When you are called to be a juror, you become a very important person in our legal system. In the United States, our justice system is based on the belief that a just and fair result in court comes from having disputes settled by our fellow citizens. Very few of us ever have to go to court as plaintiffs or defendants, but when we do, we want good, honest people to listen to the evidence and decide our cases fairly.

Therefore, when we are called to serve on a jury, we have an obligation to our fellow citizens to honor the summons and appear at court. Some cases may be more important than others, but to the parties involved, their case is very important, and they deserve to have it decided by honest and impartial jurors.

If you have been selected as a prospective juror, you will be asked to report to the court at 8:30 a.m. on the date of trial. The Tiffin court is located on the second floor of the Seneca County Justice Center, 103 East Market Street, Suite 201, Tiffin, Ohio. The Fostoria court is located at 213 S. Main Street, Fostoria, OH, on the second floor of the Fostoria Municipal Building.

Please bring your jury summons with you when you appear for jury service, and be sure the address on the summons is correct for the payment of jury service.

As a prospective and/or seated juror you must reside in the territorial jurisdiction of this court. The jury pool is taken from the Seneca County Board of Elections list of registered electors who reside in Seneca County, Ohio excluding Jackson and Loudon Townships and the City of Fostoria.

Please come dressed appropriately for juror service. As the temperature in the courtroom may vary, you may want to bring a sweater or jacket with you.

Do not bring children or anyone else with you. You may spend some time waiting. You may want to bring some reading material with you.

If you need proof that you have served as a prospective and/or seated juror for your employer, you will be given an excuse before entering the courtroom.

Eight jurors and one alternate will be selected as the panel of jurors. At the end of the trial, the alternate juror will be dismissed. The other jurors will be sequestered for deliberations.

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What time do I need to report for jury duty?

You will be required to report for jury service on the Second Floor, Room 208, of the City of Seneca County Justice Center, 103 East Market Street, Suite 201 Tiffin, Ohio, or 213 S. Main Street, Fostoria, OH, on the second floor of the Fostoria Municipal Building, promptly at 8:30 a.m. on the designated date.

Do the cases ever get resolved before trial?

Yes. The parties involved in a case usually try to settle their differences and avoid the time and expense of a trial. Sometimes a case is settled only minutes before the trial begins. Therefore, even though many trials are scheduled each day, some of them will not actually go to trial, so those cases will not need juries. But your time spent waiting to serve is not wasted; your presence encourages settlement. Many of the cases, both civil and criminal, are settled a day or two before the day of trial, therefore eliminating the need for jurors to report for jury service. In an effort to avoid having jurors make unnecessary trips to the Seneca County Justice Center, you should contact the Tiffin/Fostoria Municipal Court at 419-448-5411 for Fostoria at 419-435-8139 ext. 1 the day before your scheduled jury service to make sure your presence will still be necessary the next day.

Must my employer pay me while I am on jury duty?

Your employer is not required to pay you while on jury duty; however, employers are prohibited by law from firing an employee for serving as a juror.

What do I do in case of sudden illness or emergency?

If you should become ill, or, if there is a death or a grave illness in your family or if a similarly serious problem should arise, you or some responsible person on your behalf must submit a written excuse to the jury coordinator in order to secure an excuse from reporting on the designated date for jury service. Only the judge is authorized to grant this type of excuse from jury service. Please direct all calls to Jennifer Molotla, Jury Coordinator for the Tiffin location at 419-448-5411 or Jennifer Molotla - The Jury Coordinator for the Fostoria location at 419-435-8139 ext. 1

I’m going to be out of town the day of the trial – what should I do?

If you know of days during your scheduled term of service when you cannot be present for jury service, as, for example, a business trip or a vacation, you must notify the jury coordinator in writing and secure a temporary excuse from reporting on the designated date. As indicated above, only Judge Best is authorized to grant this type of temporary excuse from jury service. Please direct all correspondence to Jennifer Molotla, Jury Coordinator, Tiffin Municipal Court, 103 East Market Street, Suite 201, Tiffin, Ohio 44883 or Jennifer Molotla - The Jury Coordinator for Fostoria 213 S. Main Street, Fostoria, OH.

What do I do with my children when I come in for jury service?

Unfortunately, there are no facilities at the court to keep children occupied, so please make arrangements for your children to be taken care of on your day of jury service. If you are in need of child care, you can contact a child care provider listed in the yellow pages.

Where do I park?

There are several city parking lots available within walking distance of our building, parking space on the street is also available.

Do I get paid for jury service?

Jurors will receive $20.00 for each day they are scheduled for jury duty at the Tiffin Municipal Court, regardless of whether or not they are selected to serve as a juror. This amount is the maximum provided by the Ohio Legislature. Further, no provision has been made by the Ohio Legislature for the payment of mileage. Jury fees are paid by the Seneca County Auditor and will be mailed to you by the Auditor following the completion of jury service.

Does the court provide lunch?

No, but there will be a break for lunch and you may leave the Seneca County Justice Center to get something to eat if you would like. There are a number of very good restaurants within walking distance of the Seneca County Justice Center.

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