Jury Selection:
The Selection Process:
Jury selection is by the Commission for the Selection of Jurors, two of whom
were elected by the voters of Jefferson County (one Republican and one Democrat)
and the third is the President Judge
of the Court of Common Pleas. The basic source of names for prospective jurors
is the voter registration list and the assessment tax rolls. The names are
randomly selected from these lists by computer.
Jurors for a particular trial are selected by a process called voir dire.
(The preliminary examination which the court of counsel makes of a potential
juror or witness as to the prospective juror's or witness's qualifications.) A
panel of jurors is called from which 12 regular and 2 alternates will be
selected. Alternates are chosen in the event any of the twelve jurors must be
replaced during the trial. Alternates never participate in the jury's
deliberations. The Judge will provide the names of the parties and their
attorneys and he will briefly summarize the nature of the case. The Judge will
then ask as a group certain questions to determine whether anyone on the panel
has any personal interest in the case or knows of any reason why they could not
render an impartial verdict.
These questions may seem quite personal. However, this examination is not
meant to embarrass you or reflect upon your character or intelligence. Rather,
the purpose is to find out if you have any views which might improperly
influence you as a juror. When an attorney believes there is a legal reason to
excuse a juror, he will challenge the juror for cause.
After all challenges for cause have been ruled upon, the attorneys will
select the trial jury from those who remain by exercising peremptory
challenges. Unlike challenges for cause, no reason need be given for
excusing a juror by peremptory challenge. The attorneys usually exercise these
challenges by taking turns striking names from the list until the list has been
reduced to 14 persons.
Jurors should not feel rejected or insulted if they are excused for cause by
the Court or peremptorily challenged by one of the attorneys. The voir dire
process is simply our judicial system's method of guaranteeing both parties a
fair trial.
Juror Preparation:
Length of Service:
Normally the juries for all cases to be tried during the two week trial term
will be selected the first day of the trial session. This means a prospective
juror will know by the end of the first day whether he or she will be serving on
any case or cases, and, if so, the exact day or days needed to return to
court.
Tipstaffs:
There will be three tipstaffs on duty in the courtroom. These employees are
available to help you and you should feel free to call on them for any
information you may need.
Reporting the First Day of Service:
Jurors are required to report to the Main Courtroom on the second floor of
the Courthouse to begin services. When they arrive report to the tipstaff to
register your attendance. As a prospective juror, be prepared to spend time
waiting. Many times the Court must dispose of pre-trial motions prior to jury
selection. However, we will do our best to keep any delays to a minimum.
Hours of Court Sessions:
Normal working hours for court sessions are 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:30
p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Recesses will occur at convenient periods throughout the
trials. Ordinarily night sessions are not held but often times a deliberating
jury may continue its work into the evening hours. Jurors should prepare for
this and notify family members of this possibility.
Sequestration:
Occassionally a jury must be sequestered. This means they must be kept
separated from the public for the duration of the trial. If sequestered, the
jurors will have an opportunity to communicate with their families through court
personnel, and arrangements will be made to have their clothing and personal
articles delivered to them. If a jury is to be sequestered for a particular
trial, this will be made known to them prior to the selection.
What to Wear:
There is no prescribed dress for jurors except that the dress of any juror
shall not detract from the dignity of the court. Women may wear slacks provided
they are appropriate to a courtroom. Men should dress conservatively. Shorts,
tank tops and tee shirts with slang slogans are considered inappropriate dress.
Remember the parties in any case look to the jurors for justice. Their faith in
the jury system is more likely to persist if the jurors make a favorable
appearance.
Telephones:
There is a pay phone on the ground floor of the courthouse. Deliberating jury
members who wish to notify their family for any reason may tell one of the
tipstaffs and they will deliver a message.
Parking:
On jury selection day, prospective jurors may park at any metered space. It
will not be necessary to leave the courtroom throughout the day to put money in
the meters. Should you receive a parking ticket for over-time parking, you
should give the ticket to the tipstaffs. Jurors who are selected to try cases
will be directed to park at designated meters in the parking lot directly behind
the courthouse.
Juror's Badges:
Jurors will receive a Juror's Badge which they are asked to wear while in the
Courthouse. Lost badges will be replaced by the Tipstaff. If desired, badges can
be kept. Otherwise please return it to the tipstaffs at the completion of jury
service.
Rest Rooms:
The ladies' rest room is located on the ground floor of the courthouse. The
men's rest room is located on the first floor of the courthouse. The jury room
also has rest rooms.
Meals:
Jurors serving on a jury who are deliberating on a verdict, or otherwise
sequestered, will have their meals arranged and paid for by the Court.
Non-deliberating jurors are required to provide their own meals.
Juror Pay:
Each juror is paid $9.00 per day for the first three days of service;
thereafter, the rate is increased to $25.00 per day. A mileage allowance of 17
cents per mile is also paid. The rate of payment to jurors is fixed by an Act of
the State Legislature. You should expect to receive your payment by check within
three weeks from the completion of jury service.
Note Taking:
Jurors are not permitted to take notes during a trial. We ask this for two
reasons:
- some persons are naturally better "note takers" than others; and
- while writing notes important part of the testimony might be missed.
Deliberation
How shall the jury proceed? As it chooses, of course, but the experience of
other juries may be of some value.
The first task is the selection of a foreman. This is an important matter.
The foreman presides over the deliberations and announces the verdict in open
court.
The jurors should enter upon the discussion with open minds and freely
exchange views with each other. It is the duty of each juror to give full weight
to the opinions of his fellow jurors and all should try, if possible, to agree
upon a verdict. However, no juror is required to surrender any opinion which
he/she holds with conviction.
If during the course of their deliberations, the jurors wish to ask a
question of the Judge concerning their procedure or if they desire further
instructions, the foreman, through the tipstaff in charge of the jury, may send
a written message to the Judge. It is then for the Judge to decide whether he
will grant the request.
After the jury has arrived at a verdict, it will return to the courtroom and
resume its place in the jury box. At the proper time, the foreman will be asked
to stand and publicly announce the verdict.
