Information Especially for Jurors and Prospective Jurors

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This page contains juror information for the District Court of Douglas County, Kansas.

Jury duty is the hallmark and foundation of the American system of justice. Although serving on a jury can be an inconvenience, most jurors find that it's an interesting, educational and honorable duty.

You may read the text on this page to learn more about the jury system as it is used in Douglas County District Court, or you may look to the ' Juror FAQ's' if you prefer.

Jury News
This page contains a list of jury news releases for Douglas County, Kansas. These news releases will include weather cancellations, date/time changes, and much more.

Jury Selection and Service
What follows here is a brief overview of jury selection and service.

People with Douglas County addresses are selected at random from drivers license and voter registration lists. They are notified by mail that they are part of the jury pool from which individual juries are selected. Once notified, they must return the questionnaire form they receive.

Reporting for Duty
During their two-week call-up period, individuals in the pool need to call (785) 832-5108 as instructed to learn whether they must appear at court. If called to appear, prospective jurors need to arrive by 8:30 a.m. in the Jury Assembly Room on the lower level of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St. in Lawrence. The Judicial and Law Enforcement Center is the contemporary building just east of the old county courthouse at 11th and Massachusetts streets.

Once the prospective jurors are assembled, a judge explains procedures and practices in greater detail, and then jurors go to a courtroom. There, attorneys for both sides in the case being tried ask questions to try to eliminate jurors who may have conflicts of interest or a bias in favor or against one party. The attorneys then make their peremptory challenges, and jurors are sworn to try the case.

The Trial
Once seated, the trial may begin. Typically, attorneys for each side make an opening statement. Then, the prosecutor (in a criminal trial) or the plaintiff (in a civil trial) presents the case against the defendant. The defendant's attorney then presents the case in favor of the defendant. Each side makes a final argument before the jury.

When the attorneys are done, the judge instructs the jury on its responsibilities in seeking a verdict, and then the jury retreats to a private room for its deliberations.

Juror Exit Survey
To submit the survey, please mail it to: Douglas County Dustrict Court, Jury Coordinator, 111 E. 11th St., Lawrence, KS 66044-9852. You can download and print the survey by downloading: Juror Exit Survey (PDF format)

Directions
When you are told to report for jury service, please come to the Judicial & Law Enforcement Center at 111 E. 11th St., Lawrence, KS. You will need to report to the Jury Assembly Room, which is located on the lower level.

Map
To view a map of the Judicial & Law Enforcement Center, please visit Google Maps - JLE.

Juror FAQ's
To view frequently asked questions (FAQ's) for potential and existing jurors, please visit the 'Court Juror FAQ's - By Category' page, or go to a searchable list of FAQ's by visiting 'Juror FAQ's' page.