2313.13 Juror may be discharged or have service postponed or excused. - Ohio Statutes

2313.13 Juror may be discharged or have service postponed or excused.

(A) The court of common pleas of a county or the judge of the court of common pleas of a county, upon a request made at least two business days before the juror’s initial appearance by a juror who appears in person or contacts the appropriate court employee appointed by the court by telephone, in writing, or by electronic mail, shall postpone the juror’s initial appearance for jury duty if both of the following apply:

(1) The juror has not previously been granted a postponement.

(2) The juror and the appropriate court employee appointed by the court agree to a specified date on which the juror will appear for jury service. The specified date shall be one on which the court is in session and, unless extraordinary circumstances exist, that is not more than six months after the date for which the juror was originally called to serve. If extraordinary circumstances exist, the court may, at the court’s discretion, specify a date on which the juror will appear for jury service that is more than six months after the date for which the juror was originally called to serve.

(B) The court of common pleas of a county or the judge of the court of common pleas of a county may grant a second or subsequent postponement of jury service to a juror only in the event of an extreme emergency, such as a death in the juror’s family, a sudden illness of the juror, or a natural disaster or national emergency in which the juror is personally involved, that could not have been anticipated at the time the initial postponement was granted. Before receiving a second or subsequent postponement, the juror shall agree to a specified date on which the juror will appear for jury service. The specified date shall be one on which the court is in session and that is not more than six months after the date of the postponement.

Each juror whose time of service on jury duty is postponed until a specified date may be required to attend the opening of court on that day and on each day after that day until the juror is discharged, without additional summons from the court.

(C) The court of common pleas of a county, or a judge of the court of common pleas of a county, may excuse until a specified date one or more jurors summoned for jury duty whose attendance is not required for the trial of issues until that day. Each juror excused until a specified date may be required to attend the opening of court on that day and on each day after that day until the juror is discharged, without additional summons from the court.

(D) The court of common pleas of a county or a judge of the court of common pleas of a county may excuse a juror, after summoning the juror for jury duty, from service on jury duty at that term of court for not more than three days at a time, if the exigencies of the juror’s business require the juror’s temporary excuse.

Effective Date: 12-18-2002; 08-15-2005