JUROR INFO
JUROR INFO PAGE
What are my obligations regarding Jury Duty?
A juror is a person who has been selected for jury duty. A jury is a group of individuals randomly selected from the community, sworn in by the court, and asked to deliver a decision in a court proceeding. Jurors are an important part of the legal system.
Individuals called for jury duty are randomly selected using driver license and personal identification cardholder lists provided by the Secretary of State. If you have been selected, read the juror summons or notice carefully. It will explain where and when you must appear.
You must respond to the jury summons.
Individuals who are exempt from serving on a jury are:
1) individuals who are not citizens of the United States;
2) individuals who no longer live in the city or county which
issued the summons;
3) individuals who do not speak or understand the English language;
4) individuals with a physical or mental disability that would prevent
them from serving;
5) individuals over the age of 70 who do not want to serve on a jury;
6) individuals who have served as a juror during the past 12 months;
7) individuals who are under sentence for a felony.
AN OVERVIEW OF JURY DUTY IN MICHIGAN
WHY WE HAVE A JURY SYSTEM
Under the Constitution a US citizen is given certain rights; the right to a Jury trial is one of those rights
Participation in Jury trials provides citizens with an opportunity to:
Incorporate community values into dispute resolution
Guard against abuse by power of legislatures, businesses, and government agencies
Avoid arbitrary or unfair actions by individual Judges
Protect the rights of all citizens
WHY JURORS ARE SELECTED
Jurors are important and necessary participants in our Judicial system. Legal disputes ( cases ) often will not actually go to trial ( be heard by a Judge or Jury ), because citizens are prepared to participate as Jurors--sitting and waiting in the Jury room
A Jury panel that is ready to hear a case can motivate all parties involved in a dispute to reassess their risks and claims. Much like in a game of poker, the attorneys for both sides of dispute think that they have the "winning hand" The mere presence of the Jury " calls all bluffs " For example, it is common for a Court to schedule 30 to 60 cases for a trial in a single day because the Jury is waiting and able. Typically, only 3 to 5 of those cases will
actually go to trial as scheduled.
HOW JURORS ARE SELECTED
STEP ONE:
Once a year the Secretary of State will compile a list of citizens who may be eligible to serve on a Jury room from a list that identifies citizens who possess a driver's license or State of Michigan identification card.
STEP TWO:
Identified citizens are mailed a Juror Qualification Questionnaire. After the questionnaire is completed, returned, and evaluated, a " qualified " citizen may be called to serve on Jury Duty.
WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU ARE SELECTED
As an active participant in the justice system, a citizen who serves as a Juror can expect to:
Be treated with dignity and respect
Have court facilities and procedures identified and explained, as needed throughout the assigned Jury duty service period
Have questions answered by the appropriate Court staff member as allowed by the law
Be informed of and comply with rules and guidelines that are designed to ensure the integrity of our legal process
WHEN YOU ARE INSIDE A COURTROOM
Once a trial by Jury begins, "qualified" citizens are convened inside a courtroom. A Juror may be excused if the Judge determines there is a valid reason that the Juror should not serve in this case. In addition, each lawyer has a right to excuse a certain number of Jurors without giving a reason for doing so.
The Jury selection process is called "voir dire".
There are special rules and considerations that attorneys apply and make when conducting voir dire. The fact that a citizen is excused from a Jury service does NOT reflect on the citizen's fitness to serve. A citizen who is excused from Jury duty on one trial may very well be selected to serve on another.
THE JUDGE IS THE FINAL VOICE OF AUTHORITY FOR COURTROOM PROCEDURES
Jurors are expected to pay close attention to and strictly follow all instructions given by the Judge.
ABOUT DELIBERATIONS ( DECIDING A VERDICT )
After the facts of a case have been presented by each party the Jury is sent to a Jury room to decide the verdict. Inside the Jury room the Jury members will select a foreperson whose job it is to collect ballots and to announce the verdict when asked to do so by the Judge. All Jurors are individually independent and equal. NO ONE JUROR HAS MORE " WEIGHT " OR POWER THAN ANY OTHER JUROR.
IN REACHING A DECISION JURORS MUST REMEMBER TO:
Keep an open mind
Discuss the facts of the case by sharing information and points of view
Apply "Jury instructions " appropriately
Decide on a verdict that is based on the facts of a case as they were presented inside the courtroom
