Jackson Hobbs is an attorney with Lathrop GPM in Kansas City. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, he represents District 3 on The Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section Council.
Since its original adoption in 1820, the Missouri Constitution guarantees that the right to a trial by jury “shall remain inviolate.”i But to make that guarantee a reality, the courts rely on real people — namely, jurors — to perform this important task. Without jurors, this constitutional guarantee would be impossible.
In celebration of Juror Appreciation Week, let’s take a minute to recognize the contributions of juries – and the real people, decisions, and impact behind them. Juror Appreciation Week is April 26-May 2, and it serves as an opportunity to honor Missourians who have performed this civic duty in the last year.
Jurors are ordinary members of your community. They are the people you see at the stores or interact with regularly — doctors, nurses, bankers, construction workers, business owners, and more. They are real people who give their time to ensure justice is carried out fairly.
How jurors are selected
There is no class to become a juror. Eligibility is not based on academic or physical requirements. To be eligible for jury service, an individual must be 21 years old or older, a resident of the county where the court is located, not a convicted felon, and able to read and write English. A person is not eligible for jury service if convicted of a felony (unless restored to civil rights), in the active military, a judge, or a person who the court or jury commissioners find incapable because of mental or physical illness.
Missourians can be called for jury service in the county they are a resident in. While each county may rely on a different list for its pool of potential jurors, it is most common for the pool to be created using sources like voter registration lists, property tax rolls, or state identification cards with addresses in the county. Real people from the community are summoned at random from the master pool using a computerized system.
Summons and questionnaire
Potential jurors will be contacted through a summons from the court that needs their service. In addition to the summons for jury service, a potential juror will receive a qualification form. When you receive a summons and/or qualification form, read it and follow the instructions. Respond honestly and within the time indicated.
It is important to take the summons seriously because a person who fails to appear or respond may be guilty of civil contempt, enforceable by an order to show cause for the failure to comply and by a fine up to $500. Under Missouri law, an employer cannot terminate, discipline, threaten, or take adverse action against an employee on account of that employee’s receipt of or response to a jury summons.
If you have any questions, contact the jury office of the court that summoned you at the phone number on the documents you received.
Participating in democracy
Serving on a jury is one of the most direct ways residents can participate in democracy. Perhaps other than voting, nothing is so active and participatory in nature as jury service. In fact, Thomas Jefferson believed that serving on a jury is more important than voting. He said, “I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.” Jurors gain first-hand knowledge of the workings of the judicial branch of government and preserve their own right to a jury trial.
The real people who serve on juries provide an important component to each trial. During the trial, the judge serves as the court’s presiding officer and as the final authority on the law. The lawyers act as advocates for their sides of the case. But it is jurors who decide the facts and ultimately vote to render the verdict.
Jurors don’t need special skills or knowledge — just an open mind to listen to all of the evidence before making a decision without bias. As a juror, you are responsible for impartially evaluating the evidence presented and determining the facts under the law as the judge instructs you.
In recognition of the real people who make Missouri’s Constitutional guarantee of a trial by jury a reality — thank you.
i Mo. Const. Article I, Section 22a.