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Jury Duty

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What is Jury Duty

The right to a trial by jury is one of our most precious rights. It is the right of free men and women, to force the State that charges them with a crime, to prove those charges before a jury of citizens. It is an essential right not to have the government that accuses of a crime to also determine our guilt or innocence. In a free society, that responsibility rests with a jury consisting of an impartial group of our fellow citizens. The courts of our State belong not to the lawyers and the judges, but to you – the public.

Fraud Alert: Jury Duty Scam

The Marathon County Clerk of Courts Office is alerting the community about a common and reoccurring nationwide telephone scam currently circulating in Marathon County. Several community members have reported receiving phone calls from an individual claiming to be a Lieutenant or an Officer with a local law enforcement agency.

In this scam, scammers are posing as local law enforcement and contacting victims accusing them of failing to appear for jury duty and stating a warrant for their arrest will be issued unless a fine is paid. Payment is often requested in the form of gift cards and the scammer will ask the victim to provide the gift card numbers over the phone.

As a reminder, the Clerk of Courts Office or local law enforcement agencies will never call to solicit funds or collect fines over the phone. Government and legitimate businesses will never require someone to make payment with gift cards.  Additionally, juror summonses are sent through the mail and communication through other mediums should be considered suspicious.

Be aware that scammers may spoof phone numbers of law enforcement or government agencies in an effort to disguise their identity and appear legitimate. If you receive a call of this nature, immediately hang up without providing any information about yourself or making payment. Then, report the call to your local law enforcement agency only if you make payment to a scammer, or believe that your identity has been stolen. Never use a phone number provided to you from the caller to verify the credibility.  Instead, look up the phone number of the government office or business that the caller claims to be from using a credible source such as a phone book, an internet search, or a legitimate government or business website.  

Please contact the Marathon County Clerk of Courts Office at 715-261-1300 with any questions.

Schedule

If you have questions, please contact the Clerk of Courts Office via email at Marathon.Clerk@WIcourts.gov or by phone at 715-261-1300.

If you are scheduled for Jury Duty, please call the juror hotline at 715-261-1331 or toll free at 800-232-1375 after 6:00pm each evening during the week you are summonsed.  You will need to know your juror number. The juror hotline will advise you whether or not to appear. If a trial is going, you will be advised of when and where to report.

 

  • Where do I park?

    You are to park in the Wausau Center Mall parking ramp adjacent to the Hom Furniture store. You will need to provide your license plate # to the Bailiff upon check-in at the courthouse.

  • Do I get paid?

    The rate of pay for jury duty is $11.00 for a half day (those excused before noon), and $22.00 for a full day (staying past noon). You will receive payment approximately two weeks after your term of jury service is complete. Mileage is paid at the rate of $.51 per mile. Make certain that the Clerk of Courts Office has your correct name, address and round-trip mileage to the courthouse. Verification of your jury service for your employer will be provided upon request.

  • How long do I have to serve?

    Your length of service for jury duty will be 5 days of service. In the rare circumstance that a trial is not complete in 5 days, you will be required to continue your service till the end of the trial. If you come to the courthouse for a trial and the trial is either canceled or you are not selected as a juror, your trip to the courthouse will count as one day of jury service.

  • What about my job?

    Jury service is a civic duty. State law protects your job. Your employer cannot fire you, demote you, threaten or intimidate you because of jury service. Upon request, the bailiff or jury clerk can complete a statement of your jury attendance for your employer.

  • Why me?

    Why not? Trial by jury is a cherished constitutional right. Every resident of an area served by a circuit court who is at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and able to understand English is qualified to serve as a juror.

    No person who is qualified and able to serve may be excluded on the basis of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, income, age, ancestry or physical condition.

    A person selected for jury service must be selected at random from a master listing using the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's list of people with motor vehicle licenses or identification cards who live in the area served by that circuit court.

    All qualified people must have an equal chance to be considered for jury duty...and the obligation to serve as jurors when summoned.

  • Do I have to serve?

    Yes - in most instances. The law requires all qualified state citizens be available to serve as jurors. Not all persons summoned actually serve as a juror. A person may not be selected as a result of a process known as "voir dire" (vwa deer) whereby the parties in the case (and the judge in some circumstances) ask questions to determine a potential juror's qualifications or degree of impartiality to serve on a particular trial.

    The court may excuse a person from jury service if the court determines the person cannot fulfill the responsibilities of a juror. If the court determines jury service would entail undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, serious obstruction or delay of justice, the court may defer service to a later date set by the court. The court may require a person to document the basis for any excuse or deferral.

  • What is the smoking policy?

    This is a non-smoking facility. Smoking will only be permitted if jurors are excused from the building during the lunch hour.

  • What about lunch?

    Jurors are usually excused for lunch. You may leave the Courthouse or bring a lunch to have in the jury room. A refrigerator and microwave are available for your use. Lunch may be provided during multiple day trials.

  • Can I bring my cell phone?

    Electronic equipment including, but not limited to, cellular telephones, pagers, laptop computers and recording devices may not be used in the courtroom or juryroom without the specific permission of the Judge. Unless specific permission is given by the Judge, all electronic equipment in the possession of a juror shall be turned off.

  • What should I wear?

    Dress comfortably, but avoid extremes in dress. There are usually no prescribed dress codes.

  • Will I be waiting long?

    Resolving legal disputes can be complex and unpredictable work. Often, cases are settled at the very last minute. When the jury is actually ready to hear the case, the parties often work out a last-minute compromise rather than gamble on what the jury will decide. These settlements may seem very inconvenient to you, but such settlements usually save time for all trial participants - and saves the taxpayers' money. And yes, you may want to bring something to read. It will help make the time pass.

  • What if I have a disability?

    If you have a disability which will require an accommodation by the court to allow you to serve as a juror, please contact our office at 715-261-1314 as soon as possible.

  • Can I go home at night?

    Most trials last only one day. When a trial does last longer, the judge usually adjourns so that you can return home each day at a reasonable hour. Rarely are you required to stay overnight.

  • Where do I submit a juror qualification questionnaire electronically?

    If you received a juror qualification questionnaire in the mail, you can complete the form online through the Wisconsin Court System.