There are legitimate ways to avoid jury duty, such as financial or extreme hardship, being a public servant, or having certain age or educational requirements. Lying to avoid jury duty can result in fines or jail time. Some regions exempt students from jury duty, but the court clerk can deny requests.
There are several legitimate ways to avoid juror duty, and if you fall into one of several categories, you may easily be able to avoid the job. Acceptable reasons depend on your location, however, and you should consider that your state or country may have slightly different laws regarding jury duty. Common ways to avoid jury duty typically include financial hardship or extreme hardship, working in a field that already serves as civic duty, being a public servant, and, in some regions, age and educational requirements.
One of the first things to consider is the fact that lying to escape juror duty is often considered fraud and can result in hefty fines or even jail time. You should be honest in dealing with the courts, especially once you’ve sworn honesty. Avoiding an inconvenience like jury duty is not a reason to go to jail or pay a fine.
The most common ways to avoid being on a jury are to file a report of financial hardship or extreme hardship. Financial hardship can often be used as an excuse by someone whose employer won’t pay them to serve on a jury and who is financially responsible to other people. The sole financial provider for a family, for example, may be able to use hardship as a way to avoid serving. Similarly, extreme hardship often refers to a situation where getting to court to serve on a jury would be very difficult, such as if you don’t have a car and have to travel several hours to get to court.
If you are a public official, such as a politician or a sitting judge, you probably won’t be called to serve on a jury. Many public officials cannot perform jury duty even if they wanted to, as required by law. Active duty members of the military can also use it as a way to get out of jury duty, as can people like police officers and members of the fire department. If you’re a volunteer firefighter, you may also be able to avoid juror duty, as well as people of a certain age.
Some states and areas will also exempt a person from jury duty if they are a student and the lost time would severely disrupt their studies. This isn’t true for all areas, so you should be looking for information specific to your region. The court clerk has every right to deny your request and request that you come sit on the jury, but you can make any honest attempt to avoid prosecution.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
