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Jury Duty
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Serving as a juror is one of the highest obligations of citizenship. It is viewed as a contribution to our democratic way of life. The sacrifice it demands enlarges
it's value. The call for service does not come often; however, when it comes, it should be met with open-mindedness and pride.
There are three types of jury service; Grand Jury, Petit Jury and Civil Jury. The Grand Jury is selected each January and July and serves for a six- month term. Grand Juries inquire into all capital offenses triable within the parish. It may inquire into other offenses triable by the district court of the parish, and shall inquire into such offenses when requested to do so by the district attorney or ordered to do so by the court. Each Grand Jury is also charged with inspecting the parish jail and reporting to the District Judge
on how inmates are treated.
A Petit Jury is a jury which tries a defendant. The Clerk of Court and other members of the parish Jury Commission draw a list of names to be called for petit jury duty when instructed to do so by the District Judge. Generally, the Judge will instruct the Jury Commission to draw a specific number of list, referred to as a venire, based upon the scheduled jury trials for the upcoming six months.
A Civil Jury is the drawn the same as Petit Jury and must have the same qualifications. A Civil Jury will only hear civil cases.
Qualifications:
Louisiana law states that in order to qualify as a juror, a person must:
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Be a citizen of the United States and of this State who has resided within the Parish in which he/she
is to serve for at least one year immediately preceding his/her jury service;
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Be at least eighteen (18) years of age;
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Be able to read, write and speak the English language;
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Not be under interdiction, or incapable of serving as a juror because of mental or
physical infirmity; and
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Not be under indictment for a felony, nor have been convicted of a felony for which he/she has not been pardoned.
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General:
A person may be excused from jury service if:
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He/She has served on a Grand Jury or a Petit Jury anytime during the previous two years.
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He/She is 70 years of age or older.
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Service would result in undue hardship or
extreme inconvenience.
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