Juror Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Most Guam residents who experience our island court system will do so as jurors. More than 10,000 individuals are randomly selected each year from source lists obtained from the Guam Voter’s Registration and/or Guam Registered Driver’s List.

The Guam Judicial Branch is committed to making jury service as convenient and rewarding as possible.

Please feel free to contact us via email at juryunit@guamcourts.gov or call us at 475-3440/3136.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Jennifer Blas Conceicao
Jury Commissioner

 

 

What if a Juror does not report as instructed?

Every resident of Guam who is qualified to serve and does not have an undue hardship or inconvenience must appear for jury service when summoned. If a juror willfully or without reasonable excuse fails to attend after service of a summons, he or she may be ordered to appear and show cause for his failure to comply with the summons, Failure to appear to such order may constitute a fine, imprisonment or both.

If there is grave illness in your family, or a similarly serious problem that would constitute an undue hardship or extreme inconvenience for you to appear in Court for jury service, you must notify the Jury Commissioner.

Unless you receive a notice from the Jury Commissioner granting a temporary excuse, you must attend as directed by the Court.

 

How are jurors summoned?

From time to time, the Clerk of Court/Jury Commissioner shall draw at random from the qualified jury wheel such a number of persons as may be required for assignment to grand or petit jury panels. The Clerk of Court/ Jury Commissioner shall prepare a separate list of names of persons assigned to each grand and petit jury panel. When the Court orders a grand or petit jury to be drawn, the Clerk of Court/ Jury Commissioner shall issue summonses for the required number of jurors and deliver them to the Marshal for service.

Each person drawn for jury service shall be served personally or by mail addressed to such person at his usual residence or business address. Such service shall be made by the Marshal who shall attach to his return the addressee’s receipt for registered or certified mail where service is made by mail.

 

What are the employer responsibilities?

It is unlawful for any employer to discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce an employee for attending scheduled jury service.

 

What is juror orientation?

Individuals who have been summoned for jury service are required to report to the Judiciary Building for enrollment at the date, time, and place indicated in the summons. Enrollment is a formal proceeding, which is presided by a judge of the Superior Court, during which jurors are orientated on the legal aspects of jury service. After the judge finishes his presentation, the Jury Commissioner will orientate the jurors on a variety of administrative matters which are related to jury service.

 

What is the term of service?

Petit Juror Term
Individuals who are selected for jury service will serve an actual term of (18) months. If selected for Petit Jury, they will serve a (3) months active term and then (15) months on-call term.

Petit Jurors do not necessarily come in every day.
Petit Jurors who are selected must report in on the days they are instructed to appear.
A petit juror’s normal service day begins at 8:00a.m. and ends around 5:00p.m.
For a petit jury, to be sequestered from the family while deliberating a case is extremely rare.
Grand Juror Term
Individuals who are selected for grand jury service will serve an actual term of (18)months. If selected for Grand Jury, they will serve a (6) months active term and then (12) months on-call.

Grand jurors are to report in for jury duty once a week.
A grand juror’s normal service day begins at 8:00a.m. and ends around 5:00p.m.