For the most part, the Jury Qualification Form is self-explanatory. However, there are some questions that we have found need additional explanation. They are as follows:

Question 3: Do you have any physical or mental infirmity that you believe would impair your capacity to serve as a juror?

You may be excused, if you are under doctor's care for:

1. An illness that would prevent you from sitting most of the day. During jury trials, you're given at least one recess during the morning, a recess for lunch, and one or two recesses in the afternoon.

2. An illness wherein jury duty would cause an emotional stress. The simple stress of jury duty is not an excuse. However, if serving on jury duty would be so stressful that it would be impossible for you to serve, you may be excused. That will be determined on an individual basis by your physician.

There are many other medical reasons too numerous to mention here. If you have any physical or mental infirmity that you believe would impair your capacity to serve as a juror, you must provide a physician's certificate.

Question 10: Do you have any other reason for excusal?

Work requirements are not normally reasons for being excused. Jury service and excusal therefrom are governed by Title 8 of the Courts And Judicial Proceedings of the Maryland Annotated Code. If you feel you have special circumstances, check block # 10 and thoroughly explain on a sheet of paper. You may still be required to serve.

Child care requirements are not normally reasons for being excused. Jury service and excusal therefrom are governed by Title 8 mentioned in the previous paragraph.

 

If you have any situation which you feel would preclude you from serving, please indicate it at question # 10 on your juror qualification form now. If you do not indicate a valid reason for not serving, you will be placed in the list of qualified jurors and can only be removed per rules specified in Title 8.

Remember to sign and date the Jury Qualification Form. Be cognizant of the fact that you are signing under penalties of perjury.

JURY PANEL TERMS OF SERVICE

You may be selected for any one of the following panels:

March Grand Jury. Serves for two days in March. Subject to recall for the next six months - but recall rarely happens.

September Grand Jury. Serves for two days in September. Subject to recall for the next months - but recall rarely happens.

March Trial Jury. Begins in March and ends in June.

June Trial Jury. Begins in June and ends in September.

September Trial Jury. Begins in September and ends in December.

December Trial Jury. Begins in December and ends in March.

We do not have jury trials every day. Jurors call in every weekend to learn of jury trials scheduled for the subsequent week and call in the night before a trial for updates. Jury trial dates for the trial jury panel are posted on this website at Current Jury Trial Schedule.