General

Eligibility

Procedures

FAQ's

• General. All persons qualified for jury service shall be selected at random from a fair cross section of the citizens of the jurisdiction. All such citizens shall have the opportunity to be considered for jury service and an obligation to serve as jurors when summoned for that purpose.

• A United States citizen
• A resident of the jurisdiction (City of St. Louis)
• At least 21 years of age
• Able to read, speak and understand English
• Physically and mentally able to serve
• Not a convicted felon
• Not a judge of a court of record
• Not on active duty with the armed forces
• Persons who believe they are ineligible to serve as a juror may be required to provide documentation or other proof of the reason for ineligibility.

• Prospective jurors are selected at random and sent a summons/questionnaire approximately six weeks prior to the date they are to report. The questionnaire should be completed and returned within ten days. Instructions on when and where to report will be in the summons.
• Appropriate dress required. Jurors are, in effect, officers of the court and should dress appropriately. Shorts, tank tops, tee-shirts are not considered appropriate and you will be sent home to change if necessary.
• Parking. DO NOT PARK AT A PARKING METER. Validated free parking is available at the Kiel Parking Garage, 1515 Clark Street ( of the garage). The city operates a shuttle for city employees and jurors are welcome to ride the shuttle when it is available. The shuttle normally operates from 7:45 to 9:45 am and from 3:45 to 5:45 pm. The shuttle picks up passengers at the 16th street entrance to the garage in the morning and on Chestnut street outside the Civil Court building in the afternoon.
• Jurors with Disabilities. The court is required by law to make reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with disabilities summoned for jury service. If you have a disability, contact the Jury Supervisor's Office @622-4457 as soon as possible.
• Excuses/Postponements. Jury service will not be excused except for good cause. Service may be postponed for a short period if it presents a hardship at the present time. Requests to be excused or postponed must be in writing and should be mailed or brought to the Jury Supervisor's Office before the jury service date. If health reasons are the basis of the request, a written statement from a physician should be included.
• Length of Service. Petit jury service is for one trial unless released sooner. The average trial lasts about three days. Grand jury service is for three months. The Grand Jury meets two and sometimes three days per week.
• Proof of service. Many employers require proof of jury service. A voucher verifying the dates and number of days served will be issued when you complete your jury service.
• Payment. Those who report to serve jury duty will be paid $12.00 per day. Those who are selected and sworn as jurors to try a case will be paid $18.00 per day. Checks for jury pay are issued by the city Treasurer and will be mailed within four to five weeks.

FAQ's

I do not vote. Why did I get summoned?

Voting is a right guaranteed by the US and Missouri constitutions. Whether you exercise that right is your choice. Jury service is a duty required by law. The court is authorized to draw names from any public list for the purpose of summoning jurors. The lists most commonly used are provided by the Department of Revenue and the Board of Election.

I do not believe in judging people, can I be excused?

You are entitled to your religious and philosophical beliefs; however, you must participate when summoned for jury service. Decisions about whether you would be a suitable juror on a particular case must be left to the trial judge and lawyers on that case.

How long will I be there?

Most trials in the city of St. Louis last only a few days; however, some do last longer. At the beginning of the jury selection process, the trial judge will tell you how long he/she believes a particular case is expected to last. Jurors are asked to report at 8 am on the first day of service because of the time needed to check-in everyone prior to beginning trials. After the first day, jurors usually do not have to report until 9 am. Jurors are dismissed usually dismissed between 4:15 and 5 pm.

Why are so many people called?

There are 21 trial divisions in this circuit. These trial divisions are assigned one or more cases to be tried each week. The number of jurors summoned is based on historical trends and analysis of the daily requests from the trial judges.

Why is there so much waiting around?

There are occasions when prospective jurors will be waiting. Usually this means that the parties in the case are arguing last minute points of law, or they might be negotiating to settle the case without a jury trial. The pool of jurors, by its very presence and readiness to sit in trial of a case, often moves the parties to settle.

How do you get out of doing jury duty?

Jury duty is excused only for the most extreme hardships. Most of the trials in this circuit last only a few days. So, the fact that someone is missing work or that their normal schedule is disrupted are not considered hardships or "good cause" for purposes of being excused from jury duty. Jury duty can be postponed for a short period of time if service at the present time presents a hardship. Requests to be excused or postponed must be in writing and should be mailed or brought to the Jury Supervisor's Office. If the reason for the request is health related, a doctor's statement should be provided along with the request.

Does my employer have to pay me while I am on jury duty?

Employers are not required by law to pay employees summoned for jury duty. However, employers must allow their employees to serve and are prohibited from taking adverse action against an employee who does serve.