To reiterate: if given a summons by the court, in person attendance is mandatory (applies to all 50 states). After voir dire, if either the lawyer or judge has selected you as the juror and being presented with evidence relevant to the case: what types of cases were you assigned whilst being a part of the jury?
Also, what happens if the individual fails to willingly show up (non-excusals) in court on the appointed date when they’ve been handed a summons in the US? For reference, in my country where Jury Duty also exists: the offense for failing to show up in person incurs the equivalent of an ~800 USD fine.
In person attendance is no longer always automatically necessary.
When you receive the summons, it includes instructions for filing out a response form online. Then, the night before you’re supposed to appear you can check to see if you are required to appear. The last time I got a summons, I didn’t have to show up in person.
Here if you are selected for a jury and serve three days or more, you’re excused from further jury duty for three years. If you serve less than three days or are excused, you can be summoned again after a year.
In Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, failing to appear for a jury summons can result in a fine of up to $500 and a sentence of up to 10 days in jail for contempt of court, or both.
A jury summons is a legally binding court order. If you miss your scheduled date, the Montgomery County Jury Office typically initiates the following process:
Show Cause Hearing: You may be ordered to appear before a judge at a “show cause” hearing to explain why you failed to comply.
Rescheduling: In many cases of an honest mistake or a first-time oversight, the judge may be lenient and simply order you to appear for a newly rescheduled jury date.
Warrants: If you deliberately ignore the summons or the subsequent show cause hearings, the court can issue a bench warrant for your arrest.
I was selected for two juries.
The first was for an automobile collision. One driver turned left in front of the other and the other driver hit her. In that case, the turning driver claimed the collision happened because the other driver was speeding. The money amount was already decided. The jury only had to apportion blame. The turning driver got most of the blame.
The second jury was for a criminal trial. Two men had robbed a restaurant and terrorized the staff. They were found guilty.
Since then I haven’t been selected for jury duty. One of the questions on the response form asks if you would believe a police officer less than a citizen, and if you say no, you are asked to explain why. I’m fairly certain my honesty in filing out the form has gotten me excused from serving on a jury.
It’s a shame because I never minded serving on a jury. However, I’m not a complete moron, and I’d have to be today to think police don’t lie in court.