Information For Jurors
Jury service is an obligation of citizenship and is required of all citizens of Macon county who are over 21 years of age and not disqualified or exempt by statute.
Jurors are chosen at random from the voter registration lists maintained by the County Clerk and the drivers license list maintained by the Department of Revenue. Jurors are chosen for a term of four months by the Board of Jury Commissioners. Any juror randomly selected is required to complete a questionnaire. The information on the questionnaire is used to determine whether the juror meets the statutory qualifications or should be excused from service. Failure to return the questionnaire will result in a summons to appear in court.
Requests for excuse from service must be contained on the questionnaire. Requests for excuse from service based on medical reasons must be accompanied by a detailed letter from a licensed physician stating why service would result in injury or disease. A juror will not be excused solely based on the fact that the juror will be required to be absent from his or her place of employment.
Notices to appear for a trial will be mailed approximately one week in advance. Jurors who are summoned must report to the Circuit Courtroom at 8:45 a.m. unless the notice indicates an earlier time. Any juror who willfully fails to report is guilty of criminal contempt and may be subject to a fine of $500.00 and ordered to complete twenty (20) hours of community service.
Prospective jurors who appear but are not selected to serve on the jury will normally be excused before noon on the date they are summoned. Such jurors will receive $7.00 per day for attendance and .07 cents per mile to and from the courthouse. Jurors selected will recieve $20.00 per day, plus mileage. These amounts are set by statute. All compensation and reimbursement are paid at the end of the juror's four month term of service.
Sometimes lawsuits are settled or postponed at the last minute. If a case is settled or postponed, every attempt will be made to contact jurors promptly to avoid unnecessary trips. However, such attempts are sometimes unsuccessful. Therefore, on the evening before a juror is to report, the juror should call the number listed on the notice. A recorded message will advise jurors not to come if a case is settled or postponed.
For additional information on jury service and for answers to common questions check out the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator, A Guide to Missouri Jury Service.