Contact the Court or consult with this website to determine whether or not the trial will go forward on the date set forth in your jury summons.

Usually, the parties involved in a case will try to settle their differences outside of court to avoid the time and expense of a trial; occasionally, the parties will come to an agreement, making a jury trial and your jury service unnecessary. 

Please arrive at the time provided in the jury summons. You may park in our free, main parking lot, located in front of the Ashland Justice Facility. Upon entering the Court, you will watch a brief video explaining the system. 

For a map of the Court’s location, please refer to the bottom of the “Contact” page on the Court’s website.

1. You will be introduced to the parties and the attorneys in the case and given a list of probable witnesses.
2. You will be told a little bit about the case so it can be determined if any past experiences or bias might make it hard for you to be fair.
3. You will have an opportunity to tell the court about anything else that might impact your ability to serve as a juror, such as health problems, employment situations, or other obligations. If you wish, you may respond to these questions confidentially to the Judge and the attorneys.

Peremptory Challenge: Each side in a case has the right to ask that a certain limited number of jurors be excused without giving a reason.

Challenges for Cause: Each side may make an unlimited number of challenges for good reasons.

This selection process is designed to determine if it might be difficult for you to be fair and impartial in the case to be tried. (i.e. If you have a relationship with any of the individuals, you will likely be excused from jury service for that case.)

If you are selected to serve on the jury, you will stand and take an oath to: 

• “Well and truly” try this case 
• Wait until all evidence has been heard before making a decision
• Follow the Judge’s instructions about the law and procedures in arriving at a verdict 

As a member of the jury, you must pay attention throughout the trial and decide the facts from the evidence presented. 

After the attorneys have presented their evidence and made their closing arguments, the Judge will instruct you about the laws that apply to the case. 

Following the Judge’s instructions, you will go to the jury room to deliberate the case until you reach a verdict with your fellow jurors. 

You will elect a jury foreperson to ensure discussions are conducted in an orderly fashion, all issues are fully and fairly discussed, and all jurors have an opportunity to participate. 

Once you and your fellow jurors reach a verdict, you will sign a verdict form and notify the bailiff that you have reached a decision. 

Your verdict will be read in open court. This will conclude the trial and you will be dismissed from jury duty by the Judge and compensated for your time.