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Jury Duty

Jury Duty. “A person is innocent until proven guilty” As a juror, you have the responsibility of determining the innocence or guilt of your fellow man You must put aside your emotions, prejudices, and/or feelings of sympathy. Jury Duty FAQ’s.

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Jury Duty

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  1. Jury Duty

  2. “A person is innocent until proven guilty” • As a juror, you have the responsibility of determining the innocence or guilt of your fellow man • You must put aside your emotions, prejudices, and/or feelings of sympathy

  3. Jury Duty FAQ’s • 1. Who is eligible for jury duty? a. Any English speaking U.S. Citizen who is at least 18 years old • 2. How are jurors selected? a. Area residents are selected randomly using tax and voter rolls

  4. 3. If called will I definitely serve on a jury? a. Once summoned to court, prospective jurors may find their service is not required. • Some jurors are automatically excused and others may be excused during the juror selection process. Typically four out of five prospective jurors are excused

  5. 4. How often can I be summoned for jury duty? a. Only once a year • 5. Do I have to respond if I receive a summons? a. Yes, whether you qualify for jury service or not b. Failure to respond could place you in contempt of court; but you do have several options if you cannot serve

  6. 6. Can I be excused from jury service? a. Jury service is not voluntary. • It is a civic duty, but the law allows you to be excused if there is undue hardship, if you don’t meet eligibility requirements, or if you are a police officer • 7. Why do judges excuse residents from jury duty? a. If you are related to or know someone involved in the case b. If you have a financial interest, a prejudice or bias, or have formed an opinion about the case c. If you have been convicted of a felony

  7. How a jury is chosen • Chosen from a jury pool • Must be fair for both sides • 12 jurors and 2 alternates selected • You will be asked questions such as: • Acquaintance with parties involved? • Employment? • Have you formed an opinion about the case?

  8. Being a Juror: Attendance • You must be present every day of your service • Hours are normally from 9-12 and 1-4 • Must stay in the evening if still deliberating

  9. Being a Juror: Payment • $9.00 per day for the first three days of service • $25.00 per day after that (until you are finished) • $.17 per mile round trip • Your employer may still pay your wages

  10. Being a Juror: Attire • No required dress but your attire should not distract from the “dignity of the court” • Women: dress pants/or suits • Men: coats and ties

  11. Being a juror: Meals • Excused for lunch at noon • Court only covers the cost of meals when you are deliberating during meal time

  12. The Juror in the Courtroom • Report promptly for each session of court • Discard prejudice and sympathy. Control your emotions. Control your facial expressions

  13. Listen attentively to testimony. Look carefully at all exhibits. • You may not take notes because you may become distracted.

  14. Keep an open mind until the very end of the trial no matter how persuasive a Plaintiff or Defendant may sound. • Carefully listen to statements by lawyers, but disregard statements in the opening or closing statements that are not proven by evidence.

  15. Do not talk to people about the case during the trial. • Do not discuss the case with fellow jurors. • Do not listen to comments from the press.

  16. Never visit the scene of the crime unless accompanied by the judge.

  17. Only consider only evidence that was placed before you in the court room

  18. After the verdict is read, you should not discuss with anyone what took place in the jury room, the process through which the verdict was reached, or the conduct of any jurors.

  19. In the jury room • At the end of the trial, the jury will go to the jury room to consider its verdict.

  20. First job: Elect a jury foreperson • Foreperson is elected by all jurors; all jurors are equal Foreperson speaks on behalf of the jury.

  21. After the foreperson is selected, he/she should take a vote. • If the jury finds itself unanimous, no further discussion is necessary. • If it is not, the foreperson should give each juror equal chance to express views • As discussion continues, the foreperson should periodically call for a vote.

  22. If the jury cannot agree on a verdict, (must be unanimous in criminal and 10/12 in civil) the foreperson will alert the judge • If no verdict is reached, the case may be retried.

  23. If a verdict is reached, the foreperson will write it down on the provided form • All parties involved report to the courtroom. • When directed, the foreperson reads the verdict.

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