KSCB recently sat down with District Judge Clint Peterson, and Clerk of the District Court Donna Odneal. A growing concern in Seward County is the not returning of Jury Duty Questionnaires.

Recently, for an upcoming Jury Trial, 145 questionnaires were sent to be filled out and returned. Approximately only 15% of them were returned.

Surveys are randomly sent out if you are registered to vote and have a Kansas Drivers License. These are generated from Topeka.

Peterson states the importance of filling out the questionnaire.

“If there are not enough people filling out the surveys, a showing up in the Jury Pool for interviews, a trial could possibly not be held and there is the possibility of the charges against the defendant to be withdrawn,” according to Peterson.

An accused person has a constitutional right to a speedy trial that falls 180 days from arraignment.

For a trial to be held, a around 60 people are needed to to start the jury selection process. From the in person interviews, the attorneys will qualify 12 to serve as a jury.

If you do not fill out the questionnaire and return it, you will receive a second notice to to appear in Court. If the second warning is ignored, the sheriff will come to your home or place of employment with a summons to appear.

“If you fail to appear in person at the date and time on the list accompanied by the order, you will be subject to contempt of the judge. Failure to appear at this hearing could result in a warrant for his arrest.”

The Court asks that when you receive the questionnaire please fill it out and return it to the Court. if you are called to be interviewed for possible selection, you will receive $30.

Once the 12 are chosen to serve as the jury, those individuals will receive $50 each day during the trial process.