Jury Duty Process

Reporting for Jury Duty
Report at the time and place indicated on your summons unless you are notified by the court not to appear. The night before you are scheduled to report, call the number on your summons to be certain that you still must appear. 

If the message is not clear or silent, report as scheduled. Once at the courthouse you will be directed to a courtroom or given other instructions. Jury duty phone lines are: 
  • Antrim County: 231-533-6054
  • Grand Traverse County: 231-922-4765
  • Leelanau County: 231-256-8139
Process in Courtroom
In the courtroom, the Judge will tell you about the case and introduce you to the lawyers and others involved in the case. You also will take an oath promising to answer all questions truthfully.

Voir Dire
After you are sworn in, you and other potential members of the jury will go through a process known as "voir dire," or jury selection. During jury selection, the judge and lawyers question you and other members of the panel to find out whether any of you have any knowledge of the case, a personal interest in the outcome, or any interest in the case that might make it hard to be impartial.

Events of the Trial
Events in a trial usually happen in a particular order, though the order may be changed by the Judge. Following is the usual order of events:
  1. Selection of the jury
  2. Opening statements
  3. Presentation of the evidence
  4. Jury instructions
  5. Closing arguments
  6. Jury deliberations
  7. Announcement of the verdict