Thousands Of Jury Duty Questionnaires Mailed To Herndon, Fairfax County

HERNDON, VA — Are you about to be summoned for jury duty? Better check your mailbox: Fairfax County has mailed out 50,000 jury questionnaires, according to a statement released Tuesday.

While the statement doesn't say where the questionnaires were sent, Herndon makes up 2 percent of the population of Fairfax County population, so if the questionnaires were sent out evenly, a total of about 1,000 Herndon residents would have received them.

"Just because you received a questionnaire does not mean you will be summoned for jury duty," the statement notes. "Potential jurors are randomly selected from voter registration lists to represent a cross section of the community. The questionnaire is the beginning of a screening process to determine who is qualified to serve."

If you haven't gotten one yet, that doesn't mean you won't get one, so continue to check your mailbox in the coming weeks.

"If you qualify for the jury pool, you will receive a summons for jury duty by mail approximately one month before your reporting date," the statement continues. "Keep in mind that this is an official court summons and if you do not respond, you could be found in contempt of court. The evening before your assigned date you will need to call a recorded message or check the jury website to find out whether your group number (listed on the summons) is called for service. If your group number is not called, your jury duty service is complete."

Those chosen for jury duty service will be reimbursed $30 for each day you report to the courthouse. Your employer is legally prohibited from firing, demoting, or otherwise penalizing you for missing work while performing jury duty -- however, that doesn't mean your employer will pay your salary during your absence.

Image via Flickr user j