How Does Jury Duty Work in Jefferson Parish?

If you’ve been summoned for jury duty in Jefferson Parish, you’ll report to the Thomas F. Donelon Courthouse at 200 Derbigny Street in Gretna under a one-day or one-trial system: show up for a single day, and unless you’re seated on a trial, your obligation ends that afternoon.¹ Before your date, return the questionnaire portion of the summons within five days so the Clerk of Court can verify your information and confirm you intend to serve.²

Who Qualifies to Serve

Louisiana sets five requirements under Code of Criminal Procedure Article 401. You must be a United States citizen who has lived in Jefferson Parish for at least one year before your service date, be at least 18, and be able to read, write, and speak English well enough to follow proceedings. You cannot be under interdiction or otherwise unable to serve due to a mental or physical condition, though loss of hearing by itself is not disqualifying.³

The felony rule is narrower than many people assume. You’re disqualified only if you are currently under indictment, incarcerated, or on probation or parole for a felony within the five years immediately before your service date. If your sentence, probation, or parole ended more than five years ago, you qualify.³

How to Get Excused or Deferred

None of the exemptions below are automatic. You have to contact the court and ask. If you ignore the summons on the assumption you qualify, the court treats it as a failure to appear.²

If you are 70 or older, you may claim an exemption by written request. Serving is still your choice.
If you served on a jury less than two years before your scheduled date, you are exempt.⁴
The Jury Commission reviews excusal requests based on medical conditions, financial hardship, or caregiving duties. Send supporting documentation such as a doctor’s letter.

Article 403 of the Code of Criminal Procedure delegates the full list of exemptions to rules set by the Louisiana Supreme Court.⁵

Where to Report and How Check-In Works

The jury pool lounge is in Suite 1200 of the Donelon Courthouse. Enter through the General Government Building at the Jefferson Parish General Government Center rather than the courthouse itself, and expect security screening at the door.⁶

Free parking is in the multi-level garage at 3rd and Derbigny Streets. Keep your parking ticket on you and have it validated in the jury assembly room so you aren’t charged. Gretna parking meters are not free for jurors and will not be reimbursed.⁴

Inside the assembly room, check in with the jury clerk and wait for instructions. If you leave the lounge for any reason, including the restroom, sign out at the front desk and sign back in when you return. When you’re dismissed, the same desk provides written proof of your service.¹

What to Bring and Courthouse Rules

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID, your jury summons, and your parking garage ticket. A book or something to read helps with the downtime.

Cell phones can come into the building, but the 24th JDC requires you to turn off all electronic communication devices once inside. You cannot answer calls, check texts, or use the phone unless a judge specifically allows it. Eating and drinking are not permitted in corridors, courtrooms, or conference rooms.⁷

How Long You’ll Be There

For petit juries, which make up the ordinary trial juries most summonses lead to, the one-day or one-trial system applies. If you aren’t picked for a panel, you go home that day. If you are seated, you serve for the length of the trial, usually one to three days.¹

Grand jury service is separate and much longer, with a term that can run up to a year and a possible six-month extension at the district attorney’s request. Grand jurors meet on scheduled sessions rather than daily.⁸

Pay and Job Protection

Jurors are paid $25 per day in criminal cases and $50 per day in civil cases, plus mileage at the rate paid to state officials, calculated one way.⁹

Your employer cannot fire you, demote you, or otherwise retaliate against you for responding to a summons, provided you give notice within a reasonable time after receiving it and before your appearance date. An employer who violates the law faces a fine of $100 to $1,000 per affected employee and must reinstate you at the same position, wages, and benefits.¹⁰

Louisiana also requires your employer to grant you a leave of absence without loss of wages for up to one day of jury service. Beyond that first day, continued pay is not required, though some employers continue it voluntarily. The court will provide a certificate of attendance for your employer’s records.¹⁰

What Happens If You Don’t Show Up

A district judge can impose a fine of up to $50 or up to three days in parish jail, or both, for each day you fail to appear.⁹ A parish-specific statute sets the fine at $100 per violation for willful failure to attend after proof of actual notice.

The court usually issues a rule to show cause first, ordering you to appear and explain the absence. If the judge finds you missed the date on purpose rather than because of a real emergency, contempt sanctions follow. If you have a legitimate conflict, contact the Jury Commission before your service date.

Accessibility and Accommodations

If you need an accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or wheelchair-accessible seating, email the Jury Commission at jurycomm@jpclerkofcourt.us before your service date and include your contact information. Requests are considered but not guaranteed.¹¹

If you have a pacemaker, cochlear implant, or other medical device that could be affected by the metal detector, bring a doctor’s letter and ask for hand-wand screening instead. Medications in reasonable quantities are allowed through security but may be inspected.

Watch Out for Jury Duty Phone Scams

The Clerk of Court has warned residents about callers who pose as law enforcement or court staff, claim you missed jury duty or a court date, and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest. The callers sometimes spoof real court phone numbers and name actual officers. They ask for payment by prepaid credit card, gift card, wire transfer, or direct bank information.¹²

No legitimate court or law enforcement agency demands payment by phone. Hang up. If you have real questions about a summons or any court fine, call the Clerk of Court directly at (504) 364-2900, or the Jury Commission at (504) 364-2919 or (504) 364-2968.²

1
24th Judicial District Court. Jury Assembly
2
Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court. Jury Service
3
Justia. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 401 – General Qualifications of Jurors
4
Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court. Frequently Asked Questions
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Justia. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 403 – Exemption From Jury Service
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Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court. Jury Service Hours and Location
7
24th Judicial District Court. Courthouse Rules
8
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 415.2
9
Justia. Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:3049 – Cash Deposit; Bond; Duty to Attend; Compensation; Procedure; Filing Fees
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Justia. Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:965 – Jury Duty; Dismissal Forbidden; Uninterrupted Compensation; Penalties
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Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court. Jury Service Verification
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WVUE Fox 8. Jefferson Parish Officials Warn of Phone Scams Alleging Missed Jury Service or Court Dates