How Does Jury Duty Work in Missouri?

As a U.S. citizen, we’ve all experienced that moment when you receive a letter in the mail with the label “Official Jury Summons”. If you’re like most people, your immediate reaction is probably annoyance. This means you’ll have to take time off work, rearrange your schedule and potentially spend days in a courthouse with no clear indication as to when the case will wrap up.

It’s true that it can be a big time commitment, but it’s also one of the best ways to be civically active in Missouri. It’s a roll of the dice as to what type of case you’ll be a part of and it can range from a simple civil case like a neighbor dispute or something much more serious like a murder trial. You never know what you’re going to get, but the verdict you reach as a juror can determine whether someone gets justice or not. 

Understanding how the process works before you walk through that courthouse door can make the experience less intimidating and more meaningful.

What Is Jury Duty and Why Does It Exist?

Most people get the concept of jury duty at a baseline level, but they may not fully understand its purpose and why it was created in the first place. It was written into the Constitution because our founders didn’t trust decisions about a person’s fate to be left solely in the hands of government officials or judges. They wanted ordinary citizens to be the ones who decided the fate of their fellow community members. That principle has held for over 200 years, and it still sits at the heart of every jury trial held in Missouri today.

Jurors are basically factfinders, the people responsible for weighing the evidence, assessing credibility, and ultimately deciding what happened and who is responsible. The presiding judge handles the law; the jury handles the facts. Once the trial concludes, jurors step away from the courtroom and into a private room to deliberate and reach a verdict together.

Serving on a jury doesn’t require a law degree or any legal background. It just requires an open mind, the ability to listen carefully, and a willingness to take the responsibility seriously. Whether the case involves a civil dispute or a criminal charge, the outcome is consequential to everyone involved.

Can You Avoid Jury Duty in Missouri?

If you’re not up to the task, there are a few ways that you can get out of jury duty. These exceptions include:

• A person who has served on a jury in the past two years
• Nursing mothers, with a written statement from their physician
• A person whose absence from his or her regular place of employment would tend to materially and adversely affect the public safety, health, welfare, or interest
• A person who would experience an undue or extreme physical or financial hardship from serving as a juror
• Licensed health care providers, if they are actually providing health care services to patients and being on a jury would be detrimental to the health of the patients
• Employees of religious institutions whose religious obligations or constraints prohibit serving on a jury
• Any person who is at least 75 years old

Most of these exceptions require a written timely notice to a court before your jury duty date. The majority of these exceptions are at the discretion of the judge, meaning that although you may be facing a physical or financial hardship for serving as a juror, a judge might disagree. A person who is at least 75 years old does not need approval from the judge to not serve, they only need to inform the court of their age to be excused.

If something important in your life comes up (like a wedding, graduation or other important life event) or is scheduled when you are summoned for jury duty, you can request a court to postpone your jury duty to a later date. This will not get you out of jury duty, but it generally allows some flexibility for work or personal events you cannot miss. Postponing jury duty can usually only be requested once. If your request is accepted by the judge, your jury duty will usually be rescheduled sometime within the next 6 months.

Jury Duty Requirements in Missouri

Not everyone who receives a summons will end up in the jury box. Missouri has a specific set of requirements that determine who is eligible to serve. 

A person is eligible for jury duty in Missouri if:

• He or she is over 21 years old
• A United States citizen
• A resident of the county or city sending the summons
• Able to read, speak, and understand English

A person is ineligible for jury duty in Missouri if:

• He or she does not meet the above requirements
• Been convicted of a felony and his or her civil rights have not been restored
• On active duty in the Armed Forces
• A judge of a court of record
• Incapable of performing the duties of a juror because of mental or physical illness or infirmity

Missouri County Requirements

Depending on which county in Missouri you are summoned to, the requirements may change and there might be different processes for selection. 

For example, in St. Louis County, jurors are selected every week and are required to appear at the courthouse on Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a federal holiday). Potential jurors will be required to stay and may be called back on Tuesday or Wednesday until it is determined that no more jury trials will begin this week. Once those days pass, you are relieved from jury duty unless you are selected for a trial. At that point, your service will continue until the trial ends. In St. Louis County, the average length of jury trials is about 2.5 days.

Jury Duty Pay by County

Juror pay varies depending on which county your summons comes from. The table below breaks down what each county pays, both for days you spend in the courtroom and days you report but aren’t selected.

What You Can Bring to the Courthouse

What you’re allowed to bring to the courthouse while waiting varies by county, though most counties generally permit books, cellphones, and similar personal items to help pass the time. A few things worth noting before you arrive: Greene County specifically prohibits newspapers, and Butler County recommends dressing in layers since courtrooms tend to run cold.

Justice Works Thanks to People Like You

Understanding how the system works matters whether you’re sitting in the jury box or sitting across from an attorney after an accident, a workplace injury, or a loss your family didn’t see coming. The more you know about how the law operates, the better equipped you are to navigate it when it counts.

At Cantor Injury Law, we believe an informed community is a stronger one. If the legal system ever becomes personal for you or someone you love, we’re here to fight for you and make sure you understand every step of the process along the way.

Call us at 314-628-9999 for a free consultation.