(a) All persons summoned as members of the jury pool shall attend at the time and place designated in the summons, or otherwise respond as specified in the summons, unless excused pursuant to § 22-1-103, granted a postponement pursuant to § 22-2-315, or otherwise discharged in a manner authorized by this title or other binding legal authority.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 22-2-309

  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
(b) If a person who has been summoned but not excused or discharged pursuant to subsection (a) fails to appear for service or otherwise respond as directed, a show cause order shall issue and be served upon the person, requiring the person to appear at a date certain and show cause why the person should not be held in civil contempt of court for the person’s failure to appear.
(c) Upon the appearance of any person served with a show cause order, the person may make the person’s excuse known. If the person was summoned and if the excuse is sufficient in the opinion of a judge of the court for which the individual was called to jury service, the person shall be excused; but the person shall pay the cost incident to issuance and service of the show cause order, unless waived by the judge. If the excuse is insufficient, the person shall be adjudged in civil contempt of court and shall be assessed a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) and the costs of the show cause order. The court shall suspend payment of that portion of the civil penalty in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00) upon the condition that the person complete the jury service term for which the person was summoned. The civil penalty authorized by this subsection (c) is remedial in nature.
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