Prospective Juror Four Month Period
Prospective jurors are selected for a four month
period. During those four months, if a jury trial is scheduled, some of the
prospective jurors will receive a second letter giving them a specific date
to show up to court for trial. Trials rarely last more than two days.
Normally, a juror will only be called upon once during the four month
period, but it is possible to be called upon more than once.
Prospective Juror Questionnaires
If you are selected as a prospective juror, you must
complete the questionnaire sent you within five (5) days of receipt.
Please mail the questionnaire to:
Susan McKinley
1 East Main Street
Logan, OH 43138
The competed questionnaires will not be made available
to the public. The questionnaires will be used by the attorneys the morning
of the trial to help determine if the potential jurors can be fair and
impartial when deciding the case. If these questions were not already
answered, the attorneys would have to ask the potential jurors these
questions the morning of the trial. Having the questions already answered
saves everyone time. At the end of the four month period the questionnaires
are shredded.
*Petit
Jury Questionnaire can be found and printed here*
*Grand
Jury Questionnaire can be found and printed here*
Files are in PDF format and will open in a new tab or
window.
Excuses
The only valid excuses for jury duty provided by Ohio
law are:
1.
Extended absences from Hocking County; and
2.
Illness requiring the care of a physician (A certificate from you
doctor is required.)
The certificate for you physician to fill out can be
found HERE.
Please do not request to be excused from jury duty for
reasons other than indicated above.
Please do not have your employer write the court to
ask that you be excused from service. The requests are routinely denied
by all judges.
What to Expect Before
Please show up to court on time, dressed appropriately.
Free parking is available on the side streets around the court.
No shorts, tank tops, or hats are permitted in the
courtroom.
Prospective jurors will be paid $10 for showing up even
if they are not selected to serve on the jury.
After the group of prospective jurors enters the
courtroom, they will take an oath to swear or affirm that they will answer
questions posed to them by the judge and attorneys truthfully.
For criminal cases, twelve (12) jurors will be called
into the jury box. Eight (8) jurors will be called for civil cases.
The judge will introduce the prospective jurors to the
parties and attorneys involved in the case. They will also be given a list
of witnesses that will probably be called during the trial. Prospective
jurors that are related to or know one or more of these persons should
inform the judge.
The judge and attorneys will then ask the prospective
jurors questions to find out if it may be difficult for the prospective
juror to be fair and impartial during the trial.
Each side will then be given a chance to excuse a juror
for cause if there is a good reason to excuse the juror.
Then, each side will be able to make a limited number
of preemptory challenges without giving a reason as to why they want the
juror excused.
When a juror is excused, another prospective juror will
take the place of that juror in the jury box and answer questions posed by
the attorneys and judge.
After the jury is selected, all remaining prospective
jurors who have not been selected will be excused and paid $10 for showing
up for jury duty.
What to Expect During
After the jury has been selected, the jurors will take
another oath to swear or affirm that they will decide the case impartially
and fairly.
The sides will then make their opening statements in
which they will explain what the trial is about and what evidence they plan
to present.
Then the sides will call their witnesses to the stand.
The witnesses will be sworn in and both sides will be given a chance to
question each witness.
After all of the testimony is heard by the witnesses,
each side will represent a closing argument that tries to persuade the jury
that the evidence proves their side should win.
What to Expect After
After the attorneys have presented their evidence and
made their closing statement, the judge will give the jury instructions on
the law that applies to the case.
Most laws have multiple elements that must be
considered and the judge will explain each element to the jury.
After receiving the judge’s instructions, the jury will
proceed to the jury room to begin their deliberations.
First, the jury must elect a foreperson to oversee the
discussions, make sure that all issues are discussed and that every juror
gets a chance to participate.
In a criminal trial, all twelve (12) jurors must agree
on the verdict (guilty or not guilty.) In a civil trial, six (6) out of the
eight (8) jurors must agree on the verdict.
The jurors will sign a verdict form when they reach a
verdict and notify the bailiff.
The judge will then read the verdict in court and
dismiss the jurors.
Jury FAQS
1. How may I complete the juror information form?
Complete the form sent to you with your summons and mail it to:
Susan McKinley
1 East Main Street
Logan, OH 43138
The form may also be
printed here, filled out, and mailed in.
2. How can I get excused from jury duty?
Please do not ask to be excused from jury duty for any reason other than a
death in the family, a scheduled out-of-state vacation, or a medical
condition proven by a doctor’s certificate. In any case, written proof will
be required, listing the specific condition or problem. If you have
children, you must secure adequate child care and back-up child care during
your period of service.
3. I have moved from Hocking County, what should I do?
Circle “Moved from Hocking County” under the reason for disqualification on
your jury questionnaire and return it.
4. What should I wear to jury duty?
Please dress appropriately. No shorts, tank tops, or hats are permitted in
the courtroom.
5. Where should I park?
Free parking is available on the side streets around the courthouse.
6. How long will I be required to serve?
Prospective jurors are selected for a four month period. Normally, a juror
is only called upon to serve once during the four month period.
If there is a jury trial during the four month period, some prospective
jurors will be sent a second notice giving them a specific day they must
appear in court for the trial. A trial will usually only last one or two
days, but may last longer.
7. Who may be called to serve as a juror?
You may be called to serve if you are at least 18 years old, a United State
citizen and a resident of Hocking County.
8. How did my name get selected for jury duty?
Jurors’ names are selected at random by a computer from a list of registered
voters provided by the Board of Elections.
9. Will I get paid for jury duty?
Jurors who serve on the jury will be paid $40 per day. Prospective jurors
who do not serve on the jury will be paid $10 for showing up.
10. What are the different types of juries?
Petit Jury:
If you are selected to serve on a Petit Jury, you will hear a criminal or
civil case. A criminal trial will involve a felony. The law requires twelve
jurors to be seated in a criminal case and eight jurors to be seated in a
civil case.
In a criminal trial, the jury must find a defendant guilty or not guilty by
a unanimous vote of all twelve jurors.
In civil cases the law requires a vote of at least six of the jurors to
reach a verdict.
Most jury trials will seat an alternate-juror, in the event of sickness or
unforeseen circumstances arise in which one of the regular jurors are unable
to attend some portion of the trial. The alternate hears the trial, in its
entirety, but does not participate in jury deliberations.
Grand Jury:
A Grand Jury hears evidence about crimes and decides whether or not a person
should be indicted and tried for committing a crime. The grand jury does not
decide guilt or innocence.
11. What happens when I appear for jury service?
All prospective jurors take an oath or affirm that they will answer
truthfully question posed to them by the judge and the attorneys during the
process.
The judge and attorneys will ask the prospective jurors questions to find
out if it may be difficult for a prospective juror to be fair and impartial.
Prospective jurors will be introduced to the parties and attorneys involved
in the case and given a list of probable witnesses that will be called.
Prospective jurors who are related to or know one or more of these persons
should inform the judge as it may make it difficult for them to be
impartial.
Prospective jurors may also be questioned about any past experiences that
might make it difficult for them to be fair and impartial.
Each side will be given a chance to excuse jurors for cause if there is a
good reason to excuse a juror.
Each side will then be able to make a limited number of preemptory
challenges without giving a reason.
If an attorney makes a challenge to a juror it is nothing personal, but is
done to ensure that they case will be heard as fairly as possible for their
clients.
12. How does a jury decide a case?
After the attorneys have presented their evidence and made their closing
statements, the judge instructs the jurors about the laws that apply to the
case. Jurors must decide cases based on the laws as they are and not as the
jurors might like them to be.
After receiving the judge’s instructions, the jury will enter the jury room
to be begin their deliberations.
First, the jury must elect a foreperson to oversee the discussions, make
sure that all issues are discussed and that every juror gets a chance to
participate.
The jurors will sign a verdict form when they reach a verdict and notify the
bailiff.
The judge will read the verdict and dismiss the jurors.
13. How many jurors must agree on a verdict?
The type of case determines how many jurors must agree on a verdict.
In civil cases, six out of the eight jurors must agree on the verdict.
In a criminal case, all twelve jurors must agree on the verdict.
14. What happens if I don’t appear in court?
Prospective jurors who do not appear in court can be fined and there may be
a serious personal penalty.