Got summoned for jury duty, what happens if I don’t go?

well you will be hauled to jail if you ignore the courts for drivers thinking it wont happen especially company driver simple fix would they would approach your company saying they have a warrant the company will get you in a certain day saying some randoms reason drug test or mechanical issue when you arrive you will get the latest fashion on your wrist and a free uber to the county.

 

Yeah, ok. Lol. They don’t send the summons by certified mail so there is zero proof that it ended up in your mailbox and without requiring a signature of receipt there is zero proof that it ended up in your hands.

The first time it happened to me back in the early 2000’s I went through the whole process of trying to get excused because im a driver and not home. Since that time I’ve simply ignored them and for over 20 years I’ve had nobody show up looking for me.

The only way they’d have proof of delivery is certified mail or serving the summons in person. We all know the mail system is a joke and they lose stuff all the time so it’s not that big of a stretch that a summons for jury duty wouldn’t make it to your mailbox.

 

I am not disagreeing with your take because I know several people who are doing the same thing, have done so for years and NEVER once had any form of action taken against them. The problem though is the courts no longer need to use certified mail or physical service at first. As I stated earlier the summons in Virginia have instructions for the person to go online and confirm service. Each court enforces this differently and I have no idea what other states are doing. As I said earlier I spoke to a deputy that has physically made contact and served people that did not respond to the mailings. The internet is slowly rendering certified or registered mail obsolete. I know some folks don't have internet. I still have an aunt I send snail mail to because she does not have internet.

To be honest I suspect as long as enough folks show up to make a good jury pool most courts will allow no-shows to stay in the margins. However, this article written 8 days ago in Mississippi is interesting. LINK "300 jury summons were sent out, but only 69 people showed up." IF this trend is also happening across the USA you can bet the farm that corrective action will be taken at some time in the future. Yes, I know they can't prove you got the summons, beware systems can be put in place that change the dynamics.

Here is the thing. I don't think any of us want crooks and dangerous people to be loose among us. However, the US Constitution guarantees the right to due process and the rule of law. If nobody is interested in sitting on a jury this system breaks down. I can't find the story but I remember a case many years ago where a Judge was forced to let a man loose because the state messed up.

 

Exactly, this officer from 1920 gets your information placed on his desk and loads his gun

 

As I said in my first response to OP. What happens when you ignore a jury duty notice depends on your location. Everyone telling you their particular events in different states & different years is just confusing the matter fir the OP. What happened in Arkansas in 2020 has no relevance to ANY OTHER STATE. TN, MO, TX, LA, or any other state will do whatever that one state will do. Nothing may happen, you may be punished, anything in between may happen.

CALL THE PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR NOTICE TO FIND OUT.

 

Moreover, different Judges in the SAME circuit can handle it differently.