How do I request a deferral or excuse for jury duty in Denver through the online portal?

1. Read the summons and follow the instructions the court gave

The jury summons mailed to a prospective juror contains the precise steps for reporting, the deadline for submitting a request, and often the web address or phone number for the local juror portal; all summonses are sent through the U.S. Postal Service and include the information needed to determine whether to report on the date printed ^[2]. The U.S. District Court of Colorado explicitly states that an excuse must be requested electronically when completing the online questionnaire or in writing when returning the questionnaire by mail, and that requests should be submitted by the date specified in the written instructions ^[1].

2. Complete the online questionnaire and request the excuse electronically

Juror portals require completion of the jury questionnaire before an excusal or deferral request can be processed; the federal court’s FAQ reiterates that electronic requests are the required method when using the online questionnaire ^[1]. While Denver’s DA page points jurors to local juror resources and the Denver County Court juror information link, the summons itself will indicate the specific portal or phone line to use for Denver county matters ^{[4] [2]}.

3. Know which reasons courts commonly accept for deferral or excusal

Colorado guidance lists permissible temporary excuses—established vacation plans, temporary medical problems, students at college, economic or family hardships—and notes breastfeeding mothers may be excused with appropriate medical documentation; additionally, a one-time postponement of up to six months is permitted statewide if the initial date is inconvenient ^{[1] [3]}. Municipal courts may restrict excusal to those who do not meet minimum qualifications on the summons, so eligibility can differ between municipal, county, and federal panels ^{[5] [1]}.

4. Submit supporting documentation and offer alternative dates when appropriate

The federal and state materials advise that temporary excuses often require documentation; when requesting a deferral it is common practice to propose alternative dates the juror can serve so the court can attempt to accommodate scheduling ^{[1] [6]}. The U.S. District Court guidance also cautions allowing time for the court to receive and review the request before the reporting date ^[1].

5. Expect jurisdictional variation—follow Denver’s portal and, if needed, contact the jury office

Procedures and portal names differ by jurisdiction: some courts use proprietary systems like Clearview for online excusal requests (example: Miami‑Dade’s Clearview Juror Portal), and North Dakota and other U.S. districts post dedicated online deferral pages—these examples show the variety but do not replace Denver’s instructions, which are found on local Denver County Court or state judicial pages referenced on Denver DA materials ^{[7] [8] [6] [4]}. If a response is not received within the timeframe in the summons, judicial guidance from other districts recommends contacting the jury office to confirm status, but Denver’s summons and county pages are the authoritative sources for contact information ^{[6] [2]}.

6. After submission: wait for the court’s response and keep records

Courts state that requests are reviewed and jurors will be notified; the federal guidance emphasizes allowing time for the court to receive and review the request, and some districts instruct jurors to allow several business days before following up ^{[1] [6]}. Retain copies of submitted forms and any documentation; the summons typically includes an identifier (participant number) that can be used when checking status with the jury office ^{[6] [2]}.

7. Beware of scams and verify instructions against official court sites

Statewide jury pages and the Denver DA strongly encourage verifying summons details and warn of phone scams; the Colorado Judicial Branch and Denver resources point to their official FAQ and juror information pages for legitimate procedures and contact numbers ^{[9] [4] [10]}. Where local practice varies, the written summons and the specific county or court juror web pages are the final authority ^{[2] [1]}.