Welcome to Jury Service
United States District Court
District of Maine
 
Juror Information Web Site

Thank you for serving as a juror in the United States District Court for the District of Maine.  We are aware of the burden that jury service places on you, your family, and your business or employer.   But, did you know that jurors are an essential component of our legal system?  Because the United States Constitution requires that we use grand juries to decide whether someone should be charged with a federal crime and because the Constitution also requires that we empanel juries to decide most civil and criminal trials, we simply could not do our work without you.  And so, we are truly grateful that you have agreed to help us in this important work.  


We want your experience as a juror to be a positive and rewarding one. Be assured that you will be treated with dignity and respect while you are with us, and that we will make every effort to respect your valuable time. When you have questions or concerns, we will try our best to answer them as completely and quickly as we can.  Below are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions, which we hope will answer most of your questions.  However, if you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at the Clerk’s Office. We are here to help you. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How are jurors selected?
What is the difference between a petit jury and a grand jury?
What if I will be absent during jury service?
What if jury duty is an undue hardship or extreme inconvenience?
Will I be compensated for jury service?
Will jury service affect my employment?
Is there a dress code?
How do I get to the Courthouse?
Will I have to pay for parking?
Courthouse Security Guidelines

How are jurors selected?
Potential jurors are randomly selected by a computer from Maine voter registration lists.

What is the difference between a petit jury and a grand jury?

Petit Jury: A petit jury is a trial jury for both civil and criminal cases.  The petit jury listens to evidence offered during a trial and returns a verdict.  A verdict in a civil case may be a finding for the plaintiff or for the defendant.  A verdict in a criminal case finds the defendant guilty or not guilty. Grand Jury: A grand jury hears only criminal matters.  The grand jury does not determine guilt or innocence, but whether probable cause exists that a crime was committed.  Generally, the evidence is presented by an attorney for the government.  The grand jury determines from this evidence whether the government files formal charges against one or more individuals.  If probable cause exists, the grand jury will return a written statement of the charges called an "indictment."

What if I will be absent during jury service?

Occasionally, jurors may need to request a temporary absence from jury service due to scheduled vacations, business obligations, or other important and/or unavoidable events. If you wish to be temporarily excused from jury service, you must: Write a letter to request a temporary excuse, explaining the circumstances of your absence – all requests to be excused must be in writing. Send the letter to the Clerk of Court with your completed questionnaire; the court must receive your request well before your scheduled appearance date. Do not attempt to obtain a temporary excuse for absence using any other method than that described above.  Do not call the Clerk’s Office to request an excuse - all requests to be excused must be in writing and sent to the Clerk of Court with your completed questionnaires well before your scheduled appearance date. Do not have your employer or anyone else call or write on your behalf – all requests to be excused must be from the juror. The Court will make every effort to accommodate temporary absences, however, these absences will not permanently excuse you from jury duty.

What if jury duty is an undue hardship or extreme inconvenience?

If serving as a juror would be an extreme inconvenience or undue hardship for you, you must: Write a letter explaining the circumstances of the hardship or inconvenience– all requests to be excused must be in writing. Send the letter to the Clerk of Court with your completed questionnaire; the court must receive your request well before your scheduled appearance date. Do not attempt to obtain a temporary excuse for absence using any other method than that described above.  Do not call the Clerk’s Office to request an excuse - all requests to be excused must be in writing and sent to the Clerk of Court with your completed questionnaires well before your scheduled appearance date. Do not have your employer or anyone else call or write on your behalf – all requests to be excused must be from the juror. Do not have your employer or anyone else call or write on your behalf – all requests to be excused must be from the juror.

Will I be compensated for jury service?
While serving as a juror, you will be compensated as follows:

Attendance Fee:  A $40.00 attendance fee is paid for each day you are required to report for jury duty.  Federal employees will not receive any attendance fee since they will continue to receive their regular pay while they are performing jury service. 

Mileage:  Mileage is paid at a rate of .50 cents per mile round trip from your residence to the court, or the cost of public transportation.  Please check your odometer readings on your first trip so that you can furnish the court with the number of miles traveled upon your arrival.  You will also be compensated for any tolls that you incur round trip between your residence and the courthouse.

Overnight:  If you travel more than one hundred miles from your residence to the courthouse, you may stay overnight on the evening prior to your report date, and while you are serving.  You are responsible for payment of any bills you receive for lodging and meals, and you must submit your hotel receipt to the jury clerk in order to be reimbursed at the current per diem rate.

Payment:  Typically your check for jury service will be mailed to you within one week from the completion of your service.


Will jury service affect my employment?
Under federal statute, Title 28 USC § 1875, your permanent employer is prohibited from discharging, threatening to discharge, intimidating or coercing you because of your jury service.

 

Is there a dress code?
While no formal dress code exists, jurors are expected to dress in a manner that is respectful to the litigants and to the Court.  The temperature in the courtrooms is generally cool; you may want to bring a sweater or jacket to wear so that you are comfortable.

How do I get to the Courthouse?

In Portland, the courthouse is located at 156 Federal Street, Portland, Maine.  From Interstate 295: Exit on Franklin Street Arterial. At the fourth traffic light turn right onto Congress Street. At the first light take a left onto Pearl Street. Take the first right onto Federal Street. The courthouse will be on your left. In Bangor, the courthouse is located at 202 Harlow Street, Bangor. From the North:  Take I-95 South to Union Street Exit #184. Turn right onto Union Street. Turn right onto 16th Street. Turn right onto Ohio Street. At the first traffic light turn left onto 14th Street Extension. 14th Street becomes Harlow Street. Continue on Harlow Street, the courthouse is on your right at the first traffic light. From the South:  Take I-95 north to the Ohio/Union Street Exit #184. Turn right onto Union Street. At the first traffic light turn left onto 14th Street Extension. 14th Street becomes Harlow Street. Continue on Harlow Street, the courthouse is on your right at the first traffic light. From Route 1: Take either 395 to I-95 North, following the above directions, or: Route 1 to Chamberlain Bridge into Bangor: Turn right onto Main Street. Turn right at the third traffic light. Turn left at the next light. Continue through the next light (Harlow Street).

Will I have to pay for parking?
While serving as a juror in either Portland or Bangor, free parking is available to you at the following garages:

In Portland

• Cumberland County Parking Garage – Entrance on Newbury Street
  

Traveling on Interstate 295:

Exit onto Franklin Street, exit #7. At the fourth traffic light, turn right onto Congress Street. At the first traffic light, turn left onto Pearl Street. Turn left onto Federal Street and follow this for one block to the parking garage, use the second entrance.

• Temple Street Parking Garage – Entrances at Exchange Street and Temple Street

Traveling on Interstate 295:
Exit onto Franklin Street, exit #7. At the fourth traffic light, turn right onto Congress Street. At the second traffic light, turn left onto Temple Street. Halfway down the block, just before the Nickelodeon Movie Theater, turn left into parking garage.

Bring the parking ticket issued at the garage with you when you report for jury duty so that it can be validated when you check in.  You should not park on the street or at a parking meter.  There will not be enough time to leave the courthouse during your jury service to pay meter charges and the court will not reimburse you for any parking violations you incur.

Note: Please do not park in the Top of the Old Port parking lot on Pearl Street. Parking cannot be validated for that parking lot.

In Bangor

• Abbott Square parking lot

The Abbott Square Parking lot is 100 yards beyond the Federal Building across from the Bangor Library. You should bring the parking slip issued at the parking lot with you to the courthouse for validation.

You should not park on the street or at a parking meter.  There will not be enough time to leave the courthouse during your jury service to pay meter charges and the court will not reimburse you for any parking violations you incur.

Courthouse Security Guidelines

To enter the federal courthouse, you must go through a security checkpoint.  Your bags and overcoats will be x-rayed, and you will be asked to walk through a metal detector.  To speed this process, please note the following restrictions and leave these items at home: Cell phones, pagers, BlackBerries (You may leave a cell phone with the Court Security Officer if you cannot leave it at home.) Computers Cameras iPods, radios and other electronic devices weapons, or anything that may be construed as a weapon (e.g. knives, scissors, knitting needles, mace or pepper spray, lighters)