(a) General rule.--No person shall be exempt or excused from jury duty except the following:
(1) Persons in active service of the armed forces of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(2) Persons who have served within three years next preceding on any jury except a person who served as a juror for fewer than three days in any one year in which case the exemption period shall be one year.
(3) Persons demonstrating to the court undue hardship or extreme inconvenience may be excused permanently or for such period as the court determines is necessary, and if excused for a limited period shall, at the end of the period, be assigned to the next jury array.
(4) Spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents and grandchildren of victims of criminal homicide under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2501 (relating to criminal homicide).
(5) Persons who have previously served for a term of 18 months on a Statewide investigating grand jury, including any extensions thereof, who opt not to serve.
(6) Persons 75 years of age or older who request to be excused.
(7) Judges and magisterial district judges of the Commonwealth and judges of the United States as defined in 28 U.S.C. § 451 (relating to definitions).
(8) Breastfeeding women who request to be excused.
(b) Challenges.--This subchapter shall not affect the existing practice with respect to peremptory challenges and challenges for cause.
(Dec. 20, 1982, P.L.1409, No.326, eff. 60 days; Oct. 17, 2002, P.L.886, No.128, eff. 60 days; June 13, 2012, P.L.636, No.63, eff. 60 days; Oct. 30, 2015, P.L.215, No.54, eff. 60 days)
2015 Amendment. Act 54 added subsec. (a)(6), (7) and (8).
2012 Amendment. Act 63 added subsec. (a)(5).
Cross References. Section 4503 is referred to in sections 4521, 4523, 4584 of this title.
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Title 42 - JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
Chapter 45 - Juries and Jurors
Section 4501 - Declaration of policy
Section 4502 - Qualifications of jurors
Section 4503 - Exemptions from jury duty
Section 4521 - Selection of prospective jurors
Section 4521.1 - Statewide jury information system
Section 4522 - List of qualified jurors
Section 4523 - List of disqualified jurors
Section 4524 - Selection of jurors for service
Section 4525 - Equipment used for selection of jurors
Section 4526 - Challenging compliance with selection procedures
Section 4527 - Effect of verdict on jury selection errors
Section 4531 - Issuance of court orders for jurors
Section 4532 - Summoning persons to serve as jurors
Section 4541 - Short title of subchapter
Section 4543 - Convening county investigating grand jury
Section 4544 - Convening multicounty investigating grand jury
Section 4545 - Composition of investigating grand jury
Section 4546 - Term of investigating grand jury
Section 4547 - Additional investigating grand juries
Section 4548 - Powers of investigating grand jury
Section 4549 - Investigating grand jury proceedings
Section 4551 - Investigating grand jury presentments
Section 4552 - Investigating grand jury reports
Section 4553 - Expenses of investigating grand juries and trials resulting therefrom
Section 4561 - Compensation of and travel allowance for jurors
Section 4562 - Juror's right to refuse inquiries
Section 4563 - Protection of employment of petit and grand jurors
Section 4563.1 - Protection of employment of grand jurors (Deleted by amendment)
Section 4564 - Alternate jurors
Section 4565 - Challenging certain petit jurors where political subdivision is a party
Section 4581 - Interfering with selection of jurors
Section 4582 - Tampering with names of jurors
Section 4583 - Tampering with jurors