Jury duty - A privilege of democracy

Raise your hand if you would like to serve on a jury. If you raised your hand – thank you! If you didn't, consider this: If you were the subject of a jury trial and needed a jury of your peers to decide your fate, would you choose an educated, intelligent individual such as yourself to serve? If yes, you should reconsider. You don't have to be charged with a crime to be the subject of a jury trial. You could be a defendant in a civil lawsuit and be tried by a jury. Something to keep in mind!

We live in a democratic society that allows for an open, accessible court system. With the exception of a few case types, court proceedings are open to the public. Anyone may enter the courtroom and observe, a privilege we often take for granted. As clerk of court, I have visited with students from other countries where the courts are closed. The students are in awe as they enter the courtroom and observe the court proceedings. Such a privilege does not exist in their countries; there are never opportunities to serve as a juror. Jury duty is not only a civic duty, it is a privilege!

Statutorily, the clerk of district court is the jury commissioner for the county. Since 2007, state statute dictates that jurors are selected annually from a combined list of active registered electors, valid licensed drivers and holders of Montana identification cards. In April, the Department of Justice submits a list of valid licensed drivers and Montana ID cardholders to the Office of the Court Administrator, while the Secretary of State sends a list of registered active electors. The office combines the lists and delivers it to the clerk of district court in May.

From that list of approximately 100,000 names, excluding those jurors who are permanently excused, the clerk randomly selects 5,500 jurors for Municipal Court, 5,500 for Justice Court and 15,000 for District Court -- 26,000 total -- for the upcoming jury term. Each name has about a one in four chance of being selected.

It's helpful if citizens maintain the same name on both their driver's license and voter registration. Name variations can cause both names to be included on the jury list. For example, if a juror has Robert D. Smith on his driver's license and R. Dean Smith on his voter registration, both names would be available for selection when the 26,000 jurors are chosen. May is fast approaching, so now is a great time make sure your name appears the same on your driver's license and voter registration.

It won't be long before we're pulling names for the next jury term, which runs Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 for District Court. Citizens can expect to receive jury notices near the end of May or beginning of June. Thank you to all who take the time to serve jury duty. You are contributing to our democracy and keeping representative government alive!