What Happens If You Miss Jury Duty in Minnesota?

If you miss jury duty in Minnesota, the court will order you to appear and explain why. Fail to show good cause and you’re guilty of a misdemeanor, which carries up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.¹² Most people who skip won’t end up behind bars, but a conviction creates a criminal record, and the easier path, a one-time deferral of up to nine months, is still open to you before the summons date passes.

What the Court Does After You Miss a Summons

Under Minnesota Statute 593.42, anyone who fails to appear after being summoned will be ordered by the court to show up and explain the absence. This is called a show-cause order, and it arrives in writing through the U.S. mail. It is not a phone call, and it is not an email.

At the hearing, a judge decides whether your reason for missing qualifies as good cause. If it does, the matter ends there and you’ll typically be rescheduled. If it doesn’t, you can be convicted of a misdemeanor.¹ The same penalty structure applies if you ignored the qualification questionnaire the court sent before the summons itself.³

The Misdemeanor Penalty

A misdemeanor in Minnesota carries a maximum of 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.² Judges rarely impose the maximum for a missed jury summons, but the possibility is real, and the conviction itself goes on your record whether or not you serve any jail time. Background checks for jobs, housing, and licensing see misdemeanors.

What Counts as Good Cause

The statute doesn’t publish a checklist, so the judge has discretion. In general, courts look for a reason you couldn’t have reported and couldn’t have known to request a deferral in advance: a sudden medical emergency, a death in the family, a notice that never reached you because of an address problem. “I forgot,” “I was busy at work,” and “I was on vacation” are the kinds of reasons that would have supported a deferral if you’d asked ahead of time, but after the fact they’re harder to sell.

If you already know you’ve missed a date, don’t wait for the show-cause order to arrive. Contact the court identified on your summons and explain the situation. Courts generally prefer to reschedule jurors rather than prosecute them.

How to Avoid the Problem: Deferrals and Excuses

Minnesota’s court rules treat deferral as the default solution when a summons date doesn’t work. If the dates on your summons create a hardship because of work, vacation, family obligations, or another reason, you can request a one-time postponement of up to nine months. Students can postpone to a school break. The request can be submitted online, on the summons itself, or by calling the number listed on the summons.⁴

Full excuses are much narrower. Only two grounds exist under the court rules: a judge finds your ability to receive and evaluate information is impaired to the point you cannot serve, or the jury commissioner finds that serving would cause continuing hardship to you or to members of the public.⁵ If you’re 70 or older, you can be excused simply by asking.⁴ State and federal legislative employees are automatically deferred while the legislature is in session, and candidates for elected office are deferred from the day they file their candidacy through the day after the election.

The court rules say deferral is “encouraged as an alternative to excuse from service.” The practical reading: ask for a new date, not a pass.⁵

Watch Out for Jury Duty Scams

One thing a missed jury summons will never produce is a phone call demanding payment. Scammers call or email claiming you failed to appear and threaten arrest unless you pay a fine or hand over your Social Security number. Federal courts have confirmed they never collect fines by phone, and real court follow-up comes through the U.S. mail.⁶ Minnesota courts work the same way: legitimate follow-up for a missed appearance starts with a written show-cause order, not a threatening call.

If you get one of these calls, don’t pay and don’t share information. Report it to the clerk of court in your county and to the Federal Trade Commission.⁶

Your Employer Can’t Punish You for Serving

If the reason you missed, or almost missed, was fear of trouble at work, Minnesota law protects you. Under Section 593.50, your employer cannot fire you, threaten you, or take any negative action against you because you received a summons, responded to it, or served on a jury. Your employer must release you from your regular work schedule, including shift work, and cannot require you to work an alternative shift on a day you’re reporting.⁷

An employer who violates these protections can face criminal contempt charges, with penalties of up to a $700 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. If you’re fired because of jury service, you have 30 days to file a civil lawsuit for reinstatement and lost wages. Damages are capped at six weeks of lost wages, and the court will award reasonable attorney’s fees if you win.⁷

One limit worth knowing: the law does not require your employer to pay your regular wages during jury service. Some do as company policy; it isn’t mandatory. That means a scheduling conflict with work is not legal good cause for skipping. Tell your employer about the summons as soon as it arrives, and request a deferral through the court if you need a different week.

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 593.42 – Jurors, Failure to Appear
2
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 609.02 – Definitions
3
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 593.40 – Qualification Questionnaire
4
Minnesota Judicial Branch. Frequently Asked Questions – Jurors
5
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Rule 810 – Excuses and Deferrals
6
United States Courts. Juror Scams
7
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 593.50 – Protection of Jurors Employment