Missouri - Jury Duty Laws, Jury Selection, Juror Qualification

In the American court system, criminal defendants are guaranteed the right to trial by a "jury of their peers". In Missouri, a pool of potential jurors is randomly selected from the local population of individuals eligible for jury duty.

A prospective juror must be:

• At least 21 years of age
• A citizen of the United States
• A resident of the county or city issuing the summons
• If convicted of a felony has had their civil rights restored
• Able to read, speak and understand the English language
• Must not be mentally or physically ill or infirmed.

How Are Potential Jurors Chosen in Missouri?

The first stage in jury selection is summoning a pool of potential jurors from the list of local citizens eligible to serve on a jury in Missouri, as described above.

The master jury list shall be comprised a selection of names from a at least two sources, which can be the personal property tax list, voter's registration list, and driver's license records. The list will consist of not less than five percent of the total population of the county or city not within a county, but never less than 400 names. Population statistics are supplied by decennial census. Records are retained for 5 years from compilation but updated as deemed appropriate by each respective board of jury commissioners.

Receiving a Jury Duty Summons in Missouri

If your name is randomly selected for the jury pool through the process described above, you receive a jury summons in the mail instructing you to appear for jury selection on a pre-set day.

While there are a few excuses for getting out of jury selection in MO, most people summoned will have to report to the courthouse for the next stage of the juror selection process, voir dire.

The Juror Selection Process, or "Voir Dire"

Just because you qualify to be a juror and are summoned for jury selection, doesn't mean that you will be selected to be a juror on a case. The process of "Voir Dire", the actual act of jury selection, is how judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors actually choose the individuals who will sit on the juries for upcoming criminal and civil cases.

During the voir dire process, each lawyer will ask the pool of potential jurors a series of questions about their background, beliefs, prejudices, or relationships with any party to the case. While the goal is to select an impartial jury to render a verdict, each attorney will also seek to exclude any jurors who seem to be more likely to vote against their client's interests. While jury candidates are instructed to be open and truthful when answering such questions, the juror selection process is also where most individuals who don't wish to serve on a trial find a way to be excused from further juror duties.

What Happens After Jury Selection Day

If you are selected to serve on a jury, you will be provided with the trial date, and must return to serve on the jury for the duration of the trial and deliberations. If you were not selected to serve on any jury during the voir dire process, you can go home, and your Missouri jury duty obligations are complete.

You will receive nominal Missouri jury duty pay for the jury selection day, as well as for any days served on a jury. Once your service is complete, you won't be summoned for jury duty again until Missouri re-adds you to the potential juror pool.

While jury duty is a civic requirement for all eligible citizens in Missouri, the state restricts how often you can be summoned for jury duty in order to ensure a fresh jury pool and prevent undue hardship by being summoned too frequently.

Missouri Jury Duty Summons Frequency:

Potential jurors in Missouri will be selected no more than once every two years.

While there are a number of ways to be legally excused from jury duty in Missouri, failing to appear when summoned for jury selection or jury duty without an excuse is illegal, and can result in legal repercussions.

A prospective juror who fails to appear and fails to show cause may be fined up to $500. In addition to, or in lieu of, the fine, the court may order community service for a period of no less than if the prospective juror would have completed jury service, with proof of completion.

Employers in Missouri are also forbidden from penalizing employees who miss work for jury duty.