Court Jury Clerk

Court Closure effective March 17, 2020

Michigan Supreme Court: Administrative Order No. 2020-2: Order Limiting Activities/Assemblages in Court Facilities

Reduced Courthouse Hours

The business offices of the Eaton County Trial Courts, including: the 56th Circuit, 56A District, Probate, Juvenile and Friend of the Court; will be closed to the public from March 23, 2020 until April 13, 2020. The court offices will be open for essential services by appointment only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Essential services will be handled as outlined by the Supreme Court Order 2020-2.

Entrance into the courthouse will be by appointment only.
Please reference the attached order for more information on procedure changes.

Please direct questions to the appropriate courts below:

56th Circuit Court
517-543-4335
circuitcourtclerk@eatoncounty.org

Community Corrections
517-543-3490

56A District Court
Criminal Division: 517-543-3359 districtcourt@eatoncounty.org

Civil Division: 517-543-4064 districtcourtcivil@eatoncounty.org

Traffic Division: 517-543-3359 traffic@eatoncounty.org

Friend of the Court 
517-543-6850

Juvenile Court 
517-543-6003 ext. 1246

Probate Court
517-543-7500 ext. 1276

ATTENTION:

In response to the health risks posed by the corona virus outbreak and upon recommendations from the State Court Administrators office Eaton County will not be holding jury trials until the 1st week of May.

If you are a juror for the month of March your jury duty has ended. Thank you for your service.

Welcome to the Eaton County Court Jury Clerk. Your Circuit, Probate, and District Court Judges wish to thank you and all jurors for giving generously of your time and for taking jury duty seriously.

Jury Administration/Selection

At the beginning  of each quarter the jury board looks over the list of random names supplied by the Secretary of State Driver's License and State ID. Then the Jury Clerk sends questionnaires to potential jurors residing in Eaton County.  The Jury Clerk screens these questionnaires and prepares them for final review and qualification. Prospective Jurors who fail to return a questionnaire will receive follow-up letters from the Clerk and, if you still fail to return your questionnaire you will then receive a show cause hearing and will go in front of the Judge.  

After qualification, the Jury Clerk coordinates the drawing of panels for the Circuit, District, and Probate Courts. If selected, qualified jurors are summoned to appear. Any questions or concerns about service should be addressed to the jury clerk. 

Get Involved

Without you the jury system can not work. We know that jury service means rearranging schedules, canceling appointments, and even missing work. But if you were on trial, wouldn't you want someone like you to make the sacrifices necessary to be a part of your jury? Your public service as a juror protects our right to have a trial by an impartial jury.

Entering the Courthouse

If you are serving as a juror, please keep in mind that because of security reasons jury members will not be able to enter the courthouse prior to business hours. The courthouse is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please arrive at the courthouse at the appropriate time so you are not locked outside prior to the courthouse opening.

Qualifications to Serve as a Juror

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must speak and understand the English language.
  • You must be a resident of Eaton County.
  • You must be 18 years of age or older.
  • You must no longer be attending high school.
  • You must not have been convicted of a felony.

Deferring Jury Duty

In the State of Michigan, everyone who meets the qualifications is eligible for jury duty. The courts are happy to work with you on any scheduling problems or conditions you may have that would make your attendance impossible. 

Please email Mindy Junker, the Jury Clerk, or call 517-543-4318 as soon as possible in order to discuss scheduling. Do not wait until the day your group is called.