Jury Duty Information

 

1. GRAND JURY:

The Grand Jury consists of sixteen (16) members and meets the 2nd Monday of each term of court (January, April and September). The main duty of the Grand Jury is to hear criminal cases presented by the Prosecuting Attorney and decide if there is probable cause. It is not their duty however, to decide the guilt or innocence of an individual.  Although grand jurors serve the entire term of court, they normally only appear in court the one day for which they are actually summoned.

 

2. PETIT JURY:
A Petit Jury in criminal cases determines guilt or innocence. A guilty finding must be by unanimous vote. Twelve (12) people are impaneled to sit on a criminal trial.
A Petit Jury in civil cases decides between a plaintiff and defendant as to disagreements that have arisen between parties. They must also be unanimous in their decision. Six (6) people are impaneled to sit on a civil trial.

Petit Jurors may also be used as Magistrate Court jurors should the need arise.  However, there are very few jury trials in Magistrate Court.  Petit Jurors selected for this duty will receive a separate summons from the Magistrate Court Clerk.

In our county, jury duty service is usually limited to one trial that lasts an average of one to three days. Court is never held on Sunday and, unless extraordinary circumstances require, Court is not held on Saturday.  Court convenes at 9:00 a.m., recesses for lunch around the noon hour, and generally adjourns between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Petit Jurors are required to call the juror message line the night before any scheduled appearance. The number is printed on the juror summons and it is recommended that jurors call before retiring for the night.  A recorded message will confirm the need to appear for jury duty, notice jurors of cancellation or change of reporting date.  Jurors will not be paid for appearing when they have been notified by the recording not to report. If the Circuit Clerk is notified of any change within sufficient time to telephone jurors, office staff will try to call you.

 

Downloadable Content

• Juror qualification questionnaire
• Jury Duty: A handbook for Trial Jurors
• Frequently asked questions
• Survey responses reveal West Virginia Jury composition
• "Welcome to jury duty" Jury orientation video

The Circuit Clerk is responsible for the administration and management of the Jury System and provides jury panels for Circuit, Magistrate and Municipal Courts. The Clerk creates the master list of prospective jurors, randomly selects panels for attendance, qualifies and summons the jurors and monitors attendance and mileage for reimbursement purposes.