I just found a letter in the mail bout jury duty. i missed it what will happen?

Question

I was going through junk mail and came across a letter that i was summoned for jury duty. By the time i had opened it i had already missed the time period. I don't know what will happen. Will i get in trouble?

Answer 1

Ever heard of the guillotine??  God Bless you.

Answer 2

Go to court as soon as you can to tell them what happened, im sure the judge will understand :)

Answer 3

Don't worry about. Just throw it away nothing will happen to you.

Answer 4

There should be a number to call.  I suggest you do so, immediately.

Answer 5

I presume you are talking about a jury duty summons issued in the USA.

As such, although there are minor differences between States, most jury summons arrive in a clearly indicated envelope, sometimes via certified mail; in other words, it would be virtually impossible to mistake it for junk mail. Most summonses give plenty of notice for prospective jurors to appear (usually at least a week; sometimes as much as a month), so that they may notify their families, employer, etc, and/or to request a change of venue and/or a postponement (i.e., ask to be excused), the latter two of which might not be accepted by the clerk, magistrate, or judge (i.e., no matter what, you MUST respond by the due date).

Failure to respond in time, even if you were on vacation, had an emergency, etc, is not an acceptable excuse, and is considered "contempt of court", which is punishable by a fine and/or jail time. Call the number on the summons, and ask what you should do.  Odds are you will be told to come to court to plead your case.  Since you do not appear to have any excuse other than "I put it in the junk mail pile" (ignorance of the law is not a viable excuse), be prepared for the worst, and feel very lucky if you're let off with just a warning or a fine (I suggest you go with someone you trust, in case the judge decides to make an example of you and put you in jail, even if overnight; that person can then notify your family, employer, etc, and/or take care of your home, pet, go through your junk mail, etc).  And don't forget to dress appropriately for court (disrespect = contempt).

P.S.  The next time you ask such a question, make sure to give as much information as possible, such as the State and County or City/Town in which the summons was issued (i.e., it might not be for a local court), so that we could give you more specific information.

Answer 6

Call them and they will just reschedule you.