If you received a summons for grand jury duty, please see our page for more information. If not, below are frequently asked questions related to trial jury duty.
respond to the call
Can I respond to my summons online? I lost my citation, what should I do? how did they get my name and why did they call me? why do they keep calling me? Am I on some kind of jury duty list? I already did jury duty this year. I thought I only had to do it once. I don’t live in king (or pierce) county. can i serve in court near me? What if I have difficulty serving? I returned my jury information form, but now you have a problem. It’s too late? What happens if I don’t show up for jury duty? do I have to return the jury information form if I am not asking for an excuse? what if my employer wants me to waive, but I want to serve? Did my employer fire me for not working due to jury duty? what if my employer wants proof of my service? should I stop working all week? Will I be kidnapped (forced to spend the night)?
in court
Do I have to call every night during my period of service? where is the court located? where should I park? What if I’m late? What items are not allowed in the courthouse? a long way from the court, can I spend the night? Can my family contact me by phone while I am serving? Will food or snacks be provided? do you have internet access? can I bring my children? is there a dress code? Will my expenses be reimbursed when I show up? How do I notify the court that I cannot appear in case of an emergency? What should I expect the first day I show up? How long will I be there on the first day for jury selection?
Can I serve my summons online? Yes, you can. You can complete your jury information form online using ejuror within 5 days of receiving your summons. if it is beyond the 5-day limit, there is no need to call the court and let us know. just fill it out using ejuror or mail it back as soon as possible.
I lost my summons, what should I do? Email jury staff at jury@wawd.uscourts.gov (seattle), jury3@wawd.uscourts.gov (tacoma), or Call the court as soon as possible at 1-800-488-3350 so we can send you a new summons.
How did you get my name and why was I summoned? Every two years, our court randomly selects jurors from a combined list of active registered voters, driver’s license holders, and identity documents. cards obtained from washington state. Our local jury plan sets out how we select large and small juries at random from a fair cross-section of the community in the district where the court meets.
this selection creates the court’s “master jury wheel” (a term that originated in the days when names were placed on a large barrel-type wheel and spun to shuffle them; however, today we use computers to randomly select names). each person selected is mailed a qualification questionnaire to complete and return. Receiving a qualification questionnaire does not mean that you have been called for jury duty. its purpose is only to develop a large “wheel” of qualified citizens from which future jurors will be drawn. those citizens who are deemed qualified for jury duty based on their responses to the questionnaire are placed on the “qualified juror wheel”. From this “wheel,” the court will randomly select groups of potential jurors (like you) and call them up for duty over the course of a two-year period. every two years, the court discards your old “master wheel” and “qualified wheel” and creates new ones.
why do you keep calling me? Am I on some kind of jury duty list? It may seem that way, but this is not the case in our court. if you repeatedly ask for a postponement or an excuse each time you are called, you are not actually serving, but rather postponing your initial service to a later date. furthermore, it is not unusual to be summoned by multiple courts at the same time. for example, requesting two adjournments from two different courts would mean that you will receive a combined total of six summonses by the time each of the courts calls you for the third time. that may seem excessive, but once again, these two courts rescheduled his jury duty over and over again since he still had to complete his service.
Our local jury plan lays out how we must draw jurors at random from a fair cross-section of the community in the district where the court meets.
Once you complete your jury duty in this court, we will grant you a two-year waiver if you are reconvened within that time period.
I already did jury duty this year. I thought I only had to do it once? This is not quite correct. we do not have a provision that exempts you if you have recently served in another court, such as a state, county, or municipal court. however, if you have served in federal court (united states court) within the last two years, we may excuse you. Please provide written proof, such as a certificate of attendance, or contact us to verify.
I don’t live in king (or pierce) county, can I serve in court near me? no. this is a federal court that only has seats in seattle and tacoma. we are required by law to convene from the 19 counties that make up the western district of washington. Because of this, we are unable to transfer your service to another court.
What if I have a hard time serving? You may request to have your jury duty postponed or you may also be eligible for a permanent excuse.
If you are scheduled to appear next week and have a family or medical emergency, please contact jury staff as soon as possible by sending us an email and explain why you cannot appear. you may not hear from us over the weekend, but you can assume your request has been granted.
no last minute work or financial hardship allowed. If you have confirmed that you need to report for jury duty on a specific date and time, it is too late to request a postponement of your jury duty. You should go to court and explain your difficulties to the judge.
I returned my jury information form, but now I’m having a hard time. Is it too late? It’s not too late. Visit our Application for Deferment or Permanent Excuse of Jury Duty page for further instructions.
What happens if I don’t show up for jury duty? uu. You are served with an order to show cause. the sheriff’s office, which means you may have to appear to explain why you should not be held in contempt of court under the jury selection and service law.
Penalties for contempt range from a $1,000 fine, imprisonment for not more than three days, an order to perform community service, or any combination of the two. u.s.c. 28 section 1866(g)
Should I return the jury information form if I am not asking for an excuse? yes. this is important as your response lets us know you received your citation and are available to serve.
What if my employer wants me excused, but I want to serve? We will only accept written excuse requests from the person called to serve, not an employer. You have certain rights if you are called for jury duty. see our labor protection statute for more information.
Can my employer fire me for not working due to jury duty? We cannot offer legal advice. however, you have certain rights while serving on jury duty. see our employment protection statute for more information. Your employer may also find this information useful, so you may want to provide them with a copy.
What if my employer wants proof of my service? You will be offered a certificate of attendance letter for each day of service. it will be available before you leave the courtroom at the end of the day, if you are not selected, or at the end of the trial, if you are selected.
Should I miss work all week? Not necessarily. however, you should plan accordingly to stand for jury selection during your term. however, you want to let your employer know about your jury duty so that arrangements can be made should the court need it. if you are required to report and are selected as a juror to serve, then you will be required to report every day for the duration of that particular trial.
Note: If your citation is for a trial that is expected to last several weeks or more, then this calling term of service does not apply to you. see the instructions on your citation.
will I be kidnapped (forced to spend the night)? no. however, if you live at least 60 miles one way from the courthouse, you are allowed to stay overnight and your expenses will be reimbursed.
do I have to call every night during my calling service period? no. you will most likely only have to call once, after 4:30 p.m. m. the Friday before the start date of your call. however, sometimes a test will be moved up to Tuesday or Wednesday, requiring you to call back the night before that day. it is important that you call as you may or may not need to report. we cannot pay you if you report in error.
Note: If your citation is for a trial that is expected to last at least several weeks or more, then this calling term of service does not apply to you. see the instructions on your citation.
Where is the court located? It depends on whether you are summoned to the us. uu. courthouse in seattle or tacoma. Visit our courthouse information page for a map and driving directions, as well as parking and public transportation information.
where should i park? the seattle courthouse does not provide on-site parking, but there are numerous public parking lots within 3 blocks.
the tacoma courthouse has two parking lots on site, but payment is still required. Parking fees are waived in the North Lot (directly behind the Tacoma Museum of Art); your jury parking will be validated by court personnel. you must pay all other parking fees, but we will refund you in full within two weeks of the end of your term. don’t leave your car parked in a metered space. you won’t have time to go out to feed the parking meter and the court is not responsible for parking tickets.
What if I’m late? If severe traffic conditions prevent you from showing up on your first day, there’s no need to worry. it’s okay if you’re a little late due to circumstances beyond your control. however, it is very important that you appear on time if you are selected to participate in a trial, as the entire court process can be delayed due to the lateness of a single juror. therefore, please do your best to plan accordingly and allow plenty of time for travel and possible traffic delays.
How do I notify the court that I cannot report in an emergency? We do not expect you to report if a family or medical emergency arises during the weekend before your report date. follow the instructions on our deferment request page.
What items are not allowed in the courthouse? Weapons of any kind, including knives, mace, and pepper spray, are not allowed.
no drinks are allowed. Please note that coffee and tea are provided for jurors. there are drinking fountains and vending machines selling a variety of drinks.
When you arrive at the courthouse, you will be asked to go through a metal detector and may be asked to temporarily remove your shoes, belts, jewelry, and other metal items.
I live a long way from the courthouse, can I stay the night? you can stay the night and get reimbursed for your expenses if you live at least 60 miles from home To the court. If you’re not sure if you’re eligible, you can plot your mileage on our courthouse information page for Seattle and Tacoma.
Can my family contact me by phone while I am serving? yes. however, we have a juror identity protection policy. therefore, we will not confirm with anyone that you are currently serving. We will take non-urgent messages depending on the circumstances, but generally we only take emergency messages.
Will food or refreshments be provided? Meals are generally provided only to selected jurors who are deliberating a verdict. otherwise you are responsible for your own meals. Both courts have vending machines for snacks and drinks. microwaves and refrigerators are available for your use. the courthouse in seattle has a cafe on site – u.s. courthouse cafeteria Also, here’s a guide to restaurants near the Seattle Courthouse. there are restaurants near the tacoma courthouse, but no coffee shop on site.
do you have internet access? yes. we have free wi-fi internet in the jury meeting room for jurors who choose to bring their laptops. there is also at least one computer with internet access as a courtesy to jurors.
Can I bring my children? Please do not bring children to court. Since you will be participating in an official court proceeding, you will not be able to provide adequate supervision. If you are unable to make childcare arrangements, contact jury staff or follow the instructions on your summons to request a continuance.
Is there a dress code? All jurors must wear appropriate attire, such as comfortable casual or business attire. bring a sweater or jacket as courtrooms are often very cool. In addition, when you arrive at the courthouse, you will have to go through a metal detector. therefore, you may be asked to remove your shoes, belts, jewelry, and other metal items. try to limit the use of colognes or strong perfumes, as your fellow jurors may have allergies.
A trial is a formal legal proceeding and is extremely important to the attorneys, the witnesses, and the parties. everyone participating in a rehearsal must dress appropriately. business casual attire is required. Athletic apparel, t-shirts, shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops are not permitted.
Our courtrooms are usually very cool, so you may want to bring a sweater or light jacket. you must go through the security check before reaching the jury meeting room. leave all excess metal and jewelry at home to speed your entry into the building.
Will I be reimbursed for my expenses when I show up? no. We will mail you a check within two weeks of the end of your jury duty period. If you are having financial difficulty paying for parking or hotel expenses, please contact a member of the jury staff before you appear. visit our payments and refunds page for more information.
What should I expect the first day I file my report? You will appear for jury selection as part of a panel (or group) of potential jurors. You will most likely only be required to appear for a single day of jury selection during your tenure, unless the court is exceptionally busy. If you are selected for jury duty, you will be required to appear each day during the trial. most tests take 3-5 days; however, some can last much longer.
How long will I be there on the first day for jury selection?
- if you show up at 8:00 a.m. m. and you are not selected as a juror: you are usually fired at noon (unless you are also needed for afternoon jury selection).
- if you show up at 11:00 a.m. . m. or later: You are usually dismissed at 4:30 p.m. m. regardless of whether he is selected as a member of the jury.