To be legally qualified for jury service, an individual must meet certain criteria. To be qualified, an individual must:

• Be a United States citizen
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be able to read, write, and understand the English language
• Reside primarily in the judicial district for one year
• Not have a disqualifying mental or physical condition
• Never have been convicted of a felony (unless civil rights have been legally restored or never were lost in the jurisdiction of conviction)

There are also exemptions and excuses for jury service. Three groups are exempt from federal jury service: members of the armed forces and national guard when on active duty, members of non-federal professional (as opposed to volunteer) fire and police departments, and those who have served on a federal jury within the past two years. The Jury Selection and Service Act also allows courts to offer temporary deferrals or excusals of jurors from service at the time they are summoned to report to the courthouse on the grounds of “undue hardship or extreme inconvenience” .

In Illinois, there are specific excuses that can be used to be exempt from reporting for jury duty, including excuses for military, elected official, student, age, police, medical worker, and firefighter. Jurors who document that service would impose an undue hardship on account of the nature of their occupation, business affairs, physical health, or other reasons may be excused or postponed from service.

In general, individuals who have been convicted of a felony are not barred from jury service per se, however, juror qualifications include that jurors be of fair character and of.