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Frequently Asked Questions about Jury Service
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General Information and Answering the Summons

  1. How was I selected for jury service?
  2. How often can I be called for jury service?
  3. What happens if I do not report for jury service?
  4. Can I postpone my jury service to a later date? 
  5. Can I ask to be disqualified from jury service?
  6. What about childcare? Jury Chairs
  7. How should I respond if I receive a summons addressed to a person who is deceased?

Preparing to Serve

  1. How do I confirm that I need to go to court on my scheduled date?
  2. Where can I find information about closings, cancellations and delays due to inclement weather?

Requesting an Accommodation

  1. I have a disability and have been summoned for jury service. How do I make a request for an accommodation?
  2. I am a breastfeeding woman and have been summoned for jury service. Can I make a request for an accommodation or postpone my jury service?

Employer and Employee Information

  1. Must employers allow their employees to attend jury service?
  2. Will I get paid for jury service?

Going to Court

  1. Is there a dress code for jury service?
  2. What items are not permitted in the courthouse?

General Information and Answering the Summons

1. How was I selected for jury service?
Each year a list of potential jurors is created by combining the names from four lists. These lists are:
  1. Licensed motor vehicle operators and holders of Connecticut identity cards from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
  2. Registered voters from the Central Voter Registry of the Secretary of the State.
  3. State income tax payers from the Department of Revenue Services.
  4. Individuals who received unemployment compensation from the Department of Labor.
The four lists are combined and duplicate names are removed. Individuals are randomly selected for jury service from the list created by this process.
 
2. How often can I be called for jury service?
According to the Connecticut General Statutes, an individual may be randomly selected for jury service every court year (a court year is September 1st to August 31st). Each year, Jury Administration creates a new master file from which jurors are randomly summoned. The master file consists of names of: licensed motor vehicle operators and State of Connecticut identification card holders; names of electors obtained from each town’s Registrar of Voters; names of persons who filed state income tax returns; and, names of individuals who received unemployment compensation. Each court year your name may be randomly selected. If you have completed jury service within the past three years and receive a summons for the new court year, you may elect to serve again or you may choose to be disqualified based on your previous service. In a random system, some individuals are selected many times, some only a few times and some never.

3. What happens if I do not report for jury service?
Not going to court on the date you have been summoned for jury service is a violation of state law and you may be ordered to pay a fine.

 4. Can I postpone my jury service to a later date?
You can postpone your jury service to a date within ten months of your original date.
Please visit our on-line postponement page.

5. Can I ask to be disqualified from jury service?
If you receive a jury summons and believe that you cannot serve you may seek a disqualification by contacting Jury Administration. Connecticut General Statutes Section 51-217 states the grounds for which a person can be disqualified, and they are listed on the portion of the jury summons that you can fill out and mail to Jury Administration.

You may also submit certain disqualification requests online.

 6. What about childcare?
Please be advised that childcare is not available at the courthouse and children are not permitted to attend jury service with their parents.

If you would like to postpone your jury service in order to make arrangements for childcare, please visit our on-line postponement page. You may postpone your jury service to a date within ten months of your original date.

You may be reimbursed for childcare and other allowable expenses up to $50.00 per day if you do not work full-time. See Question 12.

If jury service will cause a childcare hardship, please contact Jury Administration.

 7. How should I respond if I receive a summons addressed to a person who is deceased?
To process a jury summons issued to a deceased person, Jury Administration requires a form of written documentation of the death. Any one of the following is acceptable:
  • Copy of the death certificate (Please note: A standard copy is sufficient – an original certificate or notarized copy is NOT required.)
  • Copy of the obituary
  • Copy of a memorial or prayer card that provides the name of the deceased and date of death
  • Letter/note written by a member of a ministry or clergy that provides the name of the deceased and date of death
  • Letter/note written by a staff member of a health care facility such as hospital, health care provider’s office, convalescent home, etc.
  • Letter from an attorney or Executor/Administrator of the Decedent’s Estate.
The information may be emailed to Jury Administration at jury.administration@jud.ct.gov. You may also fax it to (860) 263-2770, or mail it to Jury Administration at PO Box 260448, Hartford, CT 06126-0448. In all correspondence, please reference the Juror I.D.

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Preparing to Serve

8. How do I confirm that I need to go to court on my scheduled date?
Jury Text Alerts are a convenient way to learn if your jury service has been cancelled by the court. Jurors who sign up for this service will receive a text message notifying them of the cancellation. You will only receive a Text Alert if your jury service has been cancelled by the court. If you do not receive a text you should go to court as scheduled. The Jury Text Alert service is optional.

You can also check your attendance status online or by phone after 5:30 p.m. the evening before you are scheduled to serve. If your service has been canceled you do not need to do anything else. You have fulfilled your jury obligation for the court year in which you were summoned. A court year runs from September 1st to August 31st.

To check your status by phone, call the number on your reminder notice and a prerecorded message will inform you whether the court still requires your services as a juror.
Please Note: In the event of inclement weather, please do not rely on the attendance status web page or receiving a Text Alert. Please call the attendance status phone number at the courthouse to which you have been summoned after 5:30 p.m. the night before your jury service date.
9. Where can I find information about closings, cancellations and delays due to inclement weather?
It is recommended that you check for announcements on closings, cancellations and delays at the Judicial Branch Homepage, or by tuning in to the following TV or radio stations: Top

Requesting an Accommodation

10. I have a disability and have been summoned for jury service. How do I make a request for an accommodation?
The Judicial Branch complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need a reasonable accommodation in accordance with the ADA, please contact Jury Administration by email or by phone at 1-800-842-8175. If you have a hearing disability, dial 711.

11. I am a breastfeeding woman and have been summoned for jury service. Can I make a request for an accommodation or to postpone my jury service?
 If you choose to serve and would like to request an accommodation, such as a private room to express milk, please contact Jury Administration at 1-800-842-8175 and speak with a service representative. While requests for accommodation do not have to be made in advance, it will help ensure that your needs are met on the day of your service.

Please also be advised that childcare is not available at the courthouse and children are not permitted to attend jury service with their parents.

If you would rather postpone your jury service to a date within ten months of your original date, please visit our on-line postponement page.

If jury service will cause a childcare hardship, please contact Jury Administration.

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 Employer and Employee Information

12. Must employers allow their employees to attend jury service?
Yes. Connecticut law prohibits employers from dismissing, threatening or coercing employees who are summoned for jury service, respond to a jury summons, or serve as a juror (Section 51-247a of the Connecticut General Statutes).

 13. Will I get paid for jury service?
Yes. Full time employed jurors (those normally required to work at least 30 hours per week) are paid their regular wages by their employers for the first 5 days of jury service. Beginning on the 6th day of jury service, all jurors are paid $50.00 per day by the state, regardless of their employment status.

If you do not work full time the state may reimburse you up to $50.00 per day for out-of-pocket expenses for the first five days of jury service. Out-of-pocket expenses include childcare, parking, and transportation costs. In order to request a reimbursement you must complete a Reimbursement Form and return it to the court. Proper documentation of expenses may be required as well.

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 Going to Court

14. Is there a dress code for jury service?
Decorum is maintained in the courthouse and jurors should dress accordingly. Shorts, t-shirts, or clothing containing offensive language or imagery are not permitted.

15. What items are not permitted in the courthouse?
Jurors may not bring disruptive or potentially dangerous items into the courthouse. A disruptive item includes, among other things, electronic items such as a portable radio, television, CD, MP3, tape player or camera not attached to a cell phone or computer.

Potentially dangerous items include, among other things, weapons of any kind, pocket knives, and sharp objects such as tools or knitting needles.

If you have any questions about what to bring to court, contact Jury Administration.

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