Rights & Duties

Jury Service is an important aspect of the rights, privileges and duties that we all enjoy as citizens. Your willingness to serve and participate in this essential part of our judicial system is greatly appreciated by the Court. The Office of the Jury Commissioner is responsible for providing qualified jurors to the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County.

Jury service interrupts our daily lives, and our regular work and home obligations. But, jury service is not only a duty of citizens of our country, it is also a right protected by our Constitution. The right of each eligible citizen to be considered for jury service helps preserve the right of each of us to face an impartial jury representative of his or her community.

Your participation as a potential juror now helps this court remain a fair forum for justice for you, your family, your neighbors . . . for all of us. So, the judges, lawyers and litigants in the Circuit Court appreciate your help.

Trial by jury is the foundation of the American judicial system. In a civil case, it is the duty of a jury to decide issues of fact in disputes over matters such as property rights, contract rights and damages for personal injury. In a criminal case, it is the individuals who serve on juries that the parties rely upon for the protection of life, liberty and property.

The most important function of a juror is to listen to all evidence presented at trial, and to decide the facts of the case. The Judge is there to determine the legal aspects of the case and to keep the trial moving forward.

The performance of jury service is the fulfillment of a civic obligation. Our system of justice will not work without your participation.