JURY DUTY

 

Jury duty is a civic duty to the people of our county and state. The responsibility is serious, but the reward of serving your community and performing an important job makes it worthwhile.

 

Jurors are called upon to try two types of cases—civil and criminal. Civil cases are usually disputes between two or more parties involving monies, damages for injuries, or property. Criminal cases are filed by the State of Mississippi on indictments returned by a grand jury.

 

Juror Qualifications

A prospective juror must:

• Be at least 21 years of age
• Be either a registered voter of the county summoning the jurors or a resident freeholder of the county for more than one year
• Be able to read and write
• Not be convicted of an infamous crime or the unlawful sale of intoxicating liquors within a period of five years
• Not be a common gambler or habitual drunkard

 

Jury Selection

The first stage in jury selection is summoning a pool of prospective jurors from the list of local residents eligible to serve. If your name is randomly selected for the jury pool, you will receive a jury summons in the mail from the Newton County Circuit Clerk instructing you to appear for jury selection on a specific day.  Because the process is random, it’s possible one individual may never be called to serve and others may be called several times.

 

Just because you are summoned for jury duty doesn’t mean you will actually be selected to be a juror on specific cases. During a process called voir dire, judges, defense attorneys and prosecutors choose the individuals who will sit on the juries for upcoming civil and criminal cases. During the voir dire process, the judge and each lawyer will ask the pool of potential jurors about their backgrounds, beliefs, or relationships to any parties in the case. Each attorney may also seek to exclude any potential jurors who seem to be more likely to vote against their client’s interests.

 

If you are selected to serve on a jury, you will be given the trial date, and must return to serve on the jury for the duration of the trial and deliberations. Each juror is paid a nominal fee for their services. If you were not selected to serve on any jury during the voir dire process, your jury duty obligations are complete.

 

Excused from Service

You will not be excused simply because jury service would interfere with your regular activities or work schedule. However, the judge may excuse you in cases of genuine hardship or need, including:

• Illness of yourself or someone in your home
• Personal hardship
• Emergency
• You have served on a jury in an actual trial in the last two years
• You are older than 65 and you wish to claim this exemption
• Disability

 

If you no longer reside in Newton County, please contact the circuit clerk’s office to have your name removed from the voter rolls.

 

The Newton Depot is a historic railroad depot built in 1904. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 and currently serves as the home of the Newton Chamber of Commerce.