Jury Duty in Henry County 

To be eligible for jury service you must be at least 18 years of age, a resident of Henry County, and a citizen of the United States. 

The jury pool consists of a merged list from the Secretary of State’s Office.  The list is taken from Voter’s registration, Driver’s License registration, and Illinois identification cards.  

Every year the Jury Commissioner Clerk mails questionnaires to residents of Henry County.  You are required to fill out the questionnaire and return. A self-addressed stamp envelope is enclosed for your convenience.  

The questionnaire consists of basic questions which are taken into consideration by the Jury Commission Clerk who then determines if the prospective juror is eligible or not.  Jurors are exempt only if they no longer live in Henry County, have served within the last twelve months or are currently serving a sentence for a crime or are on probation or parole.  There are no work exemptions, by statute, employers must give potential jurors time off from his/her work and may not require an employee to work second or third shifts while serving on a jury.  However, an employer is not legally required to reimburse the juror his/her pay.  

Approved questionnaires are placed in a jury pool for a four year period, if not selected in that four year period the questionnaire has expired and is no longer eligible.  

There are three potential juries you may be summoned to serve on: Petit, Grand or Coroner.  Grand Jury is impaneled for 18 months. They are required to inspect the County Jail and to hear evidence presented by the State’s Attorney and determine if such evidence is sufficient to charge a person or persons with a crime by a Bill of Indictment. Questions are to be directed to the Henry County State’s Attorney at 309 937-3582.  Coroner’s Jury is impaneled for 12 months. They will hear evidence presented by the Henry County Coroner to determine the manner and cause of an individual’s death.  Questions are to be directed to the Henry County Coroner at 309 937-5550.  

Petit Jury is the most common.  Petit Jurors will hear evidence and render a verdict in civil or criminal cases.  Each prospective juror will receive in the mail a summons instructing them to appear before the Circuit Court of Henry County at the Courthouse in the Village of Cambridge, IL at a certain time and date.  The summons will be marked PANEL A or B and will instruct the prospective juror to call a certain number after 5:00 PM the evening before the date scheduled for jury duty.  The recorded message will inform the prospective juror if they need to report, if their service has been deferred, or their service has been completed.  

There may be an occasion when a prospective juror cannot appear on the required date for petit jury service, such as illness or vacation, and so on.  If so, the prospective juror will need to telephone the Circuit Clerk’s office at 309 937-3572, and request to speak with the Judge’s Clerk.  

Once a prospective juror is selected to be on the jury, reports to the Henry County Courthouse, a service fee of $15.00 per day plus mileage will be mailed at the end of his/her jury service.  

During the juror’s service, judges, attorneys and court staff shall make every effort to assure that the juror is treated with courtesy, respect and regard for their privacy.    

If you are lucky enough to be summoned, we certainly hope that you find your service to be a worthwhile experience.