Selection Fields
Legislative Intent
607A.1 Declaration of policy.
It is the policy of this state that all persons be selected at random from a fair cross section of the population of the area served by the court, and that a person shall have both the opportunity in accordance with the provisions of law to be considered for jury service in this state and the obligation to serve as a juror when selected.
Definitions
607A.3 Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. “Clerk" means clerk of the district court or the clerk’s designee.
2. “Court" means the district court of this state and includes, when the context requires, a judicial officer as defined in section 602.1101.
2A. “Electronic data processing system" means an electronic jury management system as designated by the state court administrator.
3. “Juror" means any person identified for service on either the grand or petit jury who attends court when originally instructed to report or is deferred to a future date uncertain, or is on-call and available to report to court when so needed and so requested by the court.
3A. “Jury pool" means the sum total of prospective jurors reporting for service.
4. “Jury wheel" means a physical device or electronic data processing system for storage of the names and addresses or identifying numbers of prospective jurors.
5. “Master jury list" means the list of names taken from the source lists for possible jury service.
6. “Motor vehicle operators list and nonoperators identification list" means the official records maintained by the state of the names and addresses of those individuals in the respective counties retaining valid motor vehicle driver’s licenses or nonoperator’s identification cards.
7. “Panel" means those jurors drawn or assigned for service to a courtroom, judge, or trial.
8. “Person with a disability" means a person who is not physically able to operate a motor vehicle or use public transportation without assistance due to a physical disability.
10. “Identification" means the random drawing of names in a manner immune to any subjective bias so that no recognizable class of the population from which names are being randomly drawn can be purposefully included or excluded.
11. “Source lists" means the voter registration list, the motor vehicle operators list, the nonoperators identification list, and other comprehensive lists of persons residing in a county as identified pursuant to section 607A.22.
12. “Term of service" means the period of time a juror is requested to serve.
13. “Voter registration list" means the official records maintained by the state of names and addresses of persons registered to vote.
History
Source of jury master lists are drawn (e.g., voter registration, state income tax, etc. )?
Iowa Code 607A.21 Master jury list.
The electronic data processing system shall create a master jury list by merging all of the names from the source lists and removing duplicative entries. The state court administrator shall ensure the electronic data processing system updates the master jury lists from the source list at least once every year. The names entered in the master jury lists constitute the grand and petit master jury lists, from which grand and petit jurors shall be identified.
History
607A.22 Use of source lists — information provided.
1. The state court administrator shall ensure the following source lists are merged in the electronic data processing system when preparing grand and petit master jury lists:
a. The current voter registration list.
b. The current motor vehicle operators list and nonoperators identification list.
2. A jury manager may use any other current comprehensive list of persons residing in the county which the state court administrator or the jury manager determines are useable for the purpose of a juror source list.
3. The applicable state and local government officials shall furnish, upon request, the state court administrator or the jury manager with copies of lists necessary for the formulation of source lists at no cost.
Drawing of juror names from list
607A.25 Storing and security of master jury lists.
The master jury lists shall be stored in the electronic data processing system, and shall be accessible to only the state court administrator or state court administrator’s designee, or the jury manager or jury manager’s designee.
607A.30 Drawing of jury pools.
1. At times necessary for the identification of grand and petit jurors, the jury manager shall arrange for the electronic data processing system to draw the necessary number of grand and petit jurors from the master jury list.
2. The chief judge of the judicial district may by order prescribe the time for the drawing by the jury manager.
3. The jurors identified constitute the jury pool and shall be notified by the clerk or jury manager by regular mail when called.
607A.33 Electronic data processing system — identifying jurors.
The designated electronic data processing system shall be used for the identification of jurors.
Procedure for Summoning Jurors
N/A
Prohibition of Discrimination Against Jurors
607A.2 Prohibition of discrimination.
A person shall not be excluded from jury service or from consideration for jury service in this state on account of age if the person is eighteen years of age or older, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, economic status, physical disability, or occupation.
Qualifications
607A.4 Jury service — minimum qualifications — disqualification — documentation.
1. To serve or to be considered for jury service, a person must possess the following minimum qualifications:
a. Be eighteen years of age or older.
b. Be a citizen of the United States.
c. Be able to understand the English language in a written, spoken, or manually signed mode.
d. Be able to receive and evaluate information such that the person is capable of rendering satisfactory juror service.
2. However, a person possessing the minimum qualifications for service or consideration for service may be disqualified for service or consideration for service if the person has, directly or indirectly, requested to be placed on a list for juror service.
3. A person who claims disqualification for any of the grounds identified in this section may, upon the person’s own volition, or shall, upon the court’s volition, submit in writing to the court’s satisfaction, documentation that verifies disqualification from juror service.
History
Disqualifications
607A.4 Jury service — minimum qualifications — disqualification — documentation.
1. To serve or to be considered for jury service, a person must possess the following minimum qualifications:
a. Be eighteen years of age or older.
b. Be a citizen of the United States.
c. Be able to understand the English language in a written, spoken, or manually signed mode.
d. Be able to receive and evaluate information such that the person is capable of rendering satisfactory juror service.
2. However, a person possessing the minimum qualifications for service or consideration for service may be disqualified for service or consideration for service if the person has, directly or indirectly, requested to be placed on a list for juror service.
3. A person who claims disqualification for any of the grounds identified in this section may, upon the person’s own volition, or shall, upon the court’s volition, submit in writing to the court’s satisfaction, documentation that verifies disqualification from juror service.
History
Excusal or Exemptions
Iowa Code 607A.5 Automatic excuse from jury service.
A person shall be excused from jury service if the person submits written documentation verifying, to the court’s satisfaction, that the person is solely responsible for the daily care of a person with a permanent disability living in the person’s household and that the performance of juror service would cause substantial risk of injury to the health of the person with a disability, or that the person is the mother of a breastfed child and is responsible for the daily care of the child. However, if the person is regularly employed at a location other than the person’s household, the person shall not be excused under this section.
Iowa Code 607A.6 Discretionary excuse from jury service.
The court may defer a term of grand or petit juror service upon a finding of hardship, inconvenience, or public necessity; however the juror may be required to serve at a later date established by the court. The court may excuse a person from grand juror service, considering the length of grand juror service, in part or in full, upon a finding that such service would threaten the person’s economic, physical, or emotional well-being, or the well-being of another person who is dependent upon the person, or other similar findings of extreme hardship. The courts shall exercise this authority strictly. However, in exercising this authority the court shall allow the employer of the person being asked to serve to give testimony in support of a request by the person for deferral or excuse. The court may dismiss a juror at any time in the interest of justice.
Limited Frequency of Jury Service
N/A
Who handles excusals is prescribed?
**The court**
Iowa Code 607A.6 Discretionary excuse from jury service.
The court may defer a term of grand or petit juror service upon a finding of hardship, inconvenience, or public necessity; however the juror may be required to serve at a later date established by the court. The court may excuse a person from grand juror service, considering the length of grand juror service, in part or in full, upon a finding that such service would threaten the person’s economic, physical, or emotional well-being, or the well-being of another person who is dependent upon the person, or other similar findings of extreme hardship. The courts shall exercise this authority strictly. However, in exercising this authority the court shall allow the employer of the person being asked to serve to give testimony in support of a request by the person for deferral or excuse. The court may dismiss a juror at any time in the interest of justice.
History
Deferral/Postponement of jury service allowed
Iowa Code 607A.6 Discretionary excuse from jury service.
The court may defer a term of grand or petit juror service upon a finding of hardship, inconvenience, or public necessity; however the juror may be required to serve at a later date established by the court. The court may excuse a person from grand juror service, considering the length of grand juror service, in part or in full, upon a finding that such service would threaten the person’s economic, physical, or emotional well-being, or the well-being of another person who is dependent upon the person, or other similar findings of extreme hardship. The courts shall exercise this authority strictly. However, in exercising this authority the court shall allow the employer of the person being asked to serve to give testimony in support of a request by the person for deferral or excuse. The court may dismiss a juror at any time in the interest of justice.
Number of petit jurors for jury trial is prescribed?
N/A
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