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Jury Commission

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DUE TO COVID-19: all juror service is now on-call only. Do not report to court unless otherwise instructed.

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Fill out E-Notifications on the questionnaire. Messages will begin the Friday before you start.

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Scams by identity thieves are targeting members of the public, claiming to be jury staff requesting social security numbers to stop warrants from being issued for not reporting for jury service. Jury staff never contact potential jurors by telephone and would never, under any circumstances request any personal or financial information over the telephone.

Location & Hours

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Franklin County Court Complex

375 S. High St.
9th Fl. Columbus, OH 43215

Directions
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Mon - Fri 8 AM - 4 PM

Note: The Jury Assembly Room is located toward the end of the hall and on the left of the lounge area.

Contact Info

Note: Due to the volume of calls, please allow 48 hours response time.

Juror Questionnaire


Jurors summoned for service are required to complete an online questionnaire.

Jurors should also use the Juror Web Portal to update personal information, sign up for electronic notifications, view daily reporting information, and other assistance.
 

Start the Questionnaire  

Note: To complete the questionnaire, jurors will be required to enter their date of birth and the juror identification barcode number located on the summons.

Juror Resources


Learn more about timeframes, downtown parking, schedules, and accommodations that can be made for jurors.

JURORS WHO FAIL TO APPEAR WITHOUT LAWFULLY BEING EXCUSED COULD BE SUBJECTED TO PENALTIES BY LAW.
 

Jury service is a two week commitment, where jurors will be “on-call” on a day to day basis. Jurors will NOT report to Court unless they have received an email notification instructing them to do so. After submitting their contact information on the Jury Web Portal, jurors will begin receiving notifications the Friday before their scheduled report date. Jurors will not be asked to report on the same day that they receive notification.  Jurors will be given one day of advance notice to report for jury service. The Court does not prohibit jurors from working their jobs during their two week commitment and awaiting reporting instructions, but jurors must be available if they receive notice to report.

Each day, for two weeks, jurors will receive a notification at approximately 2 PM with reporting instructions for the following day. The message will include whether they need to report for service, along with the date and report time, or that they are not needed for the following day and will continue to be on-call. 

Due to the high volume of cases in the Municipal Court, there is a possibility of 80 jury trials each day. Four groups of 25 jurors are randomly generated to potentially serve daily. The goal is to evenly distribute all four groups within the two week period as well as attempt to bring in each juror as few times as necessary. Jurors who are required to report will screen through Court Security upon entering the building.

The last day of jury service will be the Friday of the second week. Jurors will not be asked to extend jury service beyond this date.

Before reporting, jurors are expected to check the Court's website for operational statements regarding COVID-19.

Jurors are expected to adhere to the Juror Code of Conduct   

Jurors receive parking vouchers for free or reduced parking at the approved locations below:

 Franklin County Commissioner's Garage (FCC) 34 East Fulton St.  
 Columbus Commons Parking Garage 55 East Rich St.  
 Franklin County Garage on Front Street 399 South Front St.  


Jurors who use COTA will receive free daily passes - www.cota.com  

 ODOT is conducting a major construction project   that directly impacts visitors to the Municipal Court, particularly those parking in the garages.

The Court observes the following holidays and will be closed:

New Year’s Day    
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day    
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day After Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
The Court has many accommodations available for jurors.
 
  • Full-size refrigerator and microwave
  • Full service cafeteria is located in 373 South High Street on the 16th floor (connected to the Municipal Court building)
  • Vending machines located on the 9th floor (same floor as the Assembly Room) and also in 373 South High Street outside of the cafeteria on the 16th floor
  • Wi-Fi access
  • Computer lounge 
  • Fax machine and copier
  • Private restrooms
  • Free COTA transportation (day passes)
  • Video relay system for hearing impaired available upon request
  • Interpreters available upon request
  • Private lactation room available upon request
  • Many restaurants within walking distance of the Municipal Court
PLEASE CONTACT THE JURY COMMISSION (614) 645-7726 OR [email protected] IN ADVANCE OF YOUR REPORT DATE IF YOU NEED A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION.

FAQ

The Franklin County Municipal Court has become aware of telephone scams by identity thieves targeting members of the public and fake jury summonses. Jury employees never contact potential jurors by telephone and would never, under any circumstances request any personal or financial information over the telephone. We urge all members of the public to be aware of such scams and be careful not to reveal any confidential information. If you feel that your summons is a scam, please contact the Jury Commission at (614) 645-7726 or by emailing [email protected].

The Franklin County Municipal Court has jurisdiction over criminal and traffic misdemeanor cases. The Court also hears civil actions involving less than $15,000. Many cases that are taken to jury trial involve a victim.

To be eligible to serve on jury duty, a person must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the county in which they are called to serve. Jurors must also be able to communicate in the English language. 

Jurors are selected from the list of registered voters in Franklin County and the drawing is performed according to statutory guidelines to assure a random selection of a fair representation of the community.

Jurors need to be able to listen carefully, follow instructions, keep an open mind, be willing to make a decision free from personal feelings or biases, respect the opinion of each juror, and value the different viewpoints each juror can bring to the case. Jurors will be responsible for impartially evaluating all the facts that are presented during the trial and, as the Judge instructs, apply the law as it is written to the facts of the case.

Approximately 30% of all jurors are randomly selected from the jury pool and impaneled on a case. Twenty-five (25) jurors are sent to the courtroom for each trial, ten (10) are impaneled for criminal cases and eight (8) for civil cases. Jurors who are not impaneled will be entered back into the jury pool.

  1. Fill out the Jury Questionnaire and e-notifications to qualify as a juror.
  2. Report to the Jury Assembly Room located at 375 S. High Street, 9th Fl., Columbus, OH 43215 if you receive an e-notification asking you to report for trial.
  3. Check in at the commissioners window directly inside the door of the jury assembly room upon arrival.

For each report day, jurors receive $15 and a parking voucher for designated parking areas. Approximately ten (10) business days after the completion of jury service, a check will be issued and mailed to the juror's provided residential address.

The Court receives approximately 18,000 jury demands each year, resulting in 80-120 potential jury trials per day. However, the majority of those cases will be resolved through other means. There are currently fifteen (15) judges and (6) magistrates on the bench. Any case set for trial could result in the need for a jury.

For a detailed list of service dates and times, request an attendance sheet from the Jury Commissioners on the last day of service or by email at [email protected].