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Frequently Asked Questions
About Jury Service
Also:
Why
is jury duty important?
The United States Constitution
and the Minnesota State Constitution guarantees all
people the right to a trial by impartial jury. Justice
ultimately depends in large measure on the jurors
who serve in our courts.
What is my duty
as a juror?
As a juror, you must be fair and impartial.
Your actions and decisions must be free of any bias
or prejudice. You must apply the law given by the
judge to the facts given during the trial to make
a decision in a case.
How was I selected
for jury duty?
You were selected at random from lists
of voter registrations, driver registrations, and
Minnesota identification cards for residents of Dodge
County.
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Who is eligible for jury duty?
Jurors must:
- Be
a citizen of the United States
- Be at least
18 years of age
- Reside in Dodge County
- Be
able to communicate in English
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You cannot serve on a jury if
you have been convicted of a felony and your
civil rights have not been restored. |
If you
are in doubt about your eligibility for jury service,
you can contact the Court Administration office by
mail, phone, or e-mail at:
Dodge County Court Administration
22 6th Street East, Dept. 12
Mantorville, MN 55955-2220
(507) 635-6260
dodge@courts.state.mn.us
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How long does jury duty last?
Your length of term
for Jury service in Dodge County is 4 months. Jury
trials are scheduled on an average of once or twice
per month. A letter is sent to you at least two weeks
before a scheduled jury trial if we need your service
as a juror.
Can jury duty be rescheduled?
Yes. However, you will need to state the reason,
in writing, why you cannot serve on a jury term.
If approved, you will be rescheduled to a future
4-month term.
Can I avoid jury service?
No, unless you are over 70 and request to be excused,
or if you don’t meet
the requirements of Minnesota Statutes for extreme
hardship.
What types of cases do juror
hear?
Jurors hear felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor,
and civil cases. Some types of case are driving under
the influence, assault, domestic violence, or theft.
Jurors will also hear civil case in property disputes,
contracts and personal injury.
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Are jurors
compensated for jury service?
Jurors are paid $10
per day and 27 cents per mile round trip from home.
Payroll is processed and checks are mailed in 2-3
weeks. Call the Court Administrator’s Office
at (507)635-6260 with questions about checks or other
information.
Must my employer pay me
while I am on jury duty?
Your employer is not required
to pay you while you are in jury duty, however, many
employers will pay the difference between your jury
payment and your salary, but they are not required
to do so.
Is my employment protected
if I serve on jury duty?
Yes, your employment is
protected under Minnesota Statutes 593.50, Subdivision
1. An employer shall not deprive an employee of employment,
or threaten or otherwise coerce the employee with
respect thereto, because the employee receives a
summons, responds thereto, serves as a juror, or
attends court for prospective jury service.
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HOW A JURY
IS CHOSEN
After you have reported for jury
duty, the panel is sent to the courtroom for orientation.
The Judge will enter the courtroom and will instruct
the court assistant to read names of perspective jurors
who will be asked to sit in the jury box. A jury of
twelve people will be selected for felony trials, and
six people for gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and
civil trials. The judge in the courtroom will explain
the case and introduce the lawyers and other participants.
As part of jury selection, the judge and lawyers will
then question the jury panel members to determine if
anyone has knowledge of the case, a personal interest
in it, or any feelings that might make it hard to be
impartial. This process is called “voir dire”, a phrase meaning, “to
speak the truth.”
Questions asked during voir
dire may seem personal but should be answered completely
and honestly. The questions are not intended to embarrass
anyone but are used to make sure that members of
the jury do not have opinions or past experiences,
which might prevent reaching an impartial decision.
Challenges
During voir dire the lawyers may ask the
judge to excuse a juror from sitting on the case.
This is called “challenging
a juror”. There are two types of challenges:
a challenge for cause and a peremptory challenge.
A challenge for cause means the lawyer has a specific
reason for thinking that a juror would not be able
to be impartial. For example the case may involve
a driving under the influence of alcohol. If a juror
had been in an accident with a drunk driver and was
still upset about it, the defense attorney could
ask that the juror be excused for that reason. There
is no limit to the number of jurors who may be excused
for cause.
Peremptory challenges do not require the
lawyers to state any reason for excusing a juror.
Peremptory challenges are intended to allow lawyers,
both prosecution and defense, to do their best to
assure that the trial is fair.
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REPORTING
FOR DUTY
Dodge County has a juror notification line
system to inform jurors when their services will
be required. Instructions and the call in phone numbers
are included in the jury questionnaire packet jurors
receive in the mail.
Where to Report
Report to the
Court Administration office in the Dodge County Courthouse,
22 6th Street East, Mantorville. Parking is available
in the parking lot north of the Courthouse and on
the street at the north and south ends of the Courthouse.
There are some parking restrictions posted on the
north side of the Courthouse.
When to Report
First
day jurors are instructed what time to report on
the jury call in line. Please be prompt. One late
juror can waste the time of the many persons involved
in a trial. Generally, your service day will be completed
between 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Cell Phones/Pagers
Cell phones and pagers are not
allowed in the courtrooms or in the jury room during
deliberations. All cell phones and pagers will be
required to be checked with the jury attendant or
the Court Administrator’s
office.
What to Bring
Jury service can entail some
waiting time in the Jury Assembly Room, while you
wait for assignment to the courtroom. You may want
to bring reading material, stationary, etc.
After a
jury is selected, the trial will generally follow
this order of events.
Opening Statements
The lawyers
for each side may explain the case, the evidence
they will present, and the issues for the jury to
decide.
Presentation of Evidence
The evidence consists
of the testimony of witnesses and the exhibits allowed
by the judge. Exhibits admitted into evidence will
be available to the jury for examination during deliberations.
The jury will be asked to make decisions regarding
disputed facts; therefore, juror’s attention
at all times is critically important. Juror note
taking, or the use of any notes will be determined
by the judge.
Rulings by the Judge
The judge may
be asked to decide questions of law during the trial.
Occasionally, the judge may ask jurors to leave the
courtroom while the lawyers make their legal arguments.
The jurors should understand that such interruptions
are needed to make sure that their verdict is based
upon proper evidence, as determined by the judge
under the Rules of Evidence. Jurors may give the
evidence whatever weight they consider appropriate.
Closing Arguments
At the close of all the evidence,
the lawyers have the opportunity to summarize the
evidence in their closing arguments and attempt to
persuade the jury to accept a view of the case.
Instructions
to the Jury
After closing arguments, the judge will
read the instructions to the jury explaining the
law and other considerations in the case.
Deliberations
After instructions, the jury is isolated to decide
the verdict in the case.
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