Georgia - Jury Duty Laws, Jury Selection, Juror Qualification

Jury Duty in Georgia - What to Expect

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| Juror Qualifications in Georgia - Who Can Be Summoned?

In the American court system, criminal defendants are guaranteed the right to trial by a "jury of their peers". In Georgia, a pool of potential jurors is randomly selected from the local population of individuals eligible for jury duty.

A prospective juror shall be:

a U.S. citizen

at least 18 years old

understand English enough to understand and discuss the case

be resident of the summoning county

not served on a jury in the last 12 months and not currently on a grand jury or on another trial jury

not under a conservatorship

had your civil rights restored if you were convicted of a felony, or malfeasance while holding public office.

| Juror Selection in Georgia - What to Expect?

How Are Potential Jurors Chosen in Georgia?

The first stage in jury selection is summoning a pool of potential jurors from the list of local citizens eligible to serve on a jury in Georgia, as described above.

Statewide master list is comprised of Department of Driver Services records of driver's licences and personal identification card holders, valid or expired, but excluding those who have had licenses revoked due to felony. Registered voters provided by Secretary of State.

Department of Health provides records of any deceased, so as to remove them from the list. Department of Corrections, the Georgia Crime Information Center and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, confirm any persons not pardoned for felonies.

Council releases county wide juror master lists once every calendar year. Clerks in each county then select at random, persons to comprise venire.

Receiving a Jury Duty Summons in Georgia

If your name is randomly selected for the jury pool through the process described above, you receive a jury summons in the mail instructing you to appear for jury selection on a pre-set day.

While there are a few excuses for getting out of jury selection in GA, most people summoned will have to report to the courthouse for the next stage of the juror selection process, voir dire.

The Juror Selection Process, or "Voir Dire"

Just because you qualify to be a juror and are summoned for jury selection, doesn't mean that you will be selected to be a juror on a case. The process of "Voir Dire", the actual act of jury selection, is how judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors actually choose the individuals who will sit on the juries for upcoming criminal and civil cases.

During the voir dire process, each lawyer will ask the pool of potential jurors a series of questions about their background, beliefs, prejudices, or relationships with any party to the case. While the goal is to select an impartial jury to render a verdict, each attorney will also seek to exclude any jurors who seem to be more likely to vote against their client's interests. While jury candidates are instructed to be open and truthful when answering such questions, the juror selection process is also where most individuals who don't wish to serve on a trial find a way to be excused from further juror duties.

What Happens After Jury Selection Day

If you are selected to serve on a jury, you will be provided with the trial date, and must return to serve on the jury for the duration of the trial and deliberations. If you were not selected to serve on any jury during the voir dire process, you can go home, and your Georgia jury duty obligations are complete.

You will receive nominal Georgia jury duty pay for the jury selection day, as well as for any days served on a jury. Once your service is complete, you won't be summoned for jury duty again until Georgia re-adds you to the potential juror pool.

| Jury Duty Attire (Dress Code) in Georgia

Jurors reporting for jury duty or jury selection in the state of Georgia are expected to dress professionally, in a manner appropriate for a court room.

Most courthouses suggest dress ranging from business casual to business attire. For men, this means slacks or khakis and a polo or button-down shirt, potentially with a tie or suit jacket. For women, this means a professional-looking pair of pants or a skirt, cardigan, sweater, twinset, or shirt.

As a juror, you are expected to maintain a professional and respectable appearance while performing your duties. Hats should never be worn in a courtroom, and you should avoid wearing shorts, t-shirts, tanktops, or anything printed with logos or slogans.

| How Frequently Can I Be Called for Jury Duty in Georgia?

While jury duty is a civic requirement for all eligible citizens in Georgia, the state restricts how often you can be summoned for jury duty in order to ensure a fresh jury pool and prevent undue hardship by being summoned too frequently.

Georgia Jury Duty Summons Frequency:

No juror shall serve more than 4 weeks in any one year. Juror master lists released once every calendar year.

| What Happens If I Fail to Appear for Jury Duty in GA?

While there are a number of ways to be legally excused from jury duty in Georgia, failing to appear when summoned for jury selection or jury duty without an excuse is illegal, and can result in legal repercussions.

Any juror absent without leave from court may be contempt of court.

Employers in Georgia are also forbidden from penalizing employees who miss work for jury duty.

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