In accordance with 28 U.S.C.§1866(c)(1), the Court has the authority to temporarily excuse qualified individuals from jury service upon the showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, public necessity, or inability to render satisfactory jury service because of physical or mental disability.

In many instances of hardship, the Court can make arrangements to defer jurors to less inconvenient times. Such requests must be made prior to the first day of jury service.

All requests for excuse or deferral must be in writing and submitted to the Jury Staff in the division where your jury service is to take place. All letters must be written by you, the prospective juror, and may not come from your employer. No oral excuses will be taken over the phone in any division. Requests for excusals may be submitted by U.S. Mail or by using the electronic excuse form on this website.

Requests for postponements and deferrals must be sent by U.S. Mail to the Jury Staff in the division where your jury service is to take place.

If your request was submitted by U.S. Mail, you should receive a telephone call from the Court’s automated jury information system advising you of the outcome of your request. If your request was submitted using our internet website form, you should receive an email reply. However, when a juror submits a request for excuse, deferral or postponement, it is the juror's responsibility to verify that the request has been granted. To check the status of a pending request for excuse, deferral or postponement (please allow 5-7 business days after submitting your request), call the automated jury information system at 1-866-313-2350 (you must have your 9-digit participant number from the front of your summons in order to use this system), and follow the audio prompts. Information received by the Jury Staff is updated in our telephone system throughout the day. Please do not call the automated system if you have not returned your summons.