WELCOME TO CHEATHAM COUNTY JURY SERVICE

 

Congratulations on being selected for jury service! Your service is vital to our Judicial System, and your participation is an important responsibility as a U.S. citizen. If you have recently received a Jury Summons, please complete the Jury Questionnaire here. Once you submit your questionnaire, our office will contact you if further information is needed. For futher information on your upcoming jury service, please continue reading below. 

As always, if you have any questions, please email the Jury Coordinator or contact our office at (615) 792-3272. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on the date listed on your Summons. 

- Holly C. Waller, Circuit Court Clerk

 

 

What Steps To Take After Receiving a Jury Summons
 

Once you receive your Jury Summons in the mail, please read it carefully. Your summons will list the date and time that you are required to appear. On this day, we will hold a brief orientation to discuss with you reporting information, the selection process, and what you can expect if you are selected. You will also be given an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.

Please complete the Jury Questionnaire. This questionnaire helps us to confirm that you qualify to be a juror. Once submitted, our office will contact you if there are any questions regarding your questionnaire. If you need to postpone your service to a later date or would like to be excused, please see the process on how to make these requests below.  

If you are not postponed or excused, you are required to attend the orientation on the date that is listed on your summons. 

 

Length of Service

If you are selected for jury service, your obligation is typically for 1 month (during odd numbered months); however, there could be exceptions depending on the judges' schedules. If you are expected to serve longer than 1 month, you will be notified during your orientation. Reporting instructions will be given to you during orientation; however, you will not be required to appear every day.



Parking & Courthouse Security


Due to the constuction of the new jail being built directly behind the courthouse, a portion of Sycamore Street will be closed and all parking behind the courthouse will be prohibited. Parking is available in lots located in front and on the side of the courthouse and along Main Street and Cumberland Street. Additional parking is available behind the Ashland City Church of Christ, located on Cumberland Street. Our sincere apologies for this inconvenience. 

Because there is limited parking in close proximity to the courthouse, we ask that you arrive early. There is handicap parking available; however, in the event that handicap parking is full, please contact our office at (615)792-3272 for assistance. 

You will enter through the security entrance, located on the left side of the courthouse, under the green awning. Please allow extra time to get through the security line. To expedite the enforced security screening, please limit the amount of items that you bring with you. Please do not bring backpacks/large bags or weapons (including knives, pepper spray, knitting needles, multi-function tool keychains). If you require any medication that must be used with a syringe, please contact our office prior to your arrival. Cell phones are permitted; however, please silence them before entering the building.

 

 
REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT


If you have received a jury summons and have a conflict with your dates of service and would like to postpone to a later month, please email the Jury Coordinator or mail your request to 100 Public Square, Room 225, Ashland City, TN 37015. Please include your contact information on your request. You are only allowed to request a postponement one time. Requests must be submitted no later than 10 days prior to your report date. 

 

 

REQUEST TO BE EXCUSED

You are exempt from jury service if one or more of the following applies: 
  • You are not a citizen of the United States
  • You do not live in Cheatham County or have not lived in Cheatham County for at least 12 months
  • You are under the age of 18
  • You have been convicted or pled guilty to any felony offenses, perjury or subornation of perjury

Please provide appropriate documentation to prove your exemption status. If you have questions regarding what documentation is needed, please call our office at (615)792-3272 or email the Jury Coordinator. Please submit your documentation no later than 10 days prior to your report date. 

Jurors may request to be excused from service for the following reasons:
*can prove a financial hardship 
*can prove a medical condition or disability 
*full-time student status
*has served on jury duty within the last two years

Acceptable forms of documentation to be excused from the above: 
*tax return to show financial hardship
*statement from your medical provider - must be faxed to (615)792-3203
*student I.D. card or class schedule issued by school
*the county and year of the prior jury service (within 2 years)

If you are requesting to be excused for any of the above reasons, please email the Jury Coordinator or send your request, along with the appropriate documentation, by mail at 100 Public Square, Room 225, Ashland City, TN 37015. Please provide your contact information with your request. Documentation will be required before exemptions will be approved. 

Age Exemption
A person who is seventy five (75) years of age or older is excused from jury service upon showing proof of age and a declaration of being incapable of performing jury service due to a mental or physical condition. A medical statement is not needed. You may read the Tennessee House Bill 1303 for jury service exemption here. 
 

 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

How Did I Get Chosen For Jury Duty?
Jurors are randomly selected by computer from the DMV database. Anyone with a TN state issued driver’s license or ID can be selected.

 

Why Is Jury Duty Important?
The United States Constitution guarantees all people, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin or economic status, the right to trial by impartial jury of one's peers. Justice ultimately depends in large measure on the jurors who serve in our courts.

 

How Long Does Jury Duty Last?
Your length of service will be for 2 consecutive months; however, you will not be required to report every day. 

 

Who Is Exempt From Jury Duty?
All Cheatham County residents are obligated by state law to serve as a juror unless they are:

  • Not a United States citizen
  • Not a resident of Cheatham County or have not resided in Cheatham County for at least 12 months
  • Not 18 years of age or older
  • A felony conviction or guilty plea to any felony offenses, perjury, or subornation of perjury

 

Can I Complete My Jury Questionnaire Online?
Yes. You can complete the Jury Questionnaire here. Once completed online, no further action is needed. We will contact you if follow up is needed. 

 

Will I Get Paid For Jury Duty?
You will be paid $11 each day that you are required to attend jury service. Once your term has completed, you will receive a check in the mail. Please allow a few weeks for your payment to be received. You may donate your payment to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund. If you would like to donate your payment, please complete the donation form and email it to the Jury Coordinator. 

 

How Will Jury Duty Effect My Employment?
An employer is required by law to pay employees who are on jury service. Please check with you company's Human Resources department before serving to familiarize yourself with their policy regarding jury service. Your employer may require a letter of attendance from the Clerk. These letters can be picked up at our office or can be emailed at your request.

 

What If I Work The Night Shift?
According to the state law (TCA 22-4-106(2)), you do not have to report to work for the shift preceding your reporting date. If you have a question about whether you should report to work, you can email the Jury Coordinator or call our office at (615)792-3272.

 

Will I Receive An Attendance Letter/Note For Work?
Yes. We can provide an attendance note for each day you are called in for service upon request.

 

What Can I Bring With Me?
Jury service can require a potential juror to wait a considerable length of time. For this reason, you may want to bring a cushion to sit on, as the benches in the historic courtroom can get uncomfortable. You may bring reading material (book, magazine, etc.).

 

I'm A Diabetic, Can I Bring Snacks And Medicine?
Yes. Please inform the Clerk or Jury Coordinator when you check in.

 

I'm A Nursing Mother, Will I Have Access To A Lactation Room?
Yes. Please inform the Clerk or Jury Coordinator when you check in.

 

What Should I Wear?
Jurors should not wear shorts, short skirts, low-riding pants, see-through or suggestive clothing, hats, visible undergarments, bandannas, or clothing with inappropriate or offensive advertisements or slogans.

 

What Will Happen If I Don't Respond To My Jury Summons?
Failure to respond to your jury summons may result in a $500 fine or Contempt of Court. Please note that we will never call and ask for money to cancel a warrant or ask for confidential information.

 

What Is The Role Of A Juror?
Your job as a juror is to listen to all of the evidence presented at trial and make a decision based on the facts heard.

 

Can I Take Notes During The Trial?
Notetaking is encouraged but not required. The Clerk will provide a notebook and writing material. 

 

What Does The Judge Do In A Jury Trial?
The judge performs several functions. The judge guides and controls the conduct of the entire trial. The judge presides over the presentation of evidence to the jury by the parties. It is the judge's responsibility to make sure the jury hears and sees only the evidence that is legally admissible. After all of the evidence has been presented to the jury, the judge provides the proper rules of the law required to resolve the case. When the judge tells the jury what the rules of law are, this is called the judge's charge or judge's instructions to the jury.

 

Why Does The Jury Have To Leave The Courtroom So Often?
During a trial, issues of evidence or other legal matters will be brought up by the attorneys. Sometimes, the judge will ask the jury to leave the courtroom so that these arguments can be made outside the presence of the jury. If the judge rules that the evidence is admissible, obviously the jury will then hear the evidence. If the judge rules that the evidence is inadmissible, then the jury will not hear the evidence. These sort of "jury out" hearings are normal during the course of any trial, and the members of the jury should not consider this unusual.

 

How Will My Family Contact Me In Case Of An Emergency?
In case an emergency, please have them call our office at (615) 792-3272.



How Do I Ask To Be Excused Or Postponed From Jury Duty?
If you are requesting to be postponed to a later date or excused, you may email the Jury Coordinator. You may also mail your request to:
Jury Coordinator
100 Public Square, Room 225
Ashland City, TN 37015

Please make sure to include your contact information on your request. All requests must be made 10 days prior to your report date. 

 

What Types Of Cases Will I Hear?
As a juror, there will be a possibility that you may hear civil, criminal, or chancery court cases.

 

What If I Need ADA Accommodations?
For ADA accommodations, please contact Pamela Jenkins at (615) 792-4620.

 

May Someone Attend Jury Service With Me?
No. Only those summoned for jury service are allowed in the courtroom. You may have someone escort you to and from jury service, but that person is not allowed to enter the courtroom.