                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

EXEMPTIONS FROM JURY SERVICE UPON REQUEST (§ 8.01-341.1)

Any of the following persons may serve on juries in civil and criminal cases but
shall be exempt from jury service upon his request:

1. through 3. [Repealed.]

4. A mariner actually employed in maritime service;

5. through 7. [Repealed.]

8. A person who has legal custody of and is necessarily and personally
responsible for a child or children 16 years of age or younger requiring
continuous care by him during normal court hours, or any mother who is
breast-feeding a child;

9. A person who is necessarily and personally responsible for a person having a
physical or mental impairment requiring continuous care by him during normal
court hours;

10. Any person over 73 years of age;

11. Any person whose spouse is summoned to serve on the same jury panel;

12. Any person who is the only person performing services for a business,
commercial or agricultural enterprise and whose services are so essential to the
operations of the business, commercial or agricultural enterprise that such
enterprise must close or cease to function if such person is required to perform
jury duty;

13. Any person who is the only person performing services for a political
subdivision as a firefighter, as defined in &#xA7; 65.2-102, and whose services
are so essential to the operations of the political subdivision that such
political subdivision will suffer an undue hardship in carrying out such
services if such person is required to perform jury duty;

14. Any person employed by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates,
the Office of the Clerk of the Senate, the Division of Legislative Services, and
the Division of Legislative Automated Systems; however, this exemption shall
apply only to jury service starting (i) during the period beginning 60 days
prior to the day any regular session commences and ending 30 days after the day
of adjournment of such session and (ii) during the period beginning seven days
prior to the day any reconvened or special session commences and ending seven
days after the day of adjournment of such session;

15. Any general registrar, member of a local electoral board, or person
appointed or employed by either the general registrar or the local electoral
board, except officers of election appointed pursuant to Article 5 (&#xA7;
24.2-115 et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 24.2; however, this exemption shall
apply only to jury service starting (i) during the period beginning 90 days
prior to any election and continuing through election day, (ii) during the
period to ascertain the results of the election and continuing for 10 days after
the local electoral board certifies the results of the election under &#xA7;
24.2-671 or the State Board of Elections certifies the results of the election
under &#xA7; 24.2-679, or (iii) during the period of an election recount or
contested election pursuant to Chapter 8 (&#xA7; 24.2-800 et seq.) of Title
24.2. Any officer of election shall be exempt from jury service only on election
day and during the periods set forth in clauses (ii) and (iii); and

16. Any member of the armed services of the United States or the diplomatic
service of the United States appointed under the Foreign Service Act (22 U.S.C.
&#xA7; 3901 et seq.) who will be serving outside of the United States at the
time of such jury service.

HISTORY: Code 1970, § 8-208.6:1; 1977, c. 458; 1987, c. 256; 1997, c. 693;
1999, c. 153; 2004, c. 106; 2005, c. 195; 2011, cc. 389, 708; 2012, c. 98; 2024,
cc. 71, 72.