Jury Service

St. Louis Virginia (Sixth District)

Virginia County Court Administration
300 5th Avenue South
Virginia, MN 55792-2666
Phone: (218) 305-7021 Option #2

Selection of Jurors

Once a year, a computer merges the county’s driver license list, voter registration list, and Minnesota identification cardholders into one list. From this list, by random selection, jurors are chosen and sent a summons to appear for jury duty.
When the juror reports to the jury assembly room at the courthouse, court personnel will provide orientation and instructions. Following orientation, jurors will go to the courtroom to go through the jury selection process. Jurors will be provided information about the case and questioned by the court and the lawyers for each side. If during questioning, it appears that a juror cannot be fair and impartial, the attorney may challenge the juror for cause. The judge decides whether the juror would not be able to serve. If the judge allows the challenge, the juror is excused from that case. Another type of challenge is the peremptory challenge.The peremptory challenge requires no reason for excusing a juror. Jurors not excused and seated will comprise the jury. Jurors are sworn in and then are responsible to hear the evidence and follow the case to completion of trial.

Telephone Call-in System

JURY INFORMATION LINE: The St. Louis County Court Administrator brings jurors to the courthouse ONLY when we are confident a trial will not settle or plead out. You are instructed on your summons when and where to call on the Jury Information Line. You will hear one of two possible recorded messages:

1. All jurors are required to call back again on (date) after 5:00 p.m.
2. The following jurors are required to report to the courthouse at (date) and (time). (The names of the jurors will be listed.) All other jurors will be required to call back again on (date) after 5:00 p.m.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you call as instructed. If you do not call and you are on the list and do not show up, you will be called that morning and required to report to the courthouse. If we are not able to reach you by phone, and do not hear from you, an Order to Show Cause may be issued. You will be summoned to the courthouse for a special hearing to explain to the judge why you failed to appear.
The jury call in number in Virginia is (218) 305-7021 Option #2.
More thorough instructions regarding the call-in system will be provided if you contact the court administrator's office.
TRIAL DURATION: The length of a trial can be from 1 day to over 4 weeks. It is very uncommon for a trial to last more than 3 days. Throughout the year, there may be a trial that goes a full week or even 2 weeks. The judge will advise you about the estimated length of the trial.
SICKNESS OR EMERGENCIES: If an illness or emergency prevents your attendance, please call the Court Administrator as soon as possible.
PRESCHEDULED COMMITMENTS: It is very difficult for us to excuse an absence at the last minute, especially after your name has been randomly selected for a trial and listed on the jury information line.  If you have a doctor's appointment, previously planned vacation or a legitimate excuse for an absence, we can temporarily pull your name from the jury list before a random list is chosen for a trial.
Please call the Court Administrator as soon as you are aware of a conflict that would prevent you from coming to the courthouse on any given day within your jury term.
OVERNIGHT STAY:Jurors are rarely detained overnight, but you may be sequestered while deliberating on a criminal verdict or for the duration of a highly publicized trial.   The Bailiff in charge will notify your family if you are sequestered.

Parking

There is a parking lot directly to the west of the courthouse.

Jury Term

Jury service lasts for 1 month.
Within your jury term your service may result in:

• Calling as instructed and then being discharged by phone at the end of your jury term.
• Calling as instructed, being instructed by phone to come to the courthouse to potentially serve (no more than 3 times within your jury term) before you are discharged after the 3rd time you are brought in or at the end of your jury term, whichever comes first.
• Calling as instructed, being instructed by phone to come to the courthouse and being chosen to serve on a case. At the end of the trial, you may be discharged from further service within your jury term.

Note: If you are selected to sit as a juror on a case that is set near the end of your scheduled jury term, you may be required to serve beyond the 1 month jury term.
Prospective jurors are not required to serve more than once every 4 years. On occasion, a person shows up on the jury list who has served within the past four years. If this is the case with you, please let the court administrator's office know as soon as possible.