The following is intended to provide you with some general information about jury service.

STATE POLICY ON JURY SERVICE:
Wisconsin Statutes Section 756.001(1) provides that "[t]rial by jury is a cherished constitutional right".  Subsection (2) further states as follows:  "Jury service is a civic duty."

OPPORTUNITY AND OBLIGATION TO SERVE:
All persons selected for jury service are selected at random.  Wisconsin law provides that all qualified persons shall have an equal opportunity to be considered for jury service "and the obligation to serve as jurors when summoned" for that purpose.  See Wisconsin Statutes Section 756.001(4).

JURY QUALIFICATIONS:
Every resident of Douglas County who is at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen and able to understand the English language is qualified to serve as a juror in Douglas County Circuit Court unless the resident has been convicted of a felony and has not had his or her civil rights restored.

LENGTH OF JURY SERVICE:
The period for which any person may be required to be available for service may not exceed 31 consecutive days.  Therefore, when you receive a Summons to Serve as a Juror in the mail, you will be on the jury panel for the month indicated.  No person will be required to serve, or attend court for prospective service, as a juror for a total of more than five (5) days during the month unless more days are necessary to complete service in a particular case.

EXCUSALS:
All requests to be excused from jury duty must be made IN ADVANCE.  The court may excuse a person from jury service only if the court determines the person cannot fulfill the responsibilities of a juror.  If you are requesting an excusal and are on Judge Michael T. Lucci's panel, contact Julie at 395-1471.  If you are on Judge George L. Glonek's panel, contact Carol at 395-1207.

DEFERRALS:
The court may defer to a later date the period in which a person must serve jury duty if the court determines that service as a juror would entail "undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or serious obstruction or delay in the fair and impartial administration of justice".  See Wisconsin Statutes Section 756.03(2).  If a deferral is granted by the court, the juror will need to serve during another month within a twelve month period from when the person was originally summoned to serve.  To request a deferral, contact Julie (395-1471) if you are on Judge Lucci's panel, or contact Carol (395-1207), if you are on Judge Glonek's panel.

DUTY OF EMPLOYER:
An employer shall grant an employee a leave of absence without loss of time in service for the period of jury service.  No employer may use absence due to jury service as a basis for discharging an employee or for any disciplinary action against the employee.  An employer who discharges or disciplines an employee in violation of this section may be fined.  See Wisconsin Statutes Section 756.255.

HOW TO FIND OUT WHEN TO REPORT:
When you receive a Summons to Serve as a Juror, call the Jury Clerk at 395-1469 if you are on Judge Lucci's panel or call the Jury Clerk at 395-1237 if you are on Judge Glonek's panel after 4:30 p.m. the evening before you are to report.  Oftentimes, a scheduled trial may settle.  If it does, you will be instructed not to appear for that particular trial and told when to call again.  If the trial does not settle, you will be instructed to report for jury duty the following day.  Listen carefully to the message.  Do not report unless the recording tells you to do so.  THE RECORDING IS ON ONLY AFTER 4:30 P.M. THE EVENING BEFORE THE TRIAL IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN.  If for some reason the recording fails, please call the jury number in the morning, after 8:00 a.m.

WHERE TO REPORT:
If you are instructed by the message to report, you must appear at the 3rd floor of the Courthouse at 8:30 a.m.  The address is 1313 Belknap Street in Superior.  The Courthouse is located at the intersection of Belknap Street and Hammond Avenue.  Do not report for jury duty to the newly constructed Government Center (which is located behind the Courthouse).

TRIAL DURATION:
Most trials last between one day and three days.  You will be advised of the possible length of a particular trial when you report for jury duty.  Evening work is generally avoided.  However, if a jury is deliberating, it may be necessary to work after hours for that purpose.

OVERNIGHT STAY:
You are not required to stay overnight except in the event of a murder trial.  If so, you will be advised of this when you call in for jury duty the evening before the trial.

JUROR PAYMENT:
If you appear for jury service for a particular trial but are not selected to serve, you will be paid $12.50.  If selected, you will be paid $25.00 for every day you serve.  You will be paid by check following your jury duty.  You will also be paid $.32 per mile round trip to the Courthouse for each day you are required to report.  Therefore, be sure to keep the court informed as to your mileage in order that you can be properly reimbursed.

LONG DISTANCE CALLS:
Please keep an account of your long distance calls, if any, to the jury clerk's number (715-395-1469 or 715-395-1237).  If you provide the Clerk of Courts Office (Room 309 of the Courthouse) with your accounting, you will be reimbursed for your calls.

PENALTIES:
Whoever willfully misrepresents any material fact on a juror qualification form or whoever fails to return the completed qualification form within ten (10) days after receipt of the form, may be required to forfeit not more than $500.  See Wisconsin Statutes Section 756.30(1).

Any person lawfully summoned to attend as a juror who fails to attend without any sufficient excuse shall be subject to a fine imposed by the court.  See Wisconsin Statutes Section 756.30(3).