Jury Service

Jury service is one of the highest responsibilities that you can participate in as a citizen of the United States of America. Your service as a juror is a vital function of our democracy. Our judicial system belief is that a just and fair verdict in court comes from having disputes settled by our fellow citizens. You become a very important part of our legal system when you participate as a fair and impartial juror in trial court. Very few of us ever have to go to court as a plaintiff or defendant, but when we do, we want good, honest people to listen to the evidence and decide on the verdict. Therefore, when called to serve on a jury, we have an obligation to our fellow citizens to honor the summons and appear at court.

Qualifications

To qualify as a juror for Paulding County, you must reside within the court's jurisdiction, be at least 18 years of age and you must not have lost your right to sit as a juror by having been convicted of a felony. Beyond this, every citizen is given the opportunity to fulfill their civic duty, without prejudice, as a member of a jury panel.

Petit Jury

A petit jury term runs a length of four months beginning in January, May, and September of each jury year. If you are selected to serve as a petit juror for Common Pleas Court, you will be summoned to appear approximately seven to ten days prior to the scheduled jury trial. Your summons will include specific instructions on date and time of appearance, instructions on requests to be excused, and telephone contact information. As a petit juror, you may be summoned to appear two or three times during your four month term, but you may only serve once as an actual juror.

A petit juror selected to sit on a trial jury will hear a case of a criminal or civil nature. You will not know the type of trial or the specifics of that trial until you appear as a juror and start the trial process. The law for a criminal trial requires a trial jury of twelve jurors, with eight jurors being required for trial jury on a civil trial. Most jury trials will seat one or two alternate jurors, in the event of unforeseen circumstances in which a seated juror is unable to attend the entire trial.

Grand Jury

A grand jury term runs a length of four months beginning in January, May, and September. If you are selected to serve as a grand juror for Paulding County, you will be notified by mail from the Common Pleas Court approximately seven to ten days prior to the scheduled session. Grand Jury generally meets four times during the jury term on the second Thursday of each month. Grand Jurors are sworn in by the Common Pleas Judge on their first appearance. It may be necessary during your jury term to meet for a "Special Grand Jury Session". You will be notified by the Court if this should occur.

A selected grand juror will hear evidence presented by the Prosecutor's Office about crimes and decide if a person should be charged and tried through Common Pleas Court for committing a crime. A crime is a violation of a law enacted by our legislature to protect the basic rights and freedoms.

Questions You May Have

What should you know about the law regarding your employer?

It is your responsibility as a summoned juror to notify your employer of the potential of being called to serve on a jury for your jury term and to update them as required.

How was my name selected as a prospective juror?

In Paulding County, prospective jurors are selected using the list of current registered voters provided by the Board of Elections. The selection process is guided by a computer programming process and is set up to select individuals randomly from a current voter registration file.

Why have I received a prospective juror questionnaire?

The information that you provide on the questionnaire will be used only to assist Attorneys and Judges in impaneling juries. Consequently, you will not be required to answer as many questions in Court during jury selection, and time will be expedited.

I have received a jury summons and have vacation or a business trip planned on the date of my required appearance, do I have to reschedule?

Requests to be excused for travel should be made in writing and include contact information and proof of travel. (plane tickets, hotel reservations, etc.) Requests to be excused are reviewed by the Judge on a case by case basis. You are still expected to appear until you receive a call from the Court informing you otherwise.

I have received a jury summons and feel that I am not up to serving on a jury due to health concerns, what should I do?

Requests to be excused from jury duty due to health concerns must be in writing and accompanied by documentation of your condition from a licensed physician. Upon receipt, your request will be forwarded to the Judge for consideration. You are still expected to appear until you receive a call from the Court informing you otherwise.

I have received a jury summons and am a convicted felon, am I still eligible to serve as a juror?

If you have been released from your parole or probation with all of your rights restored, yes, you are eligible to serve as a juror. You must, however, provide the Court with proof that your rights have been restored before you will be able to serve as a juror.

If you have not been released with rights restored, you are not eligible to serve as a juror. Please contact the Court and your name will be removed from the eligible list of jurors for the term in which you were selected.

None of these questions address my concern, who should I contact?

You may contact Lynn Vance, Court Administrator/Assignment Commissioner, Paulding County Common Pleas Court, 419-399-8220 or lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.