Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: What happens if you miss jury duty in Franklin County, Ohio – Legal Perspective
Top headlines of the week, Dec. 19 2025
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
When receiving an inconveniently timed jury duty summons in the mail, you may wonder what happens if you just don’t go.
While jury duty is a crucial part of the criminal justice system, not everyone is excited to participate. That’s why it’s mandatory.
Technically, anyone who fails to show up to jury duty without a lawful excuse can be held in contempt of court. But how exactly does it work?
What happens if I don’t show up for jury duty in Franklin County, Ohio?
In practice, people who do not show up for jury duty do not typically face legal penalties in Franklin County.
Judges from both the Franklin County Municipal Court and the Franklin County Common Pleas Court said they have the right to take legal action against people who fail to show up for jury duty, but have not been required to do so.
“While the Court reserves the right to pursue legal action, the number of jurors who report each week currently meets the needs of the Court,” Franklin County Common Pleas Administrative Judge Kim Brown said in an email.
At the Franklin County Municipal Court, jurors receive a notice in the mail informing them of their jury duty, including when to appear and how to fill out a form through an online portal, Judge Zach Gwin said.
If someone doesn’t respond or doesn’t appear for jury service, they receive a second notice stating they didn’t appear and that they need to contact the court to provide an excuse or request a deferral to a new date.
If the second notice is ignored, there typically aren’t further consequences, Gwin said.
“We’ve never had a problem with having enough jurors show up, so we’ve never had to explore what that might be or what it might look like,” Gwin said.
That doesn’t mean people should just not show up, Gwin said, noting the court needs to bring in enough jurors to facilitate defendants’ right to a speedy trial.
“It’s their civic duty, and it is essential for the basic functions of the criminal justice system,” Gwin said.
What if I can’t attend jury duty?
If participating in jury duty would be a major imposition, it’s likely courts won’t want you on a jury anyway.
The Franklin County Municipal Court lists a variety of reasons on its website that a potential juror might be excused from jury duty. Caregivers of ill or disabled family members, people who must care for children during the day, full-time students and workers who might lose income from jury duty can be excused.
Gwin said the court needs enough jurors to facilitate trials, but “we do not want to make it a major inconvenience for you.”
“People often don’t even need to show up,” Gwin said. “I would tell folks, contact the court. … We are always ready to hear out a reason you can’t be there. We might ask for some documentation, but we want to work with folks.”
Scam callers claim arrest for missed jury duty
Law enforcement officials and courts have warned that a growing number of scammers have begun posing as police officers or sheriff’s deputies and threatening people with arrest if they do not pay a fine.
Some of these scams look legitimate, Gwin said. They may include the target’s name, the name of the courthouse, and details like judges’ names and case numbers.
“It sounds really legitimate unless you are working in the courthouse and know all the lingo,” Gwin said.
Often, the scammer says the target signed for receipt of a jury duty notice, then failed to appear. The scammer tells their potential victim to pay them right away.
“We don’t take Bitcoin, we don’t take gift cards, and we don’t ask for any money,” Gwin said. “We actually do not make phone calls either.”
Scammers may also spoof numbers of local law enforcement agencies to better disguise themselves, Gwin said.
Anyone who receives such a call can contact the courthouse to verify the caller’s claims, Gwin said. Both the Franklin County Common Pleas Court and the Franklin County Municipal Court warn about these scams on their websites and say court staff do not make phone calls to jurors.
People who receive potential scam calls should also contact their local law enforcement agency to report them, Gwin added.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.