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<section article="gcj" article_name="Courts and Judicial Proceedings" number="8-402" title_number="8" title_name="Juries and Jurors" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Juries">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the requirements of this section, a jury judge or, if a county’s jury plan allows, its jury commissioner may disqualify, excuse, or exempt an individual who is summoned for jury service or reschedule jury service.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>An individual may be disqualified only on the basis of information provided on a juror questionnaire or during an interview or other competent evidence.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>To be excused, an individual shall show, on a juror questionnaire, during an interview, or by other competent evidence, that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Extreme inconvenience, public necessity, or undue hardship requires excusal;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The individual is a breast–feeding mother; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The individual has legal custody of and is personally responsible for a child under the age of 3 years requiring continuous care by the individual during normal court hours.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A jury judge or jury commissioner may, but is not required to, excuse an individual under paragraph (1)(ii) or (iii) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>An individual may be excused:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Only for the period that the jury judge or jury commissioner considers necessary; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Not more than twice unless the jury judge finds that the individual has shown an extraordinary circumstance that requires an additional excuse.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>When the period set under this subsection expires, a jury commissioner again shall summon the individual for jury service.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before December 31, 2025, and each December 31 thereafter, the Maryland Judiciary shall collect and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, report to the General Assembly the following information for the preceding calendar year:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The number of individuals requesting to be excused for jury duty under subsection (c)(1) of this section; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The number of individuals granted or denied an excusal under subsection (c)(1) of this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The information reported under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be disaggregated by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Jurisdiction;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The type of excusal requested under subsection (c)(1) of this section; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Whether the excusal request was granted or denied.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
