Liberty County, Georgia, Jury Information

Office of the Clerk of Courts

Liberty County
GEORGIA
Superior Court, State Court, Juvenile Court, and Magistrate Court
Post Office Box 50
Hinesville, Georgia 31310-0050

F. Barry Wilkes
Clerk and Court Administrator

Phone 912-876-3625 · Jury-Trial Status Line 912-369-JURY (5879) · FAX 912-369-5463

NOTICE TO CITIZENS OF LIBERTY COUNTY

SUBJECT: REVISION OF LOCAL JURY LISTS

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The Board of Jury Commissioners of Liberty County, Georgia, are currently revising the trial jury and grand jury jury lists of Liberty County. More than 30,000 jury qualification questionnaires were mailed recently to persons potentially eligible for inclusion in the county's jury lists.

If you have not received a Juror Qualification Questionnaire from the Clerk of Superior Court of Liberty County or if you have not been called for jury service in the past, your name may not be on the current jury list(s) of the county. If you have completed a questionnaire and have served as a juror in the past, you may need to complete a new questionnaire to update your status as a juror. If either situation applies to you, please contact Barry Wilkes, Clerk of Liberty Superior Court , at (912) 369-JURY (5879). You will be sent a Juror Qualification Questionnaire for you to complete and return to the Jury Commission. You may also complete an on-line questionnaire by clicking on the link below:

COMPLETE ON-LINE JURY QUESTIONNAIRE

The Jury Commission selects jurors from lists of eligible jurors. Various sources are used to obtain potential jurors' names, including names of persons receiving electrical and other utility services (such as municipal water and sewage) and from church rolls, social and fraternal organizations, and names provided by citizens called for jury service. The official registered voters list of the county is also used as a source for obtaining names of jurors, as is required by law. Even though you are not registered to vote, your name may still be added to the jury list(s) of the county.

To be eligible for jury duty, an individual must be a legal resident of Liberty County (have lived here for six months or longer), eighteen (18) years of age or older, and intelligent and upright. Persons convicted of a felony (or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude) who have not been pardoned or had their civil rights restored are not eligible for jury service.

By law, the only persons exempt from jury service are individuals:

(1) 70 years of age or older (application must be made in writing to the Jury Commission for removal excusal);
(2) U.S. military personnel on active-duty status;
(3) Non-residents;
(4) Deceased;
(5) Permanently physically or mentally unable to serve (and they are required to have an appropriate physician or professional file an affidavit with the clerk certifying the existence of the disability).

All other persons may be considered for qualification as eligible jurors.

Any citizen whose name is placed on the jury list(s) of the county is eligible for service upon being randomly selected by the electronic, computer-based jury selection system of the Clerk of Superior Court and State Court. No one may be compelled to serve as a juror in successive terms of court within a year, nor for longer than four weeks within a year, except upon special order of the court or if a trial juror is selected as a grand juror during the next term of court.

The average length of service for a trial juror (also called a "petit" juror) is two-and-a-half (2½) days. This service is not generally performed during consecutive days, even though longer periods of service may be required. Grand jurors have an average length of service of five (5), although they may be required to return for three or four additional days during the term of court in which they serve to receive criminal presentments. Trial jurors are summoned for either civil or criminal trials.

From the eligible trial jury list, the Jury Commission selects a fairly representative, cross-section of the most experienced, intelligent, and upright citizens of the county to serve as grand jurors. The number of citizens on the grand jury list is determined by the Jury Commission, but the list shall contain, as a minimum, a number equal to four times the number of grand jurors to be drawn annually in the county, not to exceed 5,000 grand jurors. Persons who hold elective office, public office, or who have held office within two years preceding service as a grand juror, are not eligible.

The Jury Commission is required by law to keep the number and percentage of males, females, blacks and whites on the petit and grand jury lists balanced with the number and percentage of males, females, blacks and whites reported on the latest U.S. census (2000).

Should you have questions or need additional information, please contact F. Barry Wilkes, Clerk of Liberty Superior Court (Post Office Box 50; Hinesville, Georgia 31313-0050; Attention: Jury Revision Clerk); Telephone (912) 369-JURY (5879).

Your cooperation and assistance is greatly appreciated.

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