Yes, you can usually bring your phone to jury duty, but whether you can actually use it depends on where you are in the building and where you are in the process. Most courthouses allow phones through security and permit quiet use in the jury assembly room. The moment you step into a courtroom, that freedom shrinks fast, and once you’re seated on a jury, your phone is effectively off-limits until the case is over. The Judicial Conference of the United States leaves the specifics to each court, so exact rules vary by courthouse.1U.S. Courts. Portable Communication Devices in Courthouses
Using Your Phone in the Assembly Room
After security, you’ll wait in a jury assembly room until your name is called. Most courts let you use your phone here, provided the volume is off and you aren’t disturbing other people waiting with you. Hallways and lobbies generally follow the same standard. Quiet, unobtrusive use is fine.
Recording is a different matter. Photos, video, and audio recording inside the courthouse are almost always prohibited, and that includes selfies in the hallway. Courts treat unauthorized recording as a security and privacy issue, and violating the rule can get your phone confiscated on the spot.
Before your service date, look up your specific court’s device policy online or read the fine print on your summons. Many courts publish detailed lists of what is and isn’t allowed, and knowing in advance saves you from a problem at the entrance.
Rules Once Jury Selection Begins
When you’re called into a courtroom for jury selection, you’ll be told to power your phone off or set it to silent. Two things drive that instruction: judges don’t want ringtones interrupting questioning, and they don’t want prospective jurors quietly searching for information about the defendant, the attorneys, or the case itself.
The ban on outside research starts the moment jury selection begins. No news articles about the case, no searches on the people involved, no scrolling social feeds for related posts. Federal model jury instructions are direct: jurors decide the case solely on what they hear and see in the courtroom.2U.S. Courts. Handbook for Trial Jurors Serving in the United States District Courts
Rules Once You’re Seated on a Jury
Selected jurors face the tightest restrictions. Many courts require seated jurors to hand over their phones before entering the courtroom each day. Others allow you to keep the phone as long as it stays powered off and stowed throughout the trial, including breaks. Either way, you won’t be using it during court hours.
During deliberations, the restriction is absolute. Jurors surrender their devices before entering the deliberation room, and the federal trial juror handbook is clear that jurors may not use any electronic device to obtain information about the case, look up legal terms, or communicate with anyone outside the jury.2U.S. Courts. Handbook for Trial Jurors Serving in the United States District Courts Surrendered phones are stored securely so no one can access them while deliberations are underway.
The restriction doesn’t lift when you leave the courthouse for the day. Until the case ends, you’re expected to avoid case-related content everywhere, and you can’t discuss the case with family, friends, or coworkers in person, over text, or through social media.
Why Social Media and Googling Are the Real Trap
This is where jurors most often get into trouble. The urge to look up an unfamiliar legal term or check what people are saying online about a high-profile case is real, and it’s exactly what courts are worried about. Federal courts now specifically warn jurors that outside parties, including foreign governments, may try to sway their opinions through social media during an active case.3U.S. Courts. New Jury Instructions Strengthen Social Media Cautions
The prohibited list is broad: posting about the case, reading about it online, looking up legal definitions, researching a location mentioned in testimony, checking the scene of an incident on Google Maps, even receiving automatic news alerts that mention the case.2U.S. Courts. Handbook for Trial Jurors Serving in the United States District Courts If it involves a screen and touches the trial, assume it’s off-limits.
Smartwatches and Other Wearables
Smartwatches are treated the same as phones in most courts. Any device that can send messages, connect to the internet, or push notifications carries the same risks. Some federal courthouses prohibit smartwatches from the building entirely; others allow them in public areas but ban them from courtrooms and jury rooms.
A basic fitness tracker with no communication features is less likely to cause problems, but that depends on the court. The safest approach is to leave wearable technology at home on trial days and wear a plain watch if you need to check the time.
What Happens If You Break the Rules
Judges take device violations seriously. The mildest outcome is having your phone confiscated for the rest of the day. From there, penalties climb quickly.
A juror who uses a phone to research a case can be removed from the jury and held in contempt of court. Federal courts have the power to punish contempt with fines, imprisonment, or both.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 18 – 401 Power of Court Fines for juror misconduct involving phones have run from $1,000 to over $11,000. In one federal case, a juror who conducted internet research during a criminal trial and shared what he found with other jurors was fined $11,227, an amount pegged to the cost of empaneling the jury his conduct destroyed.5United States Department of Justice. Juror Fined $11,000 for Conducting Outside Research During Criminal Trial and Causing Mistrial
Beyond the individual penalty, one juror’s phone use can trigger a mistrial and force an entire case to restart with a new jury. Months of preparation, witness testimony, and taxpayer money go to waste. Courts respond accordingly.
Medical Devices and Disability Accommodations
If you depend on an electronic device for a medical condition, such as a continuous glucose monitor that syncs to your phone or a Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid, you have a path forward. Courts must provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Request the accommodation early rather than at the security checkpoint. Contact the court clerk’s office as soon as you receive your summons, explain what device you need and why, and expect to submit the request in writing. Many courts require a letter from a licensed medical professional. Aim to file the request at least ten days before your service date so the court has time to respond and make arrangements.
Courts generally work toward a solution, whether that means permitting your device with limits, providing an alternative accommodation, or excusing you from service if no reasonable option exists.
How Family Can Reach You If Something Happens
The most common worry about giving up a phone is being unreachable in an emergency. Courts have a process for that. Before your service begins, give your family the phone number for the jury clerk’s office, which appears on your summons and on the court’s website. In an emergency, they call the clerk, and court staff get a message to you.
Preparing for Your Service Day
- Check your specific court’s electronic device policy online before you go. Some courts publish detailed lists of prohibited items.
- Bring something to read. First days involve a lot of waiting, and a book is more reliable than a phone you may not be able to use.
- Leave devices you don’t need at home. Fewer gadgets means fewer chances for a problem at security.
- Share the jury clerk’s number with family and your employer so they can reach you if something urgent comes up.
- Charge your phone and bring a charger. If your court does allow phone use in the assembly room or on breaks, a dead battery defeats the purpose.