Office
Hours Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU AS A JUROR
JUSTICE BY JURY
HOW THE JURY IS SELECTED
TERM OF SERVICE
PARKING
TELEPHONE AND CONVENIENCES
MEALS
DRESS
COMPENSATION
SECURITY
SPECIAL NEEDS
THE STAGES OF A TRIAL
JUSTICE BY JURY
If you have been summoned as a prospective juror for case(s) scheduled for trial:
The call to serve on a jury does not frequently come, and such an opportunity may not be repeated in your lifetime. Jury service is an obligation of citizenship. It represents your contribution to our democratic way of life. Your service here confirms your belief in and your willingness to support our system of justice. Our justice system affords a way to determine and protect the legal affairs and liberties of our fellow men and women. This system is an assurance of your guarantee that if chance or design brings you to a court of law in any civil or criminal matter, your rights and liberties will be similarly protected. This is a service that should command your pride and your pleasure. The sacrifice it compels - and for many of you it is a major sacrifice - enlarges the value of its rendition.
You are being asked to perform one of the highest duties that can be imposed on any citizen, and that is to sit in judgment of the facts which will determine the outcome of a civil/criminal case. It is important, therefore, that you willingly, and without reservation, determine to perform your duty as jurors with the highest sense of obligation and responsibility.
The decisions of the jury affect the property rights, and even the life and liberty of those whose cases come before it. Those chosen for jury service should take pride in performing this most important duty to their country and to their fellow citizens.
As a juror, you undertake certain obligations to the court. For the jury system to function effectively, it is your obligation to inform the court immediately if you are unable to fulfill your obligations as a juror for whatever reason. The system depends on your active participation.
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HOW THE JURY IS SELECTED
Those of you who are here have been selected in the following manner. The laws of the State of South Carolina provide that the State shall program the drivers license and registered voters database to form a master jury database or "master jury list" for random selection of jurors.
As the need arises, a number of potential jurors, sufficient to accommodate the needs of the court, are selected at random from the master jury list and summoned to the courthouse.
The first step in a trial by jury is to select from the regular panel the trial panel of either six or twelve jurors. The number is predetermined by jury demands filed by the parties. Alternate jurors may be selected for a particular trial to fill emergency vacancies on the trial panel.
The judge will briefly explain to the regular panel the general nature of the case to be tried, the names of the parties involved and their attorneys. Questions are then directed to the jurors by the judge and the attorneys to determine their qualifications to sit fairly and impartially in the trial of the specific case at issue. The basic information submitted by the jurors on their questionnaires is available to the attorneys prior to trial time. Jurors may be excused from the panel for cause if the judge is satisfied, for any reason, that the juror cannot sit fairly or impartially, or on a peremptory challenge allowed the attorneys without assigning any cause. The peremptory challenge allows both sides some choice in the makeup of a jury and is no reflection on the ability or integrity of the juror so challenged.
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TERM OF SERVICE:
Jury service is generally for a 1 week period. Unless otherwise instructed, Court is in session Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with periodic breaks and a one-hour lunch. During winter months, if weather affects driving conditions, the courthouse will go by the schedule of the public schools unless otherwise directed by the judge presiding. If school is canceled, court will be canceled. Please note that a two (2) hour delay means Court starts at 10:00 a.m. If schools are not in session, call or listen to your local radio stations.
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PARKING:
Jurors parking is available at the Newberry County
Courthouse. Please refrain
from parking in 30 minute , handicapped or posted
parking locations. Overflow
parking is available in
the Treasurer/Assessor parking lot, the corner of Harrington and
Lindsey Street .
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TELEPHONE AND CONVENIENCES:
You may receive emergency telephone calls at
803-321-XXXX or 3218-2100. The courthouse is a non-smoking facility.
Cellular phones and pagers
must be turned off while court is in session.
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MEALS:
Meals are not provided unless jurors are deliberating or sequestered during trial.
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DRESS:
Jurors should be comfortably attired befitting the dignity of the Court. Shorts are not permitted. Do not wear clothing that will cause a distraction.
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COMPENSATION:
The Court is authorized by Newberry County Council to
pay you at the rate of $15.00 per day. You must notify the jury clerk
of any changes regarding compensation or mileage within the first
week of your jury service. Once your session ends, it is too late to
make changes. A certificate of attendance can be issued by the clerk,
upon your request, noting dates and hours served. Your check will be
processed as expeditiously as possible. Mileage will be paid at the
rate of $0.30 permile
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SECURITY:
All persons entering the building are subject to search. Do not bring with you pocket knives or anything that may be construed as a weapon because you will not be able to enter the building with them.
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SPECIAL NEEDS:
We will make any reasonable accommodation for jurors with special needs. Please call the Clerk of Court's Office a week in advance to make arrangements.
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THE STAGES OF A TRIAL
After the trial jury has been selected and sworn, the trial proceeds in the following general stages:
1. An opening statement is made, first by the attorney for the plaintiff or the state, then by the attorney for the defendant. The purpose of this opening statement is to outline to the jury the factual situation involved in the particular case and what each side contends it will establish by the evidence to follow. A general idea of what the case is about is thus presented to the jury.
2. The plaintiff calls witnesses and examines them, in an attempt to prove his/her claims. This is called direct examination. The defendant has the right to cross-examine witnesses. When the plaintiff has presented all witnesses, he/she rests.
3. The defendant calls witnesses to dispute the plaintiff's claims and to establish any claims that he/she may be making against the plaintiff. When the attorneys are through asking questions of these witnesses, the defendant rests.
4. The plaintiff then has an opportunity to bring back witnesses who have testified or bring in other witnesses, in order to refute any new matter raised by the defendant's witnesses.
5. The judge then gives instructions to the jury. In these instructions, the issues are defined and the jurors are instructed on the law that governs the case.
6. The attorneys for the parties then make closing arguments, in which they sum up the evidence and testimony and try to persuade the jury to find in favor of their respective clients.
7. When the closing arguments are completed, the jurors retire as a body to the jury room to consider the case and reach a verdict.
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