N.Y. JUD Law § 517 — New York Code / Act JUD / Article 16 / Section 517
Excuses and postponements
Status: in_force

§ 517. Excuses and postponements. (a) * (1) Except as otherwise\nprovided in paragraph two of this subdivision, the commissioner of\njurors may, in his or her discretion, on the application of a\nprospective juror who has been summoned to attend, excuse such\nprospective juror from a part or the whole of the time of jury service\nor may postpone the time of jury service to a later day during the same\nor any subsequent term of the court, provided that if the prospective\njuror is a breastfeeding mother and submits with her application a note\nfrom a physician indicating that the prospective juror is breastfeeding,\nthe commissioner shall excuse the prospective juror or postpone the time\nof jury service. The application shall be presented to the commissioner\nat such time and in such manner as he or she shall require, except that\nan application for postponement of the initial date for jury service may\nbe made by telephone.\n  * NB Effective until August 25, 2026\n  * (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph two of this\nsubdivision, the commissioner of jurors may, in such commissioner's\ndiscretion, on the application of a prospective juror who has been\nsummoned to attend, excuse such prospective juror from a part or the\nwhole of the time of jury service or may postpone the time of jury\nservice to a later day during the same or any subsequent term of the\ncourt, provided that if the prospective juror is a breastfeeding mother\nand submits with her application a note from a physician or nurse\npractitioner indicating that the prospective juror is breastfeeding, the\ncommissioner shall excuse the prospective juror or postpone the time of\njury service. The application shall be presented to the commissioner at\nsuch time and in such manner as such commissioner shall require, except\nthat an application for postponement of the initial date for jury\nservice may be made by telephone.\n  * NB Effective August 25, 2026\n  (2) An application for postponement of jury service shall be granted\nhereunder provided: (i) such service has not already been postponed or\nexcused, (ii) the application is made at such time and in such manner as\nthe commissioner of jurors requires, and (iii) the postponement is to a\ndate certain when the court is in session not more than six months after\nthe date on which such service otherwise is to commence and such date is\nselected by the prospective juror, provided that if the prospective\njuror is a breastfeeding mother, the postponement date may be a date\ncertain up to two years after the date on which such service otherwise\nis to commence.\n  (b) A person whose application has been denied by the commissioner, or\nwho has not applied to the commissioner for an excuse or postponement,\nmay apply to the trial court, or to the court having supervision of the\ngrand jury, as the case may be, which may, in its discretion, excuse\nsuch person from a part or the whole of the time of jury service, or may\npostpone the time of jury service to a later day during the same or any\nsubsequent term of the court. If the applicant cannot personally attend,\nhe or she shall send the summons and application by a person capable of\nmaking the necessary proof in relation to the application.\n  (c) In determining whether an application for excusal should be\ngranted, the commissioner or the court shall consider whether the\napplicant has a mental or physical condition that causes him or her to\nbe incapable of performing jury service or there is any other fact\nindicates that attendance for jury service in accordance with the\nsummons would cause undue hardship or extreme inconvenience to the\napplicant, a person under his or her care or supervision, or the public.\nExcept as provided in paragraph two of subdivision (a) of this section,\nin determining whether an application for postponement should be\ngranted, the commissioner or the court shall be guided by standards\npromulgated by the chief administrator of the courts.\n