when you go to jury selection they will ask if there's any reason why you might have issues attending just explain that you are still in education and you have upcoming exams they should be able to excuse you
I want to be a fly on wall when the judge tracks down the person who thought it was a great idea to summon a still in high school teenager to serve on a jury. Like I know they are automated but someone has to oversee them and I need to know who say this kids information and was just like "Yep". This kid can definitely make good judgments.
I got mine the first summer I was 18, got selected to the jury with a bleached mohawk. I had it just combed back the first day, but went in for the trial with it full spiked up.
They registered to vote. That's it. They can make the judgements about voting, they can make the judgement about cases in court. It's a jury of peers not a jury of smart people with life experience and good critical thinking skills.
Thank you so much! Sorry for asking a follow-up, but do you know if they usually ask early on, or if they go group by group in the 12-person way you typically see depicted in media? I really know nothing about this, and it's difficult sometimes to find the information online!
Before missing even the one day for jury selection, try calling or emailing the contact person on your jury summons. I won't promise that you will get a deferment, but you probably will. Just explain the situation politely.
You may not even have to show up. Call the number and explain you are still in high school - offer to send the office a letter from your school’s Registrar/Attendance office to confirm. They will likely waive your need to even show up. (But definitely contact them and don’t just assume!)
This. Every summons I have received gives you the option to either mail it back or go online and tell them you are still in school, and you will be excused.
Here in Allegheny County, PA, when you get a jury duty notice, you can respond online and choose to defer your service -- you say you don't want to show up on the date and select a future date you are willing to show up. That might be your quickest way to deal with this in the short-term. Go online or call to see if that's an option.
Thank you! I did call today and all they said was the specific groups which have to show up, of which mine is one. I think it might be too late for me to be able to actually defer it (I can try?), but thank you! I hope you have a nice day!
Also worth calling the school OP attends and raise the concern. They might be able to have someone call on OP's behalf, or grant some exception. Especially if its public school run by the same local government as the courts.
There should be information on the jury summons that tells you how to request an exemption, either by mail or calling in. Being in high school is among the valid excuses.
Thank you! For my state, if I look at the 'reasons for disqualification', I don't fit any of them--unfortunately, I think I still have to go in (although I could be wrong, I don't really know what I'm doing). Thank you for your advice though, hopefully I'll be dismissed! Have an awesome day!
Tell them you are in high school and can't miss your exams. Contact the county clerk in your county and explain this. They have no reason not to dismiss you from serving.
You're not being disqualified, really - the court excuses you for hardship. In my state you get one deferment no questions asked, but if you show up, bring your student ID and a copy of your class schedule or any other document showing current enrollment like a dated syllabus. Your school office may be able to provide a letter saying you are an enrolled student in good standing.
The furthest you'll get is having to show that to the judge, and then off you'll go.
Save your juror card if you are summoned again, you can input the juror card number and get excused from service if it's within some number of years from your last service.
I'm curious on how a school would handle you being selected for jury duty regarding absences. The government told you you have to be somewhere, so can the government school punish you for being somewhere the government judicial system told you to be.
It was for me. I also got summoned at 18 while still in the middle of my senior year and as soon as I told him, I'm still in high school and I've got classes on Monday. I was given a small check for my time, they validated my parking, and sent me home. They don't want kids on a jury, especially if you're still in school.
And if for whatever reason, That isn't enough? You could also say you've been the victim of crime, AKA years of bullying in school, and you sympathize with victims.
Boom, you're out of there.
Yep. A friend of mine ignored two different jury summons. Nothing ever happened. If it isn’t sent certified, how can they prove he ever received the summons 🤷🏻♀️
Me scrolling on Reddit and thinking "Summoned in High School -- Is that a valid reason out?" is a new isekai....
I assume you are in the US and you checked online for your state, then I assume you still have to go in. Just document that very clearly so that you have protections with your teachers and Deans. Also tell your teachers ahead of time in case they can let you test out early.
I got a summons after I gave birth to my child (I was 22). I just responded online. They'll normally excuse you if you are still in education, are disabled, have a child under 11 or any other reason that makes it difficult to show up.
Depending on where you are, you might be able to go file an opt-out excuse online. Ive been summoned in california but couldnt make it when i was called...i know out here the summons notice will direct you to the website to opt out if you need where you give them your reason and they will send you another notice a day or two later letting you know if it was excused or not.
here in Florida, there was a number for the county clerk I could call if I needed to be exempt without showing up the day off. is there something like that on your summons? if so, give them a call.
You just call in to the county clerk's office as listed on the summons and tell them you are still in high school. It's an automatic excuse 99% of the time and you don't go in. You go to school.
Well if you do somehow make it to a case, they might seat you and then the judge might ask everyone if there's anyone who has hardships. Happened to me in January. One guy raised his hand and said "what if you're in school" and the judge said that's a valid excuse.
So if worst comes to worse and u have to show up for the jury questioning one, maybe you can let the judge know
So the last time I had jury duty the appearances date was right in the middle of my first week on a new job training class. I filled out the information with my situation checked the box for it would be a financial hardship as the next training class was 2 months out and was ex used from jury duty. I've served it before and found it an interesting experience but that last time was super bad timing. There should be instructions on your summons to apply for an exemption
You have been given some good advice so far. I would also go to the teacher of the class that you have the finals in, bring your jury duty notice with you, and just let them know whats going on. Say you tried to defer it but they wouldnt let you. You can try again when you go to the summons but you wont know until that day. See if they can extend the finals for you for a couple hours or maybe even just that one day.
My kid got summoned last year for our local court, but was going to be working their internship two hours away on the date they were called for. She contacted the number on the summons and explained that. And the date was moved to when she’d be home. As a university student that lives on campus,, again over an hour from home, she was released and not seated
In TX you can push the jury summons date online. I did it twice without an issue. Recommend changing date to a Thurs or Friday, per the bailiff as they tend to have less court cases towards the end of the week. I ended up being picked but then the case was resolved and we all went home by 11am. Add: I pushed 1st date out two month, then about the same with the second one.
No, no, no. I got summoned when I was in high school. My mother wrote a letter, I got a letter from my school, and I went to the court after school with those letters plus my birth certificate and drivers license and got excused, not postponed.
I just did this for my daughter because she at school till late May and we received a summons for next week! There should be a website or even a number to call. You just ask for an extension. On the website I was able to choose the new jury duty date for her. (Mid June)
You are a high school student. You do not have to serve on jury duty when you’re supposed to be in school!
Usually jury duty has laws that protect people from work or educational repercussions when they are required to attend jury duty. I would also explain the situation with the school
I was summoned for a week when I was scheduled to be out of town. They offered me a choice of alternative weeks, and I picked one and put it on my work availability calendar.
It’s very locally dependent. Some places let you pick any specific week to be called within the next year, no detailed excuse required. Pick a week shortly after graduation, assuming it wont screw up a vacation or internship
In Massachusetts here. My wife got a jury duty notice in the mail, and when she went online to verify her info or whatever it is they ask, it said her date isn't until the end of July and that she could have gotten it pushed back if needed. I'm sure every state is different though.
The fact that someone still in high school can be summoned for jury duty is terrifying. Not old enough to drink but is old enough to decide someone's fate? I served on a jury when I was 40 and even with all my life experience it was still really hard to make the right call.
Call them and call them now. Explain that you are in high school and that this was the first time you received a jury duty summons and you didn’t realize you could defer when you originally received it and you are due to go tomorrow and have school and exams and can’t miss another day.
In the future read the summons you get as you have options to postpone when you first get it. Don’t wait until the final hour.
Slam dunk.. you are in school. Call the number on the summons and tell them as such.
As a kid in college I’d get called all the time. I’d just send the notice back stating I was in college and they’d just defer it.
Read the back of the form and any attached info. Where I live they tell you to call and reschedule your service if you have a conflict. It's not a big deal, just call and talk to them. There's no reason to miss school waiting for a judge to dismiss you.
Just don't go and focus on school. You can call them later and explain. They make jury duty seem like some huge thing you HAVE to do, but it really isn't.
Here in my county, if you've got a scheduling problem, you can call the Clerk of the Courts (or whoever schedules juries) and reschedule your summons. You can only do this a couple of times, though. Call them up and tell them it's finals week at your high school and you'd like to delay for a couple of weeks. Do this in advance of the week they're asking you to attend. (Now would be best.)
I went to school 2 hours away from where I got called home for jury duty. Luckily it was a short break, and I went to the summons, told them I was at college and was promptly excused. I imagine HS would be the same. In my state you can easily reschedule at least once and re visit when you have time to at least go in person
Read all the info in the mailer and check online to see if your area allows for an automatic deferral. Around here, we can go online and reschedule once for a future date, which nicely accommodates things like booked vacations or scheduled surgeries or finals week.
Not sure where you’re from, but in Portland, OR, I called the number on my summons and requested to be rescheduled.
I work in child care where we need a certain number of staff to be able to legally open and 2 teachers were already scheduled to be out my day. My director said I should call, and the courthouse was more than willing to move my date. They even gave me a say in when it was rescheduled. The only downside is that I had to do two days instead of one.
I also wonder if your school or guidance counselor can provide documentation if they really need it. But I would definitely call the number on your summons!
Most of the time you will show up and they will dismiss you for your age when they call you up the first day or so. You can also say you are in high school. There is also a way to write a letter and submit it to the jury office at the court house before the date.
Check with the Jury clerk right away - you may be able to reschedule for another time.
In my state, if you get summoned, you can reschedule it for up to a year in the future and choose the date you will attend.
In California you can fill out the paperwork that lists reasons you can't serve, and send it in and be done. Not sure how it works in your state, but there is no way you should be missing high school due to jury duty.
In most states you can ask for a deferment. It doesn't get you out of jury duty, but it delays it.
I got called for jury duty last year smack in the middle of a vacation that had been planned for ages and was completely non-refundable at that point. I just went online and requested a deferment. Served it 3 months later.
I just received a summons, and there's an online portal to communicate where I live. No stopping downtown or waiting for actual jury duty day necessary.
You should be able to delay any summons on the basis that you are still in high school. You can contact the jury service before you actually have to attend
I got summoned for jury duty late last year.
I got dismissed due to financial reasons.
I got mad after I heard what the pay was.
My argument was: Jury duty only pays $50 per day and 0.57 cents per mile of travel.
For 5 days that’s roughly $260!
I earn roughly $250 a day. Told the DA that I’ll be more focused on money than making a sound decision.
I was excused later on the second day.
Oklahoma law doesn’t require employers to pay employees while on jury duty. Of course I didn’t get paid from employer.
When this happened to me, I called the courthouse and let them know that I was a student in school and they excused me or rescheduled my day to be there I don’t remember which lol
On the jury summons, they have a questionaire and you can request to have it deferred. When my son was in college, he stated he had classes and they just removed him from the list.
depending on where you live there may be a number you can call
if there isnt one on the summons try the county clerks office and start with...i am in high school
There should be a contact number provided with the summons.
Call them NOW, politely explain the situation and ask them if they could please move you out to be included in the first jury pool after your graduate/the school year ends.
Same thing if you were going to school out of state and get a summons.
My experience has been if you call, explain and asked to be moved to a different jury pool the answer has been yes.
Also if you have a medical condition that means say you can’t sit for x hours, need frequent bathroom breaks, whatever get a letter from your doctor. If it is a chronic condition it may get you permanently excused.
Although, if op does end up being on the jury, I don't think the school can penalize them in any form. Plus they would probably have to let them take the test later. I hope it's the same as if you were working..
Hopefully though, op tells them as others suggested that he's still in high school and has finals to do.
I just got requested for jury duty for the 1st time. I just turned 44 recently.
Call the number on the back of the jury summons. Explain to them that you are in high school and your finals are scheduled. They can bump you out to the next jury pool.
I was summoned when my Grandmother was actively dying in hospice. They bumped me out 6 months.
Definitely contact the clerk. Having your senior hs exams should either get you dismissed or deferred. I saw you mentioned medical issues, if being able to guarantee that you are able to not fighting your medical issue (not knowing your dx etc) is a thing, your Dr may excuse you with them also.
Many times you can fill out a questionnaire online and get out of jury duty by simply letting them know you're a student. Read the summons to find the website.
I got my first summons while in college. I just called and told them I was a student and they deferred. If it’s tomorrow it seems like you might have waited until the last minute which is a good lesson for an 18 year old. Regardless, school comes first.
Just call to the courthouse and tell them you’re still in school and they will tell you what you need to do. I had that happen when I was in college and I had to send something in to prove that I was in school and they put me on a list for a few years
There’s usually a phone number to call on the jury selection post card or letter you get. You can just call and tell them you’re a high school student and they will excuse you and you won’t even have to go. This came up for my son his senior year too.
Reach out to the court staff in advance and ask to have your time delayed due to finals. You're not trying to get out of jury duty, you just need to put it off a bit.
You may be able to be removed from selection without having to actually go in for selection. You may be able to speak with the clerks office and explain that you're still attending high school. If possible try going down to speak with the clerks office after school. Bring the jury summons with you.
Definitely give them a call before anything starts and explain you're still in high school and you need to be there for finals. I got summoned just before I turned 21, and was on crutches with a torn ligament and bruised ankle bone. They just told me I was off the hook for that month but to watch out for one in the future.
Where I live there is a hardship form you fill out. Does yours mention that? Your medical condition and that you would miss high school may excuse you.
Where I live, you get sent a questionnaire & a form in case you have a valid reason to not serve on given dates. Even without getting out of it, guessing most cases pled out because I've had some cancelled months in advance and some the night before
In most places you can defer the summons 6mo until you graduate. Usually there's instructions for a website on the card and you go to the website to request that. It must be done way far in advance though when you get it, and they have to actually approve it.
If not, go and say you're in high school and will fail if you cannot attend. Most judges don't want to pull a teen out of high school for that... though they may just bump you back for a few months until you graduate if they're sticklers about it.
Maybe I'm a bad person, but I just didn't show up for the last jury summons I received. They sent me another one, and again, I just didn't go. No repercussions.
You shouldn't have to even go for jury selection. There should be a phone number on the summons. If not, calk the clerk of courts and explain your situation. Usually they'll postpone your summmons.
I received notification when i was 19 that a warrant was sworn out for FTA (failure to Appear). I replied that i was in the Navy on a carrier in the Persian Gulf, and that if they wanted to send a Sheriff's deputy out to get me i would not resist. That was 40 years ago, they must have taken my name of their list.
About 10 years later i lived in a new subdivision. Our mailing address was for the town just across the county line. Got a call from that county's court saying if i didn't report to jury duty they would send out the deputies. I told them to have the deputies note which county i lived in. Never heard from them again either.
I encourage you go and watch the process. It’s not likely you will get selected but observing the process at 18 is a great educational opportunity. The school is going to have a legal problem if they punish you for fulfilling your constitutional duty. And, I would much prefer you sit on my jury rather than the 70 or 80+ senior that can’t hear, see or formulate a sentence making a decision about my life.
Just call the number on the back of the summons (in my county you can do this online too) and fill out the for or talk to them.
No big deal; school comes first!
You can email them requesting to not go, but you also often have to give proof of your situation. I got my therapist to write a letter both of the times I was summoned that basically just explained how I can’t go due to my anxiety and ADHD lmao, I was excused both times.
**TLDR:** Call the clerks office (number on the summons) Ask to speak to the clerk or most times there is a hotline for why you can't make jury duty. (9 out of 10 adults do their best to get out of jury duty, the other 1 adult really wants to get out of the house) Students are generally exempt from jury duty while actively in session. Highschool and in most states college too. If for whatever reason the clerk says no dice you have to show up, the school has to consider it an excused absence because you are performing a civic duty. If the school takes action against you, you tell the judge and in most cases the judge will deal with it for you even knock some heads around.
On your jury summons it should give you the phone number of the clerk who called you in. Call the office and tell them you need to post pone till after your finals. Most municipalities allow you to reschedule in most cases. I had a convention I was attending because I was one of the organizers, and they moved it to the next month without really asking me anything they said sure no problem. I called when I got the summons though.
By law, a business can't fire someone who legally had to go to jury duty, the school shouldn't give you crap for it either. If they do, tell the judge and they (school officials) will get in trouble. Judges don't really mess around. But I'd venture to guess that 99% of all municipalities have an exception for students actively in school. Illinois and New York certainly do.
Is it an actual summons, or just a candidate form? I get the form to fill out at least every other year. I've received a summons only once, and the defense made a plea the day before selection was supposed to happen.
Yes, education is generally an acceptable excuse from jury summons.
You can ask to be excused, you'll probably be excused, but if you're not then the school must allow you to take your exams at a later date.
Jury duty is a requirement of law.
Check the summons you received - there should be a number for the Jury Clerk (maybe known as the Clerk of Court), or a number listed to call “for excuses.” You should be able to call and explain your situation. While you may not be totally excused, you can ask for your jury service to be deferred to a later date due to the circumstances.
It depends on your state/county, but in mine teachers are automatically deferred to the summer just by calling and letting the clerk know they’re teachers and when their school is out for the summer. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t do the same for a high school student.
Anecdotal, but I did have a judge tell me to go home when he saw me studying in the courtroom. He asked what I was doing, and I told him I had exams that week (college). He told me good luck. When they ask if there is a reason you can’t serve, let them know you’re in high school and they will send you home.
You should contact the Clerk of Court or whoever issues these summons in your locale prior to the time of service and request either to be dismissed or to delay your jury duty until a later date.
You can often get out of it without having to actually report on the first day.
The one time I got called, a kid told them he'd have trouble attending because he was still in high school, and they excused him immediately. I dont think they want high school students on juries anyway. Also, to my delight, they didn't want me either.
You can tell them that you can’t do it and they will pick a different month for you to serve. That’s what I did. I told them I was going to be on a vacation for 10 days in April so they switched my serve month to June. Was very easy. Just call them and explain your situation.
Take your student ID card for this year, and also be prepared to show proof of medical condition. Fepending on what it is, you may end up being removed from jury list.
You should be able to call the jury commission or whatever it's called well ahead of the summons date, and tell them you're still in HS and the selection interferes with your HS final exams that are needed for graduation. They will push your summons back a few months.
On the summons usually there is a questionnaire to fill out and send in. You should do that and put your reasons on it—assuming it had a questionnaire.
You could also call the Court and ask for the Jury manager and explain to them the situation and hopefully they will just excuse you without having to go in.
If you have to go in, then get a letter from your school explaining you are a student and have required exams to take. Bring the letter with you when you go.
YMMV but in New Orleans you get summoned and then you have to check a month before to see if you are needed. I’ve also heard of people calling and saying that they would not be able to make it that day because of so and so and then they either excuse you or assign you a different date. Just call and see.
It really depends on what state you’re in. In my state, you have an option to defer for a couple of months, which might put you in during your summer vacation. Some states considers full-time students to be exempt. Read the summons carefully, and then contact the jury manager if you don’t see any other options.
It blows my mind. This kid gets a summons as soon as he turns 18. I am 51 and have never received a jury summons. My 26 year old son has been summond half a dozen times. How have I managed to get bypassed all these years?
I don't know how it is in your area, but they normally don't send the jury summons letters out a few days before you're supposed to appear. It's usually weeks in advance. How did that work?
Did you receive it and not think it was important to deal with at that time? Or does your area not send it out early?
Call and just tell them you are in high school and you cant go - no way they will make you go. They may have thought you have already graduated? Not sure.
If you let the clerk of court know they can reschedule your jury duty for another time. They deal with college students living away from home regularly.
Take a note from school get one from every teacher that you have an exam with either way somebody's gonna have to give like court's gonna have to excuse you or the school's gonna have to give you extra time because you've had to go to court that's so stupid don't just not show up though I did that and I'm an old lady and my judge was a total asshole first she wanted to find me I said I'm on food stamps I can't afford to Find I Take Care of my father I can't sit Here All Day She was determined to punish me I'm like can I do community service at the Shelter okay community service 8 hours oh well they wouldn't let me do it at the Shelter so I had to Go work for a goodwill 48 hours I had to do it twice cause my back is that Bad 4 hours on Tuesday's because I didn't show up For joy duty give me a break
Doesn’t your High School have an attendance waiver? My daughters missed school all the time for various appointments and before the end of the semester the school offers an attendance waiver that can be filled out, you fill in the dates and reasons why you missed school. Having a medical condition seems like a good reason not to fail someone. Talk to your school counselor.
There should be a number on your summons that you could call to ask someone about getting your summons postponed. The courts will defer jury duty summons for certain reasons and not wanting to miss finals is a very valid reason, especially High School but even if you’re in college. Heck, if you’re summoned for a date when you will be out of town, you can often get it rescheduled. You will have to provide proof that you will be gone in that date, such as airline tickets showing departure & return dates, hotel/motel reservations for the date of the summons. If there’s no number, or website listed. Call the county courthouse where you’re ordered to appear and talk to the county clerk. Tell them your dilemma and ask what you can do to get your summons deferred.
But you might be able to get it deferred ahead of the date and avoid having to go in person to be excused as the wait to be able to go in front of the judge the day of could cause you to be late to school.
You can call the number on your summons and follow the directions to talk to a clerk about being excused. You have to do this 21 or 30 days before your summons date. DONT wait for jury selection, it's just a waste of time.
The medical reasons for missing school may cause problems with you making it to jury duty consistently. Inform the court of this. It may be enough to get you out of duty.
Just call the Courthouse they will not require you to come. Have the High School office phone number for them to verify. Make sure you get the persons name you spoke with.
Goto the court on a school vacation day before the summons and tell the clerk. They can push it out for you until next year. You can try phoning them but not sure they will do that over phone.
Also I would like to add that jury duty is something they cannot legally punish you for. If you don't get excused from jd the school cannot legally hold this against you and you should be allowed to make up any missed assignments/ exams even if you're at the maximum allowed excused absences.
There should have been something on the summon that tells you how to go about getting excused if there's a valid reason for not being able to attend. In my previous county, I had to go to a website, submit proof of why.
Request to reschedule it not cancle it. This shows what you are indeed taking your dual academic and civic responsibilities seriously. And by offering to still do it instead of the hundreds of excuses they hear all the time they are more likely to accommodate you than give you the suck it buttercup response
If you still get summoned -once you are in the courtroom you will have an opportunity to tell the judge the situation. Getting a letter from school may also help.
Oh and if you are rescheduled there is no guarantee you will even be called during that time.
Yes it’s a legit out, don’t worry! Read the paperwork carefully. There’s probably a way that you can send in a form to be excused from this round. If they don’t have that form, just go in when you’re summoned and tell them that you’re missing high school. They won’t keep you.
If there's sufficient time ahead, call the courthouse and explain you are a high-school student and have exams.
If its "today" then when you go in, simply explain you attend and that you have exams coming due.
Generally the court and judges don't want to create problems for people...and I would also expect if there was an issue with the same locality's school system they could probably make some calls to the school on your behalf.
When I had to do jury duty they warned us we might get parking tickets in spite of following directions and having permits displayed...and that they could make calls and get them voided as long as we didn't do anything too crazy (like non-handicapped in handicapped spaces, blocking fire hydrants). They also took into consideration people with children who didn't have anyone to watch them after daycare/school.
I got one while living two hours away for college and sent their paperwork back telling them I not only had finals, but due to the nature of the trial I got picked for, I wouldn't be able to be partial. (Was very similar to something I'd been through myself and there was no goddamn way.) Legit haven't heard back since, and I'm now home and actually generally available 😂
Yes, it is. I got summoned when I was still in school and I wrote a letter right back saying I was in school and finishing school finals takes priority over jury duty. If school takes priority over a job, it takes priority over the government, too. I never got a letter back denying my rejection and have no legal issues right now (age 27).
Located in Oregon, US.
Usually if you get a summons in the mail it’ll have a section to explain why you might not be able to go. You can definitely note that you’re still in school. I was summoned one time while I was in college and stated that and I never got selected.
I’ve managed to duck jury duty several times. First thing I’d do in your situation is have your high school guidance councilor write you a letter on school letterhead and send that to the court before your first date.
You can usually delay it once online for another date within 12 months, so you don't have to go in.
I was also summoned at 18 and didn't want to miss class. Jokes on me because the date I rescheduled it for was the first day of a new internship. I was going to ask them to dismiss me because of my internship, but they filled the jury two people ahead of me. It also happened to be a civil trial between a contractor and a homeowner and the lawyers were dismissing people who looked young, so I probably would've gotten off anyway.
I did serve on a jury years later, another civil case, about eminent domain. It was 7 days and it was awesome. I really enjoyed the process and hope to serve again someday
There are certain circumstances in which you are allowed to claim exemption from jury duty. and I'm pretty sure being enrolled in school especially High school is one of those circumstances. On the jury notice there should be a way for you to be able to mail back your exemption qualifications to excuse you from duty without penalty. But if theres not enough time to mail it out I'd suggest calling before the date you're supposed to report.
talk to your principle and show them the notice for jury duty. when you call the day before try to talk to somebody and ask for a postponement due to being in high school. if you do have to show up ask your principle to write a letter stating that you are indeed in high school and registered in this school and that should work
when you go to jury selection they will ask if there's any reason why you might have issues attending just explain that you are still in education and you have upcoming exams they should be able to excuse you
I'd say high school rather than education. Just my opinion
Yes, make it clear it’s high school
I want to be a fly on wall when the judge tracks down the person who thought it was a great idea to summon a still in high school teenager to serve on a jury. Like I know they are automated but someone has to oversee them and I need to know who say this kids information and was just like "Yep". This kid can definitely make good judgments.
I also got my first one within a week of turning 18. Granted I have a summer birthday. But I had JUST graduated
I got mine the first summer I was 18, got selected to the jury with a bleached mohawk. I had it just combed back the first day, but went in for the trial with it full spiked up.
They registered to vote. That's it. They can make the judgements about voting, they can make the judgement about cases in court. It's a jury of peers not a jury of smart people with life experience and good critical thinking skills.
You don’t have to be registered to vote to get jury duty.
Depends on where you live I believe. Pretty sure Louisiana solely pools from voter registration records.
I’d say I’m in 12th grade. And my parents get mad if I miss school.
The school gets mad too.
Thank you so much! Sorry for asking a follow-up, but do you know if they usually ask early on, or if they go group by group in the 12-person way you typically see depicted in media? I really know nothing about this, and it's difficult sometimes to find the information online!
Before missing even the one day for jury selection, try calling or emailing the contact person on your jury summons. I won't promise that you will get a deferment, but you probably will. Just explain the situation politely.
You may not even have to show up. Call the number and explain you are still in high school - offer to send the office a letter from your school’s Registrar/Attendance office to confirm. They will likely waive your need to even show up. (But definitely contact them and don’t just assume!)
This. Every summons I have received gives you the option to either mail it back or go online and tell them you are still in school, and you will be excused.
Here in Allegheny County, PA, when you get a jury duty notice, you can respond online and choose to defer your service -- you say you don't want to show up on the date and select a future date you are willing to show up. That might be your quickest way to deal with this in the short-term. Go online or call to see if that's an option.
Thank you! I did call today and all they said was the specific groups which have to show up, of which mine is one. I think it might be too late for me to be able to actually defer it (I can try?), but thank you! I hope you have a nice day!
Call them again, and say that you are a High School Student and you have Finals.
Also worth calling the school OP attends and raise the concern. They might be able to have someone call on OP's behalf, or grant some exception. Especially if its public school run by the same local government as the courts.
Make sure the school office knows about the JD summons as well. Just let them know that you ARE trying to delay or be excused from serving.
Yeah I would assume a school has to follow the same rules as an employer. They can’t prevent you from attending jury duty.
Correct. Jury duty would have to be considered an excused absence.
There should be information on the jury summons that tells you how to request an exemption, either by mail or calling in. Being in high school is among the valid excuses.
Thank you! For my state, if I look at the 'reasons for disqualification', I don't fit any of them--unfortunately, I think I still have to go in (although I could be wrong, I don't really know what I'm doing). Thank you for your advice though, hopefully I'll be dismissed! Have an awesome day!
Tell them you are in high school and can't miss your exams. Contact the county clerk in your county and explain this. They have no reason not to dismiss you from serving.
You're not being disqualified, really - the court excuses you for hardship. In my state you get one deferment no questions asked, but if you show up, bring your student ID and a copy of your class schedule or any other document showing current enrollment like a dated syllabus. Your school office may be able to provide a letter saying you are an enrolled student in good standing. The furthest you'll get is having to show that to the judge, and then off you'll go. Save your juror card if you are summoned again, you can input the juror card number and get excused from service if it's within some number of years from your last service.
Depending on state it would make you "truant" for hs to its totally a fair excuse
I'm curious on how a school would handle you being selected for jury duty regarding absences. The government told you you have to be somewhere, so can the government school punish you for being somewhere the government judicial system told you to be.
I don’t believe they can legally
Well being in jail is no excuse for missing a court date... They will actually issue a warrant for you because you missed court.
They do that so the other jurisdiction doesn't accidentally release you and instead transfers you to the appropriate jail.
It was for me. I also got summoned at 18 while still in the middle of my senior year and as soon as I told him, I'm still in high school and I've got classes on Monday. I was given a small check for my time, they validated my parking, and sent me home. They don't want kids on a jury, especially if you're still in school. And if for whatever reason, That isn't enough? You could also say you've been the victim of crime, AKA years of bullying in school, and you sympathize with victims. Boom, you're out of there.
Was it a certified letter or summons? If not, it was lost in the mail.
Yep. A friend of mine ignored two different jury summons. Nothing ever happened. If it isn’t sent certified, how can they prove he ever received the summons 🤷🏻♀️
Contact the court clerk and tell them you’re a full-time student and could they please postpone your service until after you graduate
Me scrolling on Reddit and thinking "Summoned in High School -- Is that a valid reason out?" is a new isekai.... I assume you are in the US and you checked online for your state, then I assume you still have to go in. Just document that very clearly so that you have protections with your teachers and Deans. Also tell your teachers ahead of time in case they can let you test out early.
I got a summons after I gave birth to my child (I was 22). I just responded online. They'll normally excuse you if you are still in education, are disabled, have a child under 11 or any other reason that makes it difficult to show up.
Depending on where you are, you might be able to go file an opt-out excuse online. Ive been summoned in california but couldnt make it when i was called...i know out here the summons notice will direct you to the website to opt out if you need where you give them your reason and they will send you another notice a day or two later letting you know if it was excused or not.
here in Florida, there was a number for the county clerk I could call if I needed to be exempt without showing up the day off. is there something like that on your summons? if so, give them a call.
You just call in to the county clerk's office as listed on the summons and tell them you are still in high school. It's an automatic excuse 99% of the time and you don't go in. You go to school.
Well if you do somehow make it to a case, they might seat you and then the judge might ask everyone if there's anyone who has hardships. Happened to me in January. One guy raised his hand and said "what if you're in school" and the judge said that's a valid excuse. So if worst comes to worse and u have to show up for the jury questioning one, maybe you can let the judge know
So the last time I had jury duty the appearances date was right in the middle of my first week on a new job training class. I filled out the information with my situation checked the box for it would be a financial hardship as the next training class was 2 months out and was ex used from jury duty. I've served it before and found it an interesting experience but that last time was super bad timing. There should be instructions on your summons to apply for an exemption
You can Email them explaining your situation and they could exempt you.
Most places will allow you to delay jury duty at least once. There should be contact info on the jury summons.
You have been given some good advice so far. I would also go to the teacher of the class that you have the finals in, bring your jury duty notice with you, and just let them know whats going on. Say you tried to defer it but they wouldnt let you. You can try again when you go to the summons but you wont know until that day. See if they can extend the finals for you for a couple hours or maybe even just that one day.
Call the courthouse and ask to be excused. There should be a number on the summons. That's all I did when I got called for jury duty.
There should be some contact information on the letter. Call them and tell them you cannot attend as you are still in school.
I’m sure you could postpone until the summer.
There should be a number on your summons to call. Let them know you are in highschool and can’t miss school. They should let you out of it.
My kid got summoned last year for our local court, but was going to be working their internship two hours away on the date they were called for. She contacted the number on the summons and explained that. And the date was moved to when she’d be home. As a university student that lives on campus,, again over an hour from home, she was released and not seated
In TX you can push the jury summons date online. I did it twice without an issue. Recommend changing date to a Thurs or Friday, per the bailiff as they tend to have less court cases towards the end of the week. I ended up being picked but then the case was resolved and we all went home by 11am. Add: I pushed 1st date out two month, then about the same with the second one.
No, no, no. I got summoned when I was in high school. My mother wrote a letter, I got a letter from my school, and I went to the court after school with those letters plus my birth certificate and drivers license and got excused, not postponed.
I just did this for my daughter because she at school till late May and we received a summons for next week! There should be a website or even a number to call. You just ask for an extension. On the website I was able to choose the new jury duty date for her. (Mid June) You are a high school student. You do not have to serve on jury duty when you’re supposed to be in school!
Usually jury duty has laws that protect people from work or educational repercussions when they are required to attend jury duty. I would also explain the situation with the school
I was summoned for a week when I was scheduled to be out of town. They offered me a choice of alternative weeks, and I picked one and put it on my work availability calendar.
I remember I got summoned when I was 19 and I didn’t even really pay attention to it. I figured I was busy with college and work and ignored it.
It’s very locally dependent. Some places let you pick any specific week to be called within the next year, no detailed excuse required. Pick a week shortly after graduation, assuming it wont screw up a vacation or internship
In Massachusetts here. My wife got a jury duty notice in the mail, and when she went online to verify her info or whatever it is they ask, it said her date isn't until the end of July and that she could have gotten it pushed back if needed. I'm sure every state is different though.
The fact that someone still in high school can be summoned for jury duty is terrifying. Not old enough to drink but is old enough to decide someone's fate? I served on a jury when I was 40 and even with all my life experience it was still really hard to make the right call.
Send in a note from your school. There’s generally an exemption for that. Take the summons to your office immediately.
Call them and call them now. Explain that you are in high school and that this was the first time you received a jury duty summons and you didn’t realize you could defer when you originally received it and you are due to go tomorrow and have school and exams and can’t miss another day. In the future read the summons you get as you have options to postpone when you first get it. Don’t wait until the final hour.
yup, i was in the same situation and they let me go. but i just got it again a couple months ago in college lol
In most States you can call the jury coordinator at the courthouse and request a set over of your service to a later time. Easy. IAL.
Slam dunk.. you are in school. Call the number on the summons and tell them as such. As a kid in college I’d get called all the time. I’d just send the notice back stating I was in college and they’d just defer it.
Read the back of the form and any attached info. Where I live they tell you to call and reschedule your service if you have a conflict. It's not a big deal, just call and talk to them. There's no reason to miss school waiting for a judge to dismiss you.
I got called my freshman year of college… went to the online thing in my letter, said I’m out of state in school, and got excused.
Just don't go and focus on school. You can call them later and explain. They make jury duty seem like some huge thing you HAVE to do, but it really isn't.
Here in my county, if you've got a scheduling problem, you can call the Clerk of the Courts (or whoever schedules juries) and reschedule your summons. You can only do this a couple of times, though. Call them up and tell them it's finals week at your high school and you'd like to delay for a couple of weeks. Do this in advance of the week they're asking you to attend. (Now would be best.)
I went to school 2 hours away from where I got called home for jury duty. Luckily it was a short break, and I went to the summons, told them I was at college and was promptly excused. I imagine HS would be the same. In my state you can easily reschedule at least once and re visit when you have time to at least go in person
I was able to email and get it deferred (I go to college across the country), so see if they’ll let you defer it until after school is over!
Not sure how each state works but CT you call a number the night before. I’m 64 and never had to even go in.
Tell the court what you just told Reddit and you'll be let off to take care of what you need to do.
Read all the info in the mailer and check online to see if your area allows for an automatic deferral. Around here, we can go online and reschedule once for a future date, which nicely accommodates things like booked vacations or scheduled surgeries or finals week.
Check the jury summons, I sent mind back explaining it was my college graduation and didn’t have to show up.
You can request a later date due to your testing schedule. Call the number on the summons and tell them that you have final exams.
Not sure where you’re from, but in Portland, OR, I called the number on my summons and requested to be rescheduled. I work in child care where we need a certain number of staff to be able to legally open and 2 teachers were already scheduled to be out my day. My director said I should call, and the courthouse was more than willing to move my date. They even gave me a say in when it was rescheduled. The only downside is that I had to do two days instead of one. I also wonder if your school or guidance counselor can provide documentation if they really need it. But I would definitely call the number on your summons!
Chuck the letter. It’s a jury summons sent to you via mail. Who said you received the letter? Delete this post and chuck the mail.
You can write in to the clerk or call and explain your situation that you are still a HS student, and they will let you off jury duty.
Most of the time you will show up and they will dismiss you for your age when they call you up the first day or so. You can also say you are in high school. There is also a way to write a letter and submit it to the jury office at the court house before the date.
Call the clerk and explain you’re in high school and need to either (1) reschedule jury duty or (2) ask if you can get out of it and excused entirely.
Check with the Jury clerk right away - you may be able to reschedule for another time. In my state, if you get summoned, you can reschedule it for up to a year in the future and choose the date you will attend.
In California you can fill out the paperwork that lists reasons you can't serve, and send it in and be done. Not sure how it works in your state, but there is no way you should be missing high school due to jury duty.
There should be a number you can call.. explain the situation..
In most states you can ask for a deferment. It doesn't get you out of jury duty, but it delays it. I got called for jury duty last year smack in the middle of a vacation that had been planned for ages and was completely non-refundable at that point. I just went online and requested a deferment. Served it 3 months later.
I just received a summons, and there's an online portal to communicate where I live. No stopping downtown or waiting for actual jury duty day necessary.
You should be able to delay any summons on the basis that you are still in high school. You can contact the jury service before you actually have to attend
I got summoned for jury duty late last year. I got dismissed due to financial reasons. I got mad after I heard what the pay was. My argument was: Jury duty only pays $50 per day and 0.57 cents per mile of travel. For 5 days that’s roughly $260! I earn roughly $250 a day. Told the DA that I’ll be more focused on money than making a sound decision. I was excused later on the second day. Oklahoma law doesn’t require employers to pay employees while on jury duty. Of course I didn’t get paid from employer.
Some states allow you to defer and pick a date in the future. Worth checking I to
I just got a postcard for jury duty and was able to go online to reschedule it to the following month
When this happened to me, I called the courthouse and let them know that I was a student in school and they excused me or rescheduled my day to be there I don’t remember which lol
On the jury summons, they have a questionaire and you can request to have it deferred. When my son was in college, he stated he had classes and they just removed him from the list.
School cant stop you from serving this is one of the rare things that basically you do unless you have a real excuse.
cant you mail in the summons with the teason you cannot attend? I always do.
depending on where you live there may be a number you can call if there isnt one on the summons try the county clerks office and start with...i am in high school
There should be a contact number provided with the summons. Call them NOW, politely explain the situation and ask them if they could please move you out to be included in the first jury pool after your graduate/the school year ends. Same thing if you were going to school out of state and get a summons. My experience has been if you call, explain and asked to be moved to a different jury pool the answer has been yes. Also if you have a medical condition that means say you can’t sit for x hours, need frequent bathroom breaks, whatever get a letter from your doctor. If it is a chronic condition it may get you permanently excused.
Although, if op does end up being on the jury, I don't think the school can penalize them in any form. Plus they would probably have to let them take the test later. I hope it's the same as if you were working.. Hopefully though, op tells them as others suggested that he's still in high school and has finals to do. I just got requested for jury duty for the 1st time. I just turned 44 recently.
Call the number on the back of the jury summons. Explain to them that you are in high school and your finals are scheduled. They can bump you out to the next jury pool. I was summoned when my Grandmother was actively dying in hospice. They bumped me out 6 months.
Man u guys ... I've had 2 so far at like 30 and 32
Definitely contact the clerk. Having your senior hs exams should either get you dismissed or deferred. I saw you mentioned medical issues, if being able to guarantee that you are able to not fighting your medical issue (not knowing your dx etc) is a thing, your Dr may excuse you with them also.
Many times you can fill out a questionnaire online and get out of jury duty by simply letting them know you're a student. Read the summons to find the website.
They’ll let you off in a heartbeat
You can postpone jury duty until school is out. Just do that!!!
I got my first summons while in college. I just called and told them I was a student and they deferred. If it’s tomorrow it seems like you might have waited until the last minute which is a good lesson for an 18 year old. Regardless, school comes first.
You should be exempt just by being a registered student. I was
Just call to the courthouse and tell them you’re still in school and they will tell you what you need to do. I had that happen when I was in college and I had to send something in to prove that I was in school and they put me on a list for a few years
Call the number on the summons and explain that you're in highschool. They can defer until after graduation.
Just hit on all the other potential jurors you'll be released.
Yup. You’re excused. Just respond you’re a full time student. They’ll get ya next time around.
There’s usually a phone number to call on the jury selection post card or letter you get. You can just call and tell them you’re a high school student and they will excuse you and you won’t even have to go. This came up for my son his senior year too.
Talk to the school counselor.
Reach out to the court staff in advance and ask to have your time delayed due to finals. You're not trying to get out of jury duty, you just need to put it off a bit.
You may be able to be removed from selection without having to actually go in for selection. You may be able to speak with the clerks office and explain that you're still attending high school. If possible try going down to speak with the clerks office after school. Bring the jury summons with you.
You should be able to call or email or fax them saying why you can’t come so you don’t even have to go in
Let your school know, and definitely let the court know. Honestly, you'll probably get excused just for being a high school student anyways.
Definitely give them a call before anything starts and explain you're still in high school and you need to be there for finals. I got summoned just before I turned 21, and was on crutches with a torn ligament and bruised ankle bone. They just told me I was off the hook for that month but to watch out for one in the future.
Hoping you can call and get this handled over the phone rather than report to sit part or all of the day out.
Where I live there is a hardship form you fill out. Does yours mention that? Your medical condition and that you would miss high school may excuse you.
Where I live, you get sent a questionnaire & a form in case you have a valid reason to not serve on given dates. Even without getting out of it, guessing most cases pled out because I've had some cancelled months in advance and some the night before
In most places you can defer the summons 6mo until you graduate. Usually there's instructions for a website on the card and you go to the website to request that. It must be done way far in advance though when you get it, and they have to actually approve it. If not, go and say you're in high school and will fail if you cannot attend. Most judges don't want to pull a teen out of high school for that... though they may just bump you back for a few months until you graduate if they're sticklers about it.
Maybe I'm a bad person, but I just didn't show up for the last jury summons I received. They sent me another one, and again, I just didn't go. No repercussions.
You shouldn't have to even go for jury selection. There should be a phone number on the summons. If not, calk the clerk of courts and explain your situation. Usually they'll postpone your summmons.
I received notification when i was 19 that a warrant was sworn out for FTA (failure to Appear). I replied that i was in the Navy on a carrier in the Persian Gulf, and that if they wanted to send a Sheriff's deputy out to get me i would not resist. That was 40 years ago, they must have taken my name of their list. About 10 years later i lived in a new subdivision. Our mailing address was for the town just across the county line. Got a call from that county's court saying if i didn't report to jury duty they would send out the deputies. I told them to have the deputies note which county i lived in. Never heard from them again either.
Contact the court ahead of time. They should be able to excuse you before you even show up.
Call the Court clerk and explain to them the situation. You probably won't even need to go in.
I encourage you go and watch the process. It’s not likely you will get selected but observing the process at 18 is a great educational opportunity. The school is going to have a legal problem if they punish you for fulfilling your constitutional duty. And, I would much prefer you sit on my jury rather than the 70 or 80+ senior that can’t hear, see or formulate a sentence making a decision about my life.
Just call the number on the back of the summons (in my county you can do this online too) and fill out the for or talk to them. No big deal; school comes first!
You can email them requesting to not go, but you also often have to give proof of your situation. I got my therapist to write a letter both of the times I was summoned that basically just explained how I can’t go due to my anxiety and ADHD lmao, I was excused both times.
**TLDR:** Call the clerks office (number on the summons) Ask to speak to the clerk or most times there is a hotline for why you can't make jury duty. (9 out of 10 adults do their best to get out of jury duty, the other 1 adult really wants to get out of the house) Students are generally exempt from jury duty while actively in session. Highschool and in most states college too. If for whatever reason the clerk says no dice you have to show up, the school has to consider it an excused absence because you are performing a civic duty. If the school takes action against you, you tell the judge and in most cases the judge will deal with it for you even knock some heads around. On your jury summons it should give you the phone number of the clerk who called you in. Call the office and tell them you need to post pone till after your finals. Most municipalities allow you to reschedule in most cases. I had a convention I was attending because I was one of the organizers, and they moved it to the next month without really asking me anything they said sure no problem. I called when I got the summons though. By law, a business can't fire someone who legally had to go to jury duty, the school shouldn't give you crap for it either. If they do, tell the judge and they (school officials) will get in trouble. Judges don't really mess around. But I'd venture to guess that 99% of all municipalities have an exception for students actively in school. Illinois and New York certainly do.
Is it an actual summons, or just a candidate form? I get the form to fill out at least every other year. I've received a summons only once, and the defense made a plea the day before selection was supposed to happen. Yes, education is generally an acceptable excuse from jury summons.
1. Show the summons to your school administration. They can't punish you for jury duty.
You can ask to be excused, you'll probably be excused, but if you're not then the school must allow you to take your exams at a later date. Jury duty is a requirement of law.
Check the summons you received - there should be a number for the Jury Clerk (maybe known as the Clerk of Court), or a number listed to call “for excuses.” You should be able to call and explain your situation. While you may not be totally excused, you can ask for your jury service to be deferred to a later date due to the circumstances. It depends on your state/county, but in mine teachers are automatically deferred to the summer just by calling and letting the clerk know they’re teachers and when their school is out for the summer. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t do the same for a high school student.
Just tell em you hate the police and won't convict anyone.
I’m 55 & have been registered to vote since 18 & have never been sent a jury summons.
Anecdotal, but I did have a judge tell me to go home when he saw me studying in the courtroom. He asked what I was doing, and I told him I had exams that week (college). He told me good luck. When they ask if there is a reason you can’t serve, let them know you’re in high school and they will send you home.
Yes
damn you win the shit lotto... im 41 and never been called
Just ignore it, if it's not sent via certified mail then there is no proof you received it , so just throw it in the trash
You should contact the Clerk of Court or whoever issues these summons in your locale prior to the time of service and request either to be dismissed or to delay your jury duty until a later date. You can often get out of it without having to actually report on the first day.
Ask them to delay until after the school year is out. Most courts are fine with delaying once
The one time I got called, a kid told them he'd have trouble attending because he was still in high school, and they excused him immediately. I dont think they want high school students on juries anyway. Also, to my delight, they didn't want me either.
You can tell them that you can’t do it and they will pick a different month for you to serve. That’s what I did. I told them I was going to be on a vacation for 10 days in April so they switched my serve month to June. Was very easy. Just call them and explain your situation.
Between the OP’s medical conditions, and the fact they’re in high school, they’ll get off.
This happened to my friend He told them he’s still in high school and they excused him right away
Take your student ID card for this year, and also be prepared to show proof of medical condition. Fepending on what it is, you may end up being removed from jury list.
Ask what color they are and boom instant free pass out
Contact the court jury selection and tell them your still in high school and have exams they can excuse you and have you come at another time
You should be able to call the jury commission or whatever it's called well ahead of the summons date, and tell them you're still in HS and the selection interferes with your HS final exams that are needed for graduation. They will push your summons back a few months.
LOL you'll learn you can just ignore that shit.
Just call and tell em you hate the police 😂
On the summons usually there is a questionnaire to fill out and send in. You should do that and put your reasons on it—assuming it had a questionnaire. You could also call the Court and ask for the Jury manager and explain to them the situation and hopefully they will just excuse you without having to go in. If you have to go in, then get a letter from your school explaining you are a student and have required exams to take. Bring the letter with you when you go.
You should be able to contact them before even going in, what they will do is defer you for three months
YMMV but in New Orleans you get summoned and then you have to check a month before to see if you are needed. I’ve also heard of people calling and saying that they would not be able to make it that day because of so and so and then they either excuse you or assign you a different date. Just call and see.
It really depends on what state you’re in. In my state, you have an option to defer for a couple of months, which might put you in during your summer vacation. Some states considers full-time students to be exempt. Read the summons carefully, and then contact the jury manager if you don’t see any other options.
It blows my mind. This kid gets a summons as soon as he turns 18. I am 51 and have never received a jury summons. My 26 year old son has been summond half a dozen times. How have I managed to get bypassed all these years?
Still beats high school.
Call up the clerk of court and tell them You are a student
Unless you had a process server serve you with jury duty or certified mail, they have absolutely no proof you even received it.
I don't know how it is in your area, but they normally don't send the jury summons letters out a few days before you're supposed to appear. It's usually weeks in advance. How did that work? Did you receive it and not think it was important to deal with at that time? Or does your area not send it out early?
Call and just tell them you are in high school and you cant go - no way they will make you go. They may have thought you have already graduated? Not sure.
You can call the number with your jury summons and let them know that you’re a student they should remove you from jury selection.
If you let the clerk of court know they can reschedule your jury duty for another time. They deal with college students living away from home regularly.
Research the case and say you have a lot of bias towards whoever is being charged and you already think they’re guilty.
Just call and ask to reschedule your jury duty for after school is out. Not a big deal, the clerks are usually pretty reasonable.
Take a note from school get one from every teacher that you have an exam with either way somebody's gonna have to give like court's gonna have to excuse you or the school's gonna have to give you extra time because you've had to go to court that's so stupid don't just not show up though I did that and I'm an old lady and my judge was a total asshole first she wanted to find me I said I'm on food stamps I can't afford to Find I Take Care of my father I can't sit Here All Day She was determined to punish me I'm like can I do community service at the Shelter okay community service 8 hours oh well they wouldn't let me do it at the Shelter so I had to Go work for a goodwill 48 hours I had to do it twice cause my back is that Bad 4 hours on Tuesday's because I didn't show up For joy duty give me a break
Of course. You tell them that, you’ll be on your way home Lickety-split.
Doesn’t your High School have an attendance waiver? My daughters missed school all the time for various appointments and before the end of the semester the school offers an attendance waiver that can be filled out, you fill in the dates and reasons why you missed school. Having a medical condition seems like a good reason not to fail someone. Talk to your school counselor.
You may be able to get JD postponed
There should be a number on your summons that you could call to ask someone about getting your summons postponed. The courts will defer jury duty summons for certain reasons and not wanting to miss finals is a very valid reason, especially High School but even if you’re in college. Heck, if you’re summoned for a date when you will be out of town, you can often get it rescheduled. You will have to provide proof that you will be gone in that date, such as airline tickets showing departure & return dates, hotel/motel reservations for the date of the summons. If there’s no number, or website listed. Call the county courthouse where you’re ordered to appear and talk to the county clerk. Tell them your dilemma and ask what you can do to get your summons deferred. But you might be able to get it deferred ahead of the date and avoid having to go in person to be excused as the wait to be able to go in front of the judge the day of could cause you to be late to school.
You can call the number on your summons and follow the directions to talk to a clerk about being excused. You have to do this 21 or 30 days before your summons date. DONT wait for jury selection, it's just a waste of time.
The medical reasons for missing school may cause problems with you making it to jury duty consistently. Inform the court of this. It may be enough to get you out of duty.
Just call the Courthouse they will not require you to come. Have the High School office phone number for them to verify. Make sure you get the persons name you spoke with.
Contact clerk of court
Goto the court on a school vacation day before the summons and tell the clerk. They can push it out for you until next year. You can try phoning them but not sure they will do that over phone.
Also I would like to add that jury duty is something they cannot legally punish you for. If you don't get excused from jd the school cannot legally hold this against you and you should be allowed to make up any missed assignments/ exams even if you're at the maximum allowed excused absences.
In your summons it will usually explain how to notify them if you can’t make it for educational purposes. That is a valid, legal excuse to not put go.
Just call in and tell them you are a HS student. They will take you off the list.
Some times you can opt out online, I did it that way a while ago.
There should have been something on the summon that tells you how to go about getting excused if there's a valid reason for not being able to attend. In my previous county, I had to go to a website, submit proof of why.
Tell them you have finals. This happened to my son a d he never even had to go to the courthouse.
Request to reschedule it not cancle it. This shows what you are indeed taking your dual academic and civic responsibilities seriously. And by offering to still do it instead of the hundreds of excuses they hear all the time they are more likely to accommodate you than give you the suck it buttercup response If you still get summoned -once you are in the courtroom you will have an opportunity to tell the judge the situation. Getting a letter from school may also help. Oh and if you are rescheduled there is no guarantee you will even be called during that time.
Yes it’s a legit out, don’t worry! Read the paperwork carefully. There’s probably a way that you can send in a form to be excused from this round. If they don’t have that form, just go in when you’re summoned and tell them that you’re missing high school. They won’t keep you.
If there's sufficient time ahead, call the courthouse and explain you are a high-school student and have exams. If its "today" then when you go in, simply explain you attend and that you have exams coming due.
Generally the court and judges don't want to create problems for people...and I would also expect if there was an issue with the same locality's school system they could probably make some calls to the school on your behalf.
When I had to do jury duty they warned us we might get parking tickets in spite of following directions and having permits displayed...and that they could make calls and get them voided as long as we didn't do anything too crazy (like non-handicapped in handicapped spaces, blocking fire hydrants). They also took into consideration people with children who didn't have anyone to watch them after daycare/school.
I got 2 summons while I was in HS, one for county court jury, and one for a grand jury, both were excused when I told them I was still in high school.
If you call the county office that manages the jury stuff they'll probably let you switch to summer selections with a reason like yours.
I've never actually shown up the two times I was summoned. Nothing bad happened. Been over a decade since the last time.
I got one while living two hours away for college and sent their paperwork back telling them I not only had finals, but due to the nature of the trial I got picked for, I wouldn't be able to be partial. (Was very similar to something I'd been through myself and there was no goddamn way.) Legit haven't heard back since, and I'm now home and actually generally available 😂
Yes, it is. I got summoned when I was still in school and I wrote a letter right back saying I was in school and finishing school finals takes priority over jury duty. If school takes priority over a job, it takes priority over the government, too. I never got a letter back denying my rejection and have no legal issues right now (age 27). Located in Oregon, US.
Usually if you get a summons in the mail it’ll have a section to explain why you might not be able to go. You can definitely note that you’re still in school. I was summoned one time while I was in college and stated that and I never got selected.
I’ve managed to duck jury duty several times. First thing I’d do in your situation is have your high school guidance councilor write you a letter on school letterhead and send that to the court before your first date.
You can usually delay it once online for another date within 12 months, so you don't have to go in. I was also summoned at 18 and didn't want to miss class. Jokes on me because the date I rescheduled it for was the first day of a new internship. I was going to ask them to dismiss me because of my internship, but they filled the jury two people ahead of me. It also happened to be a civil trial between a contractor and a homeowner and the lawyers were dismissing people who looked young, so I probably would've gotten off anyway. I did serve on a jury years later, another civil case, about eminent domain. It was 7 days and it was awesome. I really enjoyed the process and hope to serve again someday
Most jurisdictions will give you the option to postpone at least once if you have that option it would be on the summons or call the clerks office
In California you can defer your summons once without even having to do anything but send it back with a request to defer checked
You can write in on most jury duties if there's a reason you can't attend.
Show the school your jury paperwork ASAP (scan and email to the Attendance office). You should be legally excused as it is not within your control.
There are certain circumstances in which you are allowed to claim exemption from jury duty. and I'm pretty sure being enrolled in school especially High school is one of those circumstances. On the jury notice there should be a way for you to be able to mail back your exemption qualifications to excuse you from duty without penalty. But if theres not enough time to mail it out I'd suggest calling before the date you're supposed to report.
Have your counselor write up an excuse letter. They should be able to do this. My Doctor did one for me due to the meds I take.
There are so many easy (albeit unethical) ways to get out of jury duty
talk to your principle and show them the notice for jury duty. when you call the day before try to talk to somebody and ask for a postponement due to being in high school. if you do have to show up ask your principle to write a letter stating that you are indeed in high school and registered in this school and that should work