The Office of the Jury Commissioner is responsible for providing qualified jurors to the Circuit Court for Baltimore County.
Jury Trials have been suspended until December 31, 2020. If you are scheduled between now and December 31, you do NOT need to report. Your name will go back into the jury pool to be rescheduled for sometime in 2021. You do not need to do anything further.
Jury Qualification Questionnaire
If you have received a summons for jury duty, please complete the jury qualification questionnaire. The online qualification and rescheduling websites work best with Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other Internet browsers may not function consistently.
Remember to bring your summons and your parking garage ticket for validation.
What to expect on the day of your jury service
Proper attire is required. Tank tops, shorts, flip flops, sweat pants, athletic wear and professional uniforms are not considered appropriate attire for jury duty.
Jurors needing accommodations for hearing, sight or mobility problems should call the Jury Office at 410-887-3596 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Handicapped parking is available if needed.
Jurors who have questions regarding jury duty should call the Jury Office at 410-887-3596, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The County Courts Building is located at 401 Bosley Avenue between Pennsylvania and Chesapeake Avenues. Parking garages are located one block south of the County Courts Building at 100 West Susquehanna Avenue and 110 West Susquehanna Avenue. Please bring your garage ticket with you for validation. If your vehicle height is greater than six feet eight inches, go to the parking garage at 108 Ware Avenue and park on the street across from the garage. See the on-site garage attendant at 9 a.m. for a parking pass for your vehicle.
After 4:30 p.m. on the day before you are to report, you must call 410-887-4390 for reporting instructions. This telephone message will also advise you about the Court's inclement weather policy.
Cell phones and laptops are permitted in the courthouse and may be used while in the jury assembly area, however, possession and use of cell phones and other electronic devices may be limited or prohibited in designated areas of the court facility. The jury assembly area is equipped with WiFi. All cell phones and laptops must be turned off before reporting to a courtroom for jury selection.
Understanding the jury selection process and eligibility
Baltimore County citizens are selected at random from a merged Motor and Voter list in accordance with the Maryland law. No one can volunteer for jury duty. Each year, approximately 100,000 citizens are sent juror summonses. Enclosed with each summons is a questionnaire which must be completed immediately and returned to the Jury Office. The answers to all questionnaires are evaluated to make sure that each individual is eligible for jury service. If you do not qualify for service, you will receive a notice that you do not have to report. Otherwise, you must follow the call-in procedures on your jury summons.
To be eligible for jury duty, you must be 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Baltimore County and be able to read, write and speak English. If you have been convicted of a felony, you must have had your civil rights restored. If you are 70 years or older and wish an exemption from jury service, you may indicate this on the qualification form.
Grand jurors meet two days a week and serve for a period of four months. They are responsible for reviewing the testimony and evidence in a case to determine if there is sufficient information to indict or charge the accused. Petit jurors, on the other hand, determine the guilt or innocence of the defendant in criminal cases as well as determine the liability and damages of the parties in civil cases.
Upon completion of jury duty, state law provides that you will not be eligible to be called again for three years. .
Jury duty is a civic obligation. Because the system in Baltimore County is one trial and one day, no excuses are permitted due to employment hardship. If sufficient justification is given, you may be able to reschedule your reporting time until another date; however, jurors are generally not excused because of their employment status. It is also important to note that Maryland law states that an employer may not deprive an employee of their employment due to time lost responding to jury service.
A juror must provide a physician's verification note on a prescription pad or letterhead signed by a doctor which details why you cannot serve, and the length or duration of the illness or problem. This verification can be sent to the Jury Office with your questionnaire or can be faxed by you or the doctor to 410-887-5721. It is important to remember that you do not always have to make a doctor's appointment in order to obtain this verification. Often this can be processed by calling your physician and having it faxed directly to the Jury Office at the above number.
Problems with the Questionnaire?
If you are having problems with the Jury Qualification Questionnaire, contact the Jury Commissioner's Office.
Reschedule Date of Service
Note: You must first complete the online qualification questionnaire and return to the main page before you will be able to access the "Request Schedule Change" button on the lower left of your screen.
If you are unable to attend Court on the date indicated on your summons, you may request a change of date one time only online. To reschedule your date of service, follow the screen prompts through this online application.
However, if your report date is less than two weeks (14 days) away, you will not be able to reschedule online and must call the Jury Office at 410-887-3596 for a new date. Should you need further assistance you may call the Jury Office for help.