I know that Jury Duty in the US (across all 50 states) is mandatory for citizens when they’re given a summons (names are selected at random from the electoral roll) and it’s an offense for failing to appear at the appointed date & time (ranges to fines or imprisonment). Usually, the courtroom allocated is based on where you live (i.e. if you reside in Oceanside, CA then the adajcent court is under San Diego) you get the picture.
Have you ever received a summons in the mail? If so, how many people showed up to the courthouse in your area? You bring the summons with you in court (as in the physical form) or show a email from a digital copy. People who also have the summons line up behind and in front of you waiting for each turn at the court clerk asking whether you’re capable of serving a 2-3 week trial or longer (you can apply for excusals).
That is only, if you have evidence to back it up (it varies from caring for an elderly relative, mental illness, physical medical ailments, etc). when wanting to be excused and exemptions apply to certain jobs (member of congress / white house, a DA or attorney, cop / sheriff, active member of the military) & ex-cons who are charged with felonies or related offenses are disqualified from ever being subjected to JD.
Now, if you have waited in the jury panel in court: where your number is picked at random in which if it’s called, you acknowledge your presence (it’s up to lawyers to decide whether you’re designated as a juror). You can’t leave the venue unless you’re told so. If you’ve showed up for JD: have there been cases of people deliberately failing to show up even though it’s mandatory by law to appear (as they received a summons)?
If you managed to wait there the entire duration of the day without being selected, what is the payout like? Is it below or within minimum wage? However, if you have served as a juror: what is the total payout for a trial? Also, are you allowed to discuss the case mentioned outside court or is there a strict NDA (they explicitly say you cannot brag or mention the case on social media or to any other third party).
I had to call the night before. They said I should go in so I did. They sat us in a room and gave us stickers saying we’re jurors and referred to us by daily numbers and we watched an orientation video. Then we sat in that room for about an hour waiting for the court to get ready. Then once it was, they guided us upstairs and 14 of us were turned into a jury panel while the rest of us were the jury pool or something.
The judge gave us an overview of the case. Who the defendant was, their charges, and made it clear that these charges were not evidence and nor should they be considered as anything indicating guilt.
The judge asked the jury panel a few questions, and said that all of us in the jury pool should think about our answers. After the Judge’s questions, he can dismiss someone for cause, then pull someone out of the pool to replace them and continue questioning. Anyone dismissed was free to check out and leave.
Then the prosecutor asked questions. Stuff about the case, our experiences, what we look for when listening to witnesses and what we look for as evidence. What we consider “beyond a reasonable doubt” means. Then when he was done, he let the defense ask questions. He asked similar ones but while the prosecutor was looking at bias against the evidence or the kinds of witnesses (cops), the defendant looked more for bias in favor of those.
Once both were done, the judges can move to dismiss for cause if they have cause and they also had a number of free dismissals they could use for whatever reason. If they dismissed anyone, they called more people from the pool then questioning started with prosecution again and then the defense and so on.
Repeat until both council either choose not to dismiss anyone or presumably are out of dismissals, they then choose that jury panel as the final jury. Everyone else could check out while the jury stayed and presumably got some more detailed info.
I wasn’t part of it. We went down to the room we started in and checked out. They told us we had no further obligations during the rest of our serving time (which was stated on the summons) and we didn’t need to call in again or go in. If you needed a sheet to show you went for your employer, they would give you one.
Our payout was less than 20 bucks for that day. But it was above 20 for any subsequent day serving.