Notice of Jury Service - Frequently Asked Questions
Jury Home
__________________________________________________________________
-
What if I cannot return the Notice of Jury Service within 10 days?
-
What should I do if I need to be excused from jury service for medical or undue hardship reasons?
-
What if the person who received the Notice of Jury Service is deceased?
Based on your answers to the Juror Qualification Questionnaire in Stage 1, you are qualified to serve as a federal court juror. Your name was randomly selected from the list of qualified jurors for the Southern District of Indiana.
What happens after I receive a Notice of Jury Service?
After you receive your Notice of Jury Service, you are considered “on-call” during your one-month term of service. This means that you are eligible to be summoned for a specific trial. If your name is selected, during your term of service, then you will receive a Summons to Appear for Jury Service approximately two to three weeks prior to the date you are expected to appear. This summons will provide you with specific reporting instructions, i.e., date, time, and place.
Why do I have to complete another questionnaire?
Since you likely received the Qualification Questionnaire several months ago, some of your information may have changed. In addition to updating records, the Notice of Jury Service questionnaire seeks supplemental information, which will be used to assist with the jury selection process if you are issued a Summons to Appear during your term of service.
Can I complete my questionnaire online?
Not at this time. However, the court may offer this option in the future.
What if I cannot return the Notice of Jury Service within 10 days?
The court understands if you are out of town
or have other circumstances that may slow your response time. We ask
that you return the questionnaire at the earliest date possible.
What should I do if I need to be excused from jury service for medical or undue hardship reasons?
Complete both sides of the Notice of Jury Service questionnaire and include the reason for excuse on a separate sheet of paper. Return both the Notice of Jury Service and the request for excuse to the court in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope.
If you have a disability and cannot physically or mentally report for jury service due to this disability, you may return a physician’s statement with your Questionnaire (submission by fax will be accepted provided your juror Participant Number is included); OR
You may include a separate statement with your questionnaire briefly explaining your physical or mental disability. If you are currently employed, please explain why it would be more detrimental to your disability to serve on a jury than your normal employment.
Please note that individuals with disabilities have the same opportunity and obligation to serve as jurors as individuals without disabilities. If you have a physical disability that would affect, but not prevent you from serving as a juror, and you are willing to serve if reasonable accommodation can be provided, please include those special accommodations on a separate statement or call the jury office.
The court will consider requests for excuse which would result in undue hardship or extreme inconvenience because of grave illness or a similar serious problem. Hardship requests for excuse will only be ruled upon if you are issued a Summons to Appear.
The following groups shall be excused upon individual request:
A person over 70 years of age.
A person who has served as a grand or petit juror for federal court within the last two years.
Volunteer safety personnel. (“Volunteer safety personnel” are individuals serving a public agency in an official capacity, without compensation, such as firefighters or members of a rescue squad or ambulance crew.)
A person having active care and custody of children under 10 whose health and/or safety would be jeopardized by your absence for jury service; or a person who is essential to the care of aged or infirm (frail) persons.
A person whose services are so essential to the operation of a business, commercial, or agricultural enterprise that it must close or cease to function if such person is required to perform jury duty.
How will I know if I have been excused from jury service?
If your request for excuse clearly falls within the five groups of people as defined above, you will receive a letter by U. S. mail excusing you from service. Other hardship requests submitted with the completed Notice of Jury Service questionnaire may be ruled upon by the court. If you are summoned to appear for jury service for a specific date and time and you have not heard from the jury office regarding your request to be excused, please call the jury office.
In order for your excuse to be considered, you must complete and return the Notice of Jury Service questionnaire with your request.
I have already served or have been called for service in county court.
Do I have to serve in the federal court too?
Yes. County and federal courts operate separately from one another, so
your service in county court does not satisfy your obligation to serve
in federal court.
What if I have scheduled appointments or vacations?
When you receive a Notice of Jury Service,
please indicate unavailable dates in PART 1. Return the Notice
of Jury Service questionnaire to the court within ten (10) days. The
court will honor any reasonable unavailable dates.
If you discover your unavailable dates have changed after you have returned the Notice of Jury Service questionnaire, please submit the change in writing and fax your information to (317) 229-3727.
What if the person who received the Notice of Jury Service is deceased?
Please write “deceased” on the Notice of Jury
Service questionnaire and send it back to the court in the postage-paid
envelope provided. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate
your cooperation in updating our jury records.
If you are a student in or out of state and still have, or use a permanent address in the Southern District of Indiana, you are not exempt from jury service in this Court. Complete both sides of the questionnaire and return it as directed. A family member may complete the questionnaire on your behalf. In doing so, they should sign the Questionnaire, indicating their name and relationship and explain why such action was necessary on a separate sheet of paper.
Regardless of whether you have moved within the state or out of state, please complete the questionnaire in full including your new address in PART 1, located at the bottom of the Notice of Jury Service, and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. Once processed, your address will be updated and, if you are no longer qualified to serve in the Southern District of Indiana, you will receive written notice of your disqualification.
What if I have received a Notice of Jury Service for a person who no
longer permanently resides at this mailing address?
If you can provide a current address, please
write the new address in PART 1 of the Notice of Jury Service,
located at the bottom and return it in the enclosed, postage-paid
envelope. If you do not know the person or do not have a forwarding
address, please write “return to sender” on the outside window envelope
and return it through the postal service.
What if I did not receive a return addressed envelope?
The court apologizes for this oversight. The
Notice of Jury Service can be mailed to:
U. S. DISTRICT COURT
46 E. OHIO STREET, ROOM 105
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46204
ATTENTION: JURY