Jones County Superior Court
110 S. Jefferson St, Gray, GA 31032 | (478) 986-6671
Open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
For other county departments go to:
Jury Duty Information
"I consider [trial by jury] as
the only anchor ever yet imagined by man,
by which a government can
be held to the principles of its constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
Jury Announcements
For the more recent jury announcements, please call our main phone line, (478) 986-6671, after 5:00pm on the day indicated on your jury notice.
Jury Lists
Jury Type | Date | Judge | Calendar PDF |
|---|---|---|---|
Criminal Jury | 03/23/2026 | Hon. Stephen A. Bradley |
Juror Forms
If you need to be excused, or deferred, from jury duty, please refer to the Jury Service Excusal section below to ensure you quality. Call our office at (478) 986-6671 if you still have questions!
Thank you for your public service!
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If you have questions, please review the following information and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section before contacting the Superior Court Clerk’s office at (478) 986-6671.​
If you feel that you have one of the legal reasons to be excused, please complete the jury excuse affidavit or medical exemption form and return to our office.
What should I do on my report day?
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Bring your summons and picture.​
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Please plan to arrive at the Courthouse by the time stated on the jury information line. ​
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You will need time to locate a parking place (adjacent to the courthouse in Carol’s Park parking lot) and to go through the security process.
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We recommend that you plan on being in the Courthouse by 8:30 to ensure you are seated for the start of court.
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Please enter the building through the front entrance so that you can pass through security. This is the only public entrance to the Jones County Courthouse. Note: The only exception will be handicapped individuals who may use the front side entrance near Probate Court. You will need to press the call button by the door to notify the security desk. Once notified, someone will open the door and escort you to security.
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Items such as firearms, explosives, penknives, flashlights, scissors, sewing needles, and any other object, excluding those needed for disabilities such as canes, that may be used as a weapon are strictly prohibited and are not to be brought into the building.​
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Cellular phones and other electronic devices will not be permitted in the courthouse during trials. Cellphones must be left in your vehicle.
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Chewing gum, food and drinks are not allowed in the courtroom.​
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Proper Dress is required. Shorts, jeans with holes, muscle shirts, halter-tops, and bare midriff clothing are not acceptable Court attire. Please show the proper respect for the Court and dress appropriately. A light sweater or jacket is recommended as the courtroom temperature can be quite cool.​
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much do I get paid for jury duty? A: Each person serving jury duty is compensated $25.00 per day of service. This amount is set by Georgia Stage Law and the county's governing authority.
Q: What if something happens on the morning of jury duty and I cannot make it? A: Please call the Clerk's Office at (478) 986-6671 to notify the court of why you cannot attend jury duty. This information will be relayed to the judge. You may be required to provide an excuse, such as a medical excuse from a doctor, in some circumstances.
Q: Will I be arrested if I don't come to jury duty? A: Chances are if you miss jury duty you will not be arrested. If there are not enough jurors who report to jury duty to select a jury, or if the judge sees that a large number of unexcused citizens did not report, the judge could order a show-cause hearing. New notices would be mailed out to those jurors who did not report for the initial jury duty. Jurors who do not report to the show-cause hearing could be found in contempt and face incarceration and/or financial penalties.
Q: Can I bring a book or crossword to pass the time? A: Yes! Jury selection can be a time consuming process. You may bring a book or crossword puzzle as long as it is in paper form and does not pose a security threat. Electronic books and other media will not be permitted.
Q: What happens if I'm selected for a jury? A: Congratulations! You will have a front row seat to see what makes our country so great - our justice system! Once selected, the Judge will give you further information on what you will need to do next. Don't worry! We are always a phone call away if you forget, or have further questions. You can always reach us at (478) 986-6671.
What if I need to be excused from jury duty?
There are limited reasons why a juror may be excused from jury duty. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated 15-2-1.1 states (other statutes may apply - it is your responsibility to read all applicable statutes or to seek the legal advice of a legal professional):
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​(a)​
(1) Any person who shows that he or she will be engaged during his or her term of jury duty as a trial or grand juror in work necessary to the public health, safety, or good order or who shows other good cause why he or she should be exempt from jury duty may have his or her jury service deferred or excused by the judge of the court to which he or she has been summoned or by some other person who has been duly appointed by order of the chief judge to excuse jurors. Such a person may exercise such authority only after the establishment by court order of guidelines governing excuses. Any order of appointment shall provide that, except for permanently mentally or physically disabled persons, all excuses shall be deferred to a date and time certain within that term or the next succeeding term or shall be deferred as set forth in the court order. It shall be the duty of the court to provide affidavits for the purpose of requesting a deferral of or excusal from jury service pursuant to this subsection.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is a full-time student at a college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary school who, during the period of time the student is enrolled and taking classes or exams, requests to be excused or deferred from jury duty shall be excused or deferred from jury duty.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child six years of age or younger, who executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such person is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child six years of age or younger and stating that such person has no reasonably available alternative child care, and who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is a primary teacher in a home study program as defined in subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-690 who, during the period of time the person is teaching, requests to be excused or deferred from jury duty and executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such person is the primary teacher in a home study program and stating that such person has no reasonably available alternative for the child or children in the home study program shall be excused or deferred from jury duty.
Jurors over the age of 70 can opt out of jury duty by filling the jury excuse affidavit and returning it to the Clerk's Office.
(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is the primary unpaid caregiver for a person over the age of six; who executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such primary caregiver is responsible for the care of a person with such physical or cognitive limitations that he or she is unable to care for himself or herself and cannot be left unattended and that the primary caregiver has no reasonably available alternative to provide for the care; and who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty. Any person seeking the exemption shall furnish to the court, in addition to the aforementioned affidavit, a statement of a physician, or other medical provider, supporting the affidavit's statements related to the medical condition of the person with physical or cognitive limitations.
(b) Any person who is 70 years of age or older shall be entitled to request that the clerk excuse such person from jury service in the county. Upon such request, the clerk shall inactivate such person. The request for excusal shall be made to the clerk in writing and shall be accompanied by an affidavit providing the person's name, age, and such other information as the clerk may require. The clerk shall make available affidavit forms for the purposes of this subsection.
(c)
(1) As used in this subsection, the term:(A) "Ordered military duty" means any military duty performed in the service of the state or of the United States, including, but not limited to, attendance at any service school or schools conducted by the armed forces of the United States which requires a service member to be at least 50 miles from his or her home.(B) "Service member" means an active duty member of the regular or reserve component of the United States armed forces, the United States Coast Guard, the Georgia National Guard, or the Georgia Air National Guard who was on ordered federal duty for a period of 90 days or longer.
(2) Any service member on ordered military duty or the spouse of any such service member who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty upon presentation of a copy of a valid military identification card and execution of an affidavit in the form required by the court for deferral or excusal under this paragraph.
(d) The court shall notify the clerk of its excuse or deferment of a person's jury service.
​​(Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-15/chapter-12/article-1/section-15-12-1-1/)
If any of the above criteria to be excused applies to you, you may fill out the jury excuse affidavit or the medical exemption form and submit it to our office. You may also come to our office in person to discuss your excuse reasons. Reasons that are not eligible for excuse may be eligible for deferment to another jury service date.
A Brief History of Jury Trials
The right to trial by jury, codified in the sixth and seventh amendments, found its way into American Democracy as a fundamental right that provided a crucial check on government overreach by the citizens. The jury system was primarily adopted via English Common Law, but the idea of a jury trial is deeply rooted in world history. Below is a brief simplified history of jury trials. The history of such an idea is far more complex and involved a multitude of circumstances to become the right we enjoy today.
Jury trials were used by multiple cultures including the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and early Germanic tribes. The jury system that more reflects our modern system founds its roots in medieval England in 1066 during the reign of King Henry III. In 1215, the fundamental right of a fair trial by jury was established in the Magna Carta. This document became a substantial influence in the creation of the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
The Sixth Amendment establishes the the "right to a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, .... , the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence." This amendment was introduced by James Madison at the first Congress in 1789. (Source: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-6/).
Trial of Socrates (Source: https://socratesjourney.org/68-platos-apology-socrates-defense-at-his-trial-before-his-execution-part-2/)
James Madison (Source: https://pjm.as.virginia.edu/about)
The Seventh Amendment, also introduced by James Madison, established the right to a jury trial in federal civil cases. It also codified the fact that cases decided by juries could not be re--examined by any court within the United States - the decision of the jury would be forever final and could not be challenged. Specifically, the Seventh Amendment states, "in suits of common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law." (Source: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-7/).
Our jury system has remained relatively unchanged since its modern inception in 1066; however, the United States Supreme Court passed several decisions that clarified the role of the jury. In one case, the Supreme Court extended the Sixth Amendment to the states ensuring that both state and federal cases both received fair jury trials. The Supreme Court then established the standard that verdicts must be unanimous through a couple cases in which the previously decided that verdicts did not have to be unanimous and it was up to the individual states to decided the verdict standard. In 1973, women were finally allowed to serve on a jury in all 50 states.
Thomas Jefferson (Source: https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/brief-biography-of-jefferson/)
The right to a trial by jury, established by the Sixth and Seventh Amendments, provides more to our society than an inconvenience. It is a corner stone of our judicial system, and our government as a whole, that allows the ordinary citizen to participate in ensuring that the government does not overreach and abuse its power. It forces justice to me administered in the public eye and not hidden away in a dark and secret court tribunal. It allows citizens to represent the values of their community and to decide the fate of defendants without fear that their decision will be changed later.
If you are selected for jury duty, do not despair! Do not look at it as a nuisance that was put in place only to aggravate you. Remember that you are participating in a process that is over 1,000 years old; a process that has been used to ensure the rights of millions of people (both defendants and victims); a process that our founders believed in deeply enough to die for so that we could forever be "We the People."​
John Adams said, of the Sixth and Seventh Amendments, "Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them, we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle, and fed and clothed like swine and hounds." (Source: https://constitutingamerica.org/90day-dcin-the-heart-and-lungs-of-liberty-representative-government-and-trial-by-jury-guest-essayist-steven-h-aden/).
John Adams (Source: https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/contributors/john-adams}
Thomas Jefferson later wrote, "I consider [trial by jury] as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution." (Source: https://constitutingamerica.org/90day-dcin-the-heart-and-lungs-of-liberty-representative-government-and-trial-by-jury-guest-essayist-steven-h-aden/).