Jury Duty
Eligibility
A person is eligible for jury service if he or she is a citizen of the United States, has been a resident of Putnam County for at least 12 months, has not served as a juror during the previous twenty-four (24) months, and has not been convicted of perjury, subornation of perjury, a felony, or any infamous offense.
Excuse from Service
Jurors will only be excused if serving will cause undue or extreme physical or financial hardship. Such a hardship may be present if the juror has a mental or physical condition that causes the juror to be incapable of performing jury service, or if the juror would:
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- Be required to abandon a person under such juror’s personal care or supervision due to the impossibility of obtaining an appropriate substitute caregiver during the period of participation in the jury pool or on the jury
- Incur costs that would have a substantial adverse impact on the payment of the juror’s necessary daily living expenses or on those for whom such juror provides the principal means of support;
- Suffer physical hardship that would result in illness or disease; or
- Be deprived of compensation due to the fact that the prospective juror works out-of-state and the out-of-state employer is unwilling to compensate the juror, or that the prospective juror is employed by an employer who is not required to compensate jurors and declines to do so voluntarily. An undue or extreme physical or financial hardship does not exist solely based on the fact that a juror will be required to be absent from the juror’s place of employment.
- You may be required to provide an a idavit, financial records, a physician’s statement, or other documentation relevant to your request. Failure to provide satisfactory documentation may result in the denial of your request.
- You may be summoned to serve on either civil or criminal cases, depending on the court issuing the summons. The Circuit Civil Court and Circuit Criminal Court have slightly different procedures. You will be instructed as to the procedure for your court on the day you are summoned to appear. Each time you come in as a prospective juror, you can expect to go into the courtroom and go through the jury selection process. If you are not selected as a juror on the date summoned, you are excused and given instructions on when you need to return.
Declaration Of Hardship
If you meet one of the above situations to be excused from service, you may submit a Declaration of Hardship – Putnam County Courts.
Postponement of Service
Jurors may request a temporary postponement of their jury service under extraordinary circumstances. If you cannot serve during the scheduled empanelment period, you may request a temporary postponement by emailing pccircuitcourt@gmail.com. When you complete the request to postpone your service, please include your name and telephone number so that we can contact you. You may attach any documentation to assist the judge in making a determination.
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It is expected that if your obligation is deferred, you will make appropriate arrangements with the Jury Coordinator at 931-528-1508 so that you can serve during a later empanelment period.
Remember, jury service is your right and duty as a citizen. Failure to respond to a jury summons could result in sanctions against you by the court. Your assistance and participation are needed in order that the courts may operate in the most efficient manner possible.
Jury Duty FAQ’s
How was my name selected for Jury Duty?
All names are selected at random from the most current list of licensed drivers in Putnam County. This ensures a fair cross-section of the communities that it represents. Effective January 1, 2009, it is against the law to summon a juror from the county’s voter registration list.
Who is eligible to serve?
The Tennessee Code spells out the minimum requirements for a competent person to act as a juror. A person is eligible for jury service if he or she is a citizen of the United States, has been a resident of Putnam County for at least 12 months, has not served as a juror during the previous twenty-four (24) months, and has not been convicted of perjury, subornation of perjury, a felony, or any infamous offense.
Do I get paid for Jury Duty?
- Our office is responsible for the compensation of all Putnam County Jurors. Jurors are compensated $11 a day for each service. Once their service is concluded, each juror can expect to receive a check in a timely manner.
- If an employer employs less than five people on a regular basis or if the juror has been employed by an employer on a temporary basis for less than six months, the employer is not required to compensate the juror during the period of jury service. All other Tennessee employers must provide a juror’s usual compensation for the time the juror actually spends serving and traveling to and from jury duty.
Does my employer have to excuse my absence from work?
An employer must excuse the juror from employment for each day the juror’s service exceeds three hours if the juror shows the jury summons to the employer upon receipt of the summons. A juror who works night shift or hours immediately preceding the hours court is normally held the employee shall be excused from employment for the shift immediately preceding the employee’s service.
What do I wear for jury duty?
Jurors must be dressed appropriately while in the Justice Center. Although the judge will determine whether jurors’ attire is appropriate, jurors should not wear shorts, short skirts, sagging pants, see-through or suggestive clothing, visible undergarments (including undershirts and tank tops), flip flops, house shoes, bandanas, headbands, hats/caps, or clothing with inappropriate or offensive advertisements or slogans.
Contact or Visit
Address
421 East Spring Street
Room 1C, Suite 49A
Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone
Fax
Circuit Court Clerk's Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
* Please note this office observes all state and federal holidays.