Now that you’re 18, one of the obligations that comes with the territory is serving on a jury if called. If your name is pulled you have a responsibility to accept, unless you have been excused for some special reason.
The following are some examples of reasons why a judge might decline to have someone serve on a jury:
- You’re related to someone involved in the case.
- You have a financial interest in the outcome of the case.
- You’re found to have a bias that would prevent you from deciding the matter impartially.
In some cases a judge may also excuse a person from jury duty if the obligation would cause extreme inconvenience for that person, meaning consideration of family or career factors.