Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 417, 418 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§ 280, 281, 36 Stat. 1165).

Section consolidates parts of sections 417, 418 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with necessary changes in phraseology.

The requirement of section 418 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., for the summoning of a special jury in accordance with the law of the state was omitted as unnecessary and incongruous in view of other sections of this chapter making adequate provision for summoning jurors.

This section amends section 1866 of title 28, U.S.C., by restoring provision of original law that special juries be impaneled in accordance with laws of the respective States.

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–406, § 5(b), struck out “publicly” after “clerk shall” in second sentence and inserted “The clerk or jury commission shall post a general notice for public review in the clerk’s office and on the court’s website explaining the process by which names are periodically and randomly drawn.” after second sentence.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 110–406, § 17(b), substituted “$1,000, imprisoned not more than three days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof.” for “$100 or imprisoned not more than three days, or both.”

Pub. L. 110–406, § 4, substituted “may be ordered” for “shall be ordered” and struck out “his” before “failure to comply”.

1988—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 100–702 amended cl. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, cl. (1) read as follows: “excused by the court, upon a showing of undue hardship or extreme inconvenience, for such period as the court deems necessary, at the conclusion of which such person shall be summoned again for jury service under subsections (b) and (c) of this section, or”.

1983—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–463, § 2, inserted provision in second par. authorizing service by first-class mail of persons drawn for jury service, substituted in fourth par. “If such service is made by mail, the summons may be served by the marshal or by the clerk, the jury commission or their duly designated deputies, who shall make affidavit of service and shall attach thereto any receipt from the addressee for a registered or certified summons” for “If such service is made by registered or certified mail, the summons may be served by the clerk or jury commission or their duly designated deputies who shall make affidavit of service and shall file with such affidavit the addressee’s receipt for the registered or certified summons” and struck out provision requiring the marshal, if service was made by the marshal, to attach to his return the addressee’s receipt for the registered or certified mail.

1978—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–572 struck out introductory text reference to par. (7) of section 1863(b) of this title.

1970—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–543 inserted provisions authorizing duly designated deputies of the clerk or the jury commission to issue summonses, and deliver them to the marshal for service when personal service is to be made, and provisions authorizing, if service is made by registered or certified mail, the clerk or the jury commission or their duly designated deputies to make service of the summons.

1968—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 90–274 substituted provisions authorizing the commission or clerk to maintain a jury wheel of qualified jurors and to draw particular panels therefrom for provisions authorizing the marshal to summon talesmen from the bystanders when there is an insufficient number of petit jurors.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 90–274 substituted provisions directing the clerk or jury commission to deliver summonses to the marshal for service when the court orders a grand or petit jury to be drawn and setting out the details of service for provisions requiring that, when a special jury was ordered by a district court, it had to be returned by the marshal in the same manner and form as was required in such case by the law of the State in which the district court sat.

Subsecs. (c) to (g). Pub. L. 90–274 added subsecs. (c) to (g).

1949—Act May 24, 1949, divided section into subsections and restored provisions that special juries be impaneled in accordance with State law.

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–572 applicable with respect to any grand or petit juror summoned for service or actually serving on or after Nov. 2, 1978, see section 7(a) of Pub. L. 95–572, set out as an Effective Date note under section 1363 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 90–274 effective 270 days after Mar. 27, 1968, except as to cases in which an indictment has been returned or a petit jury empaneled prior to such effective date, see section 104 of Pub. L. 90–274, set out as a note under section 1861 of this title.