BUTLER COUNTY CLERK OF COURTS

General Information                    Completing the Questionnaire                                                 Español
Term of Service                           Reporting for Service
Court Proceedings                       Helpful Definitions
Importance of Jury Service     

General Information
The Butler County Jury Commissioners select a pool of 50,000 potential jurors at random from a list of all registered voters in Butler County. Those who receive jury duty are selected from this pool.  Most jurors serve on a Petit Jury, which hears and decides a particular case.  Petit Juries comprise 8 jurors in civil cases and 12 jurors in criminal cases.  If a trial is expected to last longer than one day, judges often select alternate jurors in case something happens to any members of the original jury.

The parties involved in a case usually try to settle their differences outside of court to avoid the time and expense of a trial. Sometimes a case is settled only minutes before the trial begins.  In this case, jurors who were called in for service do not actually serve.  However, their time is not wasted; their very presence encourages settlement.

Completing the Questionnaire
Prospective jurors must complete the questionnaire enclosed with their summons and return it to the Clerk of Courts office in the self-addressed, stamped envelope. 

Those who wish to be excused from service should state the reason on line ten of the juror questionnaire. Court Administration will review the questionnaire to determine whether the excuse qualifies as an exemption permitted by Ohio law.  Jurors will be notified of their excusal by phone. Those who do not receive notification must report to service.

Term of Service
Each Petit Juror's term lasts two weeks. During this time, he or she is on call for service. The juror must either check the "Juror Number Search" on the Clerk of Courts website or call the juror phone line at (513) 887-3550 or (800) 548-2818 every day any time after 3:30 p.m.  If the juror's number is listed, he or she must serve the following day.  

Jurors may have to serve more than once during their term. Therefore, it is important for them to call the juror phone line or check the clerk's website every day, even if they have served once already.  

Most petit jury trials last one or two days.  The judge will inform jurors if a trial is expected to last longer than usual.

Reporting for Service
On their first day of service, jurors should report to the 4th floor of the Government Services Center, 315 High Street, Hamilton, Ohio, 45011. Parking is available in the adjacent parking garage on Court Street.  Jurors should take the garage elevator to level G3, proceed across the sky walk to the 2nd floor of the Government Services Center and take the escalator to the 1st  floor Juror Orientation room. A jury clerk will provide further instructions.

The court will provide jurors with complimentary daily parking passes. Jurors are compensated at a rate of $5.00 a day when not seated, or $10.00 a day when seated.

Jurors who encounter circumstances that prevent them from serving should notify the Court Administration Office at (513) 785-6550.   

Court Proceedings
Before a trial begins, the judge will give the jury preliminary instructions to ensure that they understand their duties and the judicial process.

The primary responsibility of jurors is to listen and consider all evidence presented in court and decide on a verdict. It is of utmost importance that jurors do their best to evaluate information without bias, because the court's ultimate decision rests on their shoulders.  After all evidence is presented, the judge instructs the jurors about the laws that apply to the case. The jurors then retire to the deliberation room to consider the case and reach a verdict.  

In the deliberation room, the jury first elects a foreperson who sees to it that discussions are conducted in a sensible and orderly fashion. It is the foreperson's responsibility to ensure that all issues are fully and fairly discussed and that every juror has an equal chance to participate. The foreperson directs the taking of ballots, is responsible for exhibits, written verdict forms, and delivers the completed written jury verdict, forms, and exhibits to the court at the conclusion of the trial.  

When a verdict has been reached, the jurors agreeing to the verdict sign a form and notify the bailiff. The verdict is read by the clerk and the judge dismisses the jurors. In a civil case, six of the eight jurors must agree to reach a verdict. In a criminal case, all jurors must agree unanimously.

Jurors are not required to discuss the events of the trial or their experience once it is over, though they may do so if they wish. However, jurors are required to keep the votes of other jurors confidential.

Helpful Definitions

Action, Case, Lawsuit :   These words mean the same thing. They all refer to a legal dispute brought into court for trial.

Argument :   After all the evidence on both sides of a lawsuit has been presented, both parties are permitted to tell the jury what they think the evidence proves and why they think their side should win.

Challenges:   A potential juror is excused for an allowable reason.

Defendant:   In a civil case, the defendant is the person a lawsuit is filed against. In a criminal case, the defendant is the person charged with an offense.

Deposition: The recorded testimony of a person taken under oath prior to the trial.

Objection Overruled, or Overruled:   This term means that in the judge's opinion the lawyer's objection to a point of procedure or law is not well taken under the law. His/her ruling is not subject to question by jurors.

Objection Sustained or Sustained:   This means that the judge agrees that, under the law, the lawyer's objection to a point of procedure or law was well taken. His/her ruling is not subject to question by jurors.

Plaintiff:   The person who files a lawsuit.

Pleadings:  The papers filed by the parties stating their claims and defenses.

Voir Dire:   To speak the truth. This French phrase refers to an examination of prospective jurors to determine if they are qualified to sit on the jury in the case being tried.

The Importance of Jury Service
Jurors perform a vital role in the American system of justice. Our rights and liberties are preserved through the combined efforts of the judge and the jury, who make the rule of law that is the foundation of our freedom. The judge determines the law to be applied in each case; the jury decides the facts. Jurors, therefore, are an important part of the court itself.                                                     

Jurors must be honest, fair, and have sound judgment. Jury service is a high duty of citizenship.