(a) A person who has served on a grand or petit jury in any court of the unified court system or in a federal court shall not be competent to serve again as a trial or grand juror in any court of the unified court system for six years subsequent to the last day of such service, provided, however, that any person who serves on a grand or petit jury for more than ten days shall not be competent to serve again as a trial or grand juror for eight years subsequent to the last day of such service.

Terms Used In N.Y. Judiciary Law 524

  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Juror: A person who is on the jury.
  • Petit jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trial jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
(b) Nothing contained in this section shall invalidate a verdict returned by trial jury or an indictment returned by a grand jury when such trial or grand jury includes one or more trial or grand jurors not competent by virtue of such previous service.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section, if the commissioner of jurors, after consultation with and concurrence of the district administrative judge or judges, or in the counties within the city of New York the deputy chief administrative judge, shall determine that:

(i) compliance with the requirements of subdivision (a) of this section would be impracticable, the commissioner may reduce the period of incompetency for persons whose service consists of fewer than three days to a period of not less than two years; or
(ii) the period of incompetency for all jurors pursuant to subdivision (a) of this section may be extended without interfering with the commissioner’s ability to comply with the provisions of section five hundred eight of this article, the commissioner may increase the period of incompetency.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the period during which a person shall not be competent to serve as a trial or grand juror pursuant to this section shall be one-half the period specified in subdivision (a) or (c) of this section, as appropriate, where such person so requests on a form to be provided by the commissioner of jurors. Such a request may be submitted at any time during the period of incompetency.