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Juror Qualification Questionnaire FAQs

Where can I submit my request to be excused from jury duty?
All requests to be excused from jury duty must be submitted in writing.  You can mail or fax your request to the appropriate courthouse below or click here  to submit your request via our website.
What if I do not live in the Eastern District anymore?
You still must complete the questionnaire, even if you moved to another county or out-of-state. If you have moved out of state or out of the Eastern District select for the county “NONE OF COUNTIES LISTED”.
What if person selected for jury service is deceased?
Please state this fact on line or on the card and sign your name on behalf of the deceased person and return the card to the court.
What if I am a student?
If you are a student away at school, a parent can complete the questionnaire on your behalf. Or the parent can give you the log-in information so you can complete the questionnaire online. Do not update your address to your school address unless you have permanently moved to that address.
What if I am an English Language Learner? (Question 4)
Answer all 3 parts of the question. If someone must help you complete the questionnaire due to difficulty understanding the English language, mark “No” and explain under remarks.
What if I have a Criminal Conviction (Question 5, 6 and 7)
This question applies to felony convictions only. If you have a felony conviction and you have answered “Yes” because your rights have been restored, proof of your rights being restored must be mailed, faxed or emailed to the court. If your rights have not been restored answer “No”.
What if I have a Medical Condition? (Question 8)
Explain how your medical condition prevents or interferes with your ability to serve. You also must submit a doctor’s note stating your inability to serve signed by an M.D., D.O. or Nurse Practitioner. If you are willing to serve, please be sure to clarify this and explain if you will need the court to make accommodations for you at the courthouse.
What if I have an Exempt Occupation? (Question 9)
This question applies to only the occupations listed. Answer all three parts to this question.
Why do I have to select my Race/Ethnicity? (Question 10 and 11)
Federal law requires that you answer every question on the questionnaire, including those pertaining to your race and ethnicity. This information is required solely to avoid discrimination and has absolutely no bearing on your qualification to jury service.
Where do I report? 
Under the Jury Service homepage, select the link for information to the St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, or Hannibal Courthouses.  
Why must I call the evening at 4:30pm before I appear for jury duty? 
Trials in this Court have up until 4:30 pm on the last business day before trial to be settled, disposed, or continued. This Court only summons the number of jurors needed for the cases that are actually going to trial. In this way, the Court can avoid having jurors report who will not go to a Courtroom for jury selection.
How can I get proof of my jury service attendance?
If an employer requires written verification of your attendance for jury service, you may obtain a Certificate of Attendance for each day you are required to report.
Will I be paid for my jury service?

A $50.00 attendance fee is paid for each day you are required to and do report for duty, whether or not you are selected to serve on a trial. You will be paid 65.5 cents per mile round trip from your home to the Courthouse as reimbursement for your travel expense. The Court has an automated program to determine the miles from your address to the Courthouse, so you do not need to track your mileage. Checks are mailed to jurors twice a month. The jury payment files are sent to a central check facility in Kansas City on the 15th and the last day of the month and checks usually issue about 3 business days later. Federal employees receive attendance fees only on their regularly scheduled day(s) off.

Juror attendance fees are considered income and should be reported to the IRS on your tax form. The Court issues a 1099 MISC tax form to all jurors who have earned $600.00 or more in jury service fees during a calendar year. However, if you earned less than $600.00 in fees, this income should be reported on your tax form. Payments for mileage, parking, and subsistence are not considered income, but expense reimbursements and are not taxable.

What items should I bring with me when I report?

You will need to bring a valid photo ID to go through security at the Courthouse. Please be sure to bring your summons for check-in.

Cell phones and laptops are permitted in the building, but they MUST be completely turned off when you are in the Courtroom and during juror orientation. You may bring food, books, and magazine

What items are prohibited? 
It is extremely rare that jurors in this Court are sequestered. If this would occur, your hotel and meals would be provided by the Court.
Is there a dress code?
Shorts, tank tops, and sweatpants are NOT permitted in the Courtroom. You will be sent home without being paid or directed to return home and change at your expense if inappropriate attire is worn. 
You may wish to bring a sweater or light jacket to wear if needed in the Courtroom.
How long will I be serving? 

Petit Jurors
St. Louis – the term of jury service is for a two-week period. Usually, jurors only report one time for selection during the term, and trials average 3-4 days long. If you are selected to serve on a trial which exceeds the service period, you will be required to serve until the completion of the trial. You are instructed to call the Automated Jury Information phone (AJIS) or check your Current Status online through eJuror on the date and time indicated on your summons. You will either report on the summons date or be rescheduled to another date during the two-week time period and instructed to call after 4:30 pm on the last business day for further instructions or changes. Usually jury selections are held only on Mondays and Wednesdays. If the Monday is a federal holiday, jurors are scheduled to report on Tuesday.
Cape Girardeau – Petit jurors are on call for a six-month term.
Hannibal- Petit jurors are on call for a six-month term.

On-call means you may be called to serve during that time period. You are not expected to be available every day during the term, and the court can schedule your appearance around vacation dates and other conflicts. You do not need to report until you a notified by mail of a specific reporting date. The court sends out notices to report approximately 10 days to 2 weeks in advance. The written notice will contain information for reporting and calling the automated phone or checking online through eJuror to confirm whether or not you need to appear on the scheduled reporting date.

Grand Jurors – Grand jurors serve for one year and may be extended if necessary. Schedules vacations can be accommodated.
St. Louis grand jurors normally meet 1-2 days every other week
Cape Girardeau grand jurors usually convene once a month.

What if I do not live or drive in the city/country? 

If you have a valid driver’s license, the Court does not excuse jurors who are unfamiliar with the Court location. If you cannot drive due to a medical condition, the Court requires a note from your doctor stating that you should be excused from service due to health reasons.

You have been summoned for the United States District Court, and jurors come from a number of counties to serve. For the Eastern Division, the Courthouse is located in the city of St Louis, but petit and grand jurors are summoned from the City of St. Louis and the following 13 counties: Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maries, Phelps, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Warren, and Washington.

For the Southeastern Division, the Courthouse is located in Cape Girardeau, but petit and grand jurors are summoned from the following 18 counties: Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, and Wayne.

For the Northern Division, the Courthouse is located in Hannibal, but petit and grand jurors are summoned from the following 17 counties: Adair, Audrain, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, and Shelby. For grand juries serving in St. Louis, jurors are summoned from both the Eastern and Northern Divisions.

What accommodations can I receive if I as a disabled person?  
Any juror who requires accommodations for a disability, including special arrangements for parking, should contact the jury clerk so that appropriate arrangements can be made in advance.
What if I have a serious hardship or medical issue? 

During your term of service, if you have a scheduled vacation or other specific dates you will be unable to serve, please notify your respective court Jury clerks.  More information under Jury Selection Homepage.  
Or,
You may write these dates on the Juror Information form which you return to the Court or submit a Partial Excuse request through eJuror after completing the Juror Information Form.

If you have a compelling reason to be excused from jury service or deferred to a later term, you must submit your request in writing along with your completed Juror Information Form. The request to be excused must detail the hardship.

If you have a physical or mental impairment which you believe would prevent you from serving as a juror, the Court requires a recent statement from your doctor stating your inability to serve as a juror, signed by a D.O., M.D., Nurse Practitioner, or Audiologist. Even if you are requesting to be excused for medical reasons, you must complete the Juror Qualification Questionnaire or if summoned, the Juror Information Form. The doctor’s note can be faxed to 314-244-7859, emailed to moedml_jury@moed.uscourts.gov, or mailed to the Court.

Please do NOT wait until you are to appear to submit a request to be excused or deferred from your term of service.

Will I be sequestered? 
It is extremely rare that jurors in this Court are sequestered. If this would occur, your hotel and meals would be provided by the Court.
What if I want to stay in town for the night while serving?
Jurors who live 100 miles or more one way from the Court have the option of spending the night at a local hotel while serving on a jury and coming in the night before service. The subsistence allowance for meals and lodging for jurors in St. Louis is $205.00 per night and the subsistence allowance for jurors serving in Cape Girardeau and Hannibal is $155.00 per night. Jurors must provide a copy of the hotel receipt in order to be reimbursed. The subsistence allowance is a set allowance regardless of the exact cost of the hotel. Try to negotiate the best rate to ensure that you will not pay more than the amount that can be reimbursed. Ask for the federal government rate and if the hotel honors it for jurors, the hotel may require proof, such as your Summons at check-in. For more information, please contact the jury clerks.
What kinds of cases are tried in Federal Court?
Both civil and criminal cases are tried in Federal Court. Civil cases can include personal injury claims, medical malpractice claims, claims for breach of contract, and claims for the violation of civil rights. Criminal cases can include drug charges and fraud.
Is there a penalty for not responding to a summons?
Any person who fails to show good cause for noncompliance with a summons may be fined not more than $1,000, imprisoned not more than 3 days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof.