(a) Generally. It shall be the policy of the city that a juror shall not serve as a trial juror greater than three days, but may be impaneled for not more than ten business days unless otherwise provided in this division. The court or the jury commissioner may defer or advance the term of service of the juror upon a finding of hardship or inconvenience. The jury commissioner may excuse a juror from jury service upon a finding of extreme hardship. The court may dismiss a juror at any time in the best interests of justice. After a hearing the court may excuse and discharge an impaneled juror prior to jury deliberation upon a finding of extreme hardship, and such discharge shall not be grounds for objection or a mistrial as long as three jurors remain able to proceed with the trial and deliberation. After a hearing the court may excuse and discharge a juror participating in jury deliberation only upon a finding of an emergency or other compelling reason. If at least three jurors do not remain to hear evidence or to participate in jury deliberation after the discharge of a juror, the court shall declare a mistrial. The court may discharge an impaneled juror who has not appeared for juror service upon a finding that there is a strong likelihood that an unreasonable delay in the trial would occur if the court were to await the appearance of the juror and may continue with the lesser number of jurors only upon agreement of all parties on the record. The court may exercise any authority granted in this subsection at any time before or during a juror's term of service.

(b) Juror's right to one postponement. A juror has the right to one postponement of the term of juror service for a period not to exceed six months. To exercise this option, the juror must have given advance notice to the jury commissioner by telephone or in writing requesting an alternate date to which jury service may be postponed. Advance notice shall be deemed to mean at least 21 days prior to what would have been the designated reporting date and time, except in a bona fide emergency. (Code 1979, § 25-80)