Ieep jury instructions district of columbia

SCAM ALERT
Please be aware that there’s been an increase in jury duty scams in the D.C. metro area. Scammers are contacting victims via phone or email, falsely claiming they owe fines for missed jury duty and using intimidation tactics. D.C. Superior Court will never ask you for financial information over the phone or email.

Report suspicious calls or emails to your local police immediately. If you have questions about your summons or other jury-related communications, please call 202-879-4604 or email JurorHelp [at] dcsc.gov .

EMAIL ALERT
Jurors are encouraged to provide an email and/or mobile number to receive timely notifications about jury service. Please make JurorHelp [at] dcsc.gov (JurorHelp[at]dcsc[dot]gov) and GrandJurorHelp [at] dcsc.gov (GrandJurorHelp[at]dcsc[dot]gov) contacts, add them to your safe senders list, or check your spam folder to receive timely jury notifications from us.

Jury service is a fundamental pillar of the justice system. If you received a jury summons, these pages provide helpful information on what to expect during jury service. To get started, see Receiving a Summons below.

Your
Jury Service

Jurors are randomly selected by the Superior Court to perform a vital service to the community- Jury Duty.

Safety &
Security

In the event evacuation of the building is necessary, the fire alarm, public address system and bull horns will be used to inform Court occupants.

Special Consideration Circumstances include Show Cause Hearings, Deferrals, and in need of an interpreter.

Using
eJuror

View last date of service, complete the juror questionnaire form online, or look up the next scheduled date of service.

Overview Check before Service Health and Well-being Items to Bring Effects of Implicit Bias Receiving a Summons

Complete Form and Report

Jurors are selected from lists of registered District of Columbia voters, persons who have obtained driver's licenses or identification cards from the DC Department of Motor Vehicles, records provided by the DC Department of Tax and Revenue, and other agency lists. The law requires that residents complete and return juror qualification forms within 5 days of receiving it.

Please complete and return the juror qualification form immediately even if planning to request an excusal or a change in the date of service, known as a deferral. The form can be completed online, returned in the postage-paid summons packet, or faxed to 202-879-0012.

Unless the Court notifies otherwise or service deferral is granted, residents are required to report for jury service on the date and time indicated on the summons.

Check before Service

The Superior Court has implemented a call-in petit jury system. While calls for jury service will still be One Trial or One Day, prospective jurors will need to telephone in advance to see if they are required to report.

Call 202-879-4604 (Select Option 5) after 5:00 p.m. one business day prior to the date that you are scheduled to appear.

(Grand jurors will not need to call in, but should report as scheduled.)

Health and Well-being

Jurors are encouraged to take care of personal and medical needs during jury service--whether it's one day or for an extended period of time. If necessary, please see personal physician or health care provider to address medical concerns prior to arrival in the courthouse.

Checklist of Items to Bring

The following is a checklist of items that jurors should have in their possession (if needed) when reporting for jury service:

Understanding the Effects of Implicit Bias

Under our Constitution, everyone deserves a fair trial. It is the DC Superior Court's goal in every jury trial to find jurors who will decide the case before them fairly, without prejudice or bias. This video discusses what implicit or unconscious bias is, and why we should all keep biases out of the courtroom.

This video is shown to jurors before a trial begins. It may not be rebroadcast or otherwise used without the Superior Court's written consent. If you have questions or want to request permission to use the video, please contact EOCommunications(at)dccsystem.gov.