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Iowa Jury selection

Jury selection refers to a procedure employed to choose the people from among the community using a reasonably random method to serve on a trial jury.  In the state of Iowa, to serve or to be considered for jury service, a person must possess the following minimum qualifications:

  • Be eighteen years of age or older;
  • Be a citizen of the United States;
  • Be able to understand the English language in a written, spoken, or manually signed mode; and
  • Be able to receive and evaluate information such that the person is capable of rendering satisfactory juror service.

However, a person possessing the minimum qualifications for service or consideration for service may be disqualified for service or consideration for service if the person has, directly or indirectly, requested to be placed on a list for juror service.

For drawing the list of prospective jurors, use the current voter registration list and the current motor vehicle operators list.  The appointive jury commission or the jury manager may use any other current comprehensive list of persons residing in the county, including but not limited to the lists of public utility customers, which the appointive jury commission or jury manager determines are useable for the purpose of a juror source list.  Finally the appointive jury commission or jury manager selects and return to the clerk of the district court the list of grand jurors and petit jurors.  Apart from this, the court may order as many additional jurors drawn for a pool or panel as the court deems necessary.

If a person who is selected as juror fails to appear when notified to report or at a regularly scheduled meeting, without providing a sufficient cause, it may amount to contempt.


Inside Iowa Jury selection