That's the issue in Hagan v. Funk, decided last Monday by Chief Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. (M.D. Tenn.); here are the allegations from the Complaint:
Plaintiff was employed as a prosecutor for the Office of the District Attorney General of the 20th Judicial District of Tennessee ("DA's Office") when she received a jury summons. The DA's Office has an employee manual with a policy governing jury duty. The policy states:
Jury service is a responsibility of good citizenship, and all employees are expected to honor subpoenas for jury duty in any court. It is the office policy that employees serve rather than seek to be excused or exempted. Jury service is both a privilege and an obligation. Our court system is founded upon the right to a jury trial, and all citizens should participate in order to insure [sic] that this right is meaningful. Because jury service requires sacrifice, many citizens try to avoid this obligation. Our office should set a good example by our willingness to serve, and we should be positive about our justice system and encourage all citizens to take part.
Every employee is to notify their respective supervisor immediately upon the receipt of a jury notice so that arrangements can be made to cover the employee's office assignments. Attorneys should also bring the matter to the attention of the judge of their court where appropriate. On each day at the conclusion of jury service, the employee shall return to work at the office, unless it is after office hours. All jury fees belong to the employee and will not affect an employee's pay.
Upon receiving the jury summons, Plaintiff notified her supervisor as well as Defendant. Plaintiff appeared for jury service on July 15, 2024, for the case State of Tennessee v. Karlos Reynolds, 2023-B-1023. Plaintiff was juror number nine. Based on this number, she would presumptively serve on the jury unless either the Court removed her for cause or one of the parties used a peremptory challenge to remove her.
