Your name is selected randomly from voter registration lists in your county. The Court then mails you a Juror Summons and Questionnaire form which you complete and return.

Once you have served as a juror for a trial your jury service is finished for the reporting period.

Breaks are given. There are several restaurants within walking distance of the Courthouse as well as vending machines in the building. Jurors are also welcome to bring their own lunch.

The federal court does not have a permanent excuse. You would need to submit a request each time you are summoned.

Yes. The questionnaire is required by law and must be completed by the date listed in the third paragraph of the postcard, or within 10 days of receipt of the paper questionnaire. You can click here to complete it online. You will need to enter your participant number, first three letters of your last name, and your date of birth to access the online questionnaire.

No, a standard driver license, state ID, or passport is sufficient for entry into the Courthouse.

Your family may call the Jury Office and staff will then give you the message.

Tucson Jury Office: 1-520-205-4250 or 1-800-733-8966 (long distance)
Phoenix Jury Office: 1-602-322-7278 or 1-800-736-7322 (long distance)
Prescott Jury Office: 1-800-357-2097

You may include this information on the reverse side of your Juror Qualification Questionnaire form. If you have already returned your questionnaire, click here to submit your request in writing to the Jury Clerk via our website.

Phoenix and Tucson jurors are on call for one week and will check their reporting status the weekend prior to the week they are on call. Prescott jurors are on call for one calendar month and will check in every weekend for the month on call. The date to begin checking your reporting status can be found on your Summons and the information letter that was mailed to you. Once you have made an appearance and/or served as a juror, you are no longer on call.

Prior to your appearance date you may call our automated phone system (1-877-785-1415) or click here to find out the status of your excuse request.

On the date indicated on your summons, call the Court’s automated telephone system at 1-877-785-1415, log in to eJuror and select Juror Reporting Status, or, if you are enrolled in text messaging, text the word STATUS to 1-833-579-1893.

To enroll in text messaging, log in to eJuror and enable text message notifications towards the bottom of the Personal Information page.
 

If you live more than 60 miles one way from the courthouse you are entitled to stay overnight in a hotel. The hotel would be one of your choosing but you should let them know you are a federal court juror and ask if they have a government rate. A hotel receipt must be submitted to the jury office in order to be reimbursed. You also need to take into consideration the subsistence rate which is intended to cover both meals and lodging. The court will not reimburse you for any amount you incur over the subsistence amount.
When making your reservation, please inquire about the hotel’s parking arrangements.  The court will not reimburse valet parking expenses if self-parking is available.  A receipt must be provided for reimbursement.

Cell phones and other electronic devices are permitted in the Courthouse and may be used in the Jury Assembly Room. Once called into the courtroom, all devices must be turned off. No photographs or audio recordings are allowed anywhere in the courthouse.

It is best to leave family, friends and children at home while you serve on jury duty.

If you need to leave the Jury Room please notify someone in the Jury Office. Once you are in the courtroom you may only leave when the Judge allows for a break.

Jurors should plan on being at the Court from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are selected for a trial, the judge will provide specific instructions regarding your schedule.

An Order to Show Cause may be served on any juror who fails to report for jury duty. The juror may be required to appear before a judge to show adequate cause for their absence from jury duty and may be held in contempt of court under the Jury Selection Act (18 U.S.C. 1866(g)). Penalties range from a fine of $1,000, three days in jail, community service, or any combination thereof.

The Court summons jurors from the entire state of Arizona. Jurors who live over 60 miles one way from the Courthouse may travel the night before their reporting date and are eligible to receive a per diem allowance to help cover lodging and meal expenses. Click here for more information.

To be excused based on prior jury service in another court, you must have served as an empaneled trial juror who reached a verdict within two years of your current on-call date. If you were on call but didn’t report or reported but were not selected as a trial juror, you are not eligible for this excuse. You must submit the dates of your service, the type of case, and the verdict reached.

It is important that you report promptly for jury duty. If an emergency arises please notify the jury office of the circumstances and when you expect to arrive.

Tucson Jury Office: 1-520-205-4250 or 1-800-733-8966 (long distance)
Phoenix Jury Office: 1-602-322-7278 or 1-800-736-7322 (long distance)
Prescott Jury Office: 1-800-357-2097

There will be a Certificate of Attendance available each day in the Jury Assembly Room. Once your service is completed, you may click here to obtain proof of service from our website.

A grand jury does not decide guilt or innocence. Instead, they determine whether there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed. The government’s attorney typically presents the evidence. Based on that evidence, the grand jury decides whether formal charges should be filed. If it finds probable cause, it issues a written statement of the charges called an indictment.

A petit jury is a trial for civil and criminal cases. The petit jury listens to evidence presented by both parties during a trial and returns a verdict.

A grand jury does not determine guilt or innocence, but whether there is probable cause to believe that a crime was committed. The evidence is normally presented only by an attorney for the government. The grand jury must determine from this evidence whether a person should have formal charges filed by the government. If the grand jury finds probable cause, then it will return a written statement of the charge called an indictment.

Jurors must wear appropriate attire. Shorts, halter or tank tops, and thong sandals are not appropriate. Business casual is encouraged. You will not be paid if inappropriately dressed. Since the courtrooms tend to be cool, you may also want to bring a sweater or light jacket.

Federal court jurisdiction is limited to certain kinds of cases listed in the Constitution. For the most part, federal courts only hear cases in which the United States is a party, cases involving violations of the Constitution or federal law, crimes on federal land, and bankruptcy cases. Federal courts also hear cases based on state laws that involve parties from different states.

While federal courts hear fewer cases than the state courts, the cases they do hear tend to be of national importance because of the federal laws they enforce and the federal rights they protect.

The U. S. District Court will never ask for personal information over the telephone. Most contact between the court and a prospective juror takes place through the U. S. Mail. Any telephone contact initiated by the court will not include requests for social security numbers, credit card numbers, or any other personal or sensitive information.

The $50 attendance fee is taxable and reportable to the IRS. You will not receive a Form 1099 unless your total attendance fees amount to $2,000 or more. Mileage and hotel reimbursements are not reported to the IRS, as they are reimbursements for expenses you incurred to perform your jury duty.

Please bring your Jury Summons with you when you report. You may also want to bring books, magazines or study materials with you. Since the courtrooms tend to be cool, you may also want to bring a sweater or light jacket with you.

If you encounter a system error, completely close your browser, then reopen it and log in to eJuror again. If the issue continues, you may wait for the paper questionnaire to arrive by mail. It should be delivered approximately four weeks your initial summons.

If you are trying to complete a prescreen questionnaire, click here to be taken to the correct log in page.