Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Monday, September 13, 2010
Contact: Toni Copeland 703-228-3124 (voice) 703-228-4711(TTY)
Arlington County, City of Falls Church 2011 Juror Qualification Process Begins in September
- Juror questionnaires will be mailed in September to randomly selected registered voters in Arlington County and City of Falls Church
- Questionnaires must be completed and returned within 10 days
- Qualified residents may be summoned for jury duty during court year 2011
- Completing questionnaire online is secure and most convenient option
ARLINGTON, Va. -- For the second year in a row, the Arlington Circuit Court will use a web-based jury management system to process Juror Questionnaires for the 17th Judicial District, which includes the City of Falls Church. Questionnaires will be mailed in late September to randomly selected residents of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. These questionnaires are used to qualify residents for jury duty with the Arlington Circuit Court during court year 2011, which begins the week of January 24, 2011, and ends in January 2012.
“We believe last year’s implementation of the new jury management system was a success,” said Paul Ferguson, Clerk of the Circuit Court. “For the first time, residents were able to complete their Juror Questionnaires online, but they could still mail them in. By making the process easier, the result was an increase in the number and diversity of residents who were qualified and summonsed to serve as jurors.”
Juror Questionnaires qualify residents for jury duty with the Circuit Court
- By State law, questionnaires are mailed out annually to a random selection of approximately 10,000 residents of Arlington County and/or the City of Falls Church, using the registered voter rolls from the State Board of Elections.
- Responses to the questions determine a person’s eligibility to serve as a juror on civil and criminal trials in the Arlington Circuit Court.
- Jury Commissioners appointed by the Court (a panel of Arlington and/or Falls Church residents) review the questionnaires by December 1 to qualify or disqualify residents based on their responses according to criteria established by the General Assembly.
Steps to follow if you receive a Juror Questionnaire
- Read the questionnaire carefully, front and back, for detailed instructions.
- Using your Candidate ID number printed on the questionnaire, visit the secure Juror Website to complete and submit the questionnaire online (if using this option, do not mail in the form).
- You may also mail the completed form as instructed in the questionnaire.
- You are required to complete and return the questionnaire within 10 days.
- The questionnaire is not a summons to appear so please do not call the Clerk’s Office asking for an excuse from jury duty. Excuses or postponements to serve at another time during the year can be considered if you receive a summons during the year.
- Failure to respond to the questionnaire may result in your being summoned to the Court to complete the form in person.
Quick facts about jury service
- A term of service is one-week, Monday – Thursday
- The average length of a trial is 1 or 2 days
- A trial day may last up to 5 p.m., or later as determined by the Court
- Jurors receive $30 each day they report for reimbursement of expenses
“Jury duty is a civic responsibility and is critical to the administration of our justice system,” said Mr. Ferguson. “Most jurors find this a positive experience. The Arlington Circuit Court is grateful to those who have served, and we look forward to greeting new jurors in the years ahead.”
For more information about jury duty, including a list of individuals who are exempt from serving, please visit the Jury Duty page on the County website.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
