Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A “Summons to Jury Service”, or “Jury Summons”, is a court order requiring a juror to complete the Jury Questionnaire and report for jury service at a specific date and time. You are required to fill out the Jury Questionnaire even if you are requesting excusal.

Please contact your court at the number listed on your jury summons if you have further questions.

You received a Jury Summons because your name was randomly selected from a master database to serve on a jury.

The names of potential jurors are randomly selected from three databases and include:

• Licensed Drivers
• Income Tax Filers
• Registered Voters

State law provides for qualified jurors to be:

• United States Citizens
• Over 18 years old
• Residents of the county where they were called to serve
• Not currently on felony probation or parole

Please contact the court that summoned you. If you do not know this information you may visit the New Mexico Courts website for assistance.

Scan the QR code on your summons or go to https://jury.nmcourts.gov. This link will take you to the webpage to fill out your online Jury Questionnaire.

Everyone who is a US Citizen, over the age of 18, a resident of the county they were summoned in, and not currently on felony probation or parole is qualified to serve on a jury.

Under very limited circumstances a juror may be excused from jury service.

• Complete the Jury Questionnaire and provide relevant documents when requesting an excusal. The online juror portal will allow you to upload a PDF with your excusal documents. However, if you do not have access to the internet you may contact the court for document submission questions.
• Unless the court notifies you that your request was granted, you are still required to appear when instructed.

No one is exempt from serving as a juror because of their job or employment.

Yes. Any person willfully failing to appear at the time ordered by the court may be punished under Section 38-5-10 NMSA 1978.

Any person willfully failing to complete and submit the qualification and questionnaire may be punished for contempt of court.

Failure to appear and contempt of court are criminal charges which may result in jail time, a fine, or both.

Answering these questions shortens the jury selection process and reduces the need to ask personal, or potentially embarrassing, questions to jurors in open court.

Your personal contact information: name, address, phone number, and email are only accessed by court staff and are not given to attorneys or other case parties.

Pursuant to New Mexico Supreme Court Order 00-8500, all Jury Questionnaires in the possession of the Court, or any other party, must be destroyed 90 days after the juror’s term of service ends.

Please complete the Jury Questionnaire with the correct information. The court may contact you to request documentation.

You may also contact the court for the procedure on how to update the incorrect information.

The courts are committed to providing jurors with an equal opportunity to participate in jury service. Please contact your court as soon as possible after receiving your Jury Summons. You can also enter this request when you complete your Jury Questionnaire. The courts contact information can be found at Search For Your Court.

If you believe your disability prevents satisfactory completion of jury service, complete the Jury Questionnaire and submit a signed statement from your healthcare provider explaining why you are unable to serve as a juror; the court does not need a diagnosis. You may also provide your healthcare provider with a Request for Medical Excusal Form.

If the court does not grant excusal, you are still required to appear when instructed.

Please refer to your court’s website or online juror portal for reporting instructions. Contact the court for further instructions.

• The court may send you reporting information via text message, email or mail.
• If you are told not to report, do not go to the courthouse. You may be called to jury service sometime in the future.

Reporting:

• Arrive at the courthouse early enough that you can locate parking, get through security and still be on time to check-in

Yes. The court is authorized by Supreme Court order to reimburse for jury service at the rate of $12.00 per hour. In addition, round-trip mileage from your home to the courthouse will be paid at $0.70 per mile for mileage over 40 miles per 38-5-15 NMSA 1978

Government employees may have their own internal pay policy for jury service. Please see your Human Resources representative for further information or questions.

New Mexico law protects individuals who are completing jury service.

• Employee protections and employer requirements are found at 38-5-18 NMSA 1978.
• An employer, either individually or through his agent, who violates 38-5-18 NMSA 1978] is guilty of a petty misdemeanor. 38-5-19
• Employers are not required to pay jurors while they are serving as a juror Your court can issue a certificate with the days and times you appeared for jury service if your employer requires documentation of your jury service. You may also print an attendance letter from the online juror portal.

No. More individuals are called to jury service than are selected to actually serve on a jury. This is in part because there have to be enough jurors to hear each case and allow for challenges.

The length of jury service is established by each Court. Your summons, your court or the court’s website can tell you how long you will have to serve.

Court hours are generally 8 AM to 5 PM including a lunch break with some exceptions. Jurors are only permitted to leave the courthouse when instructed by the court.

Generally, you are not required to serve on a jury or attend court for jury service in a New Mexico state court more than once every 3 years.

If you are requesting excusal because you served within the past 3 years you must fill out the Jury Questionnaire and submit proof of service to the court.

You must have reported to the courthouse and received attendance for jury selection, jury trial or grand jury to receive the 3 year service excusal.

The court will make every effort to provide an interpreter to qualified jurors. Please fill out the Jury Questionnaire and indicate your language preference.

Your court will work with you to resolve scheduling conflicts. The court may ask to provide documentation.

In very limited circumstances, jurors may request a one-time postponement by completing the online Jury Questionnaire. If it is not granted, you are still required to appear when instructed. 38-5-10.1

New Mexico law does not provide for an excuse from jury service for moral or religious beliefs. Please complete the Jury Questionnaire and appear for jury service as instructed on your Jury Summons. You may present your moral and religious beliefs to the presiding judge during jury selection.

A lack of transportation or not having a valid driver’s license does not excuse you from jury service. Please make arrangements for transportation.

Please dress in a manner befitting the dignity of the court; business-casual is generally appropriate. Please remove hats and sunglasses when entering the courtroom.

Police officers, firefighters, military and other civil servants or law-enforcement officials should not report for jury service in uniform.

Building temperatures fluctuate throughout the day, please consider dressing in layers.

Except in very limited circumstances, camera-capable and recording devices are prohibited inside all New Mexico courts. Contact your court for instances where you can bring electronic devices.

Yes, but you must follow guidelines issued by the judge that may change how you use social media. Do not use social media to investigate or talk about any matter that is, or might be, before the jury.

We are sorry that a family member who has passed received a Jury Summons. Please contact the court and, if possible, provide them a copy of the death certificate or obituary. The courts are required to have proof so the name can be removed from the juror database. If you do not have a death certificate, please contact the court for other options.

Please have the family member contact the court to update their information or indicate the new address on the envelope and return to sender.

Feel free to contact your court for parking instructions.

For Metro Court or the 2nd Judicial District: Free parking is available for jurors at the Metro Park parking structure located north of Metropolitan Court. Access is from 5th Follow the yellow sign that says “Juror and Public Parking.” Bring your parking ticket and present it the jury staff for validation. Contact the court if you have an oversized vehicle for parking instructions.

For 1 st Judicial District Court, Santa Fe: a parking map or instruction was enclosed with your summons. You can also visit their website at firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov for more information on parking

For ALL other courthouses: please refer to your court’s website or contact the court for more information. Most courthouses have parking in close proximity to the courthouse.

• A Trial Jury or Petit Jury listens to evidence in a courtroom, and decides the guilt or innocence of the defendant in a criminal case; and the liability and damages of the parties in a civil case. Most jurors serve on a trial jury.
• A Grand Jury decides if there is probable cause to charge someone with a crime and may conduct investigations.

No. Federal courts and state courts are not related. Please visit www.nmd.uscourts.gov for more information on federal courts in New Mexico.