Trial by jury is a fundamental principle of our system of justice. Jury service is therefore both an opportunity and an obligation of every American citizen. The following information will give perspective jurors some background information about the process and what to expect when reporting for jury duty.
A Petit Jury is generally 12 people sworn to try a civil or criminal case, hearing evidence and rendering a verdict. Petit Juries convene during the first four weeks of each month.
A Grand Jury is comprised of 16 people and is sworn to hear evidence presented by the prosecution and determine if such evidence is sufficient to charge a person or persons with a crime by a Bill of Indictment. The Grand Jury is seated in January of each year and is reconvened as needed throughout the year.
Jury Duty is a privilege to be taken seriously by all those called to serve.
- At least 18 year of age
- Resident of Boone County
- Citizen of the United States
Jury poll consist of a merged compilation from:
- Voter’s Registration
- Driver’s License Registration
- Illinois Identification Card
Juror deferral / excusal permitted when:
- Health (doctor’s letter required)
- Extreme hardship
Jurors are exempt if:
- They no longer live in Boone County
- They have served within the last twelve months time period
- They are currently servicing a sentence for a crime or are on Probation or Parole
There are NO WORK EXEMPTIONS from Jury Duty. By statute, employers must give a juror time off work for his/her jury duty and may not require an employee to work second or third shifts while on jury duty. However, an employer is not legally required to reimburse the juror his/her pay.
Jurors pay from the County is $12.00 per day, regardless of time spent.