Jury Management Division

Suite 1100
180 Ottawa NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Fax: (616) 632-5064
Jury Duty Lookup
Jury Information Line: 616-632-6533

Jury Service is one of the most important duties that members of a free society are called upon to perform. The jury is an expression of the democratic idea that authority can be exercised most equitably only if people participate.

Jury Management Division qualifies perspective jurors, issues summons and conducts juror orientation for each of the terms. At the orientation process, the jury clerk addresses all aspects of the jury service system. Such services include attendance and payroll issues, issuance of show cause orders, handling request for deferral or excusal and placement of jurors in the appropriate courtrooms as jury pools during voir dire. The staff does a superb job in making the jury assembly room as accommodating to the jurors as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: If you receive a call from anyone claiming to be from the jury office, although they may ask for verification of your current address, please note that no one from the jury office or court will ever call you to ask for social security numbers or credit card numbers.

Never give out your Social Security number, credit card number(s) or other personal, confidential information to anyone if you receive a telephone call regarding jury service.

In January, 2002 Jury Duty was switched to a one-week or one-trial term of service. This term of service has lessened the inconvenience on the prospective jurors and increased the number of participants from the community.

The one-week/one-trial system uses approximately 14,000 jurors per year, increasing the community participation, and eliminating the need to reschedule for a variety of reasons.

A one-week/one-trial term of service means that:

• Jurors will be summoned to be on call for no more than a week, if not selected for a trial. If selected to sit on a trial the jurors will serve for that trial only, and then be dismissed from further service.
• If a juror is called to jury service, he/she is only expected to be available for jury selection Monday thru Thursday of the week the juror is called. If on Monday the juror is selected to sit on a trial that lasts two days, the jury service would be complete at the end of deliberation for that trial. If the juror is selected to sit on a trial that is expected to last two weeks then he/she would serve until completion of deliberation of that trial.
• If the juror is never selected for a panel during the course of the week then his/her jury service is complete on Thursday. A new panel would then begin the following Monday.
• A juror will not be expected to come to the Courthouse all week long. A "call in" process will be used to notify jurors when to report.
• The granting of excuse from jury service will be reduced. Because the inconvenience on the general public has been dramatically lessened by this new term, it seems logical that requests for financial hardship, personal hardship and employer hardship not be entertained.
• A juror can request a deferral of jury service to a more convenient week if they are summonsed on a planned vacation week, etc.

If you have any feedback for the Court regarding the one-week/one-trial term of service, please feel free to share it with the Jury Clerk.

Compensation
Jurors are compensated at the rate, set by the Kent County Board of Commissioners, of $17.50 per half day and $35.00 per full day, for the 1st day of service, and $20.00 per half day and $40.00 per full day for each additional day served, plus $.20 per mile.

Attire
Casual, comfortable attire is acceptable, but use good judgment and dress appropriately. We cannot be responsible for expensive packages or articles such as cameras, radios, lap tops, cellular phones, etc.,.

Parking and Directions
Effective September 4, 2007, Juror parking is at the Gerald R. Ford Museum Parking Lot. Please remember to bring your Summons and present it to the attendant at the parking facility which will allow you to park free of charge. Please follow these directions: From 131 North: take the Pearl Street Exit straight through the light and you are on Scribner. Take a right at the light (corner of Scribner and Bridge Streets); the parking entrance will be immediately on your right. From 131 South: take the Pearl Street Exit and at the Pearl Street light, take a left, get into the left hand turn lane, turn left onto Scribner and proceed North to the light (corner of Scribner and Bridge Streets), take a right, the parking entrance will be immediately on your right. There are no parking fees at the Gerald R. Ford Museum Parking Lot.

Exit your vehicle, walk to the Bridge Street sidewalk and take a left (go West), to the corner of Bridge & Scribner, cross-over, you'll see the DASH WEST Bus Stop sign on the sidewalk. (Do not take the Dash bus that says, "Dash to the Hill"; just take the DASH WEST Bus and advise the driver you want to get off at the County Courthouse on Ottawa Avenue. The Dash West Bus is FREE of CHARGE and arrives every two to three minutes.

What to bring:
The juror badge which was attached to your summons form.

Accommodations:
Because of the lack of child care facilities, the court cannot accommodate small children. Please do not bring your children to the courthouse.

Hardships
To request a hardship excuse from jury service, please send a letter in a separate envelope with the bottom portion of the jury summons form to the address shown. A request for a job-related exemption requires a letter from the employer. A request for a medical-related exemption requires a letter from a doctor. Full time students who feel that jury service will conflict with their classes, must submit a copy of their schedule. Based on the submitted documentation, your jury service may be deferred, shortened or excused.

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