My son was called for jury duty December 2016 just before he came home for Christmas break. He notified them that he was away at school and wanted to delay it until Christmas break (2 weeks later). They were not very thrilled but with a second letter and copy of his schedule and school calendar proving when the university’s break actually was, they finally agreed. He served his week in January, 2017. Well, here we are just a little over a year later and he is called for jury duty AGAIN! This time it is right AFTER his spring break. He could try to delay until summer, however, he begins his dream internship in NYC almost immediately after school. I’m all for doing our civic duty, but for a college student to serve jury duty twice in 13 months is a bit too much! Add to that, he is only a junior so he may very well have to figure this out again next year based on how things have been going. Any suggestions on how he can navigate this would be greatly appreciated. We are in Maryland.
Did he receive a certificate of service for his January 2017 jury duty? If so, I don’t think he has to serve again for five or six years.
I’m not sure. He has the form from last year indicating the dates he was called for service. Would that be equivalent?
Perhaps your son would be better off notifying the jury commissioner that he no longer lives at your address – and registering to vote at his college address. Any reason that he can’t do that?
https://mdcourts.gov/juryservice/faqs#11 says Maryland should call no more than once every three years, but some counties or cities may call jurors who served less than 5 days callable after just one year.
He told them that last year, but they said it doesn’t matter because our home address is his primary address as is indicated on his driver’s license. According to the information he was given last year, he would have to get a new license, etc which could also be complicated should the internship in NYC turn into a job offer upon his grad. in 2019 - needing to change his address again in less than a year. We will certainly check into this again though. Thanks for the idea!
@ucbalumnus, he was called for a week, and in our county, people must call the night before to see if they are needed. I believe he did not have to report for all 5 days. According to the link you so kindly provided, our county states “Notwithstanding CJ § 8-310©(2), an individual may be summoned for jury service after 1 year if the individual serves on a trial jury for fewer than 5 days in a 3-year period.” I am not sure if this would include him or not. Our county has you call the night before to see if you are needed. I don’t believe he had to actually physically report all 5 days he was summonsed. He will have to call them on Monday to find out if he will need to serve, I guess. Based on the back of the summons though, it doesn’t state the once in 5 years exemption. Thanks so much for the link!
I have the feeling that they are mad at him for changing his time the last time. Go for it again and try to more it to spring break. Expect to get called again next year.
@GloriaVaughn Sadly, I think you are right. Unfortunately, this time spring break is BEFORE he is scheduled so people are already scheduled for that time. That’s part of why it’s so much more difficult this time. Unfortunately, all this is making him want to do is get far away from this county.
That’s really a shame. Every time I’ve been called to JD, I call and get it postponed till summer (I’m a college instructor). The people at the County Clerk’s office coudln’t be nicer about it. Also, in NJ, once you appear for even a day of JD, you’re exempt for three years. Seems much more reasonable. I really think it’s ridiculous that they would be so harsh with a college student. Or anyone, for that matter.
Can’t he just call or write a note asking to be excused from jury duty, due to the fact that he doesn’t live there, and goes to college umpteen miles away? Of course he can’t perform jury duty at that time, and I sincerely doubt they can ask him to skip school. That is a hardship.
@davenmame – I guess it’s a choice of whether or not it’s a bigger inconvenience for your son to get a license in the state where he goes to school, and then again down the line after he graduates – or to deal with the jury commissioner every year until he gets established after graduation.
I am assuming that he does NOT have a car with him at college?
On my jury summons it has several options. One can postpone to a specific week, or one can write reasons that they will not be able to serve. That can include not presently living in the area. When I was called to serve the week after Christmas (which I picked thinking I wouldn’t have to appear) there were a lot of college students in the jury pool. The trial was going to be a long trial and each asked to be excused. The judge postponed them to summer and for those who said they wouldn’t be back they were asked to let the court office know when they would be back in the county.
@busdriver11 He was told last year that being away at college is NOT a reason to be excused and if he REALLY has no way to get back to our county for jury duty they MIGHT consider his request to reschedule it. After they made him jump through hoops, they did reschedule it. I suspect that GloriaVaughn is correct and they weren’t happy with him last year for rescheduling it.
@calmom you are correct, he will have to decide which is the bigger inconvenence and make a decision. My gut agrees with you in that we will be in this same position next year - probably sommoning him the week of graduation/finals. 
@mom60 our county does NOT list not living in the area as a reason. IF my memory serves correctly, the only reasons our county gives as reasons to reschedule or be excused were being over 70 years old, being in the military, serving a public office, having been arrested, and being in our country/state/county illegally. Gotta love our county!
That’s a messed up system, there! I wonder if it was just one cranky person…hopefully he or she is not still in charge. I would write it on the form, not call if possible. Requesting someone pay the expense of traveling back and skip a week of classes sounds very wrong.
I do not know if he called or wrote a letter.
I have found that writing a clear, polite and informative letter has allowed me to decline
jury duty when it was a hardship.
Asking someone to travel, at their expense, and miss classes is a hardship.
He has nothing to lose. He needs to track that his letter arrives.
There is probably an address on their letter or website and there is either a name
or the (??) something —it is not head of the jury but maybe someone here knows what the
proper salutation is for your county. thinking it is Jury Master here.
Back in the day, I was summoned for jury duty once when I was about to leave the state where I was an undergrad for good (having graduated) and once when I was leaving the state where I just got my law degree. Both times I was supposed to serve after I had left the state permanently and both OR and CA excused me.
I agree that he should write his excuse and IMHO, it is unreasonable to expect him to miss a week of classes and travel back and forth.
Is there ANY time that would be convenient for your S to serve on a jury? He may be asked to specify a time when he would be available.
Actually, I didn’t even have to appear. I got my 2 day call in notice. Called in for the first day, said I was not needed and that completed my jury service for 3 years. Of course, that notice for service came in the mail about one month after my prior 3 year exemption period had expired. Yet I have several friends who have all lived in my area longer than I have that have never been called. I realize it is random, but how come I can win the JD lottery, but can’t seem to win a cash lottery?
^Oh, that’s a good point–that never happens for me, but both my S and H called in the night before and found they were not needed. I always have to put in a day or two, but have never been on a jury yet.
Speaking of college graduations, I forgot that the last time was going to be during S’s graduation, and the woman who answered was very sympathetic and agreed that no way was I going to miss that!
I served on a couple of juries in my previous county, back when you had to show up for 2 weeks at a time. And you just had to sit there even if you were never called. The new procedure is much better! I have been called a few times in my current county, but have never actually served on a jury here. I did do Grand Jury duty about 5 years ago and found that very interesting. And it was not as cumbersome as petit jury duty. I wouldn’t mind doing that again at the county level.