Welcome Lincoln & Otero County Petit Juror Orientation

We would like to welcome you to jury service and thank you for being a part of this very special judicial process. This presentation will cover various matters regarding your jury service including who may serve as a juror, reporting for duty, what to expect, payment, the excusal procedure, interpreters, request for special accommodations, and dress code. We look forward to working with you over the next few months and hope you enjoy your service.

Who May Serve as a Juror You may serve on a jury if: 1.You are at least 18 years of age; 2.You are a United States citizen; 3.You are a resident of Lincoln or Otero County, respectively; and 4.You are not currently on felony probation or parole.

Term of Service Although your Summons indicates a 6 month term of service, you will only be scheduled to serve 3 months. You will receive a packet in the mail which will detail the months you are scheduled to report.

How to Report for Jury Duty You are on-call for jury service for a period of 3 months. Although you are on-call, you will not be required to come to court every day. There may be days or weeks that you are not required to come in for jury service. You will receive a packet in the mail which contains a letter with your pool number and a calendar. On the calendar, please locate all the days with your pool number. These are the days that you are scheduled for jury service. Call the juror message phone number listed on your calendar any time after 5:15 p.m. the night before you are scheduled for jury duty. The message will state if you have to report, where to report, what time to report, or if the trial you were scheduled for has been canceled. If a trial has been canceled, you will need to call-in the day before your next scheduled report date and follow the same steps. New calendars are mailed each month.

What to Expect At the time of a trial, the lawyers and judges question prospective jurors to determine if they are qualified to be jurors in that particular case. This questioning is called voir dire. There are many reasons why prospective jurors may not be qualified to serve on a particular case. At the time of trial, a prospective juror may be excused by the judge presiding over the case, by one of the parties for cause, or by using a peremptory challenge which is their right. This process will be explained further at the jury selection. Only 6 to 12 persons plus alternates will be called to serve on a jury. This means that you will be called in several times during your term of service but may not actually serve on a jury panel. Throughout a trial, you will hear testimony and review evidence and at the conclusion, you will be asked to deliberate and reach a verdict. The judge will provide instructions to you throughout the trial and at the time of your deliberations.

Excusal Procedure Unless you have been excused by the Court, you MUST appear when you are scheduled for jury service. Excusals for Entire Term Medical (must provide doctor’s note) Caregivers (must provide letter from healthcare provider) Financial hardship (must provide detailed explanation) Students (must provide current school schedule) Non-residents (must complete Affidavit of Non-Resident) 75 years of age or older (must complete Affidavit of Age) All requests must be in writing and accompanied with the Juror Qualification form and supporting documentation as listed above. Temporary Excusals Temporary excusals are granted for reasons such as doctor appointments, short staffed at work, no daycare, planned vacation, bad weather, sick, etc. Please call or your request. The phone numbers and addresses are listed on your calendar. Please include your name, your pool number, the date needing to be excused, and the reason for the excusal.

Payment If qualified, you will receive payment for attending jury duty. Jurors are paid $6.25 per hour. Jurors that request mileage are paid $0.41 per mile. Mileage is calculated from your home address. Payment vouchers are normally processed in our office within days after the end of the trial. Payment vouchers are issued from Santa Fe within 4 to 6 weeks once submitted from our office. City, County, and State employees will not receive juror payment unless your work beyond your normal work hours. Federal employees will be paid and will need a juror attendance record for their employer. Armed Forces personnel will not be paid, and do not require an attendance record, unless requested.

Interpreters and Other Services Interpreters are available for non-English speaking individuals. Please notify us if you need an interpreter. Sign language interpreters and hearing devices are also available for individuals that are hearing- impaired. If you have any special needs, please let us know so that we can accommodate you.

Dress Code You should dress comfortably and conservatively in order to avoid distracting others. It is not appropriate to wear shorts, tank tops, sweats, or t-shirts with slogans for jury service. Some individuals may be sensitive to colognes or performs. Please use colognes and perfumes in light moderation.

We again welcome you to jury service and thank you for fulfilling this very important role.