§ 15-12-1 - Exemptions from jury duty
O.C.G.A. 15-12-1 (2010)
15-12-1. Exemptions from jury duty
(a) (1) Any person who shows that he or she will be engaged during his or her term of jury duty in work necessary to the public health, safety, or good order or who shows other good cause why he or she should be exempt from jury duty may be excused by the judge of the court to which he or she has been summoned or by some other person who has been duly appointed by order of the chief judge to excuse jurors. Such a person may exercise such authority only after the establishment by court order of guidelines governing excuses. Any order of appointment shall provide that, except for permanently mentally or physically disabled persons, all excuses shall be deferred to a date and time certain within that term or the next succeeding term or shall be deferred as set forth in the court order.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is a full-time student at a college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary school who, during the period of time the student is enrolled and taking classes or exams, requests to be excused or deferred from jury duty shall be excused or deferred from jury duty.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child six years of age or younger, who executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such person is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child six years of age or younger and stating that such person has no reasonably available alternative child care, and who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty. It shall be the duty of the court to provide affidavits for the purpose of this paragraph and paragraph (4) of this subsection.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is a primary teacher in a home study program as defined in subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-690 who, during the period of time the person is teaching, requests to be excused or deferred from jury duty and executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such person is the primary teacher in a home study program and stating that such person has no reasonably available alternative for the child or children in the home study program shall be excused or deferred from jury duty.
(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is the primary unpaid caregiver for a person over the age of six; who executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such primary caregiver is responsible for the care of a person with such physical or cognitive limitations that he or she is unable to care for himself or herself and cannot be left unattended and that the primary caregiver has no reasonably available alternative to provide for the care; and who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty. Any person seeking the exemption shall furnish to the court, in addition to the aforementioned affidavit, a statement of a physician, or other medical provider, supporting the affidavit's statements related to the medical condition of the person with physical or cognitive limitations. It shall be the duty of the court to provide affidavits for the purpose of this paragraph.
(b) Any person who is 70 years of age or older shall be entitled to request the board of jury commissioners to remove such person's name from the jury list of the county. Upon such request the board of jury commissioners shall be authorized and directed to remove the person's name from the jury list. The request shall be made to the board or its clerk in writing and shall be accompanied by an affidavit giving the person's name, age, and such other information as the board may require. The board of jury commissioners of each county shall make available affidavit forms for the purposes of this subsection.
(c) (1) As used in this subsection, the term:
(A) "Ordered military duty" means any military duty performed in the service of the state or of the United States including but not limited to attendance at any service school or schools conducted by the armed forces of the United States which requires a service member to be at least 50 miles from his or her home.
(B) "Service member" means an active duty member of the regular or reserve component of the United States Armed forces, the United States Coast Guard, the Georgia National Guard, or the Georgia Air National Guard who was on ordered federal duty for a period of 90 days or longer.
(2) Any service member on ordered military duty and the spouse of any such service member who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty upon presentation of either a copy of the official military orders or a written verification signed by the service member's commanding officer of such duty.