The following information Is based on answers to questions frequently asked by jurors:
Questionnaires must be returned in the provided addressed envelope within 10 days. Questionnaires can be returned electronically using the following link:
Electronic Juror Questionaire (You will need the paper questionnaire mailed to you for your Juror ID)
Requests for postponement or excusal must be made in writing to the Jury Clerk by Wednesday of the week preceding your summoned date. The requests for excusal or postponement should be sent to:
Tammy Pauley, Jury Clerk (Dane.Jury@wicourts.gov)
Business Hours: 7:15 AM - 4:00 PM
Mailing Address:
Dane County Courthouse Room L1001
215 S Hamilton St
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 266-4105
Fax: (608) 266-5988
Website for jury requests: juryrequest.wicourts.gov
The Juror's Pool ID Number and Juror Pool Member Number should be included on all correspondence.
Postponements and excusals are arranged by the Jury Clerk. We must receive your completed questionnaire before these requests will be considered.
There will probably be times when you will have to wait prior to being escorted to a courtroom for jury selection. You may bring your laptop as we have free wireless internet access. You may also want to bring along reading material. There are a few food and beverage vending machines on the lower level of the courthouse near the Jury Assembly room. You may also bring a snack or beverage with you.
Jurors may call the jury clerk's number after 8:00 AM on Mondays to report their illness or emergency and the jury clerk will return the call either that afternoon or the following day.
Jury selection is on Monday of each week. You will find out on Monday if you are chosen for a trial for that week. Upon completion of the trial your service will be completed for four years. If you are not chosen on Monday for a trial, your jury service is also completed for four years.
Jurors are randomly selected from the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles driver's license, and identification lists. It is important to keep your address with the Division of Motor Vehicles current to ensure that a juror summons and questionnaire reaches you.
You will be paid $20 per day for anything over four hours and $10.00 for anything up to four hours. You will also be paid a nominal daily travel allowance for each day you are required to report to the courthouse. Bus passes are available upon request. It is important that we have your correct address for reimbursement.
Parking can be a problem in the downtown area. Please attempt to park in the Capitol Square South Ramp (previously the Dane County Ramp). Meters take quarters only (approximately $1.80 for each hour.) Jurors must pay for their own parking until noon on Monday. Do not park in reserved parking. If you are selected for a trial, you may obtain a parking permit from the Jury Clerk to be used for the duration of the trial.
Dane County uses a voice mail recording system to inform jurors when they are to report for jury duty. On Thursday preceding your assigned week, call (608) 266-4105 after 4:00 PM to determine if you are to report for jury duty the following Monday. If your Pool ID # and Pool Member # number is within the range of numbers that are read off, you are to report on Monday for jury duty. If when you call again on Sunday evening after 6:00 PM and your Pool Member # is not within the range of numbers read off, you have completed your jury duty for four years.
The times you may call are:
Persons requiring TDD service due to a hearing impairment, please call (608) 266-4625 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.
Failure to appear can result in the court imposing penalties under WI Stats. section 756.30.
Dane County citizens are required to respond to jury duty no more frequently than every four years. Being available for the assigned week or actual service on a jury fulfills this requirement for four years.
All juries in this county are drawn on Monday unless it is a holiday, then jury selection is on Tuesday. On the day of jury selection, each person learns whether he/she has been chosen for a trial for that week. Almost three-fourths of our jury trials last only 1 or 2 days.
The law provides that an employer must grant an employee a leave of absence, without loss of time in service for the period of jury duty. No employer may use absence due to jury duty as a basis for discharging an employee or for any disciplinary action against the employee.
Our system provides a month's advance notice of the week of possible jury duty. When a person is called to jury duty, he/she should inform their employer of the possibility of being selected and of the certain need to be absent from work for the morning of jury selection.
Jurors are paid $10.00 for any service up to 4 hours and $20.00 for any service over 4 hours in one day. A majority of Dane County employers continue to pay employees while they are on jury duty, but such employers have a right to have their employees' juror fees (excluding mileage) paid over to them.
For prospective jurors who require an ADA accommodation to fulfill jury duty, please call Tammy Pauley at (608) 266-4105 (TTY WI Relay 7-1-1) or email dane.jury@wicourts.gov.
