Jury Information
Serving as a juror is the single most important duty a citizen can perform to preserve the freedom which has become the standard for our system of government. At the same time, we understand daily demands on your time often make it difficult to serve. Having that appreciation, the 62A District Court has done everything possible to minimize that inconvenience and offer a very simple and quick process for fulfilling your obligation.
How do I become a Juror?
Prior to being called, citizens receive and are required to complete a questionnaire. This form is called the "Juror Personal History Questionnaire". This form is used to select appropriate people for jury duty. Once it is determined a person is appropriate, their name is added to a potential juror list. Each month approximately 50 people are selected from that list. Persons receiving a Jury Venire (order to report) who have a valid reason for not serving as a juror can call the court to state the reason and argue their case for not serving as a juror. It should be noted that childcare, school, and most work conflicts are NOT valid or acceptable reasons.
Jury Selection Process
When jurors arrive at the court they are given a brief introduction to the selection process and some basic information about what is expected of them as jurors. At approximately 1:30 p.m. the actual selection process begins. A jury panel is selected one-by-one for each case that is ready for trial in the coming month. Six jurors are picked for each case along with up to two alternates. Alternates need only appear for trials if called by the court. Depending on how many cases are ready, it is possible an individual could be picked to serve on more than one jury. It is also possible they will not be picked for any; in which case their commitment to this court for at least the following year would be completed.
Those who are picked as jurors need to call (616) 530-7363 after 5:00pm the day before the case is set for trial to determine whether you must appear in court. Once they serve on those cases their obligation is finished for at least one year.