Jury commissioners help to keep a pool of jurors readily available for the Montgomery County Courts' needs. (Credit: Bermix Studio / Unsplash.com)
Learn about the one unique department of Row Officers that requires two people to help it along.
We hope you are both enjoying and learning something from our exploration of Managing Montco. Each day, we aim to take a deeper dive into a role of a department within the county. We want to help you understand who that person is, what they do for the county, and what they can do to help you.
We are breaking down the roles of the nine departments known as “Row Officers.” And next on our list Jury Selection Commissioners. This is uniquely the only Row Officer position and department that has two people in the role. Jury duty for the third-most populous county in the state is quite the undertaking, so it is no wonder two dedicated employees are required.
What is The Montgomery County Jury Selection Commission?
If you’ve ever gotten that request in the mail, requiring you to report to the county’s courthouse for that is every American citizen’s honor and duty to perform, you probably are somewhat familiar with jury duty. The Montgomery County Jury Selection Commission is the office in charge of organizing that massive daily task.
Its commissioners are responsible for providing qualified pools of jurors to ensure the right of all citizens to a trial by an impartial jury. The honor has continued in the country for over 200 years, and the need only grows.
If you do report to the courthouse (typically you call the day prior, after 4 p.m., to see if you are still needed; the instructions about this are included on the summons), if you are not selected that day, you are dismissed from your duties. If you are chosen for a trial, you are required to serve until that trial is over.
Who are the Montgomery Jury Commissioners?
Two individuals serve as Jury Commissioners in Montgomery County, Pa. Merry Woods and Joanne Cisco Olszewski are the duo currently in that role.
The jury commissioners work at the courthouse, Main and Swede streets in Norristown. You can reach the office at 610-278-3215.
What do the Jury Commissioners do?
The jury commissioners’ main role is to ensure that a continual pool of jurors is ready, willing, and able for the court system of Montgomery County. The commissioners obtain names by combining the Voter Registration list, along with the list of Licensed Drivers to send their mailings. However, the commissioners do not hand-pick any names, but rather randomly select from the master list for possible service.
The commissioners handle the office that processes juror summons, juggles any disqualifying circumstances, and organizes the nearly daily process of getting the summoned citizens into the proper places at the proper times. In a very basic terminology, they are the master planners, keeping the courts supplied with jurors as needed.
They also help to answer any questions you may have about serving jury duty (see their FAQs here), from where to park (the Main Street Garage located at 20 E. Main St., Norristown), to understanding the importance of the role (learn more about that here).
