Is Skipping Jury Duty Considered a Crime in New York State?

Jury Duty can be difficult to serve, but is it illegal to skip it?

For some reason since the day I turned 18 I've always been that person who has received a summons for Jury Duty. It was literally 2 weeks after I turned 18 when the notice came in the mail and I remember asking my parents if it was even real and what I needed to do for it. Needless to say I was not pleased, I know it's needed but come on.

Here we go again for me...

Anytime you mention Jury Duty to someone they seem to have some kind of reaction to it. Some people have never received a notice for it and would like to go, others have been picked to be on.a jury, people like me are tired of serving and shockingly some people admit to never responding to the notice.

Yes, they never respond to the notice and just have the state move onto the next person. The people who told me this said it so casually and nonchalantly it made me wonder who they get away with it and if there's a penalty if you blow off Jury Duty.

There has to be something....

Is there a penalty if you skip Jury Duty in New York State?

According to state website, there are penalties if you decide to skip Jury Duty and don't show up for your chosen date. The website says,

"Jury duty, like paying taxes, is mandatory. Skipping jury duty can result in civil or criminal penalties. In addition, anyone who skips jury service will be assigned a new date for future jury service".

How quick the state reacts and responds is not listed.

So as much as it can be pain, probably better to just serve it and get it over with. You don't want something silly like skipping Jury Duty to cost you a lot of money or mess up your record either. Also, employers can't retaliate, get upset about it and have to excuse you from work, so maybe it's like a day off? Sort of...

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If you're really in a jam, people are encouraged to contact your local commissioner of jurors office and asked to be excused from service. Be ready to provide documentation and proof of reasons why you need to be excused.

I have my Britney Spears book and snacks all ready to go for my date.

How about we change the subject to something more positive? Here are some high-paying jobs that don't require a lot of education: