JURY DUTY FAQ’S
Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Contact Information
Email: CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org
Jury Clerk: 703-792-6047
@PWCCircuitCourt
Who is entitled to a Jury Trial?
Generally, any person charged with a criminal offense and parties in some civil cases have a right
to a jury trial. All parties are equal before the law and each is entitled to the same fair treatment.
W
ho is qualified to serve on jury duty?
Jurors Must:
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Be a United States Citizen
• Be a resident of the County of Prince William or Cities of Manassas or Manassas Park for at
least six months
• Be a resident of Virginia for one year
• Never have been convicted of a felony unless the juror's civil rights have been restored
• Not be currently adjudicated mentally incompetent or insane
Ho
w are jurors selected?
Once a year prospective jurors from Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and
Manassas Park are randomly selected through Department of Motor Vehicle data and Voter
Registration lists to receive a jury questionnaire via mail. Once the questionnaires are returned to
the Clerk's Office, they are reviewed by court appointed jury commissioners to determine which
citizens are qualified to serve. Those who qualify make up the master jury list for the following
calendar year. Men and women over 18 years of age and from all walks of life have an equal
opportunity to be called for jury service.
•
Jury questionnaires are sent out each year in the month of August.
•
You will not be contacted by the Court after returning your questionnaire even if you have
asked to be excused or reported special circumstances.
•
Selections are made in the month of September/October for the following year beginning
in February.
•
Jurors are summoned to serve for a month on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.
•
Randomly selected prospective jurors receive a JURY SUMMONS in the mail approximately
f
our weeks prior to their jury service date. This is the first contact with a prospective juro
r
a
fter completing the questionnaire.
•
If you receive a jury summons, be sure to read BOTH sides of the summons even if you
think you are not eligible to serve as a juror or would like to be postponed or excused. If
after reading ALL of the information and instructions on the summons, please feel free t
o
c
ontact us with any additional questions by sending an email
to c
ircuitcourt@pwcgov.org or calling the Jury Clerk at 703-792-6047.
Am I required to report for jury duty?
Yes. FAILURE TO APPEAR WHEN SUMMONED COULD RESULT IN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST YOU BY
THE COURT. A Show Cause will be issued and posted by the Sheriff for those who fail to report.
JURY DUTY FAQ’S
Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Contact Information
Email: CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org
Jury Clerk: 703-792-6047
@PWCCircuitCourt
Who is exempt from jury service?
Only a limited number of persons are ineligible to serve as jurors. Virginia Code § 8.01-341 lis
ts
those persons who are exempt from jury service and Virginia Code § 8.01-341.1 lists persons who
may claim an exemption from jury service.
How can someone be excused from jury duty?
Your request must be sent to the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in writing via fax, mail, or email and
must be received within five (5) business days of receipt of your summons. Requests and inquiries
must contain the juror’s identification number that appears below the barcode on the summons.
• Mailing address: Clerk of Circuit Court, Jury Clerk, 9311 Lee Avenue, Manassas VA 20110
•
Email address: CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org
• Fax: (703-792-5746)
What a
bout my job?
Your employer cannot fire, demote, or otherwise penalize you for missing work while performing
jury duty. Many employers continue to pay your salary during your jury duty service. It is advisable
to give your employer ample notice of your jury duty and to determine your employer's policy
regarding payment of wages/salary while serving as a juror. (Virginia Code § 18.2-465.1
)
Prospective jurors who are not paid by their employer when on jury duty will NOT be excused. You
may however request a postponement to a later time.
W
hat if an unexpected emergency keeps me from coming to the courthouse?
It is very important that all jurors report on time each day. Your absence may delay a trial and
result in hardship on the participants or cause unnecessary costs to all involved parties. If you
have an emergency (sudden illness or a death in the family) immediately call the Jury Clerk at 703-
792-6047 and/or send an email to CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org
.
Ho
w do I know if I have to report the next day?
On the evening before your assigned day indicated on the summons, our office will update our
jury communication channels, listed below, with the assigned groups for the following day.
• Call our jury recording line (703-792-6032)
• Find us on Social Media by searching for @PWCCircuitCourt on Facebook, Instagram, an
d
Twitter.
• Visit the Jury Duty page of our website HERE
How will I know what to expect during my jury service?
The morning that you arrive for jury duty you will be shown an orientation video that will explain
your role as juror. In addition, the Jury Clerk will take attendance and answer any questions you
might have.
JURY DUTY FAQ’S
Email: CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org
Jury Clerk: 703-792-6047
@PWCCircuitCourt
How long will I be on jury duty?
Jurors summoned for service are on-call one day a week for one month. Jurors are assigned one
day of the week. Many jury trials are only a day; very few are more than two. Each week, jurors
must call our jury recording line, visit our website or our social media pages on the evening before
their assigned day to determine whether they need to appear. On average, we have six juries a
month for a total of 10 days of service.
Once you have served on a jury panel, you are ineligible under state law to serve again for a
period of three years. You may still be eligible for jury service on a Grand Jury or in a federal court.
How are jurors selected for a particular trial?
Each day jurors report to the Jury Assembly Room and their attendance is taken. When a judge is
ready to begin the jury trial, the jurors needed for the case are selected from those persons in
attendance for that day. The groups are called, and the panel of jurors is escorted to the
courtroom.
Once the jury panel reaches the designated courtroom, the jurors are questioned under the
supervision of the judge. During this questioning, some jurors may be excused from the case.
Once all questioning has been completed, each attorney in the case can remove a certain number
of jurors from the panel. The sworn jury will consist of the jurors remaining on the panel. Jurors
not selected will return to the Jury Assembly room. Once all jury panels have been selected for the
day, the remaining jurors, if any, will be released and their service will be complete for that day.
Is it possible that I might report for jury duty but not actually sit on a jury?
There are times when you will report for jury duty only to be released early in the morning. When
this happens, it means the parties have reached a settlement or entered a plea and the case will
not be tried. We try to avoid having you come in when not needed, but if there is a last-minute
settlement or plea, you may be released without hearing a case. If this happens, you are
still entitled to $50 for travel and the defendant or parties will still bear the cost of a jury trial.
How long will I be in Court?
It is impossible to predict how long a trial will last. Most trials are completed in one day, but a few
cases require two or more days to complete. In most cases, jurors are released by 5 p.m.;
however, on occasion, jurors may have to stay beyond that time. You will be given a lunch break
and possibly a morning and/or afternoon break as well. If you find that you need a break at
another time, please notify the bailiff (sheriff’s deputy).
Will I be reimbursed for serving on jury duty?
You will be paid $50 for each day you must report to the courthouse. This amount is set by
statute and is considered as reimbursement for your travel and other expenses. Approximately
three
Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Contact Information
JURY DUTY FAQ’S
Email: CircuitCourt@pwcgov.org
Jury Clerk: 703-792-6047
@PWCCircuitCourt
weeks after the end of service, you will be mailed a check for your service. (Virginia Code § 17.1-
618)
Is t
here anything I can do to make my jury service more comfortable?
Yes. While efforts are made to reduce delay and avoid waiting time, you may have to sit for some
time before you know whether you have been chosen to sit on a jury. You should bring a
book, crossword puzzles or any other activity you can do quietly while waiting. Cell phones are
permitted in the courthouse on SILENT. All devices muse be TURNED OFF while in the
courtrooms.
W
hat may jurors wear to jury service?
Jurors should dress comfortably, but appropriately for a courthouse. Court proceedings are
conducted with dignity and respect. Your dress should be suitable for the occasion. Please come
prepared for cooler temperatures in the courtrooms.
U
nsuitable clothing includes such items as: shorts, miniskirts, tank tops, halter tops and flip
flops. These items are NOT PERMITTED. If you report to jury service wearing inappropriate attire,
you will be required to return home to change into more suitable attire or you will be given a new
report date and will have to return on that date.
Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Contact Information
