Jury Service Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Who may be called to serve as a juror?
A:
County residents who are at least 18 years old, citizens of the United States,
can read, write, and understand the English language, and have no criminal
convictions of a misdemeanor of the second degree or greater.
Q. How was my name selected for jury duty?
A:
The Jury Commission uses a random listing of county residents compiled by the
state from voter registration, driver's licensing data, tax rolls, unemployment
data, and DHS data. The required number of jurors is randomly selected from a
master list and summoned to appear for jury service.
Q. Why have some people never been called for jury duty and I've been called more than once?
A: Selection is a random process.
As such, there is always the chance that a person may never be called while
another may be called several times.
Q. Will I be automatically exempt from jury duty if I am a police
officer, doctor, lawyer, dentist, or schoolteacher?
A. No. Jury service is a civic duty. No
one is automatically excused because of his/her occupation. Many police officers,
doctors, lawyers, dentists and schoolteachers have
served as jurors.
Q. Are there exemptions/excusals for
certain circumstances?
A: Upon request to the Jury Commission
Secretary, Pennsylvania law does allow exemption or excusal for: people 75 years of age or older if requested;
people in active service of the armed forces of the United States or the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; people who have served as a juror within the past
three years; people who are no longer residents of the county they have been
summoned to; people who demonstrate to the court undue hardship or extreme
inconvenience; spouses, children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren of
victims of criminal homicide (18 Pa.C.S.A. 2501); breastfeeding women; people
who have a medical, mental or physical condition which would impair their
ability to serve*; people who cannot read, write, or understand the English
language; and citizens who have criminal conviction(s) of a misdemeanor of the
second degree or greater.
*NOTE: If you are
requesting to be excused due to a medical, mental or
physical condition, you must have a doctor's excuse that indicates you
are unable to serve. We cannot make exceptions. It is not necessary for the
doctor to provide a specific reason, simply that you are unable to serve due to
a medical condition. The doctor's excuse
can be faxed to (814) 772-7780 for Elk County or (814) 486-0464 for Cameron
County.
Q. What should I do if being a juror at that time would
create a hardship for me?
A: Only those persons for whom jury
service would be an extreme hardship may be excused. If you need to be excused
from jury service or have your jury service postponed, you must state the reason
for your request on the return form.Reasons
for excusal are reviewed and evaluated pursuant to court policy. You can expect
a prompt response to your request.
Q.
Can I volunteer for jury duty?
A.
Volunteering is permitted. Contact the Jury Commission Secretary at (814) 776-5327
in Elk County or (814) 486-9327 in Cameron County if you are interested in
being summoned for jury service.
Q. How long will I have to serve?
A: If you are not selected as a trial
juror, your length of service will be one (1) day.
If you are selected to serve as a trial
juror, your jury service will be for the length of that trial. Most trials take
between one to two days to complete, however some may
take longer. Potential jurors are
informed of the trial date(s) at the beginning of the jury selection process
for each case.
Q. What time will I arrive
and leave?
A: The normal business hours for the
court are 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Jury selection and jury trials typically begin
at 9:00 a.m.When serving as a trial
juror, you may be required to report at a different time
and you will be instructed to call a phone call-in system that will advise you
of the specific time to report and if your service is required. While acting as a trial juror, you may serve
later than 4:00 p.m.
Q. Are there any breaks during the day?
There are mid-morning and mid-afternoon
breaks and a minimum of an hour for lunch. No food or drinks (other than water) are allowed in the courtroom.
Trial jurors are provided with beverages
and snacks. During jury deliberation at
the conclusion of the trial, the county will provide a simple meal if the jury
requests lunch and/or supper.
Q. How is a jury selected?
Once all the prospective jurors have
checked in, the clerk will administer an oath to the jurors. A randomly
selected group of 30-40 people will be seated in the front of the
courtroom. After some preliminary
questions from the judge, the attorneys involved in the case will begin asking
questions, starting with the district attorney in a criminal case or the
plaintiff's attorney in a civil case, followed by the defendant's
attorney. The attorneys may ask if
anyone is familiar with the case, knows the parties involved in the case, knows
any witnesses in the case, etc. After
the questioning is finished, the attorneys will eliminate jurors until only 14
are left. These 14 jurors will sit as
trial jurors (12 primary and 2 alternate jurors).
Q. How much do I get paid for jury duty?
A: According to Pennsylvania law,
jurors are paid $9.00 per day for the first three days of jury service and
$25.00 per day for every day thereafter. Pennsylvania law also sets the mileage
rate at 17 cents per mile, round trip from your home.
Q. Does my employer have to
pay me while I am on jury duty?
A: Pennsylvania law does not require
an employer to pay an employee for jury service. Check with your employer for its
policy. Your employer cannot
discharge you for responding to a juror summons, as long as
you provide a copy of your summons to your employer immediately upon receipt.
Q. What happens if a person ignores a summons or fails to report
for jury duty?
A:
Pennsylvania law provides that such conduct is contempt of court punishable by
a fine and/or imprisonment.
Q. Will I be notified if I do not have to report for jury duty?
A: Yes, when cases are settled or
postponed, the Court tries to give jurors as much notice as possible. If time permits, court staff will telephone
jurors to cancel their jury service.
Cameron County jurors are given a number
to call the night before jury selection and jury trials to find out if they
need to report.
Elk County jurors selected for a trial
are given a number to call the night before the jury trial to find out if they
need to report.
Q. What if the weather is
bad?
A. Jury selection and jury
trials are rarely cancelled because of bad weather. If you have trouble reporting due to weather
conditions, you must contact the Jury Commission Secretary at (814) 776-5327 for
Elk County or (814) 486-9327 for Cameron County before 9:00 a.m. on the day you
are scheduled to report for jury duty.
Q. Where do I park when I
report for Jury Service?
A: For Elk County residents: Please park in the spaces that surround the Elk County Courthouse.
However, avoid parking on Main Street, as those spaces are reserved for 30 minute parking only. Also, avoid parking in the
"Reserved" parking lot, as you will be asked to move your vehicle. Please do
not park in the lots for banks, churches or retail
customers, such as the YMCA. Two
handicapped parking spaces are available in the county parking lot on South
Broad Street.
For Cameron County residents: Please park in the parking lot or the area around the courthouse or on
side streets where permitted. One
handicapped parking space is available in the county parking lot.
Q. What if I have an emergency on the day that I am to report?
A:
Please call the Jury Commission Secretary at (814) 776-5327 for Elk County or (814)
486-9327 for Cameron County prior to 9:00 a.m. on the day of service.
Q. What should I wear?
A: Please use good judgment and
dress conservatively. Wear clothing that is comfortable and not extreme in
style. To maintain the dignity of the court, avoid ripped or revealing
clothing, tank tops, and clothing or shirts with offensive words, pictures or logos.
Q. Will I have to go through any security measures when I enter
the Courthouse?
A: Both the Elk County and Cameron
County courthouses have only one public entrance. In Elk County, enter using the door on the
South Broad Street side of the courthouse. In Cameron County, enter using the door on the N. Cherry Street side of
the courthouse. Everyone entering the courthouse is subject to a security
search and will be required to pass through a metal detector. Please do not
bring any weapons (guns, knives), extra metallic objects (unnecessary keys,
coins,) or sharp objects (scissors, nail clippers, penknives, knitting needles,
etc.) when reporting for jury service. Bags,
knapsacks, briefcases, and purses may be searched.
The metal detector will not harm pregnant
women or individuals who have pacemakers; it will not affect the magnetic
strips on credit or debit cards.
To enter the Courtroom, you must go to
the 2nd floor of the courthouse. Elevator service is available.
Do
not bring cell phones, smart phones, smart watches, other photographic devices or internet-enabled devices, as they are not
permitted on the second floor of the Courthouse. Please secure them in your vehicle prior to
entering the building.
Q.
Is it possible to appear for jury selection and not be selected for a trial?
A: Yes. More people are called than actually
serve because of the process of jury selection. Plus, due to last minute changes in the
number of cases scheduled, it is not always possible to estimate accurately the
number of jurors who will be needed to serve. If you are not selected for a trial, your jury service is concluded.
Q. If I am a trial juror, will I go home at the end of the day?
A: Trial jurors almost always go home at the end of the day. If a
jury is sequestered (a term used to describe jurors who are housed during the
trial at the expense of the county), the jurors will be advised of this during
the selection process. Sequestration
rarely occurs.
Q. During a trial, who are the people in the courtroom?
A.
The following people will be in the courtroom in addition to the judge,
the jury, and the attorneys. They are:
- Plaintiff-The plaintiff is the person who filed a civil suit.
- Defendant
-The defendant in a civil case is the person being sued. In a criminal case, the defendant is
the person who has been charged with a crime.
- Court
Reporter - The court reporter keeps the official
record by recording every word spoken during the trial on a special
machine or recording device and maintains all evidence admitted during the
trial.
- Tipstaff
- The tipstaff's responsibility is to attend to the jury following
instructions from the judge.
- Deputy
Sheriff - The deputy sheriff provides security in
the courtroom.
- Clerk
- The Clerk is responsible for all documents contained in the official
case file and for swearing in the jury and all witnesses.
- Witnesses
- Each side in a trial will probably have a number of
witnesses who have information about the dispute.
Q. What is the sequence of a trial?
A.
The sequence of a trial is as follows:
1. Judge's
Initial Instructions
2. Opening
Statements
-
Plaintiff's attorney (or
prosecuting/Commonwealth's attorney for a criminal case)
-
Defendant's attorney (unless postponed
until defendant's presentation of evidence)
3. Testimony
of Witnesses and Presentation of Evidence
-
Plaintiff's attorney (or
prosecuting/Commonwealth's attorney for a criminal case)
-
Direct examination of plaintiff's
witnesses by plaintiff's attorney
-
Cross-examination of plaintiff's
witnesses by defendant's attorney
-
Redirect examination of plaintiff's
witnesses by plaintiff's attorney
-
Defendant's attorney
-
Direct examination of defendant's
witnesses by defendant's attorney
-
Cross-examination of defendant's
witnesses by plaintiff's attorney
-
Redirect examination of defendant's witnesses
by defendant's attorney
4. Selection
and Preparation of Jury Instructions (Judge and Attorneys)
5. Closing
Arguments
-
Defendant's attorney
-
Plaintiff's attorney (or
prosecuting/Commonwealth's attorney)
6.
Jury Instructions presented to the Jury
7. Jury
Deliberations
8. Verdict
of the Jury
9. Concluding
remarks by the judge and dismissal of the jury