You may request a postponement of jury duty if you have a current conflict but will be able to serve at a later date. You may be eligible for a postponement if you have vacation plans, your work requires a one-time change of service date, or you have other out-of-town commitments.

Your initial appearance for jury duty may be postponed if you have not previously been granted a postponement and if you and Jury Commission Staff agree to a specified date on which you will appear for jury service.

The Geauga County Court of Common Pleas may grant a second or subsequent postponement of jury service in the event of an extreme emergency, such as a death of a family member, a sudden illness, or a natural disaster or national emergency in which you are personally involved. Before receiving a second or subsequent postponement, you must agree to a specified date on which you will appear for jury service. The specified date must be one on which the Court is in session and is not more than six months after the date of the postponement.

State your date change request in writing on your questionnaire, along with an explanation for the request. Submit it immediately to the appropriate Court. You will receive your response in writing.

Requests for excusal from jury duty are governed by Ohio Revised Code 2313.14. Fill out the questionnaire and explain, in writing, your request for excuse. Submit the completed questionnaire immediately to the Court to whom you are assigned, and you will receive a written response.

You will be excused upon properly returning your questionnaire indicating if one or more of the following applies:

You are no longer a resident of Geauga County.

You are over 75 years of age, and requesting to be excused.

You are not a citizen of the United States.

You are unable to communicate in English.

You are a cloistered [kept away from the outside world; sheltered] member of a religious organization.

You are an active member of a recognized Amish sect.

You have a felony conviction in Ohio or elsewhere and are currently on probation or community control.

You have served as a juror within the past year. Specifying when and where.

The potential juror is deceased.

As governed by Ohio Revised Code 2313.19, employers must allow time off for employees to serve on a jury.

No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, or take any disciplinary action that could lead to the discharge of any permanent employee who is summoned to serve as a juror pursuant to Chapter 2313. of the Revised Code if the employee gives reasonable notice to the employer of the summons prior to the commencement of the employee’s service as a juror and if the employee is absent from employment because of the actual jury service.

No employer shall require or request an employee to use annual, vacation, or sick leave for time spent responding to a summons for jury duty, time spent participating in the jury selection process, or for time spent actually serving on a jury. Nothing in this division requires an employer to provide annual, vacation, or sick leave to employees under the provisions of this section who otherwise are not entitled to those benefits under the employer’s policies.

Selection of a Jury

All prospective jurors will take an oath and/or agree to answer questions the Judge and the attorneys will ask. The questions asked will be used to determine if it might be difficult for certain jurors to remain impartial during trial. Please be truthful. You will be given a description of the case and the opportunity to tell the Court about anything that might impact your ability to be a juror.

Opening Statements

Opening statements are made by the attorneys of each party, starting with the prosecution/plaintiff. This is where both sides will introduce the case and provide and overview to the Judge and jury about what they can expect to hear during the trial.

Evidence and Witness Testimony

The prosecution/plaintiff’s case is presented first, and the defense’s follows. Each side may call witnesses to the stand and ask questions of their own witnesses through direct-examination. An attorney from the other side may also ask questions through cross-examination. Evidence may be admitted to the Court as part of the prosecution/plaintiff or defense’s cases, such as documents and photographs

Attorneys may object to questions during direct and cross-examination, as well as to the admission of certain pieces of evidence. Objection argument are made to the Judge and are questions of legal technicalities. The Judge will instruct you, if needed, to disregard specific pieces of information based on the outcome of objection arguments. Whether the Judge overrules and objection does not mean he or she favors one side over the other. The Judge’s rulings on objections reflects how he or she is applying the law in regards to which questions and pieces of evidence are permissible in Court.

Closing Arguments

Closing arguments are made by each party, and both sides summarize the cases they made in Court to persuade the jury to rule in favor of their party. The prosecution/plaintiff has the opportunity to open and end closing arguments because they bear the burden of proof.

Charging the Jury

When charging the Jury, the Judge gives instructions to the jury on how to reach a verdict. This is where the Judge explains the law and how it is applied. The Judge will also define the issues to decide.

Jury Deliberation

After the attorneys make closing arguments and the Judge charges the jury, jurors go to the deliberation room to discuss the facts of the case and the evidence presented in Court. This is when the jury decides on a verdict. Before beginning deliberation, the jury will elect a foreperson to lead an orderly discussion about the trial. The foreperson will ensure each juror has an opportunity to participate and all issues brought up in trial are thoroughly covered.

Verdict Announcement

Once the jury decides on a verdict, the jurors must notify the bailiff. The Judge will then read the verdict in the Courtroom, and the Jurors will be dismissed.