I received a call indicating that I missed my jury duty and asking for my social security number for verification. Is this a legitimate call? No, we do not initiate any calls of this type. The jury office for the Jackson County Circuit Court does not have your phone number unless you have provided it when contacting us. We do not use a 1-800 number. All numbers for the Jackson County Circuit Court are local numbers to your area. The records maintained by the jury office do not contain your social security number, and we do not use that number for any purpose. There have been reports of individuals receiving calls from someone claiming to work for the courts who advises the individual called that they were summoned for and missed their jury duty. They then ask for confidential information, including social security numbers and credit card numbers. If you receive one of these calls, do not provide any personal or confidential information. Instead, ask what court they are calling from and then look up the number for that court and call them directly. You should never give out personal or confidential information unless you placed the call or are otherwise certain of the legitimacy of the source requesting it. http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/092805.htm How was I selected for jury service? The Court’s master pool of potential jurors contains all registered voters, licensed drivers, and persons with state identification cards in Jackson County. Individuals are summoned at random each week from the master pool using a computerized system. How long should I expect to serve on jury duty? The jury selection process generally takes 1 to 2 days. If you are actually selected as a juror in a case, the average length of a trial is about 3 1/2 days. I live in Eastern Jackson County, why do I have to come to Kansas City? The 16th Judicial Circuit includes all of Jackson County, and the Court's pool of potential jurors contains persons residing in Jackson County, who are at least 21 years old. Selection is random throughout the county. Residents are more likely to serve at the Kansas City location because more jury trials are held at the Kansas City Courthouse. Grand jurors also sit in Kansas City. I am the sole proprietor of a business and lose money when I am called for jury service. Why can I not be excused? Many individuals are in this situation. The Court does not excuse individuals due to financial hardship at the initial summons stage of the process. Hardships are discussed once jury selection in a trial division begins. I have no transportation to the courthouse for jury duty. What should I do? Public transportation is often the best solution. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority has buses with routes that have drop off and pick up points close to the courthouses. To find out which bus would best serve your needs, call the Metro bus line at 221-0660. The Metro’s TTY line is 221-0380. The KCATA website is www.kcata.org. This website has a “trip planner” feature on its homepage with information about the best buses to take to get from home to anywhere in the area, including the Jackson County Courthouses. This is a bad time for me to perform jury duty. Can I get a postponement? Individuals scheduled to appear for jury service have the right to postpone the date of their initial appearance. Only one request for postponement may be granted. The prospective juror simply needs to contact the jury room to request a postponement and may do so by telephone, in writing, or in person. The jury room staff will notify the prospective juror of the date they are required to appear, and, upon request, will work with prospective juror to accommodate special scheduling requests if necessary. Dates selected can not be more than six months after the date on which the juror was originally summoned. How should I dress for jury service? “Business casual” is a good rule of thumb. No shorts, sandals, tank tops or other inappropriate clothing should be worn. Jeans are allowed. Where do I park when I report for jury duty in Kansas City? You should park in one of the “all day” parking lots or garages close to the courthouse. Do not park on the street at a parking meter. Prospective jurors must pay for their own parking when they are initially summoned to Kansas City. If you are sworn in as a juror, you will be directed to park in the city garage located at 12th and Oak Streets and your parking ticket will be validated. Where do I park when I report for jury duty in Independence? There is a parking lot for jurors located southeast of the Independence courthouse, on the corner of Walnut and Osage Streets, which is free. I am a stay-at-home parent with children that are not yet in school. Can I be excused? Each case is handled individually, and depends upon whether your circumstances fall within the statutory provisions for an excuse from service based upon undue or extreme physical or financial hardship. Upon receiving a summons, you need to send a letter to the Jury Supervisor’s Office for review by the Presiding Judge. Be specific and provide financial, medical, and/or other proof regarding your hardship. I am a caregiver to a disabled person. Can I be excused? Each case is handled individually, and depends upon whether your circumstances fall within the statutory provisions for an excuse from service based upon undue or extreme physical or financial hardship. Upon receiving a summons, you need to send a letter to the Jury Supervisor’s Office for review by the Presiding Judge. Be specific and provide financial, medical, and/or other proof regarding your hardship. Can my employer penalize me because I report for jury duty? Does my employer have to pay me regular wages when I am performing jury service? Missouri law prohibits an employer from terminating, disciplining, threatening or taking adverse actions against an employee because that employee received or responded to a jury summons. An employee may not be required or requested to use annual, vacation, personal, or sick leave for time spent responding to a jury summons, time spent participating in the jury selection process, or time spent actually serving on a jury. However, the law does not require your employer to pay you wages while you are on jury duty.   Important Phone Numbers: Kansas City Jury Office: 881-3602 Independence Jury Office: 881-1619	Home Department Home Site Search Site Map