When an American citizen turns 18 years old, he/she becomes eligible for jury duty service in the state they live in. A summons will be sent through the mail to order people to appear in court to possibly serve on a jury.
Most potential jurors do not make it all the way inside the courtroom. If a person is selected, he/she must appear each day in court during the length of the trial.
The average jury trial in Nevada lasts three days. However, trials can last shorter or even longer.
But what happens if a person misses jury duty? According to Nevada law, if a juror fails to attend or serve, he/she must appear in court and show cause (i.e. explain or give a good excuse) of their failure to uphold their summons.
When a person appears for their show cause hearing, it is imperative that he/she bring documents (e.g. a doctor’s note of an illness that prevents you from serving jury duty, police report if you were involved in a car accident while you were on your way to serve jury duty, etc.) to prove you had a good excuse for missing jury service. Failure to appear for the show cause hearing will lead to a bench warrant being issued for the individual’s arrest.
If a person fails to provide a valid excuse for missing jury duty, he/she will be fined $500 and held in contempt. After the individual pays the fine, he/she will no longer be held in contempt by the court.
In addition, failure to report for jury duty in Nevada federal court will also result in a show cause hearing. Failure to appear for the hearing or provide a valid excuse for missing jury duty is punishable by a maximum jail sentence of three days, a fine of up to $1,000, and/or community service.
If you or a loved one failed to appear for jury duty or has a bench warrant issued against either of you, contact our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers at The Draskovich Law Group today at (702) 381-6590. Schedule a free consultation immediately!