North Dakota - Jury Duty Laws, Jury Selection, Juror Qualification

Jury Duty in North Dakota - What to Expect

Page Navigation:

| Juror Qualifications in North Dakota - Who Can Be Summoned?

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

A prospective juror must be:

A citizen of the United States

At least 18 years old

A citizen of North Dakota and the summoning county

Able to read, speak and understand English reasonably well

physically and mentally able with reasonable accommodation to serve

free from any loss of civil rights because of imprisonment for a felony

| Juror Selection in North Dakota - What to Expect?

How Are Potential Jurors Chosen in North Dakota?

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 North Dakota, as described above.

The clerk for each county composes and maintains the master list. Comprised of actual voters, residents, utility customers, property taxpayers, motor vehicle

registrations, and driver's licenses of the county, or in any combination as the court chooses. Duplication of names is avoided.

Receiving a Jury Duty Summons in North Dakota

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 ND, 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 North Dakota jury duty obligations are complete.

You will receive nominal North Dakota 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 North Dakota re-adds you to the potential juror pool.

| Jury Duty Attire (Dress Code) in North Dakota

Jurors reporting for jury duty or jury selection in the state of North Dakota are expected to dress professionally, in a manner appropriate for a court room.

Most courthouses suggest dress ranging from business casual to business attire. For men, this means slacks or khakis and a polo or button-down shirt, potentially with a tie or suit jacket. For women, this means a professional-looking pair of pants or a skirt, cardigan, sweater, twinset, or shirt.

As a juror, you are expected to maintain a professional and respectable appearance while performing your duties. Hats should never be worn in a courtroom, and you should avoid wearing shorts, t-shirts, tanktops, or anything printed with logos or slogans.

| How Frequently Can I Be Called for Jury Duty in North Dakota?

While jury duty is a civic requirement for all eligible citizens in North Dakota, 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.

North Dakota Jury Duty Summons Frequency:

Any juror who served as a petit juror more than 10 days; or served on more than one grand jury; or served both on a grand and petit jury, will be exempt for a two year period from the date they were discharged from prior service.

| What Happens If I Fail to Appear for Jury Duty in ND?

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

Prospective juror who fails to appear may be found in contempt of court, have fines imposed, and even receive a jail sentence.

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

Goto Top