In reference to the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 ("Pact Act"): The text of the PACT Act may be found here. You may request a reasonable accommodation: Your jury summons provides the date, time, and place to report for jury duty. However, if a person is not selected for a trial, their jury service will be complete after that one day. Generally, you must contact the clerk of superior court office or the chief district court judges office if you want to be excused or defer your jury service. Find local administrative orders and rules, Administrative Order In Re: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Masks In The Forsyth County Hall of Justice, Legal Notices, Disclaimers and Terms of Use, You must be a citizen and resident of Forsyth County, North Carolina, You must be physically and mentally competent, You must be able to understand the English language, You must not have been convicted of a felony or pled no contest to a felony unless you have had your citizenship restored pursuant by law, You must not have been adjudged incompetent, You must not have served on a jury within the last 2 years or served a full term as a grand juror within the last 6 years, Have not served as a juror during the preceding two (2) years or as a grand juror in the past six (6) years, NOT a Forsyth County, North Carolina Resident, Students enrolled full time in a learning institution, Convicted of a felony and voting rights have NOT been restored. The judge will instruct you on your duties as a juror. Occasionally, a grand jury may extend to 18 months of service. If you wish to be deferred from jury service or feel that you do not qualify, please refer to theDeferraland Disqualification pages. Protective Measures: Usage is subject to our Terms and Privacy Policy. During the voir dire process, each lawyer will ask the pool of potential jurors a series of questions about their background, beliefs, prejudices, or relationships with any party to the case. You can, however, claim payment if your earnings are in any way affected by your participation. If they do, the employer: Any North Carolina juror that experiences unlawful actions from their employer should contact the jury clerk or court officer where they are serving jury duty. North Carolina does not provide an automatic exemption from jury service because of a person's profession or age. As jury selection is made, potential jurors will stay in a courthouse waiting area on their first day. Jurors should plan to be present at least until 5:00 p.m. for each day that they are in service. You Already Served. If not selected again, those jurors will be allowed to go home at the end of the day, having completed their jury service. Once a trial begins and you are sworn in, you will be given a juror badge to wear until you are released by the judge. Any person summoned as a juror who is age 72 or older may establish exemption from jury duty without appearing in person by providing the ground or reason for their exemption; and forwarding to the Chief District Court Judge at least 5 working days before the date summoned to appear. Requests sent by MAIL or FAX must include the completed bottom portion of summons and supporting documentation (instructions are included on the summons document). How Much Does Jury Duty Pay in NC? A mental health provider has given you a letter requesting . They get reminders mailed to them approximately one week before each scheduled meeting. You should expect that you will be allowed to go home at the end of each court day. Requests for excuses and postponements for jury duty must be made by electronically using the requested form below, or by mail or fax. This is not true for all states, and there are other exemptions to consider. It is extremely rare for a jury to be "sequestered" or kept in a hotel during a trial. Fine of $50 for each day the juror fails to appear. The potential juror must make their excuse request with the clerk of the superior court office or the office of the chief district court judge. If sent to a courtroom or selected to sit on a trial, jurors will serve until released by the judge. Jurors who serve more than five days receive $40 a day. You will also be given additional information from the court staff. For general comments you may email [email protected] or call 1-800-NYJUROR [1-800-695-8767]. Jury service is the solemn obligation of all qualified citizens. Court staff and the Sheriff's Office do not call or email citizens requesting Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, money, prepaid debit card numbers, or any other sensitive financial information. Grand jurors serve for a total of 27 workdays. Individuals must meet certain requirements for jury duty. Elected public officials should submit proof of office documentation. [3] If the chief district court judge or the judge or trial court administrator (designated by G.S. call the Jury Information Line on 1300 722 574. If selected to serve on a trial that is completed before the end of the day, those jurors will return to the jury assembly area and may then be selected for service on another case. Request for Excuse. Directions to restaurants within walking distance of the courthouse are posted in the Jury Assembly Room. These are legal reasons for getting out of jury duty in the state of Texas: Age: Texas allows people over the age of 70 to avoid jury service. The Jury Act, which is set out at Title 28, U.S. Code, Sections 1861-1878, calls for random selection of citizens' names from voters lists or from voter . Hats should never be worn in a courtroom, and you should avoid wearing shorts, t-shirts, tanktops, or anything printed with logos or slogans. In our continuing efforts to make performing jury service in Mecklenburg County even more convenient for citizens, we have added a Lactation Room for nursing mothers. A person who wishes to seek an exemption must do so at least five days before theyre scheduled to appear by writing their excuse on the back of the summons and including documents supporting their reason. You may request to be permanently excused or temporarily excused for a specific portion of a six week jury term. A state grand jury is enlisted by a superior court for twelve months; nine jurors are replaced in six-month increments. Jury service operates on the one-day / one-trial system. Petit jurors decide either civil or criminal cases. IMPORTANT CDC: Prospective jurors summoned for jury duty are being informed via the jury information line that if they fall into a high-risk category, they should not report for jury duty. Electronic Devices / Internet Access The Eastern District of North Carolina has been designated as the exclusive jurisdiction and venue for cases filed pursuant to Section 804 of the Act, known as . All rights reserved. It is your responsibility to monitor your mail for a CONFIRMATION letter from the District Court Judges Office to determine if your request has been approved or denied. When jurors report to the courthouse, they will be shown an orientation video that explains what to expect as a juror. If you were not selected to serve on any jury during the voir dire process, you can go home, and your North Carolina jury duty obligations are complete. 9-6(b) rejects the request for exemption, the prospective juror must immediately be notified of that decision by the trial court administrator or the clerk of court, and this can be done by telephone, letter, or in person. In many cases, they dont get picked and, after just one day, theyve fulfilled their civic obligation. Some people may disqualify themselves from serving on jury duty by taking advantage of an exemption; these exemptions must be specifically requested. She holds a B.A. Please share any suggestions or let us know about your experience on the Jury Service Exit Survey. Face Covering Mandate and Other COVID-19 Protocols Lifted as 26th Judicial District (Mecklenburg County) Expands Court Operations, Weddings will be conducted by appointment only, [email protected], Mecklenburg County Juror Orientation video, North Carolina Judicial Branch You, the Jurorvideo, [email protected], COVID-19 quarantine and isolation information, Juror Handbook: A Guide for Potential Jurors, Legal Notices, Disclaimers and Terms of Use, To access Criminal files by appointment, email, To access Civil files by appointment, email, To access Estate files by appointment, go to the. Any person summoned as a juror who is age 72 or older may establish exemption from jury duty without appearing in person by providing the ground or reason for their exemption; and forwarding to the Chief District Court Judge at least 5 working days before the date summoned to appear. The court staff will ensure that jurors get the message. Citizens over the age of 72 can be exempt from jury service under this age exception.. A prospective juror 72 years of age or older may request to be excused, deferred, or exempt by completing and mailing back the summons and supporting age documentation. The Clerk of Court will issue payment by check by U.S. mail a few days after your jury service concludes. Jury information can be obtained by calling the Interactive Voice Response System at (704) 686-0195. in Communications and English from Niagara University. Resident of the county of the summons' issuance. Excuses will be granted ONLY for reasons of compelling personal hardship. A North Carolina juror is paid certain amounts for the time they serve jury duty: A prospective juror must appear on their court date. There are valid excuses for not attending jury duty in the state of North Carolina, including: An excuse from jury duty is granted only if the individuals service is contrary to the public welfare, health or safety, or would cause compelling personal hardship of the juror. Once your service is complete, you won't be summoned for jury duty again until North Carolina re-adds you to the potential juror pool. Children are not allowed in the Jury Assembly Room. If you want to file a jury duty excuse request but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in three easy steps: Search Jury Duty Excuse on DoNotPay, and enter your jury duty summons information, including the assigned date, court name, juror number, and more. [3], The names of individuals who have been summoned for jury service as well as the dates on which the individuals have served must be noted on the master jury list. There is a newer version of the North Carolina General Statutes . The Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court's Office will be open to the public between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Jurors should report to room 432 on the 4th floor of the Hall of Justice at 200 N. Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC, as instructed on your summons. Let us know in a single click. These nine people join nine other people already serving on the grand jury for the past for six months. The North Carolina jury selection policies govern a process used to find a panel of jurors who will be fair and impartial to both sides during a trial. This site was designed to manage the most common requests related to jury service and offers many helpful features for jurors, including the ability to: To log onto the interactive site, you will need your juror ID and date of birth. A potential juror may have a valid excuse for not attending jury duty. Jurors are directed to follow the instructions on the back of the jury summons as to the time and place to report for jury service. Request for Jury Service Excuse or Deferral. For a small number of jurors, though, this may be more challenging than expected. Most cases last 3-5 days. For women, this means a professional-looking pair of pants or a skirt, cardigan, sweater, twinset, or shirt. ), Reasons for Excusal, Postponement or Deferment. Court staff will also give jurors additional information. Hawaii and South Dakota begin exempting senior citizens from jury duty when they turn 80. 9-6(b), and this must be done five business days before the date on which the person is summoned to appear. After parking, use the crosswalks to cross over to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse entrance at the corner of 4th and McDowell Streets. 26th Judicial District Announces Modified Court Operations: Weddings will be conducted by appointment only Monday throughFriday, from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. Jury service is an important civic function that supports one of the fundamental rights of citizens - the right to have their cases decided by a jury of their peers. [3] The number of names on this randomized list must be equal to the number of jurors required for the scheduled session or sessions. Citizens over the age of 75 can be exempt from jury service under this age exception.. A person who is seventy-five years of age or older may file affidavit requesting an exemption from jury service and shall be permanently exempt from jury service. Your request must be received no later than seven days prior to your service date. (Requirements and instructions are listed below.). It is extremely rare for a jury to be sequestered or kept in a hotel during a trial. See G.S.9-6.1. Jurors will be instructed as to whether they need to report at all or at a specific time. If the grand jury panel returns an indictment, the party may then be charged and go to trial before a jury to determine their fate. Any person summoned as a juror who has a disability that could interfere with the person's ability to serve as a juror and who wishes to be excused, deferred, or exempted may make the request without appearing in person by filing a signed statement of the ground of the request, including a brief explanation of the disability that interferes with the person's ability to serve as a juror, at any time five business days before the date upon which the person is summoned to appear. The first stage in jury selection is summoning a pool of potential jurors from the list of local citizens eligible to serve on a jury in North Carolina, as described above. New or unexplained onset of cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, New or unexplained loss of taste or smell, New or unexplained muscle aches (not due to injury or exercise). You have a jury duty excuse letter from a doctor. A new group of jurors are summoned each day of the week and, if selected to serve on a jury, a juror will serve for that day or for the length of a trial. If you are selected to serve on a jury, you will be provided with the trial date, and must return to serve on the jury for the duration of the trial and deliberations. The commission then draws prospective jurors names randomly and sends them a summons via U.S. mail. Mentally and physically competent. However, the law does not require that the employee be paid in full while serving. [2], North Carolina selects jurors through the use of voir dire, which permits involved parties to ask questions of potential jurors for the purpose of determining whether or not these jurors should serve on the case.