Jury Recording: 410-535-1661 or 
301-855-1243 ext. 2324

Thanks for serving:

If you are visiting this page because you have been selected for jury service, we wish to thank you for your service.  With freedom comes responsibility, and jury service is an important aspect of the rights, privileges and freedoms we all enjoy in this great nation.  Your service is greatly appreciated by the Court. 

General Information:

In Calvert County, Kathy Smith, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, is responsible for managing the selection process under the direction of the Honorable Warren J. Krug, Administrative Judge.  Once a year a jurors are selected at random from a combination of the Calvert County Voter Registration list and the list of Calvert County's licensed drivers and persons holding state identification cards issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.  From that pool of potential jurors, approximately 1,800 qualified individuals will be randomly selected to actually serve as petit jurors and 46 as grand jurors. 

There are two Jury Sessions in Calvert County, April and October. The Spring Jury Session begins on the first Monday in April and ends on the last Friday in September. The Fall Jury Session begins on the first Monday in October and ends on the last Friday in March. 

A new Grand Jury, consisting of 23 members, is impaneled on the third Monday of April and October each year. Grand Jurors serve for a period of six months, reporting on the third Monday of each month for one day.  The main function of the Grand Jury is to hear the prosecutor's evidence in selected criminal matters and to decide whether or not there is sufficient evidence to charge a suspect.  At least 12 members must vote to charge the suspect before an "indictment" can be handed down.  The Grand Jury may also conduct investigations into other matters brought before them.  Some Grand Juries will tour the Detention Center and report their findings on its condition.  Matters heard by the Grand Jury are secret, and grand jurors are instructed not to discuss what they have heard with anyone, including family members, even after their term of service is ended.

Petit Jurors are selected for a period of one month on a rotating schedule. Although subject to be on call during the entire session, actual juror service will probably not exceed 3 days.   Typically, at least twice the number of jurors needed are scheduled for a case, and from that number, the attorneys will select that actual jury - 12 persons in a criminal case, 6 in a civil case and one or two alternates in each.  The petit jury hears evidence from all parties in a case and renders a verdict.  In a criminal case, the petit jury will decide whether the person charged is guilty or not guilty of each offense charged.  In civil cases, the issues to be decided on vary depending on the type of case.  Some examples are:  Who, if anyone, was negligent in a traffic accident; What, if any, money damages should be awarded to an injured person, etc.  The decision of the petit jury must be unanimous. 

Scheduling/Call-In Procedures:

Both grand and petit jurors will receive, by mail, a summons to appear on the first day of the term. They will also receive an acknowledgment of service form that must be completed and returned within 3 days. The place to report is the Calvert County Courthouse, 175 Main Street, Prince Frederick, Maryland. 

After the first day of the grand jury term, the State's Attorney will schedule the sessions.  Generally, those are held the third Monday of every month.  Each month, a reminder notice will be mailed prior to the session. 

Petit Jurors will receive a welcome packet and a summons to appear on the first date of their term for a brief orientation.  However, the juror must follow the directions in the welcome packet and use the phone-in system, a recorded message which provides instructions to jurors, on the night before they are scheduled to appear for the first time.  Orientations are NOT held unless a jury trial is scheduled.  Generally jurors will not have to appear on the first day of their term.   The phone-in system provides a tape-recorded message with specific instructions for the jurors.  Orientation is given to each juror on the first date they are instructed, by the phone-in system, to appear at the courthouse. 

The schedule for Petit Jurors is managed through the phone-in system.   Jurors call a tape-recorded message every Thursday evening, after 4:00 p.m., where they will hear the tentative schedule for the upcoming week, so that jurors can plan their week, notify employers, child care providers, etc., before the weekend.  If tentatively scheduled to appear, the recording will instruct Jurors to call once more the night before they are scheduled to appear to be advised whether or not the trial will proceed as scheduled or whether it has been canceled  Cancellations occur because the parties settle civil cases in the days immediately before the trial, or, in criminal cases, the defendant may decide, right up to the moment of his or her appearance in court, to waive the right to a jury trial. Approximately one half of the petit jurors scheduled during a term will be canceled. 
Therefore, it is extremely important to use the phone-in system in order to prevent an unnecessary trip to the courthouse. 

THE NUMBER TO CALL FOR THE TAPE-RECORDED PETIT JURY SCHEDULE IS: 410-535-1661 OR 301-855-1243 EXT. 2324.  RECORDING IS ON 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK.  THE MESSAGE FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK'S TENTATIVE SCHEDULE IS CHANGED EACH THURSDAY AFTER 4:00 P.M.  AFTER 4:30 P.M., JURORS DIALING THROUGH THE COURTHOUSE SWITCHBOARD WILL HEAR A MESSAGE THAT THE COURTHOUSE IS CLOSED, DIAL THE EXT. 2324 ANYWAY.  YOU WILL STILL BE CONNECTED.

Excusals:

Excuse from jury service undermines the important purpose of providing jurors who represent a fair cross section of the citizens of the State and casts a direct and unfair burden on other citizens selected for service. For those reasons, Sec. 8-210 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, Annotated Code of Maryland provides that: 

"Any person summoned for jury service may be excused by the jury judge if the person shows that undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity require his excuse, but only for the period the jury judge deems necessary." Sec. 8-209 further provides that "the only persons exempt from jury service are: a member of the organized militia who is certified by the military department as a member; and a person who is 70 years old or older who has made a written request to the jury commissioner or clerk for an exemption." A person may not be required to serve that has previously served more than 5 days as a juror within the last 3 years. 

Requests for complete excusal from jury service, or postponement to a later term, must be in writing and, as required by law, are granted only in the most extreme circumstances.

Throughout the term, the Clerk of Circuit Court and/or the Jury Commissioner will attempt to be as accommodating as possible with the schedules of each individual juror. However, they must meet the needs of the court as well.  Jurors may be excused on a daily basis for medical appointments, illnesses, important business or personal appointments, vacations, etc.  To request to be excused for certain dates during the term of service, jurors should complete the REQUEST TO BE EXCUSED FOR SPECIFIC DATES form provided in their initial juror packet of information.   Except for emergencies, this form must be submitted to the Clerk of Circuit Court at least two weeks prior to the start of the juror's term of service. 

This form can be mailed or faxed to the Jury Clerk.  Written notification confirming or denying the request will be sent to the juror.   For emergencies, the juror should call the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court at 410-535-1600 or 301-855-1243 ext. 2271. 

The court determines how many potential jurors are needed to make an appropriate selection pool in each individual jury trial and only notifies that amount appear. Therefore, it may be impossible to grant any last minute requests to be excused. Again, do not wait until scheduled to appear to present your conflict. You must notify the Clerk of Circuit Court or Jury Clerk as soon as the potential for conflict exists. 

Attire:

Although dress may be casual, Jurors are requested to dress conservatively and in a business-like manner. Shorts and cutoff jeans, hats (except for religious purposes), tank and halter tops, undershirts or beach wear are considered inappropriate. 

Parking:

Free parking is available in any of the unmarked spaces in the front and in the two parking lots behind the Courthouse.  Free Parking is also available at the State Office Building across the street from the Courthouse and at the County Services Plaza adjacent to the State Office Building. Paid parking is available in private lot across from the Courthouse.  Jurors would have to make arrangements with the private lot owner.

Cell Phones and Pagers:

Cell phones and pagers are prohibited, to avoid distractions in the courtroom and because possession of a phone in the jury room may result in a mistrial. 

Work Certifications:

Certifications of jury service for employers are available in the Clerk's office once role has been taken. An employer may not deprive an employee of his or her employment solely because of job time lost as a result of Court attendance in response to a jury summons, under the provision of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Sec. 8-105. 

Jury Pay:

Jurors, both grand and petit, are paid $20.00 per day for their expenses.  Jurors are given a certificate of jury service which indicates they were in court on a particular day and how much they were paid, to provide to their employer if required. 

For income tax purposes, Jury pay may be considered in taxable income.  However, it may be deducted as expense money.  Consult your tax advisor to be sure.  The court will not provide a Form W-2 or 1099.

The Circuit Court for Calvert County and the Calvert County Department of Social Services cooperate in a program entitled "Generous Jurors Program".  Under this program, jurors may donate all or part of their jury pay to the Department of Social Services' foster care program.  The donations are used to provide, for foster children in the county, things which state budgets do not support, such as school band uniforms, money for filed trips, birthday and Christmas gifts, etc.  Jurors wishing to donate their juror expense payment to the Calvert County Department of Social Services must complete and sign a GENEROUS JUROR PROGRAM PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION FORM and submit it to the Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court prior to the end of their jury term. 

THE NUMBER TO CALL TO SEE IF A JURY TRIAL WILL PROCEED AS SCHEDULED IS: 410-535-1661 OR 301-855-1243 EXT. 2324 .  MESSAGE IS UPDATED AFTER 4:00 P.M.  THE RECORDING IS ON 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. 

THE MESSAGE FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK'S TENTATIVE SCHEDULE IS CHANGED EACH THURSDAY AFTER 4:00 P.M.  AFTER 4:30 P.M., JURORS DIALING THROUGH THE COURTHOUSE SWITCHBOARD WILL HEAR A MESSAGE THAT THE COURTHOUSE IS CLOSED, DIAL THE EXT. 2324 ANYWAY.  YOU WILL STILL BE CONNECTED.

For more information on Jury Service, please review the following material:

• Preparation for Jury Duty(in PDF). This pamphlet was developed to introduce jury service to those summoned to jury duty for the first time and to refresh the memories of those who have had past experience as petit jurors.  It will help you become familiar with terms and procedures that are common in both civil and criminal cases. 
• Grand Jury Handbook(in PDF). This pamphlet introduces you to service as a grand juror.  It explains how a grand jury is chosen, the difference between a grand and petit jury, the duties of a grand jury, frequently used terms, and more.
• Finally, please visit the Jury Service web site where you'll find FAQ for employers and employees, do's and don'ts during trial and deliberations, and more.

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