Jury Duty Information

Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division · Pickaway County Courthouse, 207 South Court Street, Circleville, Ohio 43113 · 740-474-6026 · Matthew H. Chafin, Judge

Dear Juror

As a registered voter of Pickaway County, you have been selected to serve as a petit juror in the Pickaway County Common Pleas Court for an upcoming 3-month term of Court. The Court is located on the 2nd floor of the Pickaway County Courthouse at 207 South Court Street, Circleville.

You have not actually been selected for a specific date yet. When your name is selected, you will be notified by mail of the specific date and time to appear. Jury trials are normally scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays and typically last one or sometimes two days.

Any and all medical excuses, vacation requests and/or requests for discharge from jury duty should be completed on the Juror Excuse Form below and returned with the completed questionnaire in the self-addressed stamped envelope provided.

Please do not request to be permanently excused from jury duty for any other reasons than listed on the Juror Excuse Form below. As Judge of the Pickaway County Common Pleas Court, I am the only person who can excuse a juror, and I cannot excuse you under Ohio law except for the reasons listed below. Please remember only a limited number of jurors are called for specific dates, therefore it is very important that you appear as Ordered. Your summons is a Court Order and any failure to comply with the Order can result in the imposition of sanctions provided under Ohio law. If you have any questions, please contact my office at 740-474-6026.

Sincerely,
Matthew H. Chafin, Judge

Terms of court and how jurors are selected

There are four terms of Court per year: January, April, July and October. At each term of Court a new jury panel is selected. Juror names are submitted by the Board of Elections, Pickaway County, Ohio from the voter registration, using a key number that is selected in August of each year. There are 700 names drawn as Petit Jurors and 50 names drawn as Grand Jurors.

Grand Jury

Grand Jury is in Session once a month. On occasion, there may be a need for a Special Grand Jury Session during the Term, however, that is very infrequent. At least once during the Grand Jury Term it is necessary that the Grand Jurors inspect the Pickaway County Jail to ensure that the prisoners are receiving adequate treatment. After this tour is completed the Jurors will reconvene in the Grand Jury Room and submit a written report to the Court. A copy of the Grand Jurors Report is then forwarded to the Pickaway County Commissioners Office for their review.

Petit Jury

Petit Jurors are called for jury duty on an as-needed basis. Jurors are only summoned in when there is an actual jury trial scheduled. Petit Jury may consist of a criminal trial or a civil trial. If the case being tried is a criminal case, 12 jurors will be seated with usually one or two alternates. If the case being tried is a civil case, 8 jurors will be seated with one alternate. Most trials (criminal and civil) last two days. However, there are occasions when a trial may take a week, but that is rare.

What happens on the day

Jurors are summoned to report for jury duty at 8:30 A.M. The first part of the trial will be the selection of the jury. This is called Voir Dire. Once the jury is seated, usually a 10 minute recess will be taken. Then the Court will commence with Instructions of the Court and opening statements of counsel. Once opening statements are completed, witnesses will be called to the witness stand, and exhibits will be offered during the trial. Once the testimony is completed, the attorneys will make closing arguments, the Court will give the Charge of the Court, and then the jury will commence deliberations. Once the jury has reached a verdict, the foreperson will knock on the jury room door and announce to the Bailiff that the jury has reached a verdict. At that time the jury will be returned to the courtroom, the verdict will be announced, after which the jury will be excused.

The Court usually schedules one 10-minute recess in the morning and one 10-minute recess in the afternoon, with one hour for lunch. The jurors are on their own during the lunch hour.

Open blank official PDF

Complete Form A on screen, then print and sign it. Only the forms print, not the information above. Nothing is transmitted from this page.

Form A — Juror Excuse Form

Return by fax to 740-477-6334, by email to jury@pickawaycountyohio.gov, or by mail to the Jury Administrator, Pickaway County Common Pleas Court, 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, Circleville, Ohio 43113

Your details

I claim exemption from jury service because
Signature

Signature (sign after printing)

Form B — Physician’s Release Form

Return by fax to 740-477-6334, by email to jury@pickawaycountyohio.gov, or by mail to the Jury Administrator, Pickaway County Common Pleas Court, 207 South Court Street, 2nd Floor, Circleville, Ohio 43113

Note to the physician: Postponing jury service is preferred to excusing a prospective juror. Unless the original summons states that the service cannot be rescheduled, prospective jurors may request a temporary postponement of the jury service for circumstances such as pregnancy, broken bones, surgery, recovery or other temporary conditions. Prospective jurors should contact the Pickaway County Common Pleas Court directly for instructions on rescheduling their original term of service.

Physician’s certification

This patient suffers from a physical and/or mental condition that would make service as a juror dangerous to the patient’s health and/or well-being.

Is this condition permanent?

If the condition is temporary, when will the patient be able to serve?

Submission of this certificate to Judge Matthew H. Chafin, Pickaway County Common Pleas Court, certifies under penalty of perjury, by the submitter, that the foregoing is true and correct.

Physician

Physician’s signature (original signature only — sign after printing)

Nothing on this page is transmitted to the county. Print it, sign it, and deliver it as the form directs.