How to Write a Jury Duty Excuse Letter

Sometimes special circumstances require you to write a jury duty excuse letter to explain your circumstances to the court of why you won't be able to fulfill your civic responsibilities. A jury duty excuse letter should be formal and contain a good explanation. Follow the steps below to make sure that you write a proper jury duty excuse letter.

Instructions

1. 

   Calling the clerk of courts in your area to discuss whether or not your circumstance is a valid one should be your first move when looking to write a jury duty excuse letter. You most likely don't want to waste your time drafting a letter when your excuse will just be shot down. Some examples of valid excuses are medical situations, caregiving responsibilities to children or vulnerable adults, or having a job which it is more important for you to be there such as a doctor or firefighter.

2. 

   Following your conversation with the clerk of courts that your excuse is valid you'll need to begin actually writing your jury duty excuse letter. You'll want to make sure that you include your mailing return address at the top and use business letter format. Begin your opening paragraph by stating that you regret to inform them that you will be unable to attend your jury duty due to your special circumstance.

3. 

   The next part of your jury duty excuse letter should explain your special circumstances in detail. You should also put something in the paragraph stating another time when you will be able to fulfill your jury duty obligation if you know that your special circumstances are temporary.

4. 

   For the last step in creating your jury duty excuse letter, you need to make sure that you include any documentation that is proof of your special circumstances such as a doctors note or any type of affidavit from your employer or someone else.