When you arrive for service
The following information is meant to help you understand the steps you should take upon arrival at the Judicial Center:
- Park in one of the specific parking garages where space is set aside for jurors. You will not be compensated for parking expenses should you park elsewhere.
- Go through the security checkpoint at the entrance to the Judicial Center, located at 45 N. George St. in York City
- After passing through security, go to the elevators toward the rear of the building. Go to the fourth-floor jury assembly room and wait for further instructions
You’ll watch an educational video explaining the process. You will wait to be selected at random to sit on a jury panel and participate in the Voir Dire process in the courtroom.
About Voir Dire
Voir Dire is a term that has been adopted into the Judicial System that is loosely translated from Latin to mean “speak the truth”. This is a process where the judge and attorneys from both sides question the juror panel to ensure that possible jurors will serve as impartial, fair jurors for the trial. If you are not selected to serve on a particular jury, you will return to the jury assembly room and may be called into another courtroom to serve.
If You are Selected for a Trial
Once a panel of jurors has been selected, the judge will provide further instructions regarding your service. In nearly every case, you’ll be allowed to return home following service for the day.
Jury sequestration is very rare. This is a process where the jury is kept separate from the public for the duration of a trial. It usually happens because of the nature of the trial. If sequestered, the jurors will have the opportunity to communicate with their families through court personnel; and arrangements will be made to have their clothing and personal articles delivered to them.
If You are Not Selected for a Trial
If you are not selected for a particular trial, your name gets put back into the pool to possibly be selected for a new trial within the week. At that time, you could also be put on an on call status until we contact you. That means you are sent home until you are called to either report back in for a specific date and time or you are released for the week.