Mercer County Court System
FAQs: Court Administration
FAQs
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| Q. | What do I do if I receive a summons for jury duty? |
| A. | Jury Duty in Mercer County is for a period of one week. Normally, you will spend two or three days at the Courthouse. The first thing to do is look for the dates that you are to appear. You are directed to appear at 9:30 a.m. on the first day of service. Please keep your part of the summons form available and be sure to remember to appear. Next, please fill out the questionnaire section and mail that back as directed on the mailer. If you have a medical condition that you believe will prevent you from serving, please contact your doctor. Ask him/her if they will provide you with an excuse. If your doctor agrees, he/she may do the following: send the excuse to you, in which case you should forward it to the Office of the Court Administrator, or your doctor may fax the excuse directly to Court Administration at 724 662-3838. If you have a planned vacation or other situation where you will be out of the county during your service period, you can be deferred to another month. Please include a brief note with your questionnaire and it will be reviewed. If you are excused or deferred, you will receive a postcard indicating such. Please remember that jury duty is just that: a public duty required of you as a citizen. The summons you receive is an official court directive to appear. Failure to respond and/or appear as directed can result in the Court taking action against you. Once you serve, your name will be removed from the potential jury pool in Mercer County for the next three years. |
| Q. | What do I do if I have a small business and it cannot run without me? |
| A. | You are required to serve if called, however, you may ask for a "one day/one trial" status. That means you will appear on the date directed. If you are chosen to serve on a trial on that day, you will serve until the trial ends. If you are not chosen that day, your service will be considered completed and you do not have to return. |
| Q. | I am aged 75 or older. Am I required to serve? |
| A. | If you are 75 or older, you do not have to serve if you do not want. Please call the Office of the Court Administrator if this situation applies to you. |
| Q. | How was I selected as a juror? |
| A. | Potential jurors come from a master list that combines licensed drivers aged 18 or older and Mercer County registered voters. The selection is made at random from a specific computer program. |
| Q. | Can I still serve as a juror if I had a prior criminal conviction? |
| A. | If you had a conviction that was punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, and you have not been granted a pardon or amnesty, you are ineligible to serve. For example, a DUI conviction means you cannot serve; a traffic ticket or other summary violation does not have an effect. |
| Q. | How long does a trial last? |
| A. | It all depends upon the nature of the case. Most trials in Mercer last two to three days. A complicated case may take longer. The Judge trying the case will let the potential jurors know how loing the case is expected to last as the jury is being selected. |
| Q. | Do I have to serve if I cannot read, speak or write in English? |
| A. | If you are unable to read, write, speak or understand the English language, you are ineligible to serve. |
| Q. | If my employer will not pay me for the time I am a juror is there anything I can do? |
| A. | Unfortunately, your employer is not required to pay you while you are on jury duty. However, your employer may not punish you or threaten you because you have been summoned. You may ask about the "one day/one trial" option. |