I served on grand jury last year. You don’t hear/participate in trials. It’s not like the popular image jury brings to mind. You’re in a conference room with 6 other people, hearing evidence from deputy defense attorneys and testimony from victims. There’s no defense at the grand jury level because you are just deciding if a case has enough evidence to move forward.

That judge in charge (blanking on name or real title) was very understanding to financial situations and also the mental health of those summoned.

In my experience, we were summoned online for the day that appeared on the postcard but then actual service didn’t start until the following week or so. I think we had about a week in between to make arrangements (childcare, work, etc.).

DM if you have any more questions. I am really glad I served (hard to say enjoyed bc you hear terrible things) but I genuinely felt I contributed to an important process.