Jury Duty Scam Alert

Public Advisory - Telephone Scam Warning

Serving on a jury is an important civic responsibility that is coordinated by the Hanover County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.  You can find general information about jury service in the Virginia Judicial System’s brochure titled “The Answer Book for Jury Service (PDF)”

Receiving a Summons

Jury summonses are delivered by US mail.  The summons will indicate the dates you have been asked to serve and will provide instructions on what to do.  Receiving a summons does not necessarily mean that you will serve on a jury, but you will be in a pool of candidates who could potentially serve.

Determining Whether You Need to Report to Court

During the week of June 5, 2023, the following jury groups are needed for trial:

Jury groups 200, 208, 211, 218, 219, 221, and 225 need to report to the jury assembly room on the second floor of the Courthouse building on Friday, June 9^th , 2023 at 9:00 a.m. for jury service.

Please bring a photo ID along with your badge, which is located in the bottom left-hand corner of your summons. Please present this identification to security when entering the building. And remember, just before you leave for court in the morning, call the jury number, 365-6352 and press 4 one last time to be sure the trial has not been cancelled.

If you have already been excused from appearing during on this date, you do not need to appear.

You will receive a reminder phone call the day before your scheduled trial. You should still check the cancellation message even after you receive your reminder call.

Jurors do not report to the courthouse every day of their service period. To determine when you need to report, you will rely on the juror information number that is provided in the summons. The summons will detail the dates and times that you should call.

The juror information number is 804-365-6352.

When you dial the information number, listen to the entire message. It will state whether you need to report to the courthouse and at what time.

Virginia law mandates that jurors receive $30 each time they report to court, whether or not they are selected to serve. This stipend helps cover jurors’ expenses.  Payment takes two to four weeks. 

Reporting for Service 

If you call the juror information number and are told to report to court, pay attention to the time you are told to arrive. You will report to:

• Hanover County Circuit Courthouse
  7530 County Complex Road
  Hanover, VA 23069

Arrive at the courthouse with time to spare as proceedings will start on time. Call the juror information number just before you start for the courthouse to find out if the trial has been canceled at the last-minute. 

Preparing for Court

Wear conservative clothes comparable to what you’d wear in a business environment. It’s possible that you’ll spend a long day in court, so it’s also important to wear comfortable clothing.

Once you arrive at the courthouse, there may be downtime. It’s a good idea to bring some quiet activities, such as a book or crossword puzzle, that you can do while you wait. The judge will tell you how long he or she thinks the trial will last, so that you can make work and childcare arrangements or raise concerns about your ability to serve.

Relief From Jury Service

Excusals from jury service must be submitted as soon as possible and may not be granted if requested less than 48 hours before trial unless in case of emergency.

If you need to be excused from jury service for a part or the entire term or believe you are exempted by law from serving, mail a written request to be excused to:

• Hanover Circuit Court
  Attention: Jury Service Excusal
  P.O. Box 505
  Hanover, VA 23069

Send your request before your jury service begins.  Excusal from Jury Service (PDF) discusses common exemptions.

Questions

Using the juror information number 804-365-6352 is the best way to get up-to-date information about your service requirements.

If you have questions about being excused from jury service, call 804-365-3205.

For general questions, call the jury coordinator at 804-365-6493 or 365-6864.