Juror Rules

Let us now clear up a few misconceptions you may have about jury duty and alert you to some of the rules of conduct each juror must follow during a trial. Court usually begins at 9:30 a.m. However, jurors must be present no later than 9 o’clock each morning unless you are instructed differently. It is important to be on time, since many people are dependent upon your actions. If you serve as a juror, you are acting as an "Officer of the Court." As such, the Court requests that you dress appropriately for the courtroom setting.

As a general rule, your length of service is for one day or one trial. If you are chosen to serve as a juror on a trial, you will return each day to hear the case until it is completed. The trial may be carried over into the following week, in which event jurors are usually notified in advance. However, if you are not chosen to serve on a jury by the end of the day, your juror obligation has been completed and you will be excused. Exceptions to this general rule can and do occur; however, they are rare. Jurors usually can leave the Court House for lunch and usually are not required to remain overnight.

Although the workday for the juror generally ends between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m., there may be occasions when striking of jurors may begin near or continue past that time. A Judge may strike a jury at the end of the day in order to start a trial early the next morning. This late-afternoon striking does not happen often, but it does happen. Because of the press of litigation and the heavy case loads, time becomes precious and Judges try to use the available time in the most efficient manner.