. If you disobey this order, you may be subject to stiff fines or even jail time. 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