Wear comfortable clothing, which reflects the seriousness of jury service. Should you receive another summons in the future and you are still having medical problems, you would need to submit another request to be excused.) Simply stated, our mission is to be the most successful judicial system in the nation. What is the difference between a petit and a grand jury? Jury service is scheduled to be for a two week period. The judges charge to the jury follows closing arguments. If you have not been previously rescheduled your turn of service can be deferred to a more convenient time. St. Clair County Court Records are public records, documents, files, and transcripts associated with court cases and court dockets available in St. Clair County, Alabama. Attorneys represent and advise the parties on the law and all aspects of the trial. What is the difference between a petit and a grand jury? These are called "punitive damages." After deliberations begin, a juror can discuss the case only with the other jurors. After the trials completion, you are not obligated to answer questions presented by attorneys or the press. To register for E-notices as a Pro Se go to https://alafile.alacourt.gov and click on Register. Alabama Administrative Office of Courts - alacourt.gov no one is exempt from jury duty, but if this week presents an undue hardship or extreme inconvenience you may callLisa Burdette(334) 864-4348for a postponement to a later date. Upon completion of a voir dire examination, each attorney may strike the names of jurors from the list of prospective jurors until only 12 names remain. This is called "challenging a juror". St. Clair-Ashville: All Divisions St. Clair County Courthouse 100 6th Avenue, Courthouse Square, Suite 400 Ashville, AL 35953 (205) 594-2184 St. Clair-Pell City: All Divisions District Court of St. Clair 1815 Cogswell Ave., Suite 217 Pell City, AL 35125 (205) 338-2511 Sumter County: All Divisions A prospective juror is asked questions to determine whether he/she has knowledge of or has an interest in the case to be tried. In the United States our constitution guarantees each individual the right to trial by "a jury of their peers". Once you have completed the . A felony is a crime punishable by at least one year and one day in the penitentiary and may also include a fine of $5,000 or more. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit for the State of Alabama consists of Mobile County's state courts. The attorney general has ruled in Opinion 95-00007 and Opinion 97-0138 that any second or third shift employee is placed on first shift status by law for their week of jury duty service. Can I be excused from or postpone service? Jury Information | St. Clair County, AL Every person that serves will be issued a check for each day of service and be given a certificate of service for your employer. The court will pay for your meals and lodging during the stay. Alabama has a list of specific excuses that can be used to be exempt from reporting for jury duty, including excuses for military, elected official, breastfeeding, age, police, firefighter and disability. If you are selected to serve on a jury, adequate time for lunch will be allowed. After the qualifying and excuses, you will be given a break to move your car out of the 2-hour parking, and then you will be divided into panels and you will keep the same panel number the whole term. The courthouse will open at 8:00 a.m. to begin the check in process. The questioning of a prospective juror is called a "voir dire examination" and may be conducted by the judge and attorneys. xXMo6Q{EwggnuwecP)y38~rIaN$'W\(_++gL`4Ls\eiqkbVb/ot.M7xynjo{|nYbw 'J=q:s&!RTs.|KW. No fingernail files that are 3 inches in length or longer; no scissors of any type or length. Request for Contempt Hearing. Instructions to the Jury: At the close of all the evidence, the judge will read the instructions to the the jury, explaining the law and other considerations in the case. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Employers are prohibited by law from firing an employee and revoking acquired leave timefor serving as a juror. Closing arguments are not evidence but are the attorneys summaries of the evidence presented during the trial. If I work outside the State of Alabama, and I am summoned as a juror in the county where I reside in the State of Alabama, am I entitled to my usual compensation from my employer? 2023 4 0 obj 6/6/2005. The Supreme Court of Alabama launched a website for Alabama's Unified Judicial System. Please be assured that without your service the judicial system could not operate efficiently. *Section 12-16-8(c) Code of Alabama: "Notwithstanding the excused absence provided in subsection (a), any full time employee shall be entitled to his or her usual compensation received from such employment.". <> m As a summoned juror, you are entitled to an expense and mileage allowance regardless of whether you actually served on a jury that particular day. The verdict is read by the judge, circuit clerk, or foreperson. endobj A prospective juror may be considered for exemption if they are: You may also show some other reason that serving as a juror will cause a deal of hardship or inconvenience. A felony is a crime punishable by at least one year and one day in the penitentiary and may also include a fine. endobj An 18 member grand jury may be impaneled to hear evidence and to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to formally charge the defendant with committing a crime and to require an accused to stand trial. 594, p. 712 8.]) Being struck does not reflect on a juror's honesty or intelligence. These are called "compensatory damages." If you are in doubt about your eligibility for jury service, you may contact the Jury Coordinator by mail or telephone: Mail: Court AdministratorMontgomery County CourthousePO Box 1667Montgomery, AL 35104-1667. Not have been convicted of a crime involving "moral turpitude" (a crime which violates accepted standards of the community, including crimes involving dishonesty) which resulted in the suspension of a person's right to vote. stream Not necessarily. 9[> Most trial court information may be obtained through www.alacourt.gov using the link "Just One Look" for On-Demand access to Alabama State Trial Court Records. No smoking is allowed inside the building and no weapons of any kind will be allowed. The Human Resources Division of the Administrative Office of Courts in Alabama provides a full range of human resources services to the judicial branch of government. The Circuit Clerk will go over what you can expect to experience during your time of jury service. Your service as a juror is as important as those of the judge. We will gladly assist you in correcting any misunderstanding. You should arrive in time to be checked in. No qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service. A circuit judge randomly selects the grand jury from the qualified juror pool. A petit jury is generally composed of 12 people impaneled to try a criminal or civil case. <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 13 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S>> A prospective juror must present the summons for jury duty to his/her employer to be excused from work for the days (s)he is required to serve. A jury of 12 people will be selected in the courtroom. 8/15/2011. It is very unlikely that you will have to spend every day at jury duty. Cell Phones are allowed but on vibrate at alltimes. 6 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 15 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S>> <> You must apply the law given by the judge to the facts given during the trial to make a decision in a case. 11 0 obj Closing arguments follow evidence presentation, at which time both sides summarize the case from their viewpoint. 9 0 obj The notices are mailed from Montgomery and the Clerk receives a list from the Administrative Office of Courts in Montgomery. Your summons will indicate which courtroom you are assigned to. E-Forms - Alabama Administrative Office of Courts Welcome to E-Forms The following forms are available in portable document format (PDF) for the public and other users of the AOC website. Usage is subject to our Terms and Privacy Policy. It is one of the highest duties of citizenship. Please be on time as court starts promptly at the designated time. stream One late juror can waste the time of the many persons involved in a trial. If I am summoned to court as a juror, but I was not chosen to serve, am I still entitled to an expense allowance and mileage? 12 0 obj 15 0 obj In most criminal cases on which you may be asked to serve, the crime with which the defendant is charged will be a "felony." To request a deferral from jury duty, you must submit a completed copy of your "Jury Information Form", with the request written out. The court may require alternate jurors to serve who shall have the same qualifications, be subject to the same examination, take the same oath, and have the same functions and powers as regular jurors. After you complete this process, email trish.campbell@alacourt.gov to notify the court you are seeding a medical excuse from jury duty. In a civil trial, the jury decides all questions of fact and determines whether the plaintiff has a valid complaint and should be awarded the relief requested. However, if allowed, juror may not use his/her own notes to sway other jurors. Report to the Main Courtroom. The Jury Line will instruct jurors about where to report. No smoking is allowed inside the building and no weapons of any kind will be allowed. The sheriff, as an elected official, is the countys chief law enforcement officer. The following items are not allowed in the Baldwin County Courthouses. <> Certificat d'achvement du Programme de sensibilisation l'gard du plaideur l'chelon de l'tat. Let us know in a single click. If I am unable to serve on jury duty, whom do I call? Jurors are NOT allowed to bring their cell phones into the court house. On behalf of Honorable J. Clark Stankoski, Presiding Circuit Judge, Honorable Jody W. Bishop, Honorable C. Joseph Norton . Circuit Clerk / Absentee Election Manager. These are called "punitive damages." All requests to be excused from serving must be made in writing. Also, the temperature fluctuates greatly in our old courthouse, so you may want to bring a jacket. Lawrence County - Thirty-Sixth Circuit Court of Alabama The courts have defined "full time" as the amount of time considered as the normal or standard amount of work time for a given period, such as a day, week, or month. 3/31/2005. <> <> If you receive a jury summons and it has been less than 2 years since you last served, give us a call and we will check our records to verify your previous date. We value your feedback! <> 14 0 obj If you are generally cold-natured, be sure to bring a jacket. You can also be excused if you don't meet the basic eligibility requirements for jury duty in AL. As a citizen of St. Clair County, you have been chosen to serve in the role of juror. Information on cases in Alabama Circuit and District courts is now available on demand, without a subscription, through Just One Look. The parties in a civil trial are the plaintiff and the defendant; in a criminal trial, they are the state, represented by the district attorney or prosecutor, and the defendant. Jury deliberations generally conclude when a unanimous verdict has been reached. The jurors should understand that such interruptions are needed to make sure that their verdict is based upon proper evidence, as determined by the judge under the Rules of Evidence. No knives, or anything that is sharp, pointed or edged including knitting needles. The grand jury does not determine the accuseds guilt or innocence. You will be located and your message relayed. Cullman County - Thirty-Second Circuit Court of Alabama Mobile County - Thirteenth Circuit Court of Alabama Contact your doctor/medical care provider and request a medical excuse stating you are not physically and/or mentally able to serve as a What type of cases are heard by jurors?Jurors may be selected for criminal cases ranging from traffic offenses to murder as well as civil cases. Jurors may give the evidence whatever weight they consider appropriate. Etowah County - Sixteenth Circuit Court of Alabama If the court finds it necessary for the jury to inspect the scene of an accident or alleged crime, the judge will arrange for the entire jury to do so together.