Facts and figures on Bulger jury service

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By all accounts, those selected to sit as jurors in the James “Whitey” Bulger trial will spend the bulk of the summer and portions of the fall devoted to the case.

Before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper and the lawyers involved attempt to find 12 people from a pool of 250 potential jurors to fairly and impartially decide the matter, it’s worth taking a moment to review the following rules and regulations for federal jury duty:

• Prior state court service does not excuse jurors unless they served on a trial for five days within the past three years and have a certificate of service;

• The Bulger jury pool will include residents from the following counties: Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket;

• Federal jurors are paid $40 a day;

• They can receive up to $50 a day after serving 10 days on a trial;

• Employers can continue to pay salaried employees during all or part of their jury service, but federal law does not require them to do so;

• Jurors, unlike most others who come to the courthouse, are reimbursed for reasonable transportation expenses and parking fees;

• The Jury Act forbids employers from firing, intimidating or coercing permanent employees because of their federal jury service;

• Employers are required to consider non-exempt employees to be on a leave of absence during their jury service. Employers must cover their insurance and other benefits according to leave-of-absence policies and allow them to return to their jobs without taking away their seniority status when they return;

• To be legally qualified for jury service in Massachusetts, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, over 18, and have resided primarily in the district for at least one year;

• Potential jurors who are currently facing felony charges punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or who have been convicted of a felony are exempt from jury service;

• Members of the armed forces on active duty, firefighters, police officers and “public officers” of federal, state or local governments, who are actively engaged full time in the performance of public duties, may not serve on a federal jury even if they so desire; and

• Requests to be excused for any medical reason must be accompanied by a current doctor’s note specifying the condition that prohibits the would-be juror from serving.