Why are jury duty summonses sent if no jurors are needed?

[debodun]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York

I received a jury duty summons with the instructions to call the evening before the scheduled reporting date. When I did the message said, "No juror are needed." I just wanted to know why summonses were sent out if no jurors needed to report.

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York

I received a jury duty summons with the instructions to call the evening before the scheduled reporting date. When I did the message said, "No juror are needed." I just wanted to know why summonses were sent out if no jurors needed to report.

Because the court does not know if jurors are going to be needed. They don't know how many trials are going to actually move forward any individual day let alone weeks in advance when summons are sent to perspective jurors. Some cases schedule the day of trial. In others there is a jury waiver.

 

[swalsh411]

Would you prefer to be given zero notice and told to report the next day?

 

[cbg]

Because at the time the summonses are sent out they have no way of knowing yet whether jurors will be needed or not. Court calendars can change at the drop of a hat.

Last time I was called for jury duty, I reported as required (in the middle of a snowstorm and a 45 minute-in-good-weather drive). We were told that there were two cases requiring jurors, so they put us through the required explanations/training, put us in the juror lounge and told us to wait. We waited almost four hours. In that four hours, one of the two cases decided to settle out of court and the other was delayed a day while the judge considered his ruling on a motion that had been made by one side, I forget which. So they dismissed us and we all drove back home again through the snow.

They just don't know up until the last minute what cases will be on the docket or how many, if any, jurors will be needed.