Philadelphia courts jury duty questions

Submitted by salamanderXIII t3_ypxzxg in philadelphia

I searched the sub and didn't find the information I was looking for....

  • My office is a 5 minute walk from the courthouse, is it feasible to check into the waiting area on the morning that I serve and then go to my office until summoned?

  • Assuming I actually serve as a juror, when would the day likely end? I see that the business hours are listed as 7.30am to 4pm, can I assume I'll be done by 4pm at the latest?

Thanks in advance!

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frogurtalsocursed t1_ivlgxqw wrote

> My office is a 5 minute walk from the courthouse, is it feasible to check into the waiting area on the morning that I serve and then go to my office until summoned?

No, you’ll have to wait in the assembly room.

> Assuming I actually serve as a juror, when would the day likely end? I see that the business hours are listed as 7.30am to 4pm, can I assume I’ll be done by 4pm at the latest?

If you are picked for a jury, most judges will excuse you by around 4:30, but it is up to the judge.

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IvanStarokapustin t1_ivli91g wrote

Once you check in you’ll have to hang out in the jury room to see if you’ll be needed. So bring a book and some snacks.

You will probably get out around 4:00 but there are no guarantees about anything. I got a four day criminal trial when I expected to get a civil case.

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PurpleWhiteOut t1_ivlqqe5 wrote

For my trial we had to meet at 9:15 AM. We never actually started on time. The latest we stayed was 4:30 PM, but we often left early if there wasn't enough time to call a new witness

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vodkaismywater t1_ivm4ito wrote

You have to wait in the jury pool the entire time. Bring something to entertain yourself, odds are you'll be there all day even if you're not selected—voir dire is not a fast process.

As for timing, the first day you will likely be done by 5. If you're selected, you'll be finished each day anywhere between 4:30 and 6:45 depending on the judge. In my experience, judges will clear it with the jury before going past 5.

Source: I'm a Philly Litigator

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salamanderXIII OP t1_ivm9rae wrote

Thanks!

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vodkaismywater t1_ivmb3fc wrote

No problem! And bring a power pack if you can. Finding an outlet in the CJC and city hall courtrooms is pretty hard unless you're in the bar or well (where the parties sit). Most importantly, be nice to the court staff. They're important to the process, wildly underpaid (I know, I used to a clerk), and treated terribly by most of the public.

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salamanderXIII OP t1_ivqp3jd wrote

Everyone I encountered there was very nice.

Thanks again for the information!

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MagnusUnda t1_ivlorn7 wrote

Reschedule your summons day to the friday before a holiday weekend. This also applies to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving

The odds are extraordinarily high you won’t have to come in because judges and lawyers don’t want to start a trial that day

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