Everybody hates getting that notice in the mail. The first question that crosses your mind is how do I get out of this? Well, there are excuses that will allow you to get out of this service. Do you really want to miss work and have to sit around waiting to see if they’re going to put you on that jury, all these questions running through your mind, what are they looking for? Can I act crazy? No, there is a real list of viable excuses that can be used for not showing up.
The first thing you should do is write your excuse and send it to the appropriate court. Remember to use your questionnaire and be specific about your reason for being exempt. This is important because if it’s incomplete or not listed, it may need to be there for that specific case. Do not wait too long, there is a time limit in which you must submit the form to serve, if you wait beyond the time, you will be required to be present on the case date.
There are several excuses that work, the first would be that your age is over 70 years. It’s easy because they only require proof of age. Another reason to stop providing service is if you have children or an elderly person in your care. In this situation, you will have to explain this situation, but generally, most of the time it will not be a problem to exit the service. If you are a member of a volunteer ambulance or fire unit, you are immediately excused.
If the importance of your job is so great that the business could fail if you weren’t there, you can be excused. Usually this is a person who owns a business and is the one in charge. The professions of Dentists, Nurses, Lawyers and Doctors will be excused because they are important to society and they will not have any problem. If you have a disability and cannot get to court because of your disability, you will also be exempt.
If you have an excuse that requires a detailed explanation, you must be present in court when it is time to be selected so that you can explain the situation.
Just remember not to ignore any jury duty summons, it is important to contact them and fulfill your legal obligation or present the reason why you cannot.
