Fulton County Superior Court - Atlanta - Georgia

Office Of The Jury Clerk                                                   
Justice Center Tower
185 Central Avenue, SW
Suite T-7100
Atlanta, GA 30303                     Find out about Juror Appreciation Week!
Tel. 404-612-4600
Fax 404-730-7178                      Read the Current Issue of Jury Matters!

  

 Juror Appreciation Week

 The Superior Court of Fulton County is excited to announce its First Annual “Juror Appreciation Week.” The week of July 18-22, 2011 has been set aside in honor and appreciation of more than 100,000 citizens who willingly set aside their business and personal obligations throughout the year to fulfill their civic duty as jurors. These citizens play a critical role in the work of the Court and we greatly appreciate their service.

 Juror Appreciation Week will feature a wealth of activities and information to include:

• - A Proclamation by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners designating Juror Appreciation Week in Fulton County
• - Free Health Screenings
• - Free Legal Clinics
• - Personal Greetings from the Superior Court Judges
• - "Why I Serve" - Spotlight featuring candid conversations with previous jurors and Fulton County Jury Commissioners
• - An Information Fair in the JCT Atrium(Friday, July 22, 2011)
• - Launch of the Jury Docent Program (allows jurors to volunteer with the Jury Services Division)
• - Launch of the Juror Give Back Program (allows jurors to donate jury service fees to the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library)
• - Movies, prizes, goodie bags, snacks, and much more!

For more information please contact the Superior Court Jury Services Division at 404-612-4600. Please mark your calendars and join us for this great week of events!

 Jury Duty – Your Right, Your Responsibility, Your Opportunity to Serve

Jury service represents a vital part of America’s system of a free democracy. Despite hectic professional and personal lives, jury service should be welcomes as both a right and a responsibility, not a burden. “A jury of one’s peers” is a protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

The One Trial/One Day System

The Superior Court of Fulton County operates a one trial/one day system for jurors. This means that if you are NOT selected to serve on a jury panel for a trial, your period of service is complete after the end of the first day. If you ARE selected to serve on a jury for a trial, your service is complete at the conclusion of the trial. The average trial lasts for three days.

Grand Jurors

The Jury Services Division summons potential grand jurors from the master jury list. The Grand Jury meets on Tuesday and Friday for a two month term.

Grand jurors decide whether to issue a formal written accusation of a crime (called an indictment) by listening to the evidence presented by the District Attorney.

What You Can Expect on Your Service Date

To accommodate prospective jurors, if an “X” is placed in the standby box, you may call the night before to see if you are required to report. If you are required to report check in at the Jury Assembly Room located on the 7^th floor of the Fulton Judicial Tower at 185 Central Ave. The jury assembly room is the waiting area for prospective jurors.

You will view an orientation video for jury service and will be informed of courtroom status, lunch breaks, restaurant locations, and snack and drink vending machines.

If your name is called as a prospective member of a jury panel, you will be escorted from the jury assembly room to a courtroom by court staff. Once seated in the courtroom, you will be asked to take an oath to truthfully answer all questions regarding your qualifications to serve as a juror. This process is called “voir dire” which in French means “to speak the truth.”

Prospective jurors not selected for trial are dismissed at the end of the day and their service is complete.

Sometimes prospective jurors are asked to wait in the jury assembly room, the courthouse hallways or in jury deliberation rooms, and while the wait time may seem never ending, the time that is spent waiting is often caused by pre-trial matters that the court must resolve before jury selection can begin or the trial can proceed. Sometimes a case is resolved during pre-trial proceedings. Knowing that jurors have been assembled and are ready to begin trial often prompts parties to settle.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE COURT CROSSWORD PUZZLE (Answers)

Across
3. Sitting judges, collectively - BENCH
6. Null - VOID
7. What judges do in cases - RULE
15. ____ doubt, standard of proof in criminal cases - REASONABLE
16. End - TERMINATE
18. Place where trials are held - COURTROOM

Down
1. Participant in a criminal trial - PROSECUTOR
2. Said by trial attorneys - OBJECTION
4. Under legal age – MINOR
5. Person who has the last say in the courtroom - JUDGE
8. What accomplices do - ABET
9. Person of the same legal status - PEER
10. Defendant's answer to a charge - PLEA
11. Fraud or hoax - SHAM
12. Filed by a party - LAWSUIT
13. Written promise - NOTE
14. What the jury decides - VERDICT
17. Twelve people in a box - JURY
19. What jurors must take - OATH