News: More Trials, Means More Jury Duty for Loudoun Residents

(Aug. 16, 2012) - A significant increase in jury trials in Loudoun County means more jury duty for residents as Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens says approximately 40,000 juror questionnaires began arriving in area mailboxes yesterday.

"€œWe are experiencing significant increases in the number of jury trials and as a result we will need more jurors to be available," said Clemens.


Clemens urges all recipients of the juror questionnaires to thoroughly review the questionnaires and to note that the responses may be submitted online instead of completing the survey by hand and mailing it in.

Each year, the Supreme Court of Virginia mails out questionnaires for the Circuit Court which marks the beginning of the jury trial process. Once citizens receive their jury questionnaire, they will have two options for completing it. Potential jurors can access the county website address listed on the questionnaire, www.loudoun.gov/jury, or they can simply complete the paper questionnaire by hand and return it by first-class mail.

Clemens and Jury Manager Leslie Kelly prefer citizens complete the questionnaire by using the website.
"€œThe online completion of the questionnaire saves the county time and money because it is more efficient to use technology to capture critical information," said Clemens.

Should anyone experience difficulty using the website, they can contact the jury management department at 703-777-0677 for assistance.

Once the questionnaires are processed, the Jury Management Department creates a list of prospective jurors based upon the responses to the questionnaires. In the fall, Jury Commissioners will be impaneled for the purpose of certifying those individuals who are qualified to serve as jurors.

The Jury Management Department will use the certified list of qualified jurors to issue jury summonses for the 2013 term of jury trials. Citizens who receive a summons in 2013 will be required to report for jury duty on the prescribed day of jury service unless they have been released from service.

For more information about jury duty, visit www.loudoun.gov/jury.