Jury Information

The term for jurors chosen for jury duty in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court will last one year, from September 1st through August 31st. Names are randomly drawn from a pool of Yellowstone County residents from Motor Vehicle registrations, registered voters, and those with a Montana ID card or a Montana driver's license.

If your name is chosen for the jury panel for the coming year, a questionnaire will be mailed to you. This form must be completed in its entirety. If you are requesting excusal from serving as a juror for the duration of the term or permanently, you must complete the back of the questionnaire that is sent to you. If you are requesting an excusal for medical reasons, you will need to provide a doctor's excuse. If you need to be excused for a short period of time, such as a planned vacation, we are able to make accommodations during those times. If you know what those times are when you complete your questionnaire, please list them; otherwise, please give us a call or send us an email and we can make the changes for you.

If you need to make any changes to your information, such as updating your address or telephone numbers, please contact us right away with that information.

Yellowstone County jurors are paid $12.00 for appearing for jury selection and $25.00 per day for service on a jury panel, in addition to mileage. Mileage is paid at the state rate of $.50 per mile from your home to the Yellowstone County Courthouse.

If you are called for jury duty, a summons will be sent to you. If a jury panel is cancelled prior to the date called, your summons gives you specific instruction to check for cancellations. This office is not authorized to tell you anything about the nature of the trial.

Trial times vary a great deal, and frequently, more than one trial is scheduled for a day on which you may be called for service. Because of this, we cannot give you any idea of how long the trial for which you are called may be expected to last. However, the majority of trials that take place in Yellowstone County last less than one week.

If you have any other questions regarding your service as a juror, please give us a call.