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F sqoently Asked W,ho is eligible to serve as a juror? Anyone who is 18 ye-ars of age or older, who is a citizen of Montana and a resident within the limits of the city óf Billings and who has not been convicted of a felony is eligible. How was I selected to sen¡e as a juror? Each year, tJre Jury commissioner requests a list of potential jurors from the clerk of ' the District court' currently, those names are drauÀ randomly from voter registration roles' Iætters and questionnaires, like those yo" rãlèi""a, are then mailed to a¡ prospective jurors. All completed questionnaires are rJewed by the Jury commissioner upon receipt. ftre¡ùage reviews all affìdavits for excuse from jury duty. Pursuant to state law, onþ cerhrå inãividuals *tto -eet.rery specifìc criteria may be excluded from jury service. work-related excuses, self-employment or otherwise, do not constitute a hardship. How will I be summoned to sen¡e on a specific jury? when a jury trial is schedured, ttre Jury comniissiorr"irr""" a computer program to generate a random list of names from the jury pool. If you a¡e selected, a summons is mailed to your attention approximatety twä *.êt" prioí i" Ûre trial á.té ãy1rã the date of the trial and other pertinènt informäUon. Yft"t happens if I ignore my summons for jury sewice? Ajury summons is a court order. If you ignore it, yori are subject to a¡rest and prosecution' In those cases where your sõhed-ute may precludä you from serving as a juror, the court will try to accommódate you; howevei,^in tne ruítrreranãL of¡rr"u"., there will be times when the court cannot grant your request for excuse. It is important that you do not ignore the summons, but instead call the court to see what can be done. What if I am disabled? lf IoY lequire special accommodations. in order to se¡ve, please.contact the court Administrator when you ¿re snmmon.d so tllat til;ñ;õriate steps may be taken to assist in your needs. How-long are jury trials in-Birrings Municipãl-coúft usually, jury trials in this court last a-single day.- on rare occasions, a trial may last two days or more. Notifìcation of longer triat" "ritl l. pioio.a in advance whenever possible. rf the trial lasts more than one day, win r be sequestered? No' Ttial jrjrors are released in the evening wittr instru"ïo.r. about when and where to report the following day. yill I be paid for serving as a juror? Yes' You will receive $rz.oo for reþofting for jury duty. If you are selected to serye on the jury, you will receive an addiüónal $f S.OO foi Ure'f,r.iO"y and $25.0O per day thereafter. City oJBilLíngs Mtuticþal Cottrt . 220 North 2f Street . MT Sgto j o phone: (406) 657_8490 . Fsx: (406) 657-30T5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Frequen Asked gfuestions \Mhat if my employer doesn't allow me to sen¡e? The law prohibits arry employet,fro- preventing an employee ro serve as a juror. The law also prohibits an employer from depriving an emptoyeä of benefits becáuse ofjury service, such as requiring you to use vacation or personal time to serve. 19 *V employer required to pay me while I sen¡e as a juror? If you work for the government, your employer must pay yon. if yo., work in the private Sector, your employer does not have to pay you; however, yorl car,r,ot be punisheà Uy your employer for appearing for jury duty. rs it possible to appe-g,f9r jury senrice and not sit on a jury? Yes. More people are called than actually sewe. This allows ttre þarùes to carefully pick their trial jurors from the variety who appear. ApproximateÇ ZS jurors reporlfor duty cn the trial date; however, only six¡uroiõ an¿ oné alternate will Ëe empanìled for the trial. How are trial jurors chosen? Attorneys must determine which seven individuals in the group are most likely to serve without bias and render a fair verdict. To do ttris, they usõ a process called trõi, dire. This Latin term is translated "to speak the truth'. Ðué.V persotr has an opinion or bias úl"t orre subject or another. The attorneys will use yo,ri "ompleted queåuonnaire and a few of the facts of the case to form questions which -help them deterrnine your bias or opinion. rf I am chosen a1 a. jurgr, _w_hat t¡res of cases wiu r take part in deciding? All criminal cases fìled in the Billings Municipal Court are rnisdemèanor offenses. The maximqrm penalty which may be imposed is one year in jail and a $5OOO fìne. Offenses can includes a variety of simple traflìc offenses (speeding, no insurance, failure to yield, etc.) and serious bodily injury, drug and traflìc offenseslpartner/fatrúIy member assault, obstructing or-resisting, DUI, possession of drugì or paraphernalia). In Montana, a defendant has the right to have a jury trial fõr eveh ttrè simplesi offense. rf r am chosen as a juror, what wilt my responsibÍlitiqs be? During the trial, tle juror listens carefully to all evidence presented during the trial. During deliberations, jurors discuss the evidence with on6 anoilrer and de-cide what the facts are based on the evidence and testimony presented. The panel ttren afþties ttre law to the facts presented in order to determiné a verdict. \trhat is the judge's role during trial? The judge is responsible to ensure that each party has the opportunity to present his or her case, to ensure thlt the trial proceeds as provided by law, to inst.rrct the ¡ury on the applicable law, and to determine the puniêhment in cases in which the defendant is found guilty. cifu oJBillirqs Munícþalcourt . 22o North2lh steet . BíILíngs MT 5g1ol c Phone: (406) 657-8490 . Fcx.. (406) 65T-30T5