If you received a Summons form or postcard, call the Automated Jury Information System (AJIS) at 1-800-959-9519 and follow the prompts to connect to a member of our jury staff.

Your reporting location will be specified on the summons you received. Jurors typically report to the city where the applicable division holds court — Wichita, Topeka, or Kansas City — though in rare cases, a different location (e.g., Dodge City, Salina, or Fort Scott) may be designated instead.

The federal court adheres to industry best practices for database and server security. Court systems are maintained by highly skilled court staff and supported by a dedicated national network team.

Your term of service depends on whether you are summoned as a petit juror or a grand juror, as well as the division in which you are serving. Unless otherwise indicated, petit jurors are on call for a period of one month, though some terms of service may be longer. During this on-call period, you may be required to report on any of the dates listed on your summons. Jurors selected to serve on a grand jury have a term of 18 months of service, with no maximum number of required appearances. In most instances, grand jurors are required to report once a month until their term expires.

Under 28 U.S.C. Section 1866(g),  any person who fails to respond to or comply with a summons may be fined up to $1,000, imprisoned for up to three days, ordered to perform community service, or subject to any combination thereof. Jury service is one of the most important responsibilities that a citizen performs. The right to trial by jury is one of our nation's fundamental rights and can only be preserved when citizens accept the responsibility of jury service.

Excuse requests must be submitted in writing by the summoned juror;  phone requests are not accepted. Phone contact should be reserved for last-minute emergencies that cannot be handled through a written request. Excuse requests and scheduling conflicts may be submitted by email (preferred), fax, or mail, and should be submitted as soon as you become aware of the conflict. You must monitor your reporting status by calling the Automated Jury Information System (AJIS) at 1-800-959-9519, as instructed on your summons. Have your nine-digit participant number (located on your summons) ready when you call.

Regardless of your ability to serve on jury duty, a response is still required. You can complete the Jury Information Form online (preferred) through eJUROR, or, if you receive a paper summons, complete the Jury Information Form at the bottom of the summons and return it by mail. You will have the opportunity to describe your infirmity — please explain fully why it would interfere with jury service, as the Court also weighs other factors, such as your ability to maintain employment.

Please respond on behalf of the intended recipient so we can update our records. You can do this by logging into eJUROR using the recipient's name, date of birth, and participant number. When prompted, indicate that you are responding on behalf of someone who is deceased, and provide the date of death. If you prefer to respond by mail, return the summons to our office and note on it that the person is deceased, including the date of death. Once we receive this information, the matter will be closed with our court. A copy of the death certificate is not required.

While the Court welcomes jurors of any age, those 70 or older may request an exemption from service under our Jury Plan — though a response to the summons is still required.. If you respond online (preferred) through eJUROR you will have the opportunity to indicate if you are requesting the age exemption. If you are responding by mail, please complete the Jury Information Form found at the bottom of the summons and note on the back of the form that you would like to request an age exemption.

If your conviction was in Kansas, your civil rights were automatically restored upon completion of the terms of your authorized sentence. If you were convicted in another jurisdiction, please consult the jurisdiction or the Restoration of Rights Project at https://ccresourcecenter.org/restoration-2/–.

Jury selection takes place on the first day you report for duty. You will participate in an orientation and selection process known as voir dire, during which the required number of jurors will be selected, and you will learn the anticipated length and type of trial. If selected to serve, the trial will begin the same day. Court will generally convene during standard business hours unless otherwise directed by the presiding judge. If you are not selected during voir dire, you will be excused for the remainder of the week; however, you will remain on call through the end of your term of service as indicated on your summons and must continue to call the Automated Jury Information System (AJIS) at 1-800-959-9519 to check on your weekly reporting status.  

Jury trials can last anywhere from one day to several weeks, though trials average 2-5 days long. 

Currently, no law requires employers to do so, though most will at least make up the difference.

The IRS classifies juror attendance fees as Other Income, which must be reported on your federal tax return. At the end of the calendar year, the Court will mail a Form 1099-MISC to any juror who earned $2,000 or more in attendance fees during that year.

Jurors should report to court only when instructed to do so by the weekly Automated Jury Information System (1-800-959-9519). Jurors who reside 60 miles or more (one-way) from the Courthouse are eligible for overnight lodging and may stay at any hotel of their choice. Eligible jurors may stay overnight the day prior to their reporting date, for which a per diem will be provided; any lodging costs exceeding the per diem rate are the juror's responsibility. To receive reimbursement, jurors must submit a hotel receipt to the Court reflecting their actual out-of-pocket lodging expense. Reimbursement checks will be mailed within 60 days of service. When making hotel reservations, jurors should identify themselves as federal jurors and request the government rate; Jurors must complete the Tax Exemption Form and present it to the hotel at check-in to have applicable hotel taxes waived. If a hotel offers a government rate but declines to extend it to jurors, jurors should refer the hotel to 28 U.S.C. § 1877(b)(1), which deems jurors to be GS-2 employees during their period of service. If no government rate is available, jurors should inquire about other applicable discounts (e.g., AAA, Senior, or Military rates). Questions regarding overnight accommodation should be directed to the Jury Administrator.

The Automated Jury Information System (AJIS) provides a weekly message indicating whether you are required to report and when to call back for further instructions. The message will also notify you when your term of service has been completed. Summoned jurors must call the AJIS line at 1-800-959-9519, as instructed on their summons. 

A petit juror's responsibility is to determine issues of fact in civil and criminal cases and to reach a verdict based on those findings. A grand juror's responsibility is to determine probable cause in criminal cases based on the facts and accusations presented by the prosecutor; if the grand jury finds probable cause, an indictment will be handed down. An indictment is the most common way a criminal case begins. In summary, grand jurors decide whether there is enough evidence to indict, while petit jurors decide guilt or innocence.