How long does a petit juror have to serve?

In Montgomery County, you may expect to be “on call” for five (5) days when called for a Petit Jury. Your five day term of service begins with the “on call start date” printed on your jury summons. During your term of service you may be asked to report to the court more than once. Each time you are asked to report, a different case will be involved. If you are selected as a juror, you will only be asked to serve for one trial regardless of its length. The average jury trial is approximately two (2) to three (3) consecutive days. On the other hand, a complex trial that involves many witnesses may last for several weeks. Lengthy trials are somewhat rare, and prospective jurors are advised of the expected length of the trial before they are actually selected.
At the end of a typical jury day (9:00am to 4:30pm) jurors are dismissed to return to their homes, and return to court the next day if the trial is not over. In extremely rare, high profile instances, where the judge believes there is a risk that jurors could be contacted by outsiders about the case, the judge may order jurors to be “sequestered” or separated from others while the trial is going on. Should a judge so order, then the court will arrange and provide security and hotel accommodations.