To reiterate: if given a summons by the court, in person attendance is mandatory (applies to all 50 states). After voir dire, if either the lawyer or judge has selected you as the juror and being presented with evidence relevant to the case: what types of cases were you assigned whilst being a part of the jury?
Also, what happens if the individual fails to willingly show up (non-excusals) in court on the appointed date when they’ve been handed a summons in the US? For reference, in my country where Jury Duty also exists: the offense for failing to show up in person incurs the equivalent of an ~800 USD fine.
I’ve been called several times. Failing to show up gets more extreme as the level of court increases. County and city courts tend to have smaller penalties and pay less than federal courts. The pay is basically a joke in all cases. Jury duty is generally a lot of waiting for things to happen, and it’s pretty boring.
The first time I was called in for a criminal rape case, I believe this was federal. The victim was under 18, but over the age of consent. The issue was around her being mentally handicapped. I was removed during voir dire by the prosecution, but it took until the second day. The first day was mostly sitting and waiting, I don’t remember if either side got to remove anyone the first day.
The second time was a county court. All cases settled that day before trials. So it just wasted a few hours.
The third time was another federal court. It was a civil case of a prisoner against a guard who destroyed his legal documents searching for “contraband.” I was part of the jury for this one, it was a 2 day long trial and we took an extra half day of deliberation. Ultimately we were a hung jury.
What is a hung jury?
If a jury can’t reach a unanimous verdict it’s called a hung jury. Essentially it’s a mistrial and the case can be retried.