Frequently Asked Questions
The call-in number for petit jurors is 513-483-4864. You should call this number each day to see if you are needed on the following day. You are required to check the recorded message daily after 5:00 PM to listen for your juror number. You may begin calling for your first message the Friday before you begin. Do not report unless your juror number is listed on the recording. If you serve on or are excused from one case, you must still call in daily for your next assignment.
Reporting starts with a phone call from you. The daily recording for jurors will include instructions about where and when to report. Jurors will be directed to the Clermont County Municipal Court, 4430 SR 222 Batavia OH 45103 or the Court of Common Pleas at 270 East Main Street, Batavia OH. The courthouse sits in between the jail and the Sheriff’s office. You may park in the large parking lot in the front of the building.
Jury service in Clermont County Municipal Court is for the duration of one trial if you are seated as a juror. Typically this is for one or two days.
The starting time for jury trials is 9 am. Jurors are to report by 8:30 am. Trials usually recess for the day in late afternoon, however, the actual times are controlled by the judge and may vary depending on the availability of witnesses and other matters that come before the court.
NO. Once you are seated as a juror for a trial, the judge will instruct you NOT to have any outside contact with anyone about the case. This includes NOT using other social media to post updates, and it covers any sort of research or information gathering from the Internet or any other source before you come to court, and especially while the trial is going on.
Only the Court can make a determination of whether or not you are disqualified from service. If the jury office is notified prior to your week of service, a signer/interpreter will be available to assist you. Headsets are available with audio amplified from the courtroom. If you are hesitant to serve because of either seeing or hearing limitations, you may write a letter of explanation to the Jury Commission Board requesting that you be excused from jury service.
Voir dire is a question and answer session where the trial judge and the attorneys for both sides ask questions of the prospective jurors to determine who is qualified and unbiased to be on a particular jury.
You should not. The jury waiting area does not have baby sitting services. Childcare services are not available at the Courthouse. Please arrange for a babysitter. The Court cannot reimburse you for these costs.
That is between you and your employer. The Court cannot control that. The Court can provide you with a certificate to document your service if your employer needs one.
Jury service pays you a rate of $15.00 per day.
In a genuine emergency, your family can call the jury commission office at 513-732-7596.
State law defines the circumstances when a person can be excused. These recognized excuses are listed on your questionnaire. Jurors seeking to be excused prior to their assigned week must also include a letter of explanation for the Jury Commission Board to review. The Board meets weekly to review the requests. For situations not specifically listed on the optional excuses such as college students, childcare issues and military personnel serving out of state, it is recommended that the letter state “Jury service would cause extreme physical or financial hardship” and attach a letter of explanation. Jurors can write their own letters of explanation but are also welcome to include letters from employers and/or school. The letter seeking to be excused should include enough information for the Board to make a decision.
Personnel in the Jury office do not have the authority to consider requests to be excused.