Mecklenburg County Jury Service

Find information about jury service in this county.

The 26th Judicial District will operate under a limited court schedule, effective Monday, March 30, 2020. All court sessions for the designated courtrooms (03-26-2020 COVID Update). Unless you are required to appear in-person to conduct your business, attorneys and the public will not be allowed into the Mecklenburg County Courthouse and should use email and telephone to communicate with staff. Jurors that have been summoned from March 25, 2020 through April 17, 2020 have been excused from jury service. Please visit the jury service page for additional information. No weddings will be conducted by the Mecklenburg County Magistrates at the courthouse or at the Magistrate’s Office located at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. The Mecklenburg County Courthouse will continue its normal hours of operation from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Clerk of Superior Court’s Office will be open to the public between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. (noon). The public is strongly encouraged to visit the Clerk’s office during these morning hours. Emergency and essential filings will be accepted by clerk staff between the hours of 12:00 p.m. (noon) and 5:00 p.m., at the Criminal Magistrate’s Office located at 801 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. Please direct any questions or concerns to the hotline for the Clerk’s Office at: MeckCourtHotline@NCcourts.org.

ATTENTION JURORS: UPDATE FOR MECKLENBURG COUNTY SUMMONED JURORS

All jurors summoned for Wednesday, March 25, 2020, through Friday, April 17, 2020, have been excused from jury service and should not report. An assessment will be made regarding future dates when more information is available. If you are summoned for a date beyond April 17, 2020, please follow the instructions on your summons to determine if you will be required to report.

Mecklenburg County Jury Manager System

In Mecklenburg County, citizens who are summoned for jury service may access the interactive juror website at eresponse.mecknc.gov. This site was designed to manage the most common requests related to jury service and offers many helpful features for jurors, including the ability to:

Obtain current reporting status or status of a request for deferral or excusal (submitted via website)
Access jury service history
Verify/update personal data
Request a deferral, excusal, or disqualification
Request a jury service reminder
Complete Pretrial Questionnaire
Print jury service notifications
Print Employer Letter or Jury Service Verification Certificate, after jury service concludes

To log onto the interactive site, you will need your juror ID and zip code to which the summons was mailed. The Jury Management Office hopes the interactive website is user-friendly and is an efficient way to obtain important information about your jury service.

Your feedback regarding the website is welcomed. Please share any suggestions or let us know about your experience on the Jury Service Exit Survey.

Length of Service

Jury service operates on the one-day / one-trial system. A new group of jurors are summoned each day of the week and, if selected to serve on a jury, a juror will serve for the duration of the trial. However, if a person is not selected for a trial, then their jury service will be over at the end of the day. If sent to a courtroom or selected to sit on a trial, jurors will serve until released by the judge. Jurors released from courtrooms must always report back to the Jury Assembly Room for further instructions. If not selected again, those jurors will be allowed to go home at the end of the day, having completed their jury service.

Jurors selected for a trial that takes several days will need to be present each day while the trial is in progress. If chosen to serve as a grand juror, service is required every other Monday for a six-month period.

Hours of Service

Jurors should plan to be present at least until 5:00 p.m. for each day that they are in service.

The lunch break is normally held between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 1:55 p.m.

When and Where to Report

Jurors are to appear in Room 5450 of the Mecklenburg County Courthouse by 8:00 a.m. on the date they are summoned. (Please note: Jurors are not allowed into the building until 7:30 a.m.)

After parking, use the crosswalks to cross over to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse entrance at the corner of 4th and McDowell Streets. NOTE: Jurors are not allowed to enter the building until 7:30 a.m. Go through the security checkpoint. Proceed across the atrium to the public elevators and take the elevator to Level 5. Turn right out of the elevator and report to the Jury Assembly Room (5450).

In the event of inclement weather, jurors should tune to their local television or radio station, visit the website at eresponse.mecknc.gov, or call the Jury Information Line at 1-877-649-7133 for reporting instructions and possible court closings.

Parking

Please follow the parking instructions carefully. Bring your parking deck ticket for validation by a Jury Coordinator.

Accommodations

Food and Beverages
Lunch will not be provided; however, you may bring your own lunch. A refrigerator and microwave are located in the Jury Assembly Room for your convenience. Drink and snack machines are located in the Jury Assembly Room. Directions to restaurants within walking distance of the courthouse are posted in the Jury Assembly Room.

Generally, lunch begins at 12:30 p.m. and ends at 1:55 p.m., unless you are otherwise instructed by the Jury Coordinator or Judge. Please listen to their instructions carefully.

Nursing Mothers
In our continuing efforts to make performing jury service in Mecklenburg County even more convenient for citizens, we have added a Lactation Room for nursing mothers. The Lactation Room features a counter and cabinets, a sink with a "hot shot" water dispenser for sanitizing, a changing table, refrigerator, and a rocking chair.

To access the Lactation Room, please see one of the Jury Coordinators.

On-Site Child Care
Children are not allowed in the Jury Assembly Room. Larry King's Clubhouse: Children's Play & Care Center provides free childcare services to jurors and may be contacted at (704) 686-0285.

Please note that Larry King's Clubhouse staff cannot answer questions regarding jury service. Jury information can be obtained by calling the Interactive Voice Response System at (704) 686-0195.

Electronic Devices / Internet Access
Electronic devices, such as cell phones, laptops, and iPads/tablets, are allowed in the courthouse. At the security checkpoint, you will be asked to turn on any electronic devices before being allowed to enter the building. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the courthouse. Personal computers are available for use in the Juror Business Center on a first-come, first-served basis.

Juror Handbook
Mecklenburg's Juror Handbook: A Guide for Potential Jurors explains the trial process and the importance of the juror's role in the proceedings.

Learn more about Jury Service