What to Expect at Erie County (New York State) Jury Duty

You never thought it would happen to you. On a day like any other day you get the mail out of your mailbox and you go into the house to sort through it. You open a piece of mail that has been sent to you by the State of New York and your heart sinks. You are being called for Jury Duty.

Why you?! What did you ever do to deserve this?! Typically citizens are chosen for Jury Duty if they have recently received unemployment assistance, they are registered to vote, they have a valid driver's license, they file taxes and from volunteer lists. In other words, you have nowhere to hide and you may someday be called to serve as a juror.

The notice you receive will include a juror number. Keep in mind, the higher the number, the less likely you will be needed to report at all. Numbers usually range from about 1-1600 a week and per day you can expect anywhere from 300 to 600 people to be called. You will also be given a phone number that you can call to find out if you will need to report.

This automated message is updated each evening at approximately 6:00 P.M. The message will tell you if your juror number is needed the following morning and also you will be told where to report. You will need to be available from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. so don't make plans for that day.

You may also want to let your employer know ahead of time that there is a chance you may be out for one or more days that week. Typically you will only need to report for one day but there is a chance that you may serve on a jury for a trial that lasts a few days. Don't worry, sequestered Juries very rarely happen, especially in Erie County, so don't anticipate this.