We’re continuing our series on jury duty in Minnesota now that Avery has been summoned to perform his civic duty, and in today’s blog, we are going to take a closer look at who is eligible for jury duty and who can be automatically excused from service for certain reasons. Let’s take a closer look at what factors may make you eligible to be removed from jury consideration even before you arrive at the courthouse.
Jury Duty Eligibility
To be eligible for jury duty in Minnesota, a person must be:
- A United States citizen;
- A resident of the county;
- At least 18 years old;
- Able to communicate in the English language;
- Physically and mentally capable of serving;
- A person who has had their civil right to vote restored if they have been convicted of a felony;
- A person who has not served as a state or federal juror in the past four years.
If you meet that criteria, you are eligible to serve on a jury in Minnesota!
We believe that everyone should serve on a jury at least once in their life, but if you’re worried about how the time away from work or your family will impact your life, you may be looking for reasons to have your summons cancelled. Some factors that can render you automatically ineligible for jury duty or with the option to legally have your summons cancelled include:
- Not a citizen of the United States;
- Not a resident of the county;
- Not yet 18 years old;
- Unable to communicate in the English language;
- Has asked to be excused because of a physical or mental disability, and the court has determined that the disability cannot be accommodated so that the person can serve;
- Has been convicted of a felony and has not had their civil right to vote restored;
- Has served as a state or federal juror within the past four years;
- Is a judge currently serving in the judicial branch of government;
- Is over the age of 70 years old.
To the last point, if you’re over the age of 70, you can be excused from jury duty without providing any other legitimate reason other than your age, but being older than 70 certain doesn’t disqualify you if you’d like to serve. You are certainly welcome to appear in court for the summons, but you can be excused because of your age if you wish.
If now is not a good time to serve, but you’d still like to fulfill your civic duty in the future, you can request a one-time postponement of service for up to nine months. You can file this request online, by the directions on your jury summons or by calling the phone number listed on the summons.
We hope you’ll follow through on your summons and get a firsthand experience serving on a jury. Of course, if you’re ever find yourself in a courtroom on the defense, we want to be there with you. Give Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm a call at (952) 224-2277 if you are in need of criminal defense in the greater Twin Cities area.
