How long does jury duty typically last?

The people called up for jury duty in Donald Trump’s historic hush money trial have been on the job for going on a month and a half now, and they’re faced with one of the biggest decisions any court has faced down in decades.

They’ll deliver the decision on whether or not Trump continues to get away with his rampant illegal activity, or if the disgraced former president will finally face up to his misdeeds. Its a huge responsibility, and one that could well shape the future of our nation, and set a precedent for whether or not we hold the rich and powerful accountable for their actions.

With so much pressure coming down on the New York jury deliberating the case, increased scrutiny of the process of jury duty was inevitable. It doesn’t go down quite the same way things are presented in the wild James Marsden-led Jury Duty series, but participating Americans can expect to receive a summons, sit through the selection process, and — if they’re among the chosen few — sometimes endure a lengthy trial ahead of the final decision.

How long does jury duty usually take?

The amount of time required for jury duty varies widely depending on the case. Some of the trials that involve juries are relatively open and shut, and only take people away from their lives for a few days, but others — like Trump’s current trial — can stretch weeks and even months.

The majority of trials that go to jury don’t last long, and in some cases jurors may not even sit a full trial. Even if they do they typically last between one and three days, though some stretch much longer. Jurors will often be asked to clear between one and five days for duty, even if they end up serving less.

In trials like Trump’s, however, jurors are asked to sacrifice weeks of their lives for the judicial process. Grand Jury trials and Felony Trial Juries can last much longer than a typical trial, and require jurors to check out of their normal lives for days at a time and commit fully to the legal proceeding for a minimum of two weeks. For felony trials, they’re even required to attend every single day of the trial until its completed. Its a big ask, but when your contributions could potentially land a criminal like Trump behind bars, how can you say no?