Kent County Courthouse
Suite 1100
180 Ottawa NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Jury Information Line: 616-632-6533
Jury Office Fax: (616) 632-5064

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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 Service 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.

The only free parking for jurors is located at the Bridge Street Gerald R. Ford Museum Parking Lot (only assessable off Bridge Street). If you choose to park at a location other than the Bridge Street Gerald R. Ford Museum Parking Lot, you will be responsible for your parking fees.

Upon arrival into the parking lot, an attendant will be present (standing or in a vehicle). To gain entry into the parking lot, show the attendant your jury summons or state that you are a circuit court juror and you will be allowed to park. Please bring your jury summons with you to the courthouse.

Dash West Bus Service:
Bus service to the Kent County Courthouse is located directly underneath the US 131 expressway overpass (proceed to the left past the corner of Bridge and Scribner streets when exiting the parking lot). This service is free of charge. When boarding the bus, inform the driver you are a juror for the 17th Circuit Court and to take you to the Kent County Courthouse.

Since the term of service is only on e week, requsts for excusal from jury service will not be granted as a general rule. Remember, jury service is a vital function of democracy and it is cruital that the jury pool be representative of the entire community. It is also understood that circumjstances may exist where postponement is appropriate. Requests for postponements can be made through e-Juror or by contacting the Jury Clerk at 632-5081 or 632-5062.

Medical

If you are requesting an excusal due to a medical condition, you must complete and submit your Qualification Questionnaire and have your doctor fax a statement indicating you are unable to serve. Fax your statement to 616-632-5064 and check with the Jury Clerk to make sure the fax was received.

For additional information regarding Jury Service, please see the Jury Service Frequently Asked Questions page.